Research Paper Handbook

2010/2011Centennial C.V.I.

In this report you will have the opportunity to comprehensively explore a topic of special interest. You are encouraged to use a wide range of resources, in addition to the resources available within the school. A high level of critical and creative thinking will be of paramount importance to the success of your project.

Your report will be based on the social science research model. This model places a greater emphasis on research and factual material and less emphasis on style than in an essay. Essays explore a topic in a manner that allows somewhat more freedom to you, the writer, and greater opportunity for discussion.

REPORT OVERVIEW: PHASE ONE: Brainstorming and Initial Research; Research Proposal

Expectations for Students Re: Meeting Deadlines

In order for teachers to evaluate the extent to which you meet curriculum expectations, a number of assessments must be provided and completed

Why are deadlines set for assigned work?Deadlines are realistic in the normal working life outside of the school setting. Deadlines are also set as a reasonable management strategy for teachers so that workloads can be varied and balanced. We also set deadlines as a way of bringing closure to one unit of work and moving ahead to another.

It is your responsibility to seek assistance from the teacher when you feel unable to complete a task/assignment due to insufficient knowledge or skill. Be sure to advise the teacher of any difficulty well before a task/assignment is due.

Chronic lateness in submitting tasks/assignments may prevent your teacher from assessing your ability to demonstrate course expectations

(See Handout)

PHASE TWO: Literature Review

PHASE THREE: Submitting the Final Research ReportCover PageTable of ContentsAbstractIntroductionBodyConclusionReflectionImplications of ResearchPossible Next StepsReferences

PHASE FOUR: Research Presentation

Academic Style Requirements for a Research Paper

Use a thesaurus Use a dictionary Use spell-check/grammar

check Use a word processor Use a recognized academic

style system Do not use colloquialisms or

slang Do not use contractions Do not use abbreviations

Do not use the first person; do not refer to yourself using “I”

Do not use the second person; do not use “you”

Follow copyright laws; do not plagiarize

Use APA formatting Refer to CCVI Guidebook for

more information

The following outlines the responsibilities and due dates for “The Research Report” in this course. Each student is expected to participate in all phases of the report. Due to the complexity of this project – it is VERY important that you manage your time effectively. The completion of this report involves many steps. Each phase will be assessed and returned to you. During Phase Five you will resubmit ALL of the work completed and the project will be evaluated in its entirety.ALL PHASES MUST BE COMPLETED BEFORE YOUR PRESENTATION

PHASE DUE DATE

1. Initial Report- choose a topic- develop research question- develop a hypothesis

2. Literature Review- find appropriate valid resources- develop an outline- provide summaries of information from

sources- cite sources according to APA guidelines- write literature review

3. Compile a research paper as follows:a)Title- cover pageb)Table of Contentsc) Abstractd)Introduction

1. define terms2. literature review3. state purpose

e) discussion1)reflection2) implications of research3) recognition of limitations4) possible next steps

f) references - in-text citations in APA style - References page

4. In-Class Oral Presentation of Report (SUMMARY)(min. 20 minutes/ max. 30 minutes)

PHASE ONE: Brainstorming and Initial Research; Research Proposalchoose a topic; develop research question; develop a hypothesis

INITIAL PLANNING/BRAINSTORMING

Use the following as a guideline when beginning to plan for your independent study.

ISSUE/TOPIC YOU ARE RESEARCHING:

FOCUS OF YOUR RESEARCH:(What are you specifically interested in?)

IMPORTANCE OF STUDYING ISSUE – OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE

YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION:

INDEPENDENT STUDY – PHASE 1

RESEARCH PROPOSAL

A. PROPOSED TOPIC

Your report should begin with a research question which you, the researcher, have set out to explore.

B. RESEARCH QUESTION

The research question creates the structure of your paper. All research should relate back to this question. The research question says what the report is all about. It is the guiding light of your report. It should be no longer than one or two sentences. An example of a good research question is as follows:

“What are the long term effects of absolute poverty and relative poverty on the intellectual and emotional development of children?”

C. PREAMBLE

The introduction should also include:a) a statement of motivation – the purpose of your researchb) a refined research question – provides further depth to your

research questionc) the purpose or justification for undertaking the research topic

you have chosend) the importance of studying your focused topic in relation to

studying the broad topice) an indication of the method(s) of research you wish to use

D. LIMITATIONS

You must clearly recognize and identify some of the limitations you may have to face in the course of conducting this research.

This Phase should be approximately 1 ½ to 2 pages in length

Abstract If your instructor requires an abstract, it will be the second page. An abstract is a short one-paragraph summary of your paper. It is not the introduction of your paper. Put the title Abstract (not in italics) at the top of the page in the center, and do not indent the first line of the paragraph.

AbstractThis paper compares the development of Creole languages and the process of

second language acquisition. Researchers have noticed that both Creole languages

and the speech of second language learners contain simplified grammar and

vocabulary. Schumann (1978) based his acculturation model of second language

acquisition on the comparison with Creole languages, emphasizing the importance

of social factors in language learning, but other researchers have been critical of this

model. This paper concludes that while the similarities between language learning

and Creole languages reflect general linguistic processes of simplification and

elaboration, second language acquisition is an individual process that is influenced

by psychological as well as social factors.

References Format

The references page is placed at the end of your essay and lists all the sources you have cited in your paper. Note the following characteristics of the references page:

1. The title, References (not in italics), is centered. 2. A hanging indent is used. The first line of each entry starts at the left margin, and the following lines are indented a half inch. 3. Entries are double-spaced—that is, double-space lines within the entries and between the entries. No extra space occurs between entries. 4. Entries are listed in alphabetical order by author's last name, or title, if the source does not have an author. Ignore the articles a, an, and the when alphabetizing. 5. When using more than one work written by the same author and published in the same year, put the entries in alphabetical order by title and use a lowercase letter after each year to distinguish one work from another. 6. If a source has between one and seven authors, write all the authors' names, last name first, followed by a comma and initial(s). Do not include titles like Dr. or degrees like MA. Put the symbol & before the last author. If there are more than seven authors, list the first six authors' names, three dots (…) and the last author's name. Example: Bell, J. K., McDougal, M. B., Gerard, G., Zukowsky, N. P., Kim, C. H., Hammad, Z. R., … Nishikawa, T. 7. The following kinds of sources are not listed on the references page: Personal communications—interviews, telephone conversations, private letters and e-mails, and similar sources. Religious scriptures and important writings from ancient times. 8. It is important to follow the capitalization, punctuation, and spacing rules of APA format carefully. See the APA style documentation models on the following pages.

Independent Study, Phase 1,Formulating Research Questions

EXPECTATIONS

Formulate research questions and develop hypotheses reflecting specific theoretical frameworks

Demonstrate an understanding of research methodologies, appropriate research

ethics, and specific theoretical perspectives for conducting primary research

Evaluate information to determine its validity and to detect bias, stereotyping, ethnocentricity, datedness, and unethical practices, and distinguish among perceptions, beliefs, opinions, and evidence from research

Criteria Level Four (80–100%)

Level Three (70–79%)

Level Two (60–69%)

Level One (50–59%)

Knowledge/Understanding

• Demonstrates thorough and insightful under-standing of the research question

• Demonstrates considerable understanding of the research question

• Demonstrates some under-standing of the research question

• Demonstrates limited under-standing of the research question

Thinking/Inquiry

• Applies all of the skills involved in choosing a topic, formulating a question, providing an introduction, and discussing limitations

• Applies most of the skills involved in choosing a topic, formulating a question, providing an introduction, and discussing limitations

• Applies some of the skills involved in choosing a topic, formulating a question, providing an introduction, and discussing limitations

• Applies few of the skills involved in choosing a topic, formulating a question, providing an introduction, and discussing limitations

Communication • Communicates phase 1 require-ments with a high degree of clarity and with confidence

• Communicates phase 1 require-ments with considerable clarity

• Communicates phase 1 require-ments with some clarity

• Communicates phase 1 require-ments with limited clarity

Application • Transfers concepts of the research process to one’s own purposes and justifications with a high degree of effectiveness

• Transfers concepts of the research process to one’s own purposes and justifications with considerable effectiveness

• Transfers concepts of the research process to one’s own purposes and justifications with some effectiveness

• Transfers concepts of the research process to one’s own purposes and justifications with limited effectiveness

INDEPENDENT STUDY – PHASE 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

A literature review is not an annotated bibliography in which you summarize briefly each article that you have reviewed. While a summary of the work you have read is contained within the literature review, it goes well beyond merely summarizing professional literature. It focuses on a specific topic of interest to you and includes a critical analysis of the relationship among different works, and relating this research to your work. It may be written as a stand-alone paper or to provide a theoretical framework and rationale for a research study.

1. Identify 4 to 6 sources (using a minimum of three varied sources) related to the research question/statement.

i. Use valid and objective sourcesii. Use sources published within the last 10 yearsiii. Newspaper and magazine articles must be published in

the last three years

iv. At least one source must be a professional journal/research based periodical

The following sources are considered to be appropriate:

a) Professional family/sociological journalsi. Journal of Marriage and Family, Family Relations

b) Non-fiction, research-based booksc) Research – based periodicals

i. Transitions, Psychology Todayd) Statistical or Government publications

i. Canadian Social Trends, E-STATe) Audio – Visual sources

i. Documentaries, videos, interviews, radio/television

f) Reputable Newspaper and Magazine articlesi. McLean’s, Time, Globe and Mail

CITING WORK

INCLUDE CORRECT REFERENCING FOR EACH OF YOUR APPROVED RESOURCES. YOU WILL BE PROVIDED WITH INFORMATION ON APA STYLE OF CITATION AND USE OF “IN-TEXT CITATIONS.”

WRITING A REVIEW OF LITERATURE

Quick Tips:1. Use subheadings for each of your subtopics2. State only relevant information. Give the reader the most basic

information he or she needs to understand the concept.3. Do not use “I”4. Use in-text referencing (see APA format for specifics)5. Include a reference page6. Include a bibliography (All the works that you consulted, regardless of

whether you cited them in your paper)

ORGANIZING THE REVIEW OF LITERATUREIntroduction

a) Generate interest in the topic and situate the topic or problem which you intend to examine in a broader context.

b) Introduce the reader to the structure and organization of the paper (that is, the main points or subheadings to be discussed in the order in which they will be presented)

c) Research statement/question clearly presented*Remember, identify only the subtopics that you intend to discuss in the paper. Introducing material you do not develop in the paper only confuses

and frustrates the reader. In other words, if you introduce a subtopic, be prepared to discuss it.

BodyA primary function of the body is to provide the reader with detailed information on each of the subtopics upon which the paper is structured. Moreover, building a well-supported thesis requires that each of the subtopics be discussed in adequate detail. To avoid confusing the reader, it is usually advisable to discuss each of the subtopics in the order in which they were presented in the introduction.

- Information is logically organized and not just a collection of findings- Comprehensive discussion of the similarities and differences as related to question/statement

Conclusion

- No new information is introduced - Summarizes the main headings of the review- Identifies what kind of information was not available- States or suggests the implications for primary research- No personal opinion

LITERATURE REVIEW RUBRICName:____________________ Overall Mark________/100

Categories/Criteria Below Level 1

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Knowledge/Understanding /20 Logical development of proofs Use of relevant and substantial

quotations Information is gathered from

multiple, research-based sources

Thinking/Inquiry /40 Research question (s) are

formed through the literature review and clearly stated

Thesis is specific, substantial and clearly stated

Topic sentences link to thesis Detailed conclusions are reached

from the evidence offered

Communication /20 Vocabulary and sentence structure

are varied and grade appropriate The appropriate content in

consideration is covered in depth without being redundant. Significance is unquestionable.

Effective incorporation of quotations Effective transitions Essay is carefully edited and free of

errors in spelling, punctuation, grammar

Application /20Introduction

Intro to topic, text, and author Preview of arguments

ConclusionA synthesis of ideas and hypothesis or research question -- * succinct and precise conclusions based on the review. Insights into the problem are appropriate. Conclusions and the hypothesis or research question are strongly supported in the report.Documentation

Proper format and documentation of quotations

Proper APA format

Submitting the Final Report – What to include…

Submit your Independent Study in a binder or report booklet. You should include the following: (Hint: You have already done most of the work – just be sure to include everything in the proper order…)

(SECTION 1)

-- - See Centennial Guidebook for correct format

. - State the purpose of your study

- state your hypothesis

- see instructions on ‘how to write abstract’

- include any terminology with definitions

* This is the MAIN component

Title Page

Purpose/ hypothesis

Abstract

Definition of terms

Literature review

Table of Contents

- Why is your study important? What are the implications of your research?

- (approx. 1 paragraph)

- What were the limitations of your research? (ie. Limited sample group, etc.)

Do you have suggestions for future research done on your topic?

American Psychological Association (APA) Citation Style

APA style is an editorial style used to present material and give credit to the original source.

The American Psychological Association has established a style that it uses in all of the books/journals it publishes.

Many others working in the social and behavioural sciences have adopted this style as their standard.

USING IN-TEXT CITATIONS

In-text citations are used for the following: another person’s idea, opinion, or theory any facts, statistics, graphs, illustrations that are not common

knowledge quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words a paraphrase of another person’s spoken or written words

GENERAL RULES FOR WORKS CITED OR REFERENCES PAGE

The Works Cited or References page must be on a separate sheet of paper and placed at the end of your report.

Implications of your research

Limitations of your research

Suggestions for future research

References1. Do in-text citations.

2. Complete a “References” list with all sources used.

Entries must be in alphabetical order. Create one list—don’t separate the entries by type of resource (for

example, web sites, books, and periodicals). The title should be underlined if written by hand or in italics if keyed

in on a computer. Do not use both. Punctuation is important. Take careful note of the correct use of

periods, commas, colons, capitalization, and parentheses (brackets). The order of the information in the entries is important. Note the

order, for example, of the authors’ names and the year of publication. When in doubt, more information is better than less!

Name(s):

Oral Presentation Rubric Date: ___________________________________

Categories/Criteria Below Level 1

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Knowledge/Understanding Good understanding of subject presented -

Completely prepared (has obviously rehearsed)

Thinking/Inquiry Selects and organizes information with a high degree

of effectiveness Logical analysis and explanation of facts

Communication Voice – lively voice engaging audience; speaks

clearly and distinctly; effective projection Facial expression and body language convey strong

enthusiasm and interest Good eye contact Conventions – correct grammar (spelling,

punctuation, etc when applicable) Use of audio/visual (correct, clear, useful) Ideas are clear and informative

Application Use of language contributes to effectiveness of the

presentation Introduction – gains the attention of the audience;

clearly identifies the topic; establishes credibility; previews rest of speech

Conclusion – review pertinent information; brings closure

Organization – Presentation is clearly organized Time management (transitions, discussion/questions) Documentation – correct citation included

WRITING A LITERATURE REVIEW

Definition

A literature review is both a summary and explanation of the complete and current state of knowledge on a limited topic as found in academic books and journal articles. Although you might think of novels and poetry when you hear the word "literature," for a piece of research the meaning is more specific. In terms of a literature review, "the literature" means the works you consulted in order to understand and investigate your research problem.

A literature review can be just a simple summary of the sources, but it usually has an organizational pattern and combines both summary and synthesis. A summary is a recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a reshuffling, of that information. It might give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations. Or it might trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates. And depending on the situation, the literature review may evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the most pertinent or relevant.

Purpose of the Literature Review

It gives readers easy access to research on a particular topic by selecting high quality articles or studies that are relevant, meaningful, important and valid and summarizing them into one complete report.It provides an excellent starting point for researchers beginning to do research in a new area by forcing them to summarize, evaluate, and compare original research in that specific area. It ensures that researchers do not duplicate work that has already been done. It can provide clues as to where future research is heading or recommend areas on which to focus.It highlights key findings. It identifies inconsistencies, gaps and contradictions in the literature.

Content of the ReviewIntroduction The introduction explains the focus and establishes the importance of the subject. It discusses what kind of work has been done on the topic and identifies any controversies

within the field or any recent research, which has raised questions about earlier assumptions. It may provide background or history. It concludes with a purpose or thesis statement. Body Often divided by headings/subheadings, the body summarizes and evaluates the current state of knowledge in the field. It notes major themes or topics, the most important trends, and any findings about which researchers agree or disagree. If the review is preliminary to your own thesis or research project, its purpose is to make an argument that will justify your proposed research. Therefore, it will discuss only that research which leads directly to your own project.Conclusion The conclusion summarizes all the evidence

presented and shows its significance; it should

suggest any practical applications of the research as

well as the implications and possibilities for future

Nine Steps to Writing a Literature Review

1. Find a working topic.Look at your specific area of study. Think about what interests you, and what is fertile ground for study. Talk to your teacher, brainstorm, and read magazines or credible internet sites, and recent issues of periodicals in the field.

2. Review the literature. Using keywords, search a computer database. It is best to use at least two

databases relevant to your discipline. Remember that the reference lists of recent articles and reviews can lead to

valuable papers. Make certain that you also include any studies contrary to your point of view.

3. Focus your topic narrowly and select papers accordingly.

Consider the following: What interests you? What interests others?What time span of research will you consider?

Choose an area of research that is due for a review.

4. Read the selected articles thoroughly and evaluate them. What assumptions do most/some researchers seem to be making? What methodologies do they use? - what testing procedures, subjects, material

tested? Evaluate and synthesize the research findings and conclusions drawn. Note experts in the field: names/labs that are frequently referenced. Note conflicting theories, results, methodologies. Watch for popularity of theories and how this has/has not changed over time.

5. Organize the selected papers by looking for patterns and by developing sub- topics.

Note things such as: Findings that are common/contested Two or three important trends in the research The most influential theories

6. Develop a working thesis.Write a one- or two-sentence statement summarizing the conclusion you have reached about the major trends and developments you see in the research that has been done on your subject.

7. Organize your paper based on the findings from steps 4&5.Develop headings/subheadings. If your literature review is extensive, find a large table surface, and on it place post-it notes or filing cards to organize all your findings into categories. Move them around if you decide that (a) they fit better under different headings, or (b) you need to establish new topic headings.

8. Write the body of the paperFollow the plan you have developed above, making certain that each section links logically to the one before and after, and that you have divided your sections by themes or subtopics, not by reporting the work of individual theorists or researchers.

9. Critique what you’ve written; analysis, not description.Look at the topic sentences of each paragraph. If you were to read only these sentences, would you find that your paper presented a clear position, logically developed, from beginning to end? If, for example, you find that each paragraph begins with a researcher’s name, it might indicate that, instead of evaluating and comparing the research literature from an analytical point of view, you have simply described what research has been done. This is one of the most common problems with student literature reviews. So if your paper still does not appear to be defined by a

Finishing Touches: Revising and Editing Your Work

Read your work out loud. That way you will be better able to identify where you need punctuation marks to signal pauses or divisions within sentences, where you have made grammatical errors, or where your sentences are unclear.

Since the purpose of a literature review is to demonstrate that the writer is familiar with the important professional literature on the chosen subject, check to make certain that you have covered all of the important, up-to-date, and pertinent texts. In the sciences and some of the social sciences it is important that your literature be quite recent; this is not so important in the humanities.

Make certain that all of the citations and references are correct and that you are referencing in the appropriate style for your discipline.

Check to make sure that you have not plagiarized either by failing to cite a source of information, or by using words quoted directly from a source. (Usually if you take three or more words directly from another source, you should put those words within quotation marks, and cite the page.)

Text should be written in a clear and concise academic style; it should not be descriptive in nature or use the language of everyday speech. There should be no grammatical or spelling errors. Sentences should flow smoothly and logically.

In a paper in the sciences, or in some of the social sciences, the use of subheadings to organize the review is required.THE LITERATURE REVIEW: A FEW TIPS ON CONDUCTING IT

What is a review of the literature? A literature review is an account of what has been published on a topic by accredited scholars and researchers. Occasionally you will be asked to write one as a separate assignment (sometimes in the form of an annotated bibliography—see the bottom of the next page), but more often it is part of the introduction to an essay, research report, or thesis.

In writing the literature review, your purpose is to convey to your reader what

knowledge and ideas have been established on a topic, and what their strengths and weaknesses are. As a piece of writing, the literature review must be defined by a guiding concept (e.g., your research objective, the problem or issue you are discussing, or your argumentative thesis). It is not just a descriptive list of the material available, or a set of summaries.

Besides enlarging your knowledge about the topic, writing a literature review lets you gain and demonstrate skills in two areas:

1. information seeking: the ability to scan the literature efficiently, using manual or computerized methods, to identify a set of useful articles and books

2. critical appraisal: the ability to apply principles of analysis to identify unbiased and valid studies.

• A literature review is a piece of discursive prose, not a list describing or summarizing one piece of literature after another. It’s usually a bad sign to see every paragraph beginning with the name of a researcher. Instead, organize the literature review into sections that present themes or identify trends, including relevant theory. You are not trying to list all the material published, but to synthesize and evaluate it according to the guiding concept of your thesis or research question.

• If you are writing an annotated bibliography, you may need to summarize each item briefly, but should still follow through themes and concepts and do some critical assessment of material. Use an overall introduction and conclusion to state the scope of your coverage and to formulate the question, problem, or concept your chosen material illuminates. Usually you will have the option of grouping items into sections—this helps you indicate comparisons and relationships. You may be able to write a paragraph or so to introduce the focus of each section.

Prepared by Dena Taylor, Health Sciences Writing Centre, and Margaret Procter, Writing Support Over 50 other files giving advice on university writing are available at

www.writing.utoronto.ca