Writing research papers : a complete guide / James D. Lester.

Contents;

1. Finding a topic
Generating ideas for a research paper project
Using source materials to discover and evaluate a topic
Drafting a research proposal
Narrowing the general subject to a specific topic

2. Gathering data
Learning the organization of your library
Developing a working bibliography
Using a computer search
Using the printed catalog cards
etc.

3. Organizing ideas and setting goals
Charting a direction and setting goals
Using general models (paradigms) to stimulate your note-taking
Writing a formal outline

4. Finding and reading the best sources
Finding the best source materials
Deciding whether to read all or part of a source
Responding to the sources
Selecting a mix of both primary and secondary sources
etc.

5. Writing note cards
Designing effective note cards
Writing direct quotation note cards
Writing summary notes
Writing precis notes
etc.

6. Writing the paper
Adjusting to the long, recursive nature of research writing
Writing a final thesis sentence
Writing a title
Understanding your purpose and your role as a writer
etc.

7. Blending reference material into your writing
Blending a reference into your text
Citing a source when no author is listed
Identifying nonprint sources that have no page number
Using a double reference to cite somebody who has been quoted in a book or article
etc.

8. Handling format
Preparing the final manuscript
Glossary: Preparing the manuscript
Sample paper: A short essay with documentation
Sample paper: A formal research paper

9. Works cited
Format for the works cited page
Bibliography form: Books
Bibliography form: Periodicals
Bibliography form: Newspapers
etc.

10. Using APA style
Writing in the proper tense for an APA styled paper
Using in-text citations in APA style
Preparing the list of references
Writing the abstract
etc.

11. Form and style for other disciplines
Using the name and year system
Using the name and year system for papers in the social sciences
using the name and year system for papers in the biological and earth sciences
Using the name and year system for papers in business and economics
etc.

Includes Bibliographical references and Index