Chapter 8

Preparing ResearchPapers

 

1. Teaching Objectives:

- to familiarizestudents with the basic elements and requirements of a professional researchpaper

- to help studentswrite professional graduation papers

 

2. Key points to address:

- basic steps ofwriting a research paper

- distinction between agraduation paper and an ordinary research paper

 

3. Main teaching contents and steps:

 

I What can we gain from writingresearch papers  P_247ff

(1) learn how to use libraries, how to readbooks critically and effectively and how to use them wisely and correctly

(2) familiarize ourselves with the knowledge& mechanics necessary for thesis writing

(3) gain some experience in writing longpapers / reports.

II Steps of thesiswriting    P₂₄₇

(1) choosinga topic

a．selecting a general topic

b．reading / thinking

c．narrowing down the scope of the general topic to afacet / aspect or facets

d．formulating the final topic

 sampleanalysis    P₂₄₉

* Task 1+2   P₂₈₂

!!!Assignment 1   P₂₅₀

(2) collectingInformation   p₂₅₀

a．using thelibrary  P₂₅₀

* books are usually arranged alphabeticallyaccording to their authors, titles and the subjects they belong to

also — callnumbers of books

b．Reading  P₂₅₂

— books

—periodicals

— newspapers

— lnternet: Online libraries and Baidu, Google, andother search engines

* Task 3  P₂₅₂

c．Taking notes   P₂₅₃

—kinds of note: direct quotation, paraphrase, Summary

* source of info: author + year ofpublication + page number

Sample analysis    P_254-255

!!! Assignment 2   P₂₅₆

   Also: ask students to select a novel / topicto analyze in the format of a research paper

NB：steps + reasoningmethods

(3) Analyzingthe info, organizing ideas, and working out an outline

a．thesis statement   P₂₅₆

— central idea of the research paper

* Task 6   P₂₅₆

b．Outlining — framework of a research paper

Sample analysis   P₂₅₇

!!! Assignment 3   P₂₅₈

* Form and Style (Slade) P_22-24  principles and outlines

(4) Writingthe first draft   P₂₅₉

a．using our own words

b．using proper tenses

c．writing facts and views

d．paying attention to logic and organization

e．making our tone objectiverather than personal

f．choosing the right style

(5)Revising the Draft and Finalizing the Paper P₂₆₂

* Task 7   checklist    P₂₆₃

Cf: Formand style (stale) P_38-47：Elementsof a paper