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by William Wade , Paducah Community College
SPECIAL THANKS & APPRECIATION: William Wade, Distance Learning Coordinator and English Professor at West Kentucky Community & Technical College (Paducah, Kentucky)
Writing research is not that different from writing a letter to a friend or writing a grocery list. In both cases the writer has a need and information draw from. In the case of a letter to a friend, the writer sits down to write and draws from a history with that individual. Events mentioned and illusions drawn are comfortable for both parties. Yesterday's events flow logically out of the history shared by the two people. References to the past are clearly understood and have a link to the two people. The letter is based on a common knowledge, and new information is introduced in a way that will be understandable and interesting. If old ideas are stated and rephrased, the context is clear, and the knowledge is common to both reader and writer. In the case of new information, the source of the information is clearly drawn so that the reader knows where the information comes from. While making a grocery list, the writer generally takes an inventory of existing items so that unnecessary duplication will not occur. Once the inventory is complete, a plan for the future is mapped out and a materials list is created to fulfill that plan. The rest is simply a matter of selecting the best materials based on personal likes and taste. Beginning the Note Taking Process When we begin a research process, hopefully, we are writing on a topic that we have a history with: a topic that interests us and that will keep our attention for a period of time. As we begin the process of writing the paper, we must take an inventory, like the grocery inventory, of what we know already and what we need to find out to produce a clear, logical paper; we need a plan. Some of the information will exist in our mind, and we will be comfortable with that information. We also know the reader, like the friend, will already have some of this information. But, we will need to search for other information to broaden the scope of our knowledge and to assist the reader in understanding the expanded subject. To do that we must create links from the old, understood information to the new, unknown information. Six Steps in the Research Process Let us consider the research paper as having six major steps: topic selection, search for initial sources, note taking, thesis and outline, writing the body of the paper, and the development of a Works Cited. Note taking is the backbone of the paper; it is a middle process. You must have enough notes to be effective, but you can have too many. An over abundance leaves no room for the "you" of the paper. Before note taking, you will have selected (or been assigned) a topic, narrowed that topic, and selected a variety of initial sources. It is during the note taking process that you actually begin to read the sources and gather information for use in the paper. The purpose of note taking is to gather comments and wording to help you produce a clear, logical commentary on a given topic. You want to write what something means to you-with proof. Your proof comes from the notes you take as you read the material you survey that relates to the topic selected. A Works Cited is a detailed listing of the sources that you use. The note cards are the basis of the research paper. Once the bibliography cards (initial sources) are finished, the student begins to collect note cards. It is at this point that the sources are checked out and read. As a quick reference, four elements are needed on the note card. 1. Author name and page the note comes from. 2. The note itself. 3. The type of note you have taken. 4. A reminder of the note's content; each reminder must be unique. The student will write one of three different types of notes. If you are writing notes in pen on a physical card, do not write on the back of any card and put only one idea per card. Notes which run longer than one card should be continued on a second card with the author and page repeated in the upper right corner. Add the word Continued under the author and page. If you are using a word processor and want the information in a typed format, use the form below in a block format or go to Table in the menu bar and then, Draw Table to create a box like the one below. Of course, the only reason for creating a box is to aid in visual recognition of the individual elements. This is a source card written the way the information would appear on the Works Cited page. Zimbardo, P. G. Psychology And Life. 10th ed. Glenview: Scott, Foresman, 1979. Taking notes requires that you also pay attention to the quality of your sources. As you read, check for documentation of the sources used to support the writer's thoughts, look for the credentials of the authorities, think about the logic and order of the work, and consider the time in which the work is written (is it coverage of a current event which may contain emotional reaction; is it coverage after a great time span which may include a bias of the writer). Last, what is the reputation of the organization publishing the work? Is it a publisher of long standing? Does it have the backing of an established organization? When taking notes, certain documentation problems become apparent.
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