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Writing Research paper_
A to Z
Dr. Khalid Rehman Hakeem
Post Doc. Researcher
Faculty of Forestry
Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM)
Serdang-43400
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Research Paper Writing Process
1. Assignment/data Clarification
2. Time Management
3. Topic Selection
4. Topic Brainstorm
5. Library Visit
6. Locate/Select Sources
7. Survey Sources/lab work
8. Topic Focus
9. Read Articles
10. Preliminary Thesis/idea
11. Outline
12. Draft Paper
13. Revise Paper
14. Sources of Help
3. Who am I ?
Post doc Research Scientist
Universiti Putra Malaysia
Serdang, Darul Ehsan, Selangor-Malaysia-43400
www.upm.edu.my
Founder & Former DIRECTOR
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTION OF ACADEMIC REVOLUTION IN KASHMIR (SPARK ) www.sparkeducation.webs.com
ACADEMIC PROFILE
PhD (Botany) Jamia Hamdard (www.jamiahamdard.edu), with thesis title as“ Proteomics and Nanobiotechnological
approach for the improvement of Nitrogen use Efficiency (NUE) in Rice”in 2011
MSc. (Environmental Botany), Jamia Hamdard, New Delhi in 2006 (First Division)
MSc. (Ecology & Environment) Sikkim Manipal University of Health & Technological Sciences, Gangtok in 2005 (First
Division)
BSc. General, Kashmir University in 2003 (First Division)
10+2 Hanfia College Anantnag in 1999 (First Division)
10th Hanfia College Anantnag in 1997 (Grade A)
Research publication (Publishing Career starts in 2011)
Papers: 25 (some under review)
Books: 07 (Published) 05 (Under process)
Book Chapters: 10
Visit my website: khalidhakeem.weebly.com
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Research Paper Writing Process
The purpose of this Presentation is to identify
and examine the components essential to
planning and executing research writing
assignments.
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Research Paper Writing Process
At the end of this presentation, YOU will be able
to :
1. Identify and conceptualize the essential steps
in the research paper writing process;
2. Access valuable campus resources to help at
various stages of the writing process;
3. Use time management strategies to plan for the
successful and timely completion of a research
paper project.
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Assignment/Topic Clarification
1. Read the assignment/data sheet carefully.
2. Underline directional statements: define,
identify, analyze, argue, etc.
3. Underline due dates.
4. Identify evaluation criteria.
5. Ask questions.
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Time Management
1. Write down all due dates.
2. Break down the research process into
steps.
3. Assign a due date for each step.
4. Make weekly and daily priority lists.
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Topic Selection
1. Previous knowledge about the subject/topic
2. Course content/ literature study
3. Personal or professional expertise /interests
Think critically but do not overhype
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Topic Selection
1. Ask questions: who, what, where, when, why
What is it similar to or different from; what
are the causes; what are the consequences;
what is the essential function; what are the
definitions; what is the history; what is the
present status; what case can be made for or
against it; how did it happen; why did it
happen; what is my personal reaction to it?
2. Identify subtopics
18. This method appeals to visual thinkers.
Start with an idea.
Draw a line and add the related idea.
As one idea leads to another, record the
connections with simple lines.
Before long, you will begin to see how various
groupings of ideas relate, and eventually you
should be able to use the groupings to devise a
thesis/problem statement and create an outline.
1. Idea Trees
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19. Set a timer to ten minutes and start writing without
stopping to correct or change what you type.
If you draw a blank, type "I can't think of anything to say"
until a relevant idea comes to mind.
Don't consider this your rough draft; instead, consider it a
way to generate and connect ideas.
You're your free-writes for gems of ideas, and use them
to start writing again.
Continue your ten-minute sprints until you have enough
content to draft a purpose statement and begin an
outline.
2. FREE-WRITES
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20. 3. Questions.
Close your eyes until you conjure up the face(s) of your
audience. Then, put yourself into their place. Ask all the
questions they might have about your argument. Here are
some examples:
o What is your point?
o Do you know that for a fact? Prove it.
o Who in the field agrees with you?
o Who in the field disagrees with you?
o Who does this affect and how?
o Have others done similar research or replicated yours?
o What theoretical approach are you applying here? Why?
o Why is this a new idea, model, theory, or tool?
o What does this viewpoint add to a general understanding of
your topic?
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21. 4. Paragraph outlines.
Write down the first sentence of
every paragraph you think you
might write.
Then you can add the evidence
for each statement in the drafting
phrase.
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22. 5. Mapping.
A map begins with an initial idea and builds an
argument, step by step. In many ways it resembles
outlining because it describes the function of each
step of a paper. Here is an example:
My initial idea is…
The problem that I want to address is…
The extent of the problem is…
Evidence for this problem includes…
My solution for the problem is…
Opposition to my solution might be…
But I can refute that opposition by…
These are my conclusions…
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Library Visit
1. Browse the Putra library website
(http://lib.upm.edu.my/).
2. Tour the library.
3. Meet with a reference librarian.
4. Learn the difference between scholarly
journals and other periodicals.
5. Locate sources.
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Survey Sources
1. Read abstracts, headings and
subheadings.
2. Make note of charts, statistics, graphs.
3. Read the reference lists.
4. Read introductory and summary
paragraphs.
5. Skim body.
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Topic Focus
Go back to your original subject
and focus it further based upon
the information you gleaned
during the text survey activities.
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Read
Read once-Read write!
Take notes as you read: Develop a
system of underlining, marking, and/or
paraphrasing in the margins that is
meaningful to you.
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Outline
1. Make a list of the main points. These points
will form the organizational pattern of your
paper.
2. Make special note of concepts from your
sources that you wish to paraphrase in your
text.
3. Draft an outline, moving from main ideas to
details.
4. Revise thesis as needed.
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Draft
1. Begin to write in chunks of text defined by
the parameters of each main point.
2. Continuously refer to the thesis in order to
stay on track. Use key terms from the thesis
to thread each section together.
3. Integrate information from sources as you
draft, and include parenthetical citations.
4. Move from point to point rather than from
author to author.
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Integrating Sources
Research papers demand abundant
reference to professional sources. That
is, your research paper will be
generously populated with the voices
of the published experts. Your job is to
manage those voices, to synthesize
them, to use them to substantiate your
claim.
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Revision Checklist
1. Reread the assignment/data sheet.
2. Underline your thesis/idea.
3. Read aloud.
4. Label the topic of each paragraph in the margin.
5. Revise main ideas; consider clarity and
relevance.
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Revision Checklist
6. Revise details; consider clarity and relevance.
7. Check for cohesion.
8. Check documentation format.
9. Check grammar, punctuation, word choice,
spelling.
32. How to write References ?
Use software like
ENDNOTE
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Sources of Help
1. Professors
2. Librarians
3. Writing Tutors
4. Content Tutors
5. Models of Successful Research Papers
34. Publishers
Choose the Good ones
Science direct, Springer, wily, Cambridge,
Taylor &Francis
Avoid the black listed
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35. What is an Impact Factor ?
The impact factor (IF) of an academic journal is a
measure reflecting the average number of citations to
recent articles published in the journal. It is frequently
used as a proxy for the relative importance of a journal
within its field, with journals with higher impact factors
deemed to be more important than those with lower
ones. The impact factor was devised by Eugene
Garfield, the founder of the Institute for Scientific
Information. Impact factors are calculated yearly for
those journals that are indexed in the Journal Citation
Reports.
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36. How it is calculated ?
In a given year, the impact factor of a journal is the average
number of citations received per paper published in that
journal during the two preceding years. For example, if a
journal has an impact factor of 3 in 2008, then its papers
published in 2006 and 2007 received 3 citations each on
average in 2008. The 2008 impact factor of a journal would
be calculated as follows:
A = the number of times articles published in 2006 and 2007
were cited by indexed journals during 2008. B = the total
number of "citable items" published by that journal in 2006
and 2007. ("Citable items" are usually articles, reviews,
proceedings, or notes; not editorials or letters to the editor.)
2008 impact factor = A/B.
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37. Avoid plagiarism
What is Plagiarism ? (play-juh-rih-zem)
Plagiarism is defined in dictionaries as the "wrongful
appropriation,“ "close imitation," or "purloining and
publication" of another author’s "language, thoughts,
ideas, or expressions," and the representation of them
as one's own original work.
No Cut and paste
Software like viper,Turnetin etc
Problems associated
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