1ResearchandWriting1.1THERESEARCHPAPERASAFORMOFEXPLORATIONDuringyourschoolcareeryouhaveprobablywrittenmanypersonalessaysthatpresentedyourthoughts,feelings,andopinionsandthatdidnotrefertoanyothersourceofinformationorideas.Somesubjectsandassignments,however,requireustogobeyondourpersonalknowledgeandexperience.Weundertakeresearchwhenwewishtoexploreanidea,probeanissue,solveaproblem,ormakeanargumentthatcompelsustoturntooutsidehelp.Wethenseekout,investigate,andusematerialsbeyondourpersonalresources.Thefindingsandconclusionsofsuchaninquiryappearintheresearchpaper.Thetermresearchpaperdescribesapresentationofstudentresearchthatmaybeinaprinted,anelectronic,oramultimediaformat.Theresearchpaperisgenerallybasedonprimaryresearch,secondaryresearch,oracombinationofthetwo.Primaryresearchisthestudyofasubjectthroughfirsthandobservationandinvestigation,suchasanalyzingaliteraryorhistoricaltext,afilm,oraperformance;conductingasurveyoraninterview;orcarryingoutalaboratoryexperiment.Primarysourcesincludestatisticaldata,historicaldocuments,andworksofliteratureorart.Secondaryresearchistheexaminationofstudiesthatotherresearchershavemadeofasubject.Examplesofsecondarysourcesarebooksandarticlesaboutpoliticalissues,historicalevents,scientificdebates,orliteraryworks.Mostacademicpapersdependatleastpartlyonsecondaryresearch.Nomatterwhatyoursubjectofstudy,learningtoinvestigate,review,andproductivelyuseinformation,ideas,andopinionsofotherresearcherswillplayamajorroleinyourdevelopmentasastudent.Thesortsofactivitiesthatconstitutearesearchpaper—identifying,locating,assessing,andassimilatingothers'researchandthendevelopingandexpressingyourownideasclearlyandpersuasively—areatthecenteroftheeducationalexperience.Theseskillsarebynomeansjustacademic.Liketheresearchpapersyouwriteinschool,manyreportsandproposalsrequiredinbusiness,government,andotherprofessionsrelyonsecondaryresearch.Learninghowtowritearesearchpaper,then,canhelpprepareyouforassignmentsinyourprofessionalcareer.Itisdifficulttothinkofanyprofessionthatwouldnotrequireyoutoconsultsourcesofinformationaboutaspecificsubject,tocombinethisinformationwithyourideas,andtopresentyourthoughts,findings,andconclusionseffectively.Researchincreasesyourknowledgeandunderstandingofasubject.Sometimesresearchwillconfirmyourideasandopinions;sometimesitwillchallengeandmodifythem.Butalmostalwaysitwillhelptoshapeyourthinking.Unlessyourinstructorspecificallydirectsyouotherwise,aresearchpapershouldnotmerelyreviewpublicationsandextractaseriesofquotationsfromthem.Rather,youshouldlookforsourcesthatprovidenewinformation,thathelpfullysurveythevariouspositionsalreadytakenonaspecificsubject,thatlendauthoritytoyourviewpoint,thatexpandornuanceyourideas,thatoffermethodsormodesofthoughtyoucanapplytonewdataorsubjects,orthatfurnishnegativeexamplesagainstwhichyouwishtoargue.Asyouuseandscrupulouslyacknowledgesources,however,alwaysrememberthatthemainpurposeofdoingresearchisnottosummarizetheworkofothersbuttoassimilateandtobuildonitandtoarriveatyourownunderstandingofthesubject.Abooklikethiscannotpresentalltheprofitablewaysofdoingresearch.Becausethishandbookemphasizesthemechanicsofpreparingeffectivepapers,itmaygiveyouthemistakenimpressionthattheprocessofresearchingandwritingaresearchpaperfollowsafixedpattern.Thetruthisthatdifferentpathscananddoleadtosuccessfulresearchpapers.Someresearchersmaypursue...