Research Writing
(This is an excerpt from a University Of Metaphysical Sciences course at www.umsonline.org,
please feel free to visit the school website)
Let us begin this course by speaking of research writing, since you will be using what you learn here when you pen your thesis or dissertation. For a good example of the structure of a research paper, you simply have to look at the format of this course, or any of the other courses you are taking at The University of Metaphysical Sciences. Follow the thesis structure, beginning with an Introduction, continue with a Review of Literature, include Findings, Discussion, Conclusion and a Bibliography, you will be on the right track for research writing of any sort.
In order to write a research paper, you have to know how to do research. In reality, research is important to all writing, even fiction writing, but is most notably essential in a research paper.
With the advent of the Internet, research has become easier and more accessible. You can now do a great deal of your research from the comfort of your own PC, using search engines such as google.com, yahoo.com or askjeeves.com to navigate the immense store of Internet information on your subject. However, the old bastions of information are as reliable as ever. These include the library, bookstores, interviews and the Library of Congress.
The Library of Congress (LOC) is at www.loc.gov and has the most extensive collection of books and articles available anywhere in the country. It is the ultimate library, the super-library, the place where almost every book in publication is listed. The website has an online catalogue, free research areas, people who will answer your research questions and a Federal Research Division, which specializes in fee-based research for government agencies. Their collections contain information on business, literature, law, history and genealogy, newspapers and periodicals, science and technology, performing arts, folk-life and an International Collection of Books. The LOC is a good place to begin your research and narrow down the sources you need to use.
You can also go to the Library of Congress website to copyright your material against plagiarism. By completing an application downloaded from the LOC website and adding a $30.00 fee, you can insure the safety of your manuscript or article. If you do not want to pay the money to copyright your book or article, you can do the “poor-man’s copyright.” In order to do this, simply send a copy of your material in a certified envelope to yourself and do not open it. This is considered an informal copyright, much like a common-law marriage, which can protect your intellectual property in a court of law.
Other sources for research include your local libraries and bookstores. Also make note of the Writer’s Digest series on various topics for writers, which include topics such as romance writing, legal information for those writing police procedurals and suspense novels, medical procedures and conditions, etc. For grammar assistance there is the Bedford Handbook For Writers, WilliamStrunk and E. B. White’s classic, The Elements Of Style (2000), and The Princeton Review’s Grammar Smart: A Guide To Perfect Usage (1993).
Once you find your sources, the simplest way to do your research is to read the Table of Contents and find the chapters or pages related to your subject. In reviewing the information on these pages, you can read the first and last sentences in most paragraphs to get the gist of what is being said. You usually do not have to read the entire book or article, verbatim, but can skim the material you intend to use in order to distill the information you need.
Finally, in doing a research paper, it never hurts to interview an expert in the field. By structuring the interview and asking the appropriate questions, you can gain a treasure chest of knowledge about your subject.