Dos and Don’t of Research Paper Writing

“Together, the Power is Yours!” –Captain Planet

Do: Have a Title Page!

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Do: Have Page Numbers

Last Name and page # Your first number will be Werner 2 on the

“first” page of writing after your title page Insert/Page Number

Format

Insert Page #s

Do: Research – Goldilocks Principle

Do conduct a sufficient amount of research. Don't make the mistake of looking over five sources for a twenty-page paper. And don't overdo it by using ten sources for a three-page paper. Make sure that the research conducted fits in with the paper requirements.

REMEMBER: TRY TO USE PRIMARY AND AS MANY APPROVED SECONDARY SOURCES AS YOU WANT!!!

Make sure you have one PRINT source (Paper – it comes from trees)

Do: Thesis Statement Do write a strong thesis statement that will be able to

carry the supporting arguments. A thesis statement should be broad enough to cover the supporting arguments but narrow enough to bring focus to the paper. It is usually found at the end of your introduction paragraph when you introduce your game changer, and introduce your event, idea, or invention. You can change this as you see fit!

Do: Organize as You Go!

Do organize as you go. Don't make the mistake of writing your research paper without any thought of its direction. Use your packet/projects steps! One…step…at a time. That way your paper will follow a logical path. Your note cards and outline will help greatly!!!

Do: Follow Rubric Do follow paper instructions. Many students will make

the mistake of not following Mr. Werner’s instructions. Most teachers/professors will list the paper length, the number of required sources and the format of the bibliography. (see packet pg. 3 – Assignment and pg. 36 –Scoring Guide)

Do: Spell Check and Proof Read

For the love of G-d… A good paper can be detrimentally affected by poor spelling

and grammar. Your brilliant ideas are wasted if Mr. Werner has a hard time reading it. He will end up feeling frustrated by spelling errors and take his frustration out on your grade.

I will just snap… Serenity Now!

DON’T: Write in 1st or 2nd Person…Do: Write

in Past Tense 1st or 2nd person shifts the focus of the paper

to you. 1. Write in the simple past tense.

By definition, history is concerned with the past, and since you're writing about the past, you need to write in the past tense. CORRECT EXAMPLE: Roosevelt ordered the banks closed until auditors verified that they were solvent. INCORRECT EXAMPLE: Roosevelt orders the banks closed until auditors verify that they are solvent. (pg. 32)

DON’T: Add New Points in CONCLUSION

Remember, the conclusion is a wrap-up. You are acting as a guide and the reader should not be confused by a new point when what is expected is a wrap-up. (See pg. 28 Sample Outline for help!)

Do: Citations/Footnotes/Bibliography

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Footnote Example Insert/Footnote EasyBib is great for this..

Footnote Example (cont.)

1. Kate L. Turabian, A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations, 6th ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996), 254-5.

Citation Guide on pg. 17-18.

Bibliography (alphabetical order!!!)

Bibliography  "Celebrate Women's History Month." Reading Today, February 2007, 48.

 Jensen, Joan M., and Darlis A. Miller. "The Gentle Tamers Revisited: New Approaches           to the History of Women in the American West." Pacific Historical Review           49, no. 2 (1980): 173-213.  

Ladies on Bicycles. Hepworth and Co., 1899; 36 sec.; 35 mm. From BFI National          Archive on You Tube,  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1iaF4Np2PU           (accessed September 30, 2009).

Smith-Rosenberg, Carroll. "The Female World of Love and Ritual: Relations Between          Women in Nineteenth-Century America." Signs 1, no.1 (1975): 1-30.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Office on Women's Health. The          Healthy Woman: A Complete Guide for All Ages. Washington, DC:          Government Printing Office, 2008.

U. S. Department of the Interior. National Park Service. Women’s Rights National          Historical Park. http://www.nps.gov/wori/index.htm (accessed July 14 2009).

Welter, Barbara. "The Cult of True Womanhood: 1820-1860." American Quarterly 18,          no. 2 (1966); 151-74. http://www.jstor.org/ (accessed August 8, 2009).

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DON’T: Plagiarize When in doubt – cite! When you have a large paragraph where you are citing

every sentence…come see me… Don't plagiarize. This mistake can be deadly. Remember

always cite your sources both in-text and in the bibliography. The sample packet I gave you will give exact instructions on how to cite sources and write up the bibliography or works cited page. EASY BIB!!! (Pg. 16)

Do: E-mail Your Teacher

Questions/Rough Drafts

kurtiswerner@claytonschools.net I am always available as I have no life (ask my wife and two cats

and dog). More lenient on grading if the paper is on time This PowerPoint and other helpful guides will be in my File Locker on

my website beginning today. William & Mary has an excellent do and don’t page on research papers: https://www.wm.edu/as/history/undergraduateprogram/historywritingreso

urcecenter/handouts/historypaperbasics/index.php

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