Back-Up, Back-Up, Back-Up

Remember that devices can crash, so you need to plan ahead:

1. Print at least two test copies several days prior to the due date. Then, in an emergency, if the paper is lost you will have a hard copy as a backup.

2. While typing the paper, save your document or check to see that your document is autosaving frequently.  Pay attention to where your paper is saving. 

3. Make sure that there is at least one backup copy in a second location.

4. Back up your documents in Google Drive (even if you do not originally type them there) to ensure that they are accessible from other locations if your device fails.

5. Name your document something that will make it easy for you to find. Put the year and the class name in the name of the file as well as what the documents is to help keep your self organized. “Untitled 34” is not a good name for a research paper. 

6. Print two copies of the final draft. Keep one copy and give the other one to your teacher. 

Developing a Thesis

Developing a Sound Thesis

The following guidelines can help you develop a good thesis:

1. A thesis should be one arguable point. Because your point is arguable, your approach to the subject is what you will support in your research paper. Your research is simply gathering material others have compiled to support the point of view you have chosen for your paper.

2. A thesis should not be a question because it expresses the conclusion you have reached as a result of your research. It must be a declarative sentence.

3. The thesis should be restricted, which means that it should cover only those points you intend to discuss.

4. The thesis should have unity. Even with a comparison/contrast paper, there should still be one overall purpose or thesis that unites the two areas you are investigating.

5. The thesis usually appears as the last sentence of your paper's introduction. The purpose of the introduction is to engage your reader's interest and prepare him/her for your thesis.

Refining Your Thesis

As you write, your thesis may change somewhat from your original statement. This means that you are refining your thesis, cutting out parts that you cannot support and adding others you can support.  A well-stated thesis shows in a single sentence the kind of paper you are writing and what it includes.  Because everything in your paper reflects the thesis, it is very important to spend some time thinking about this one sentence that is the nucleus of your paper.

Thesis Example

The following thesis is arguable; it is not a question, it is restricted to the areas you would cover in your paper, and it is unified. 

A good example of a starting thesis:  

Poverty in Latin America has been a difficult problem to overcome in the past because there are many obstacles.

A good example of a refined thesis:  

Poverty in Latin America has been a difficult  problem to overcome in the past because there are many obstacles, but the more publicity and aid the problem receives the more the unemployment rate and poverty declines.

The Outline

The outline quickly and clearly shares your content and thesis with the reader. In the early stages of your research, an outline will help you to organize your ideas and material. Later in the research process, a more detailed outline will help you unify and refine your final paper.  An outline in any style aids clear thinking and well-developed ideas.

Guidelines for preparing an outline:  

1. Begin by writing your thesis statement.  The outline is prepared after the thesis statement.

2. Under each major heading list no fewer than two subheadings.  

3. Use roman numerals for main topics, capital letters for sub-topics and Arabic numbers for sub- sub-topics.

4. Do not include the introduction or conclusion in your outline.

5. Use parallel structure.  In other words, make sure there is a patterned use of similarly constructed phrases or words. (For example: I told my parents. I told my teachers. I told the student body, and no one listened!)

Examples of Outlines

Click the example to see it as a full page in Google Docs

Producing the Manuscript

Your teacher will give you specific information about what should be included with your final draft.

Assembling Your Paper

Assemble your paper in this order:

1. Outline, table of contents, and/or abstract (if required)

2. Body of the paper

3. Appendices (if applicable)

4. Bibliography or Works Cited

Formatting the Manuscript

1. Margins: 1” top, bottom, left, right.  Do not justify text at the right margin.  Indent first line of each paragraph ½” from the left margin. Indent set-off quotations 1” from left margin. Double-space throughout.

2. Font: Times New Roman; Size: 12pt

3. First Page:  Number pages beginning with the first page.  Begin ½” from the top in the upper right hand corner.  Page numbering should be consistent throughout, including the Bibliography or Works Cited.

4. Quotes four lines or longer should be indented five additional spaces, double-spaced, and should not include quotation marks (See Six Rules for Using Quotations Effectively, Rule 4).

5. Pictures, illustrations, charts, graphs, etc., should not count toward the total page requirement, if any.

FAQ’s: Research and Writing

Writing an introduction 

Question:  What is an introduction supposed to do besides tell my thesis?

Answer:  Good intros draw the reader into a piece of writing.  Consider the difference between these two ways to start an introduction:

“Today Barack Obama gave his first speech on the economy.”

“Breadlines. Millions of workers without jobs. These are two of the consequences President Barack Obama today said could be avoided if Congress adopts his stimulus package. In his first official speech on the economy, the president……”

Writing a conclusion

Question:  How come I need a conclusion?  Haven't I already said everything?

Answer: Good conclusions don’t repeat what’s already been said, but rather sum up what has been said so the reader is sure of the point and understands why the point is significant.  Conclusions should answer the reader's questions: "So what?  Why should I care?”

Question:  How do I "sum up" without just repeating?

Answer: Interesting ways to sum up the point without repeating include:

• Using a quote

• Making a comparison

• Analyzing the information presented

**Note:  a conclusion should not add additional evidence to the point.  You will have already presented all your evidence.  This is just a way to drive home the point.