Full Description
The definitive research paper guide,Writing Research Papers combines a traditional and practical approach to the research process with the latest information on electronic research and presentation.
This market-leading text provides students with step-by-step guidance through the research writing process, from selecting and narrowing a topic to formatting the finished document. Writing Research Papers backs up its instruction with the most complete array of samples of any writing guide of this nature. The text continues its extremely thorough and accurate coverage of citation styles for a wide variety of disciplines. The fourteenth edition maintains Lester's successful approach while bringing new writing and documentation updates to assist the student researcher in keeping pace with electronic sources.
Contents
Preface
Chapter 1 Writing from Research
1a Why Do Research?
1b Learning The Conventions of Academic Writing
1c Understanding and Avoiding Plagiarism
1d Understanding a Research Assignment
Understanding the Terminology
1e Establishing a Research Schedule
Chapter 2 Finding a Topic
2a Relating Your Personal Ideas to a Scholarly Problem
Connecting Personal Experience to Scholarly Topics
Speculating about Your Subject to Discover Ideas and to Focus on the
Issues
2b Talking with Others to Find and Refine the Topic
Personal Interviews and Discussions
Online Discussion Groups
2c Using Online Searches to Refine Your Topic
Using an Online Subject Directory
Using an Internet Keyword Search
2d Using the Library's Electronic Databases to Find and Narrow a Subject
2e Using the Library's Electronic Book Catalog to Find a Topic
2f Developing a Thesis Statement, Enthymeme, or Hypothesis
2g Drafting a Research Proposal
The Short Proposal
The Long Proposal
Your Research Project
Chapter 3 Organizing Ideas and Setting Goals
3a Using a Basic Order to Chart the Course of Your Work
3b Using Your Research Proposal to Direct Your Notetaking
3c Listing Key Terms and Phrases to Set Directions for Notetaking
3d Writing a Rough Outline
3e Using Questions to Identify Issues
3f Setting Goals by Using Organizational Patterns
3g Using Approaches across the Curriculum to Chart Your Ideas
3h Using Your Thesis to Chart the Direction of Your Research
Your Research Project
Chapter 4 Gathering Sources Online
4a Beginning an Online Search
CHECKLIST: Evaluating Internet Sources
4b Reading an Online Address
4c Using Keyword and Boolean Expressions
Subject Directory Search Engines
Robot-Driven Search Engines
Metasearch Engines
Specialized Search Engines
Educational Search Engines
Educational Search Engines Maintained by Libraries
4d Using RSS and Social Bookmarking
RSS Feeds
Web and Social Bookmarking
4e Searching for Articles in Journals and Magazines
Online journals
Online Magazines
4f Searching for Articles in Newspapers and Media Sources
4g Searching for Photographs and Other Visual Sources
4h Accessing E-Books
4i Using Listserv, Usenet, Blogs, and Chat Groups
E-mail News Groups
Real-Time Chatting
4j Examining Library Holdings via Online Access
4k Finding an Internet Bibliography
4l Conducting Archival Research on the Internet
Go to the Library
Go to an Edited Search Engine
Go to a Metasearch Engine
Go to a Listserv or Usenet Group
Utilize Newspaper Archives
Your Research Project
Chapter 5 Gathering Data in the Library
5a Launching the Search
5b Developing a Working Bibliography
5c Finding Books on Your Topic
Using Your Library's Electronic Book Catalog
Using the Library's Bibliographies
5d Finding Articles in Magazines and Journals
Searching the General Indexes to Periodicals
Finding Indexes by Topic in Appendix B
