Researching the history of an era... From Reading to Writing We get a mere glimpse of the cultural richness of the Harlem Renaissance in this unit

Researching the history of an era . . .From Reading to Writing We get a mere glimpse of the cultural richness of the Harlem Renaissance in this unit. It was a time when African Americans used a variety of means to show pride in their race and in the contributions they had made to American culture.

Researching the history of an era . . .This period offers a rich variety of choices for a research report—an academic paper that presents and interprets information collected through reading and other research. When you write a research report, you not only deepen your knowledge but you also sharpen your research skills.

B a s i c s i n a B o x

RUBRIC Standards for Writing

A successful research project should

• provide a strong introduction with a clear thesis statement

• use evidence from primary and secondary sources to develop and support ideas

• credit sources of information

• follow a logical pattern of organization, using transitions between ideas

• synthesize ideas with a satisfying conclusion

• provide a correctly formatted Works Cited list at the end of the paper

Research Report at a Glance

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Albert Einstein

The important thing is not to stop questioning.

Albert Einstein

Writing Your Research Report

Writing Your Research Report1 Prewriting and Exploring

If you are writing your research report on the Harlem Renaissance, you might begin by looking in the library for books and articles not only on the Harlem Renaissance, but also on the 1920s, on individuals whose works appear in this unit, on famous African Americans, on black history, on American jazz, or on American literature.

Planning Your Research Report

1. Choose a topic. What subjects really intrigue you?

What would you like to learn about one of them?

Make a list of ideas that appeal to you and then

choose the topic that interests you most. You might

also try making a word web to generate ideas.

Cotton Club

Zora Neale Hurston

racial pride

Langston Hughes

Harlem Renaissance


2. Narrow your topic. Is your topic too broad for the

research report you plan to write? Can it be divided

into smaller parts?

3. Decide on your goal. What do you want to achieve

with you report? Do you want to prove a point, draw

a conclusion, or just learn and share information

about the subject?


4. Consider your audience. What do they already

know about the subject? What background

information might they need?

5. Write a thesis statement. Your thesis statement is

a sentence that explains what your paper will be

about. It will guide your research and help you sort

out relevant and irrelevant information on your topic.

Be flexible enough to consider reworking your thesis

if your research leads you in new directions.

Writing Your Research Report2 Researching

Begin your research by making a list of relevant and interesting questions. Use these questions to guide your review of reliable sources. You might look in general reference books, such as encyclopedias, and then examine books, periodicals, and on-line databases for more specific information.


Evaluate Your Source Material

These guidelines can help you evaluate your sources.

Is the author an unbiased authority?

Be sure to read material from a variety of viewpoints to get a balanced picture.


How up-to-date is the source?

In fields such as medicine or technology, rapid changes make it crucial that you get the most up-to-date information.

Where was the article published?

Newspapers that specialize in scandal or sensational stories, for example, are not reliable sources of information.


What is the intended audience?

Is the material written for a general audience? Some sources may provide oversimplified information, whereas other sources may be too technical.


Make Source Cards

Make source cards to keep track of the

information you find. Use index cards to

record publishing information for each

source you decide to use. Number each

source card and refer to it when you take

notes. You will use these source cards to

credit sources in your report and to write

your Works Cited list.


Read Your Sources and Take Notes

As you read, keep your thesis statement

and the questions you want answered in

mind. Use a separate index card for each

piece of information you record. Write the

number of the source on each note card.

Use the following techniques.


Paraphrase. Restate the material in your

own words.

Quotation. Copy the original text word for

word, including all punctuation marks. Use

quotation marks to indicate the beginning

and end of the quotation. Use this form to

emphasize a point or when the author’s

words are well phrased.


Get Organized

Once you have gathered a quantity of

material, begin to organize it. It is a good

idea to make an outline that will provide the

framework for the information you have

collected.


Get OrganizedGroup your note cards according to the main ideas on the cards. Then determine the best way to arrange those main ideas. You might want to use chronological order, comparison-and-contrast order, or cause-and-effect order, depending upon your subject. Write your outline based on your arrangement of the main ideas and subpoints in your stacks of note cards.

Writing Your Research Report3 Drafting

Use your outline as a guide to begin

writing. The first part of your report

should state your main idea, or thesis.

You will need to end with a conclusion

that restates the thesis and summarizes

your main points. The rest of your report

should be organized according to your

outline.


Craft Your Thesis Statement

Now that you have researched your topic

and written your outline, you should have

a better understanding of what your

report will accomplish. Shape your thesis

statement to tell what your paper will

prove.


Stay Flexible As You Write Your Draft

In the drafting stage, concentrate on using

clear, natural language to get your ideas

on paper. Follow your outline and refer to

your note cards as you write, but feel free

to reorganize your material any time you

collect new information or discover a

different way of connecting ideas.


Add Your Own Analysis. Make inferences and interpret evidence to reach a conclusion using facts, quotations, statistics, and examples.

Give Credit Where Credit Is Due. If you do not credit the sources of information in your report, you are guilty of plagiarism—the unlawful use of another’s words or ideas.


Take Another Look

Take a break from your writing—a few days if possible. Then review your draft. Asking the following questions can help:

How can I make my thesis statement clearer?

What additional information would support my thesis statement?


What information, if any, is irrelevant?

How can I improve organization?

What facts and documentation do I need to check?

Writing Your Research Report4 Revising

TARGET SKILL

ELABORATING—DETAILS AND EXAMPLESYour report will be more authoritative and more interesting if you provide facts and statistics to support your point.

Writing Your Research Report5 Editing and Proofreading

TARGET SKILL

USING COMMASReports include a great deal of information. The correct use of commas can help your readers better understand the relationship between ideas.

Writing Your Research Report6 Making a Works Cited List

When you have finished revising, editing, and proofreading your report, make a Works Cited list and attach it to the end of your paper.

Documents

Researching the history of an era... From Reading to Writing We get a mere glimpse of the cultural richness of the Harlem Renaissance in this unit