Cabrillo College Library

Your assignment

Timetable

Identify general topic

Read to narrow

APA style

Thesis

Research & notetaking

Outline

First draft

Using APA
Writing A Research Paper

In doing research, you dliigently search for information that pertains to a focused topic. The purpose of writing a research paper is to show that you have learned information about topics that pertain to the course, that you have thought about what it all means, and are able to clearly formulate and communicate your thinking.

Here's how your instructor described your assignment to me:

Students will submit a 5 to 7 page research paper that explains the historical development of a judicial or legislative process, or provides analysis of a state law or court ruling. Or, students could write about one of the criminal justice subsystems. There must be a minimum of five sources which are cited, two of which must come from texts other than the one assigned to this class. Other references can come from online sources. The paper will be double spaced, 12- point font, using APA style.

Set Work Schedule/Timetable -- Map out the time period you have to research and to write your paper. Schedule where you want to be with what activity and when. It's good to write down your final due date and work backwards to today.

Identify General Topic and Begin Research Work -- During the Internet work session tonight, you can explore different kinds of topics that you might like to research.

Read To Narrow Topic -- Once you have your general topic in mind, you will want to read several general pieces about your topic to help you decide which aspect of the subject will be your focus.

For example, suppose you selected an important Supreme Court case. You could narrow your topic by finding out how that particular case has affected judgments in other cases, later. Or, suppose you were interested in an important state law. You could research how the law was developed (what problems was it meant to solve), and whether, over time, it has functioned as expected. It is best not to worry too much at first whether you have picked the perfect general topic. Once you learn more about it, you invaribly get interested in a more narrow focus. When that happens, the research paper becomes your very own.

You'll be using APA Style -- When you research, keep track of the facts and opinions you will use in your paper by noting down where you got those facts and opinions. Your instructor wants you to use APA style. Consistent, accurate documentation is critical to good research. Get used to noting down sources as you use them. Use the handout that describes APA style for citing your sources.

Draft a Thesis -- It's helpful to develop a thesis, which will be your statement of your controlling idea about your topic. Suppose I were interested in Gideon v. Wainwright, a case from 1963 which confirmed the right of defendants to counsel. One viewpoint I could take to that topic would be to look at subsequent cases that expanded that right to counsel. Gideon had confirmed the right to counsel during trial. Later cases, drawing on Gideon, established the right to counsel even during police interrogation. Your thesis might be that without Gideon, we would not have had Miranda v. Arizona.

Research and Notetaking -- The next step is to explore more books, periodical articles, and other materials on your topic. Remember to keep good track of the sources you use.

Draft Working Outline -- As you go along, do an informal outline to organize the main ideas, major and minor details, you want to use to develop and support your thesis. In addition, outlining helps you present yourideas in a logical order.

Continue Research and Notetaking, Refine Thesis and Write First Draft -- From your reading you should be ready to rewrite your thesis statement into a clear, brief sentence that precisely focuses your paper. Your draft should be a well-crafted combination of direct quotes, idea summaries, paraphrased ideas—all properly credited—and your original writing. If often helps to think of the paper as structured in four parts, plus the References page.
  1. Introduction to the topic; thesis statement; preview of argument (e.g., "I will show that...")
  2. Main body of paper: point one, with its supporting statements; point two, with its supporting statements; point three, with its supporting statements; etc.
  3. Arguments to the contrary should be summarized/discussed (either as part of the main body, or after it)
  4. Summarize the main points of the paper, referencing how the thesis of the paper has been supported, or proven.
  5. References -- your list of sources, in APA citation style.

Using APA Click to see a guide to APA Formatting and Style. In APA style, you create in-text references, and put the sources you refer to in a References page. (APA uses References like MLA uses Works Cited.) Here's an excerpt from a paper I might write about Gideon v. Wainwright:

Gideon v. Wainwright reflected the Warren's Court's interest in due process. States reacted swiftly. According to Lewis (1964), Governor Farris Bryant of Florida, where the case had originated, called on the leglislature to enact a public-defender law soon after the Supreme Court rendered its judgment (p. 202).

Then, there would be the References page, which would include bibliographic information about the Lewis book:

References

Lewis, A. (1964). Gideon's trumpet. New York: Random House.

The key to good writing is rewriting. Have someone, like a friend or a tutor, read your draft. Tutors in the Integrated Learning Center here at the Watsonville Center are available to help you as well.

Lastly: edit, format and proofread once more.

 

 

Based in part on Steps to Writing a Research Paper at http://www.rio.maricopa.edu/distance_learning/tutorials/study/research.shtml3/07

T.N. Smalley rev. 3/08