PartIII. Writing the Research Paper
5 Writing the Research Paper:Introduction, Body & Conclusion 論文の三要素
6 Completing the Research Paper:論文を完成させるために
■引用
◆To write a "good paper" in English, one must first understand the definition, components and purposes of a "research paper."[1998:15]
◆According to Roberts (1985) a research paper is a "formal essay in which the author seeks to prove a thesis partly by providing evidence gathered from outside sources" (p.178)....Although it is important to find enough materials to support the thesis, the paper should not simply be a random collection of other people's ideas. The main purpose of a research paper is to present an original thesis and to prove it through logical argument using concrete support obtained from reliable sources.[1998:15-16]
◆To accomplish the above, Langan (1985) emphasizes the importance of the following four points: "to advance a single point (thesis) and stick to that point, to support the point with specific evidence, to organize and connect the specific evidence, and to write clear, error-free sentences" (p.63)...The main idea is usually expressed at the beginning as thesis statement. The rest of the paper is then organized to logically support the statement...rhetoric and logic tend to be influenced by culture...Remember that academics reading papers generally skim through and expect them to follow a predicatble pattern. They do not expect to be amused or informed about anything other than the thesis being proposed...Evidnce can be obtained from various sources including books, journals, magazines, and interviews. Going through the published literature to locate relevant material is called a literature review. This helps you to understand the topic you are writing about better. Citing a variety of sources, particularly recent ones, also indicates to the reader that you are well-informed on the subject and that your conclusions can be trusted. When choosing which materials to use, two things should be considered. One is whether the information is relevant in supporting the thesis statement. The other is whether the information is from a reliable source. Remember just because something has been published does not guarantee its reliability...Once the literature review has been completed, one must decide how to organize the paper to support the thesis statement in a "logical" manner. Oshima & Hogue (1991) propose four useful patterns in organizing essays, namely: chronological order, logical division, cause & effect, and comparison & contrast...Although writing "error-free" sentences may seem unrealistic, it is fairly easy to avoid simple and glaring mistakes. Before turning in your paper, always proofread it at least twice. Once to check the flow of the whole paper to make sure that the arguments are clear and logically organized. A second time to check for spelling and grammar mistakes...a closer look at your paper will most likely reveal many simple mistakes such as incorrect verb forms, faulty agreement, or mistakes in the use of pronouns.
[1998:16-19]
◆Thus, when deciding on your topic, ask yourself the following questions.
1. Is this topic specific enough for me to cover within the given amount of space?
2. What aspect of this topic interests me the most?
3. What aspect of this topic am I knowledgeable about?
Narrowing down a topic not only gives a clear direction to a paper, but also ensures sufficient coverage of the topic within the assigned amount of space.
[1998:29]
◆By making an outline, the writer puts on paper a "sketch" of the main points and ideas and can then look at the whole picture to decide what, if any, changes are necessary....Once the outline is made, the writer should have a general idea of what the final paper will be like. Here, the following questions should be asked. Is the main point clear? Are the supporting arguments, data or examples convincing? Can everything be covered within the available amount of space? Is there anything that should be included or omitted?/The main advantage to making an outline is that one can examine the paper as a whole to see whether the arguments are clear and logical before actally writing it. Since adjustments can be made before time and effort has been put into shaping the ideas into coherent sentences and paragraphs, outlines can help writers make effective use of their time.[1998:60-61]
◆A literature review serves two main purposes. First of all, it will reveal to you how much, if any, research has already been done on the subject matter of your interest...Secondly, it will provide you with concrete evidence to support your thesis.[1998:71]
◆Ideally, a literature review is conducted until there is no more to be found. Realistically, however, the amount of time as well as the limited availability of resources will inevitably limit your research./What you have found through your literature review should be valuable not only for the research paper you are working on but for future papers as well. For that reason, it is important to keep photocopies of documents and to file them in an orderly fashion....A comprehensive literature review will not only provide you with sufficient background information on your topic but will also give you concrete evidence to use in supporting your thesis statement.[1998:73-74]
◆The amount as well as quality of outside resources one sites reflects upon one's skill as a researcher. Locating many relevant outside sources, therefore, is one of the keys to writing a good paper. When citing those sources, however, one must be especially careful to represent the authors accurately. If authors are not given proper credit for your work you are not only violating basic academic ethics but risk being sued for plagiarism. [1998:76]
◆A quote should only be used when the particular wording in the original adds special siginificance to your writing. Otherwise, too many quotes can make your writing seem fragmented./For the most part, when citing outside sources, paraphrasing or summarizing is used. Paraphrasing means restating something in your own words so that it fits in better with the rest of your writing. Summarizing is used when condensing a large amount of material. When paraphrasing or summarizing, one must be extremely careful not to change the content of the original. [1998:77]