Research Writing 101

Baliuag University Student Research Forum 24

February 2020
Maria Alicia Bustos-Orosa
What we hope to learn this morning…

u Understand that research is integral to

academic learning
u Recognize different types of academic research
u Identify the essential steps in writing a
research paper
Defining research

re·search

Noun
the systematic investigation into and
study of materials and sources in
order to establish facts and reach
new conclusions.
 Defining research

u A research paper is the culmination and final

product of an involved process of research,
critical thinking, source
evaluation, organization, and
composition. It is, perhaps, helpful to think of the
research paper as a living thing, which grows and
changes as the student explores, interprets, and
evaluates sources related to a specific topic.
Types of research papers

u Thesis/ dissertation
u Strategic management paper
u Capstone
u Project study paper
u Complex paper
“Writing and learning and
thinking are the same process.”

–William Zinsser, Journalist

 The Process of Writing

1. Prewriting

2. Writing

3. Post-writing
 Why is academic writing a process?

u Academic writing usually involves the following steps:

1. Define the requirements of the assignment to understand
goals LEARN NEW
INFORMATION
2. Research the topic
CONSIDER INFORMATION
3. Choose a thesis PROCESS INFORMATION
4. Outline the arguments UNDERSTAND/RECONSIDER
INFORMATION
5. Write a first draft
6. Reorganize information
7. Research for further support
8. Edit for a second draft (repeat as needed)
 Research Writing
Step 1: Choosing a topic

1. Previous knowledge

2. Course content

3. Personal or
professional
experience/interests
 Choose a thesis you will enjoy

It’s that simple. You are going to have to research the topic,
read articles about it, think about it,
draft arguments for it, and write about it— sometimes
for weeks through several different drafts.
Pick something you want to learn about or are interested
in learning more about. It will make it
much simpler.
 Step 1 (Prewriting):
Developing your Ideas

Remember to keep these two things in mind

as you begin to develop your ideas.
 Purpose – Why are you writing this?
 Audience – Why is it important to the
audience?

Source: University of Hawaii. National Writing Demonstration Project. Retrieved from www.cds.hawaii.edu
 Brainstorming strategies

 List
 Map
 Freewrite

Source: University of Hawaii. National Writing Demonstration Project. Retrieved from www.cds.hawaii.edu
 Prewriting tool:
What-why-how Strategy

What

What do you think?

Why

Why do you think it?

How

How do you know?

Source: University of Hawaii. National Writing Demonstration Project. Retrieved from www.cds.hawaii.edu
 Prewriting tool:
What-why-how strategy

• One statement stating your opionion.

What do
you think?
• It can also be your main idea.

•The reasons you have to support your main

Why do you
think it?
idea.

• The evidence, examples, or proof you have

How do you
know?
to support each reason.
 Pre-writing tool:
The Topic T-chart

Think about things you like or hate. There are no wrong

or right answers for this.

What I like What I hare

Source: University of Hawaii. National Writing Demonstration Project. Retrieved from www.cds.hawaii.edu
Pre-writing tool:
The Topic T-chart

Think about typical life experiences and unusual life

experiences that are related to your field of study.

Typical Unusual
 Step 2: Develop a thesis statement

WHAT: A thesis statement is the

 Main point of the research paper
 Basic stand you take
 Opinion you express, and/or
 The central point of your research

WHY: The primary purpose of a thesis statement is to

persuade the reader that your “thesis” is valid.
Step 2: Developing a thesis statement

Form a thesis statement or question

that will guide the rest of your research
and writing.

Focused Topic + Assertion = Thesis

 Developing a Preliminary Thesis

 Topic: Environmental issue connected to global

warming
 Focused Topic: coal fires
 Thesis Question: How prevalent are coal fires? In
what ways do coal fires contribute to global warming?
What proof is there that coal fires in fact contribute to global
warming?
 Thesis Statement: “Raging in mines from Pennsylvania
to China, coal fires threaten towns, poison air and
water, and add to global warming
(Hacker, 2007, p. 10).

Source: Hacker, Diana. (2007). A writer’s reference 6th edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
Developing a Preliminary Thesis

 Topic: Technology and consumerism

 Focused Topic: the way television impacted
consumerism within the nuclear family from the mid
50’s to the early 60’s
 Thesis Question: How did television target nuclear
families and promote specific consumer habits and
values?
 Thesis Statement: Television programs and
advertisements during the 1950’s promoted
consumer habits that promised to support
domestic happiness within the nuclear family.
Source: Hacker, Diana. (2007). A writer’s reference 6th edition. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
 Research Writing Step 3:
Library search and resources

 Traditional resources
(printed books,
magazines, journals)
 Electronic resources
(e-books, online
journals)

Source: Muthumari, P. (2013). Utilization of traditional and electronic resources in higher education
 Research Writing Step 3:
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.

Source: The Writing Center. University of Houston-Clear Lake. https://www.uhcl.edu/writing-center/

 Step 4: Outline your arguments

Thesis: Single parents should be allowed to take fewer college hours to be

considered full-time for financial aid.

I. Financial responsibilities
a.tend to be single-handedly responsible for more financials
than married parents
b.usually cannot attend school at 12-hour full-time status
while working a job

II. Family commitments

a. must provide more family time to supplement the missing
parent
b. do not have as much time to study because of family obligations,
such as taking kids to extra-curricular These argue the same
activities point. The arguments
must be developed
III Work obligations further.
. a. often have to work full-time or multiple jobs
b. takes away time from school obligations
 Step 5: Write your 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.
 Step 5: Writing your draft

 Rewrite, reorganize, delete, add,

edit
 Writers rarely, if ever, meet their
objectives with their first drafts—
that is why we call them drafts:
they are meant to be revised, edited,
and reorganized until a final
version is achieved.

Source: The Writing Center. University of Houston-Clear Lake. https://www.uhcl.edu/writing-center/

 2
REMEMBE 9
R:
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.