Writing Research Papers: A Complete Guide (MLA Update)

by Lester, James D.; Lester, James D.

• ISBN13: 9780321202536
• ISBN10: 0321202538
• Edition: 10th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2002-01-01
• Publisher: Longman

Summary

The definitive research paper guide, Lester combines a traditional and practical approach to the research process with the latest information on researching and writing online.Comprehensive, but not overwhelming, Lester provides students with step-by-step guidance through the research writing process from selecting and narrowing a topic, to formatting the finished document. And it backs up the instruction with the most complete array of samples of any research writing guide on the market. Another of the text's ongoing strengths is its extremely thorough and accurate coverage of citation styles for a wide variety of disciplines. This edition maintains Lester's successful approach while detailing the uses of new computer technologies that are changing the face of research.In addition, an all-new Interactive Edition CD-ROM offers the entire text in an electronic format for easy reference while writing and researching on a computer. Numerous multimedia features include: interactive research activities, weblinks, and resources. The CD is FREE when bundled with the text.Available at an unbelievably low price in two formats perfect and spiral-bound with tabs Lester's text is one that students will keep throughout their college careers.

Table of Contents

Preface to the Instructor	xiii
Preface to the Student	xix
CHAPTER 1 WRITING FROM RESEARCH	1	(9)
1a Why Do Research?	1	(1)
1b Learning Format Variations	2	(1)
1c Understanding a Research Assignment	3	(5)
Understanding the Terminology	3	(5)
1d Establishing a Schedule	8	(2)
CHAPTER 2 FINDING A TOPIC	10	(22)
2a Relating Your Personal Ideas to a Scholarly Problem	11	(5)
Connecting Personal Experience to Scholarly Topics	12	(1)
Speculating about Your Subject to Discover Ideas and to Focus on the Issues	13	(3)
2b Talking with Others to Refine the Topic	16	(2)
Personal Interviews	16	(1)
Internet Discussion Groups	17	(1)
2c Using the World Wide Web to Refine Your Topic	18	(1)
Using an Internet Subject Directory	18	(1)
Using an Internet Keyword Search	19	(1)
2d Using the Library's Electronic Databases to Narrow the Subject	19	(2)
2e Using a Library's Electronic Book Catalog	21	(2)
2f Using Compact Diskettes	23	(1)
2g Using Printed Materials to Evaluate Your Potential Topic	23	(3)
Scanning Periodicals and Books	23	(2)
Searching the Headings in the Printed Indexes	25	(1)
2h Drafting a Research Proposal	26	(3)
The Short Proposal	26	(1)
The Long Proposal	26	(1)
Explaining Your Purpose in the Research Proposal	27	(1)
Identifying Your Audience in the Research Proposal	28	(1)
Identifying Your Role as a Researcher in the Proposal	28	(1)
2i Expressing Your Thesis	29	(2)
Using an Enthymeme	30	(1)
Your Research Project	31	(1)
CHAPTER 3 GATHERING DATA IN THE LIBRARY	32	(22)
3a Launching the Search	32	(1)
3b Developing a Working Bibliography	33	(1)
3c Finding Books on Your Topic	34	(6)
Using Your Library's Electronic Book Catalog	35	(1)
Using the Online and Printed Bibliographies	36	(4)
3d Finding Articles in Magazines and Journals	40	(6)
Searching the Electronic Indexes to Periodicals	40	(1)
Finding Indexes Devoted to Your Discipline	40	(2)
Using the H. W. Wilson Indexes	42	(1)
Searching for an Index to Abstracts	43	(3)
3e Searching for a Biography	46	(1)
3f Searching for Articles in the Newspaper Indexes	47	(1)
3g Searching the Indexes to Pamphlet Files	47	(2)
3h Searching for Government Documents	49	(2)
3i Searching for Essays within Books	51	(1)
3j Using the Microforms	52	(1)
Your Research Project	53	(1)
CHAPTER 4 SEARCHING THE WORLD WIDE WEB	54	(24)
4a Reading an Internet Address	54	(3)
4b Using a Search Engine	57	(6)
Subject Directory Search Engines	57	(3)
Robot-Driven Search Engines	60	(1)
Metasearch Engines	60	(1)
Specialized Search Engines	61	(1)
Educational Search Engines	62	(1)
4c Using a Subject Directory	63	(1)
4d Using a Keyword Search	63	(3)
Tips for Searching	63	(3)
4e Accessing Online Sources	66	(4)
Home Pages	66	(1)
Articles	66	(1)
Journals	67	(1)
Magazines	67	(1)
Newspapers and News Sources	68	(1)
Books	69	(1)
4f Using Online Versions of Articles	70	(1)
4g Using Gopher, FTP, Telnet	70	(1)
4h Using Listserv, Usenet, and Chat Groups	71	(2)
Listserv E-mail News Groups	71	(1)
Real-Time Chatting	71	(2)
4i Examining Library Holdings Via Internet Access	73	(1)
4j Finding an Internet Bibliography	73	(1)
4k Conducting Archival Research	74	(3)
Your Research Project	77	(1)
CHAPTER 5 FIELD RESEARCH: COLLECTING DATA OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY	78	(9)
5a Investigating Hometown Sources	78	(4)
Interviewing Knowledgeable People	78	(1)
Writing Letters and Corresponding by E-mail	79	(1)
Reading Personal Papers	80	(1)
Attending Lectures and Public Addresses	80	(1)
Investigating Government Documents	81	(1)
5b Examining Audiovisual Materials, Television, and Radio	82	(1)
5c Conducting a Survey with a Questionnaire	82	(1)
5d Conducting Experiments, Tests, and Observation	83	(2)
Your Research Project	85	(2)
CHAPTER 6 ORGANIZING IDEAS AND SETTING GOALS	87	(15)
6a Charting a Direction and Setting Goals	87	(5)
Using Your Research Proposal to Direct Your Note-Taking	88	(1)
Listing Key Words and Phrases to Set Directions for Note-Taking	88	(1)
Writing a Rough Outline	89	(1)
Using Questions to Identify Issues	89	(1)
Setting Goals by Using the Modes of Development	89	(1)
Using Approaches Across the Curriculum to Chart Your Major Ideas	90	(1)
Using Your Thesis to Chart the Direction of Your Research	91	(1)
6b Using Academic Models (Paradigms)	92	(4)
A General All-Purpose Model	93	(1)
Paradigm for Advancing Your Ideas and Theories	93	(1)
Paradigm for the Analysis of Creative Works	94	(1)
Paradigm for Argument and Persuasion Papers	94	(1)
Paradigm for Analysis of History	95	(1)
Paradigm for a Comparative Study	95	(1)
6c Writing a Formal Outline	96	(5)
Using Standard Outline Symbols	97	(1)
Writing a Formal Topic Outline	97	(2)
Writing a Formal Sentence Outline	99	(1)
Using Your Notes, Photocopies, Internet Printouts, and the Research Journal to Enrich Your Organizational Plan	100	(1)
Using a Basic, Dynamic Order to Chart the Course of Your Work	100	(1)
Your Research Project	101	(1)
CHAPTER 7 FINDING AND READING THE BEST SOURCES	102	(21)
7a Finding the Best Source Materials	102	(7)
7b Selecting a Mix of Primary and Secondary Sources	109	(2)
7c Reading All or Part of a Source	111	(6)
Reading the Key Parts of an Article	111	(1)
Reading the Key Parts of a Book	111	(4)
Reading the Key Parts of an Internet Article	115	(2)
7d Responding to the Sources	117	(2)
Selecting Key Ideas for Your Notes	117	(1)
Outlining the Key Ideas of a Source	118	(1)
Making Notations on Photocopied Materials	118	(1)
Writing a Rough Summary	119	(1)
7e Preparing an Annotated Bibliography	119	(1)
7f Preparing a Review of the Literature on a Topic	120	(2)
Your Research Project	122	(1)
CHAPTER 8 PRACTICING ACADEMIC INTEGRITY	123	(10)
8a Using Sources to Establish Your Credibility	123	(1)
8b Placing the Source in Its Proper Context	124	(1)
8c Honoring Property Rights	124	(1)
8d Avoiding Plagiarism	125	(4)
Common Knowledge Exceptions	126	(1)
Borrowing from a Source Correctly	127	(2)
8e Sharing Credit in Collaborative Projects	129	(1)
8f Honoring and Crediting Sources in Online Classrooms	130	(1)
8g Seeking Permission to Publish Material on Your Website	131	(1)
Your Research Project	132	(1)
CHAPTER 9 WRITING NOTES	133	(13)
9a Creating Effective Notes	134	(2)
Honoring the Conventions of Research Style	134	(1)
Using a Computer for Note-Taking	134	(2)
Developing Handwritten Notes	136	(1)
9b Writing Personal Notes	136	(1)
9c Writing Direct Quotation Notes	137	(2)
Quoting Primary Sources	138	(1)
Quoting Secondary Sources	138	(1)
9d Writing Paraphrased Notes	139	(2)
9e Writing Summary Notes	141	(1)
9f Writing Précis Notes	142	(2)
Use the Précis to Review Briefly an Article or Book	142	(1)
Use the Précis to Write an Annotated Bibliography	143	(1)
Use the Précis in a Plot Summary Note	143	(1)
Use the Précis as the Form for an Abstract	143	(1)
9g Writing Notes from Field Research	144	(1)
Your Research Project	144	(2)
CHAPTER 10 DRAFTING THF PAPER IN AN ACADEMIC STYLE	146	(13)
10a Focusing Your Argument	147	(1)
Maintaining a Focus on Objective Facts and Subjective Ideas	148	(1)
10b Refining the Thesis Sentence	148	(3)
Using Questions to Focus the Thesis	149	(1)
Using Key Words to Focus the Thesis	150	(1)
Adjust or Change Your Thesis During Research if Necessary	151	(1)
10c Writing an Academic Title	151	(1)
10d Drafting the Paper from Your Research Journal, Notes, and Computer Files	152	(5)
Writing from Your Notes	152	(1)
Writing with Unity and Coherence	153	(1)
Writing in the Proper Tense	154	(1)
Using the Language of the Discipline	154	(1)
Using Source Material to Enhance Your Writing	155	(1)
Writing in the Third Person	155	(1)
Writing with the Passive Voice in an Appropriate Manner	156	(1)
Placing Graphics Effectively in a Research Essay	156	(1)
10e Avoiding Sexist and Biased language	157	(1)
Your Research Project	158	(1)
CHAPTER 11 BLENDING REFERENCE MATERIAL INTO YOUR WRITING	159	(21)
11a Blending Reference Citations into Your Text	159	(2)
Making a General Reference without a Page Number	159	(1)
Beginning with the Author and Ending with a Page Number	160	(1)
Putting the Page Number Immediately after the Name	160	(1)
Putting the Name and Page Number at the End of Borrowed Material	160	(1)
11b Citing a Source When No Author Is Listed	161	(1)
Citing the Title of a Magazine Article	161	(1)
Citing the Title of a Report	161	(1)
Citing the Name of a Publisher or a Corporate Body	161	(1)
11c Identifying Nonprint Sources That Have No Page Number	161	(1)
11d Identifying Internet Sources	162	(1)
11e Omitting Page Numbers to Internet Citations	163	(1)
11f Citing Indirect Sources	164	(1)
11g Citing Frequent Page References to the Same Work	165	(1)
11h Citing Material from Textbooks and Large Anthologies	166	(1)
11i Adding Extra Information to In-text Citations	167	(1)
One of Several Volumes	167	(1)
Two or More Works by the Same Writer	167	(1)
Several Authors in One Citation	167	(1)
Additional Information with the Page Number	168	(1)
11j Punctuating Citations Properly and With Consistency	168	(3)
Commas and Periods	168	(1)
Semicolons and Colons	169	(1)
Question Marks and Exclamation Marks	170	(1)
Single Quotation Marks	170	(1)
11k Indenting Long Quotations	171	(1)
11l Citing Poetry	172	(1)
Quoting Two Lines of Poetry or Less	172	(1)
Quoting Three Lines or More	172	(1)
Signaling Turnovers for Long Lines of Poetry	173	(1)
11m Handling Quotations from a Play	173	(1)
11n Altering Initial Capitals in Some Quoted Matter	174	(1)
11o Omitting Quoted Matter with Ellipsis Points	174	(3)
11p Altering Quotations with Parentheses and Brackets	177	(1)
Parentheses	177	(1)
Brackets	177	(1)
Your Research Project	178	(2)
CHAPTER 12 WRITING THE INTRODUCTION, BODY, AND CONCLUSION	180	(15)
12a Writing the Introduction of the Paper	180	(5)
Provide the Thesis Statement	180	(1)
Relate to the Well Known	181	(1)
Provide Background Information	181	(1)
Review the Literature	182	(1)
Review the History and Background of the Subject	182	(1)
Take Exception to Critical Views	183	(1)
Challenge an Assumption	183	(1)
Provide a Brief Summary	183	(1)
Define Key Terms	184	(1)
Supply Data, Statistics, and Special Evidence	185	(1)
12b Writing the Body of the Research Paper	185	(5)
Relate a Time Sequence	186	(1)
Compare or Contrast Issues, Critical Views, and Literary Characters	186	(1)
Develop Cause and Effect	187	(1)
Define Your Key Terminology	187	(1)
Explain a Process	188	(1)
Ask Questions and Provide Answers	188	(1)
Cite Evidence from the Source Materials	189	(1)
Use a Variety of Other Methods	189	(1)
12c Writing the Conclusion of the Research Paper	190	(4)
Restate the Thesis and Reach Beyond It	191	(1)
Close with an Effective Quotation	191	(1)
Return the Focus of a Literary Study to the Author	192	(1)
Compare the Past to the Present or the Present to the Future	192	(1)
Offer a Directive or Solution	192	(1)
Discuss Test Results	193	(1)
Your Research Project	194	(1)
CHAPTER 13 REVISING, PROOFREADING, AND FORMATTING THE ROUGH DRAFT	195	(29)
13a Conducting a Global Revision	195	(3)
Revising the Introduction	196	(1)
Revising the Body	196	(1)
Revising the Conclusion	196	(1)
Participating in Peer Review	197	(1)
13b Formatting the Paper to MLA Style	198	(3)
Title Page or Opening Page	198	(1)
Outline	199	(1)
Abstract	199	(1)
The Text of the Paper	200	(1)
Content Endnotes Page	200	(1)
Appendix	200	(1)
Works Cited	201	(1)
13c Editing Before Typing or Printing the Final Manuscript	201	(1)
Using the Computer to Edit Your Text	202	(1)
13d Proofreading on the Screen and on the Printed Manuscript	202	(1)
Your Research Project	203	(21)
Short Literary Research Paper	203	(6)
Long Research Paper	209	(15)
CHAPTER 14 WORKS CITED: MLA STYLE	224
14a Formatting the Works Cited Page	225	(3)
14b Bibliography Form-Books	228	(15)
14c Bibliography Form-Periodicals	243	(7)
14d Bibliography Form-Newspapers	250	(2)
14e Bibliography Form-Government Documents	252	(2)
14f Bibliography Form-Electronic Sources	254	(10)
Citing Sources Found on the Internet	254	(1)
World Wide Web Sites	255	(9)
14g Bibliography Form-CD-ROMs	264	(2)
14h Bibliography Form-Other Electronic Sources	266	(1)
14i Bibliography Form-Other Sources	267
CHAPTER 15 WRITING IN APA STYLE	27	(283)
15a Writing Theory, Reporting Test Results, or Reviewing literature	277	(1)
Theoretical Article	277	(1)
Report of an Empirical Study	278	(1)
Review Article	278	(1)
15b Writing in the Proper Tense for an APA Paper	278	(1)
15c Using In-text Citations in APA Style	279	(7)
15d Preparing a Working Draft or Publishing the Manuscript	286	(1)
15e Preparing the References list	287	(8)
Book	288	(2)
Periodical	290	(1)
Abstract	291	(1)
Review	291	(1)
Report	291	(1)
Nonprint Material	291	(1)
Internet Sources	292	(3)
CD-ROM Material	295	(1)
15f Variations on the APA Style for Other Disciplines in the Social Sciences 295
Linguistics	295	(2)
Sociology and Social Work	297	(1)
15g Formatting an APA Paper	297	(2)
Theoretical Paper	297	(1)
Report of Empirical Research	298	(1)
Review Article	298	(1)
15h Writing the Abstract	299	(1)
15i Sample Paper in APA Style	299	(11)
CHAPTER 16 CMS STYLE: USING FOOTNOTES OR ENDNOTES	310	(26)
16a Inserting a Superscript Numeral in Your Text	311	(1)
16b Formatting and Writing the Footnotes	312	(2)
Book	313	(1)
Collection or Anthology	313	(1)
Journal Article	313	(1)
Magazine Article	313	(1)
Newspaper Article	314	(1)
Review Article	314	(1)
16c Writing Footnotes for Electronic Sources	314	(1)
Scholarly Project	314	(1)
Journal Article Online	314	(1)
Database not on the World Wide Web	314	(1)
Article from an Online Service	314	(1)
Book Online	315	(1)
CD-ROM Source	315	(1)
Electronic Bulletin Board	315	(1)
E-mail	315	(1)
16d Writing Subsequent Footnote References	315	(1)
16e Writing Endnotes rather than Footnotes	316	(1)
16f Writing Content Notes	316	(3)
16g Using the CMS System for Papers in the Humanities	319	(2)
16h Using the CMS System for Papers in the Fine Arts	321	(1)
16i Writing a Bibliography Page	322	(1)
16j Sample Research Paper in the CMS Style	322	(14)
CHAPTER 17 CBE STYLE FOR THE NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES	336	(16)
17a Writing In Text Citations with Numbers	331	(7)
17b Using Numbers with Bibliography Entries	338	(2)
17c Writing In-Text Citations with Name and Year	340	(2)
17d Using Name and Year with Bibliography Entries	342	(1)
17e Arranging the Cited References List by Name and Year	343	(1)
17f Sample Paper Using the CBE Number System	344	(8)
CHAPTER 18 PREPARING ELECIRONIC RESEARCH PROJECTS	352
18a Getting Started	352	(1)
18b Using Word Processing	353	(1)
18c Building Electronic Presentations	354	(1)
18d Research Paper Web Pages and Sites	355	(4)
Creating a Single Web Page	356	(1)
Creating a Website with Multiple Pages	357	(1)
Using a Web Page Editor to Create Web Pages	358	(1)
Importing, Entering, and Modifying Text	358	(1)
Citing Your Sources in a Web Research Paper	358	(1)
18e Planning Electronic Research Papers	359	(1)
Creating a Plan for Your Research Paper	359	(1)
Designing Your Electronic Research	359	(1)
18f Using Graphics in Your Electronic Research Paper	360	(1)
Graphic File Formats	360	(1)
Creating Your Own Digital Graphics	360	(1)
18g Using Sound and Video in Your Electronic Research Paper	361	(1)
18h Delivering Your Electronic Research Paper to Readers	362	(1)
Your Research Project	362
Appendix A: Glossary of Manuscript Style	A-1
Appendix B: Finding Sources for a Selected Discipline	A-31
Credits	C-1
Index	I-1