Week 9 preparing to write your research paper

Writing Strategies for Analytical and Persuasive Writing
Preparing to Write Your Research Paper

This Week: Writing a Research Paper
Focus:
Critical thinking skills
Ability to conduct research using primary and secondary sources
Synthesizing information collected to either analyse cause and effect, or to make a persuasive argument OR both

The Most Persuasive Piece of Writing in this or the last century
Speech: Martin Luther King - I have a dream
Page 540 in text – follow while you listen. This speech is 17 minutes long – but worth listening to! Two words: Goose Bumps!
Can you identify the point at which King moves from an analytical perspective to the persuasive?
Source file: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

Analytical Writing (Cause and Effect)
Chapter 10 – Analytical Writing: Cause and Effect
Purpose of Analytical Writing
Answer the question “why?”
To attempt to support a hypothesis that describes a causal relationship e.g. Why adolescents drop out of school OR why the city overwhelmingly voted for Rob Ford.

Exploring Causal Analysis
Page 214 – Why Students Drop Out of University
Read and discuss in groups – debrief after
What is the thesis statement?
Who is the audience?
What is the larger purpose?
Identify the causal chain (para. 2)
In which paragraphs are the causes discussed?
In which paragraphs are the effects discussed?

Preparing Your Research Paper
Step One: decide on a topic
Step Two: narrow the topic (details to follow) – includes doing preliminary research
Step Three: develop a proposal with thesis (see next slide)
Step Four: Complete and refine first draft
Step Five: Document your references (and other finishing touches)!

Step One: Choosing a Topic
Here are your choices! 
The diagnosis of ADHD in Canadian Boys
The suicide rate among First Nations youth
Bullying in schools
Challenges for internationally trained professionals

Step Two: Narrowing Your Topic
Begin with definitions of key terms
Ask the W5 questions as they relate to your subject matter: who, what, when, where, why, and how?
E.g. Define internationally trained professional. Who are they? Who is supporting them in their search for work? What are they trained as? When did ITPs start coming to Canada? Where do they typically settle? Why do they choose Canada? Why do they have difficulty finding work? Why are their credentials not recognized? How are they working to overcome these challenges?
Use your preliminary research to help you narrow down your topic and to choose a thesis.

Step Three: Prepare the Proposal
About 2 minutes long
Source file:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq7o_9ZjRQQ

Step Four: Write and Revise Your Paper
Tips on how to organize your paper (less than 5 minutes)
Source file: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97HWWy_Y1Gs

Step Five: Document Your Sources & Add Finishing Touches (Cover page/pagination, etc.)
Always use APA style! – Here is a great video I found on how to set up MS Word to follow APA format for your papers. (9 minutes)
Source file: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pbUoNa5tyY&feature=related

Today’s Task
Choose a Topic
Begin preliminary research to narrow down your topic
Begin working on your thesis statement

Research Proposal Directions:
Follow previously noted instructions for narrowing your topic
Compose a clear, concise thesis statement (the topic sentence of your proposal paragraph)
Pose 5-8 focused questions or queries that you want your research to answer. Each sentence or question should be, effectively, a potential topic sentence for each paragraph in your essay.
List the databases, journals, books that you will use to get info on this topic
Submit your word-processed proposal (no cover page necessary) at the start of next class.

What I’ll be looking for...
Research proposal contains clear and reasonable hypothesis (thesis statement)
Proposed topic is narrow enough, and related to the discipline
Questions posed are specific and researchable
Proposal lists appropriate sources
Research proposal demonstrates correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling

Hi ho, Hi ho, it’s off to the library you go!
See you next week – if you have any questions – please email me – jchristiansen@georgebrown.ca

Week 9 preparing to write your research paper

by Julie Christiansen

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