Writing a Research Paper

1
Writing a Research Paper
2
Organize the following materials before you begin

• One file folder
• Note cards
• Tape
• Pencils
• Pens
• Highlighters

3
The File Folder

• The file folder will keep your note cards
  organized and will keep them from getting lost.
• Step 1 Label the tab with your name, your
  homeroom teachers name, and your room number.
• Step 2 Write the subject of your report on the
  front cover.
• Step 3 Open your folder and place two cards
  on the left hand side and two more cards on the
  right hand side. Then tape down the sides and
  bottom of each card leaving the top open. When
  youre finished, you should have four pockets
  to hold all of your research note cards.

4
Collect at Least Three Sources

• Your sources can come from any of the sources
  listed on your MLA format paper.
• You must use three different types of sources but
  may use more than one of one type.
• The following is an example of sources one
  student might use
• internet article
• encyclopedia
• interview with an expert
• internet article

5
Creating Source Cards

• You need one note card for each source.
• Follow the guidelines below to write down all the
  bibliographical information for your first source
  card, an online source
• Author (if known). Document Title. Web
  Site or Database Title. Date of
• electronic publication. Name of
  Sponsoring Institution. Date information
• was accessed
  ltURLgt.
• As you write on your first source card, be sure
  that the first line runs from one side of your
  note card to the other and each of the following
  lines are indented. Use the following example to
  guide you
• Kelly, S.H. Tanker Lets No One
  Down in Bloody Fight. ArmyLINKNews. January
  1997. U.S. Army Public Affairs. 28 Nov. 2003
  lthttp//www.dtic.mil/armylink/news/Jan1997/a1
  9970113761st.htmlgt.

6

• Refer to your MLA sheet for the correct format
  for your other source cards.
• Complete one card for each of your remaining
  sources.
• Place each of your source cards in alphabetical
  order by authors last name and number them.
  (See your Works Cited sheet.)
• Once all of your cards are in alphabetical order,
  number them in the upper right hand corner.
• Place them in your Source Cards pocket in your
  file folder.

7
Note taking from your First Source

• Select your source card with the 1 on it from
  your source card pocket.
• Take out three blank index cards and label them
  with the following titles Behaviors,
  Habitat/Niche, and Physical Attributes.
• Begin reading from your first source and as you
  come across information that applies to each
  card, jot down notes so that youll remember the
  info. later when you go to write your research
  paper. Number each one with a 1.
• Remember not to plagiarize. Its a crime.
  Instead, if you find something really special
  that youd like to include in your paper, copy it
  onto the appropriate note card and put it in
  quotation marks. Then make a note of the page
  you found the information on.

8
Note taking from your Second Source

• Select the source card with the 2 on it.
• Take out three blank index cards and label them
  like you labeled your first set of note cards
  Behaviors, Habitat/Niche, and Physical
  Attributes. This time label them with a 2 on
  each of them so that you know that the
  information on these cards came from your second
  source.
• As youre reading today, if you come across
  information you already have, you dont need to
  write it.
• By the end of today, you should have a total of 6
  note cards for your research paper.

9
Third Source

• Continue to process you used for your first two
  sources on your third source.

10
Writing the Body of your Essay

• Take out all of your information cards marked 1,
  2, and 3 and sort them into like piles (a pile
  for Physical Attributes, a pile for Behaviors,
  and a pile for Habitat/Niche)
• Read through the pile of cards for Physical
  Attributes and write a paragraph about what your
  animal looks like.
• Repeat this process for the other two piles.
• At the end of todays class you should have three
  paragraphs written. They will form the body of
  your essay.

11
Write Your Introduction

• Write your introduction based on your notes from
  our lesson yesterday.

12
Write Your Conclusion

• Write your conclusion based on your notes from
  yesterday.

13
Connecting Your Essay with Transitions

• The thesis in your introduction tells the reader
  the direction he/she will be taking in reading
  your essay.
• The topic sentence at the beginning of each of
  your body paragraphs tells your reader what each
  of your paragraphs will be about.
• The concluding sentence at the end of each of
  your body paragraphs should let the reader know
  how the subject you are writing about is
  connected to the next subject you will be writing
  about.