Full Description
The Essential Guidebased on Lester's best-selling Writing Research Papers, is the ultimate brief research reference. Pocket-sized and inexpensive, this research guide is priced to work as a supplement in any research-oriented course. Designed to be a guide for writing research papers both in first-year composition courses and in upper-level courses in all disciplines, the text features advice on the judicious handling of research materials as well as extensive coverage of electronic research. It remains rooted in the fundamentals of thorough library research but encourages and equips students to use the Internet as well as field research where appropriate. Numerous student samples and excerpts model different types of research papers from across the disciplines. Comprehensive coverage of the four most common documentation systems, reflecting the most current guidelines from both MLA and APA, increases the text's usability beyond the composition classroom.
Contents
Preface Chapter 1 Writing from Research 1a Generating Ideas and Focusing the Subject Relate Your Personal Ideas to a Scholarly Problem Developing a Research Journal Asking Questions Using Key Terminology Talking with Others to Find and Refine the Topic Using Online Searches to Refine a Topic Using Textbooks and Reference Books 1b Developing a Thesis, an Enthymeme, or a Hypothesis Thesis Statement Enthymeme Hypothesis 1c Using Your Thesis to Chart the Direction of YourResearch Arrangement by Issues Arrangement by Cause/Effect Arrangement by Interpretation and Evaluation Arrangement by Comparison 1d Drafting a Research Proposal Writing a Short Research Proposal Writing a Detailed Research Proposal 1e Establishing a Schedule Chapter 2 Gathering Sources in the Library 2a Launching the Library Search 2b Using the Library's Electronic Resources Catalog Books Journals Internet Sites Reference Books Archives Bibliographies 2c Searching the Library's Electronic Databases General Databases Databases by Discipline 2d Searching the Printed BibliographiesSearching in General Bibliographies Searching in the Specialized Bibliographies andReference Works 2e Searching the Printed Indexes Starting with a General Index to Periodicals Searching Indexes to Topics in the Humanities Searching Indexes to Topics in the Social Sciences Searching Indexes to Topics in the Physical Sciences Searching Indexes to Discipline-Specific Information 2f Searching Biographies 2g Searching Newspaper Indexes 2h Searching the Indexes to Pamphlet Files 2i Searching Government Documents 2j Searching for Essays Within Books 2k Building Your Research Journal Chapter 3 Gathering Sources Online 3a Beginning an Online Search Using General Search Engines 3b Conduction Keyword and Boolean Searches 3c Using Search Engines Devoted to AcademicDisciplines Humanities Social Sciences Sciences 3d Accessing Online Sources Internet Home Pages
