Writing+Your+Research+Paper



**Read Your Sources and Take Notes **
After you've gathered your sources, begin reading and taking notes. > > > >
 * 1) Use 3 x 5 index cards, one fact or idea per card. This way related ideas from different sources can be easily grouped together or rearranged.
 * 2) On each index card, be sure to note the source, including the volume number (if there is one) and the page number. If you wind up using that idea in your paper, you will have the information about the source ready to put in your bibliography.
 * 3) If you copy something directly from a book without putting it in your own words, put quotation marks around it so that you know it is an exact quotation. This will help you to avoid plagiarism . For more, see  //__What is Plagiarism? __//
 * 4) Before you sit down to write your rough draft, organize your note cards by subtopic (you can write headings on the cards) and make an outline.

**Organize Your Ideas **
Using the information collected on the note cards, develop an **outline to organize your ideas. An outline shows your main ideas and the order in which you are going to write about them. It's the bare bones of what will later become a fleshed-out written report. ** > 
 * 1) Write down all the main ideas.
 * 2) List the details below the main ideas.
 * 3) Avoid any repetition of ideas.

**<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">The Teaching Profession **
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;"> 6. Conclusion <span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Lucida,'Trebuchet MS',Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Introduction
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Job Description
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Teach children to read, write, math etc. through a variety of methods.
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Teachers grade papers, prepare lesson plans
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Teachers work more than 40 hours per week.
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Preparation for Career
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Job requires 4 year college degree and a teacher license.
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Most states now require a Master's Degree
 * 9) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Teachers must learn to communicate and be strong leaders.
 * 10) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Career Income
 * 11) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">In 2008 the average teacher salary was $52,230 per year.
 * 12) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Some teachers earn extra money working summer jobs.
 * 13) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Career Opportunities
 * 14) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">In 2008 there were 4.5 million teachers in the United States.
 * 15) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">Job opportunities over the next 10 years are good to excellent.
 * 16) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; line-height: 19px;">The job market for teachers is expected to increase more than any other through 2018.

**<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Write a First Draft **
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">introduction
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">body
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">conclusion
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The introduction is the first paragraph of the paper. It often begins with a general statement about the topic and ends with a more specific statement of the main idea of your paper. The purpose of the introduction is to:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">let the reader know what the topic is
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">inform the reader about your point of view
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">arouse the reader's curiosity so that he or she will want to read about your topic
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The body of the paper follows the introduction. It consists of a number of paragraphs in which you develop your ideas in detail.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Limit each paragraph to one main idea. (Don't try to talk about more than one idea per paragraph.)
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Prove your points continually by using specific examples and quotations from your note cards.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Use __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">transition words __<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;"> to ensure a smooth flow of ideas from paragraph to paragraph.
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">The conclusion is the last paragraph of the paper. Its purpose is to
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">summarize your points, leaving out specific examples
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">restate the main idea of the paper

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Geneva,Verdana,sans-serif;"> **<span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Revising Your First Draft **
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Revising involves rethinking your ideas, reorganizing paragraphs, and rewording sentences. You may need to develop your ideas in more detail, give more evidence to support your claims, or delete material that is unnecessary.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Read your paper out loud. This sometimes makes it easier to identify writing that is awkward or unclear.
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Have somebody else read the paper and tell you if there's anything that's unclear or confusing.


 * <span style="color: #ff0000; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 130%;">Proofreading Your Final Draft **

<span style="font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Lucida,'Trebuchet MS',Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; line-height: normal;">
 * 1) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Look for careless errors such as misspelled words and incorrect punctuation and capitalization.
 * 2) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Remember, spell checkers and grammar checkers don't always catch errors, so it is best not to rely on them completely.