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Course Question & Answer
English Composition II
Purpose of Course showclose
The ability to research topics and incorporate information from your sources into your work is an important skill both in college and on the job. This course will reinforce the concepts you practiced in English Composition I by introducing you to basic research concepts and techniques. It will also give you a chance to put these new concepts and techniques to work as you develop a final research paper. We will begin by looking at how to build research into an effective writing process. First, you will learn to think of researching not as a requirement for getting a good grade on a paper but as a valuable tool that can make your writing more powerful and convincing. You will learn how to build research into your writing process so that you can add persuasive power to your finished work. Through rigorous practice of the fundamental techniques, you will come to see that, like writing itself, research is an act of discovery rather than a search for prefabricated ideas.
The intent of this course is to teach you how to prepare research for any discipline or subject. We will carefully explore and practice general research techniques and processes that you should be able to apply to many academic disciplines and in your job.
In Unit 1, you will select a topic that intrigues you, you will conduct preliminary research to focus your topic, and you will develop a thesis statement and a set of questions to help guide the remainder of your research.
In Unit 2, you will learn strategies for conducting your research and taking careful notes. We will look carefully at researching on the Internet, but we will also make a point of honing the skills necessary to research topics in a physical library. So that you may begin to make the most of your resources when you start to write, we will explore some of the techniques that scholars use to record and organize the information that they plan to include in their work. By the end of the unit, you will have completed detailed notes for your own research project.
In Unit 3, you will learn how to evaluate and understand the sources you located in the previous units. You will learn why it is important to put significant effort into reading and evaluating Internet sources, and you will learn how to identify and what you need to take into consideration when you use primary and secondary sources. You also will get plenty of practice in determining how and when to use sources to help make your point. By the end of this unit, you will start to understand how to determine whether any source is authoritative, accurate, and current. You will also have an annotated bibliography that will guide you through the writing process.
In Unit 4, you will develop your argument and create a detailed outline for your research paper. We will take some time to reinforce and expand upon the rhetorical concepts we introduced in Composition I. Like the prerequisite course, this unit focuses on how to put your research to work to strengthen your academic writing. We will study how to use the results of your research and analysis to bolster written arguments and support rhetorical strategies.
Unit 5 focuses on how to correctly use style standards and citation methodology. The work in this unit will help you to clearly understand why it is important to document and cite your sources, and to do so consistently and correctly. We will closely examine the issue of plagiarism, noting the situations that can cause writers to misuse source materials, either consciously or accidentally. After completing this unit, you will write a complete draft of your research paper.
Unit 6 prepares you for revising and polishing your paper. We will provide you with detailed editorial exercises that focus on specific elements of sentence and paragraph structure, grammar, and mechanics and which will help you achieve your goal of writing clear, grammatically-sound expository and persuasive prose.
We will use the Modern Language Association (MLA) standards for citation and formatting. Please refer to The Saylor Foundation’s “MLA Style Resources” (PDF) for a cheat sheet to the most useful MLA sites on the Web throughout this course – and any other course requiring you to write, for that matter.
Course Information showclose
Course Designers: Carolyn Tedholm, Dr. Chelsea L. Booth and Carolyn Savoldy
Primary Resources: This course is comprised of a range of different free, online materials. However, the course makes primary use of the following materials:
- Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing
- Writing for Success
- The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: Writing Center Handouts
- RumbleApps’s PaperHelper - Easiest Essay Writer (iOS App)
- Apple’s Pages (iOS App)
Requirements: In order to complete this course, you will need to work through each unit and all of its assigned materials. The course builds upon itself from one unit to the next, so it is important to work thoroughly through each section to understand that which follows. You will also need to complete the final exam.
Note that you will only receive an official grade on your final exam. In order to pass this course, you will need to earn a 70% or higher on the final exam. Your score on the exam will be tabulated as soon as you complete it. If you do not pass the exam, you may take it again.
Time Commitment: Completing this course should take approximately 102.25 hours. Each unit includes a time advisory that lists the amount of time you are expected to spend on each subunit. These should help you plan your time accordingly. It may be useful to take a look at these time advisories, to determine how much time you have over the next few weeks to complete each unit, and then to set goals for yourself. For example, Unit 1 should take approximately 18.5 hours. Perhaps you can decide to complete subunit 1.1 (a total of 3.5 hours) on Monday night; subunit 1.2 (a total of 7.75 hours) on Tuesday and Wednesday nights; etc.
Tips for Completion: It may be helpful to take notes as you work through the materials in each unit in preparation for the final exam. Consider posting your responses to any of the exercises within readings and any of the activities on the Saylor Foundation’s “ENGL002 Course Discussion Board”. Also, review and respond to other students’ postings.
Learning Outcomes showclose
- Define the relationship between research techniques and academic work in various disciplines.
- Refine research within a writing process, identifying and using rhetorical strategies as well as practicing critical thinking and reading.
- Identify the various kinds of research used to produce written work in academic disciplines.
- Identify and use tools for conducting Internet-based and library research.
- Demonstrate critical and analytical thinking in locating, evaluating, and using research.
- Use quotes, paraphrases, and summaries accurately and appropriately to strengthen written arguments and to avoid plagiarism.
- Demonstrate skills in source summarization and in synthesis skills.
- Cite and document information sources in accordance with MLA style requirements.
- Use information from resources as structural elements in an academic paper.
- Review and practice the grammatical and rhetorical skills necessary for successful writing.
Course Requirements showclose
√ Have access to a computer.
√ Have continuous broadband Internet access.
√ Have the ability/permission to install plug-ins and software (e.g., Adobe Reader or Flash).
√ Have the ability to download and save files and documents to a computer.
√ Have the ability to open and edit Microsoft Office files and documents (.doc, .docx, .ppt, .pptx, .xls, .xlsx, etc.).
√ Have competency in the English language.
√ Have read the Saylor Student Handbook.
√ Have completed ENGL001.
Unit Outline show close
Expand All Resources Collapse All Resources
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Unit 1: Research and the Writing Process
Researching and reporting the results of research are fundamental to academic work in almost every discipline, as well as in many professional contexts. While research in itself may seem like an enormous task when you are just starting a project, it is important to understand that effective research is a straightforward, step-by-step process. By practicing effective research techniques and becoming adept with the tools that are available to researchers, you will begin to see research as an invaluable part of an organized system of study that includes discovery, invention, critical thinking, and clear communication.
Unit 1 Time Advisory show close
While writing is sometimes viewed as a solitary undertaking, research requires active involvement in a larger community of scholars. You will have a chance to define yourself as a member of a number of communities, and you will begin to see your research as an important part of the conversations that take part among members of your communities. As you begin to see yourself as an active contributor in a community, you will start to understand how the work of others can both enrich your own perceptions and improve your understanding of the topic about which you are writing.
To help you get started as a contributing member of a community of scholars, we will first explore how your research can support the writing process that you began to develop in Composition I. You will recall that the PWR Method is a process based on pre-writing, writing, editing, and proofreading, so it is probably no surprise to learn that effective research follows a similar process and is based on similar methods of preparation and analysis.
By mastering the essentials of effective research, you can train yourself to think more carefully about your work at every stage of the writing process. For example, you probably know how much a good quote can help to emphasize an important point, but you may not be conscious of how helpful general background research can be in the very earliest phases of your writing, when you are just beginning to refine your topic and clarify your thesis and argument.
As we continue to build your experience as a member of a research community, we will explore how effective research can help you appeal to specific audiences and more clearly define the purpose of your writing.
Unit 1 Learning Outcomes show close
- 1.1 What Is a Research Paper?
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1.1.1 Academic Research Writing
- Reading: Steven D. Krause’s The Process of Research Writing: “Academic Research Writing: What Is It?”
Link: Steven D. Krause’s The Process of Research Writing: “Academic Research Writing: What Is It?” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this article, which provides a quick overview of the form, components, and purpose of a research paper.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License. It is attributed to Steven D. Krause, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Steven D. Krause’s The Process of Research Writing: “Academic Research Writing: What Is It?”
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1.1.2 Why Write a Research Paper?
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.7.1: The Purpose of Research Writing”
Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.1: The Purpose of Research Writing” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this section and complete the exercises, which will help you identify the reasons for writing a research paper and will outline the steps you must complete in order to complete a research project.
Reading this section and completing the exercises should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.7.1: The Purpose of Research Writing”
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1.1.3 How to Manage a Research Project
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.3: Managing Your Research Project”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.3: Managing Your Research Project” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this section and complete the exercises, which will help you identify the reasons for writing a research paper and will outline the steps you must complete in order to complete a research project.
Reading this article and completing the exercises should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.3: Managing Your Research Project”
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1.2 Preparing for Your Research
- Optional Mobile App: WAGmob’s English Writing: “Introduction”
Link: WAGmob’s English Writing (iOS App) or Learn English Writing (Android App)
Instructions: If choosing to use this app, you will first need to download the version appropriate to your mobile device. Note that there are costs associated with both of these apps, which is why they are optional. No quiz or exam questions will be derived from material within, but they are still useful supplementary resources. Once downloaded, open the app and read the tutorial, “Introduction.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Optional Mobile App: WAGmob’s English Writing: “Introduction”
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1.2.1 The Research Process – an Overview
Before you choose your topic, it is important to get a sense of the overall process you will follow to complete your research paper.
- Reading: Cornell University, Olin & Uris Libraries, Research & Learning Services Department: Research Strategy: “The Seven Steps of the Research Process”
Link: Cornell University, Olin & Uris Libraries, Research & Learning Services Department: Research Strategy: “The Seven Steps of the Research Process” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this article, which introduces you to the research process and includes how to identify and develop your topic, find and evaluate background information (including sources, periodical articles, and Internet resources), and appropriately cite your sources.
Several of the resources linked to through these pages are available only to students and staff at Cornell University. However, you should be able to use the general catalog information at any library. If you do not have online access to a college or university library, explore your local library’s website for information about online access. A librarian at your local library may also be able to help you gain online access or answer questions about how to use their resources.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Cornell University and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Cornell University, Olin & Uris Libraries, Research & Learning Services Department: Research Strategy: “The Seven Steps of the Research Process”
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1.2.2 What Is Your Research Community?
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 6: Research Writing in the Academic Disciplines”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 6: Research Writing in the Academic Disciplines” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this chapter, which provides an overview of research writing and will help you understand why strong, evidence-based writing is essential for success in academic writing. Dr. Zemliansky explains how different communities work together to develop and revise ideas through research. By identifying your research community, you can help identify important research in your field and write more convincingly to members of that community. Note that you may skip over the activity on pages 3–5, as you will complete an adapted version of the activity below. Take notes carefully.
Reading this chapter should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This chapter is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s “Analyze Your Discourse Communities”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s “Analyze Your Discourse Communities” (PDF)
Instructions: Complete this activity, which has been adapted from Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 6: Research Writing in the Academic Disciplines” (PDF). After you complete this activity, you will begin to see knowledge-making as a social process. You should also begin to notice the differences that exist in ways that different groups of people use language, reading, and writing.
Completing this activity should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: This activity is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 6: Research Writing in the Academic Disciplines”
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1.2.3 Identifying and Understanding Your Audience
Once you have identified your discourse community, you must analyze the specific audience that will read your research paper. Although members of your audience may be part of a larger discourse community, they may or may not be familiar with previous research in the field you are exploring.
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Audience”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Audience” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this handout for a review of identifying, analyzing, and appealing to your writing audience.
Reading this handout should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This handout is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. It is attributed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Texas A&M University Writing Center: “Audience Awareness”
Link: Texas A&M University Writing Center: “Audience Awareness” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this essay on audience awareness for a good refresher on the importance of identifying, reaching out to, and addressing your audience in your writing.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License. It is attributed to the Texas A&M University Writing Center, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Audience”
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1.2.4 Understanding Your Audience and Purpose
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 1: Research Writing and Argument”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 1: Research Writing and Argument” (PDF)
Instructions: This chapter discusses rhetorical writing, which is writing that makes an argument as persuasively as possible by understanding and analyzing the readers or audience and then writing in a way that the audience finds convincing.
Reading this chapter should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: This chapter is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Optional Mobile App: WAGmob’s English Writing: “Thinking and Planning”
Link: WAGmob’s English Writing (iOS App) or Learn English Writing (Android App)
Instructions: Read the tutorial, “Thinking and Planning.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Optional Mobile App: WAGmob’s English Writing: “Effective Writing”
Link: WAGmob’s English Writing (iOS App) or Learn English Writing (Android App)
Instructions: Read the tutorial, “Effective Writing.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 1: Research Writing and Argument”
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1.2.5 Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 6, Section 6.1: Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 6, Section 6.1: Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this section and complete the exercises, which will get you thinking about how audience and purpose affects your writing. This reading describes how purpose and audience should influence the tone and content of your writing.
Reading this section and completing the exercises should take approximately 3 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 6, Section 6.1: Purpose, Audience, Tone, and Content”
- 1.3 Develop a Research Proposal
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1.3.1 Discovering and Choosing a Topic
- Reading: Cornell University Olin & Uris Libraries’ Research Strategy: “How to Find and Develop a Viable Research Topic”
Link: Cornell University Olin & Uris Libraries’ Research Strategy: “How to Find and Develop a Viable Research Topic” (PDF)
Instructions: For a general idea of how to get started with your research paper topic, read this brief article as well as all of the publicly accessible information on “Suggestions for Finding a Topic,” which you can access through the link at the top of this page.
Some of the pages referenced from this topic are available only to Cornell University students. However, you should be able to use the general catalog information at any library. If you do not have online access to a college or university library, explore your local library’s website for information about online resources. A librarian at your local library may also be able to help you gain online access or answer questions about how to use their resources.Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Cornell University and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: Identify Your Research Topic
Instructions: After completing the reading for this subunit, identify a preliminary topic for your research paper by stating your topic idea as a question and then identifying the main concepts or key words. You will have time to revise and refine your topic later.
Consider posting any preliminary ideas about what you are thinking of for a research topic to the “ENGL002 Course Discussion Board.” Try to also review and respond to others students’ posts.
Completing this activity should take approximately 15 minutes.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Cornell University Olin & Uris Libraries’ Research Strategy: “How to Find and Develop a Viable Research Topic”
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1.3.2 Develop a Working Thesis and a Research Proposal
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.2: Steps in Developing a Research Proposal”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.2: Steps in Developing a Research Proposal” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 11.2 from Chapter 11, and complete the exercises. This reading will provide you with a slightly different approach to developing a research topic and will describe how to develop research questions and a proposal that will help you guide your research. After reading this text, go back to your research topic, refine your topic as necessary, develop your research questions, and develop a short research proposal.
Reading this article, completing the exercises, and completing the activity for refining and developing your research topic should take approximately 4 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Develop a Working Thesis”
Instructions: Use your refined research topic and synthesize the research questions you developed in this subunit in order to write a working thesis. Remember that your thesis is the argument you will work to prove with your research in your paper. Keep in mind that you will have time to revise and revisit your thesis later in the course.
Completing this activity should take approximately 15 minutes.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.2: Steps in Developing a Research Proposal”
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1.3.3 Mapping Your Topic
Concept mapping, also known as webbing, is a method for generating ideas related to your topic that you want to explore in your research and writing process.
- Web Media: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Webbing”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Webbing” (YouTube)
Instructions: View this video, and then map out concepts for the research topic you identified in subunit 1.3.1. Use The Saylor Foundation’s “Mapping a Concept” worksheet (PDF) for some ideas on getting started.
Viewing this video and mapping your topic should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDervis 2.5 License. It is attributed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center, and the original version can be found here.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Webbing”
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1.4 Outlining
Now that you have developed your topic, research question, and thesis, it is time to develop a framework for your entire paper. At this point, you have not started your research in earnest, but your outline will help guide your research and ensure that you find the resources that will help you prove your thesis.
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 8, Section 8.2: Outlining”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 8, Section 8.2: Outlining” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 8.2 from Chapter 8, and complete the exercises, using your own research topic. By completing these exercises, you will refine your thesis, and you should wind up with a complete outline. You will have plenty of opportunities later to revise and fill in your outline, so do not worry too much about polishing your outline.Reading this article and completing the exercises should take you approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 8, Section 8.2: Outlining”
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Unit 2: Researching: How, What, When, Where, and Why
If you are already at work on a writing project, you most likely are well aware that you often need to start writing in order to discover all of your ideas about a subject. In this unit, we will take the discovery process a bit further by exploring how identifying, analyzing, and making effective use of the work of others can do even more to clarify your viewpoint and refine your thesis.
We will begin by looking at research as a concept. By now, you should feel a little more comfortable thinking of yourself as a researcher and you may be anxious to get started. To get you off on the right foot, we will look at how analysis and planning can streamline your research efforts and help you to make the best use of your findings. After that, we will dig deeply into the research process itself. In addition to learning more about traditional library research methods, you will have a chance to get acquainted with methods for conducting research in person, on your own computer, and on the Internet.
We will also define primary and secondary sources and will look at some of the merits of using both of these types of information. We will spend quite a bit of time reviewing the tools and techniques for conducting research on the Internet. You will have a chance to explore some of the most useful Internet sites for locating both printed and online information, and you will start to get a clearer idea about where to look for information in specific disciplines and to fulfill specific purposes.Finally, we will acknowledge the importance of keeping research well-organized and clearly documented. You will get a chance to practice the best techniques for recording, organizing, and annotating the source information that you want to use.
Unit 2 Time Advisory show close
By the end of this unit, you should have a good understanding of how to carry out your research in an organized, thoughtful manner. You should also have the opportunity to complete much of the preliminary research for your final paper and to identify any information gaps that may require further investigation.
Unit 2 Learning Outcomes show close
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2.1 Recording and Organizing Your Findings
Before we will discuss the details of the research process, we will explore some note-taking tools and strategies, so you can begin taking organized notes from the outset of your research.
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2.1.1 Note-Taking Tools
Later in this unit, you will learn about several tools to help you organize your research. For now, explore the Evernote, a free and easy tool that allows you to collect and annotate electronic articles easily.
- Web Media: Evernote
Link: Evernote site (HTML)
Instructions: This resource is optional. This is a free resource, but you will need to create an account to use it. Once you have done so, examine the features available through this site to become familiar with some of the latest methods of recording and organizing research on the Internet.
This free tool requires registration and is not required for this course. It is provided here as a reference for those who might find it useful.
Exploring this resource should take approximately 2 hours.Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: Evernote
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2.1.2 Using a Reverse Outline
A reverse outline is a great way to summarize an article or book. It is often used as a technique for editing an essay or research paper of your own.
- Web Media: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Reverse Outline”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Reverse Outline” (YouTube)
Instructions: Watch this brief video on reverse outlining. Take notes so that you remember the technique while you are reviewing and taking notes on your research articles. Then, practice writing a reverse outline of one of the resources you plan to use in your research paper.
Viewing this video and creating a reverse outline for practice should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. It is attributed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Reverse Outline”
- 2.2 Getting Started with Your Research
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2.2.1 How to Begin Your Research
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.4: Strategies for Gathering Reliable Information”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.4: Strategies for Gathering Reliable Information” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 11.4 from Chapter 11, and complete the exercises, using your own research topic. These exercises will guide you through the process of gathering your initial research. At the end of these exercises, you will have a good number of reliable resources you may use for your research paper.Reading this article, completing the exercises, and gathering your research during this process should take approximately 8 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.4: Strategies for Gathering Reliable Information”
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2.2.2 Investigating Scholarly vs. Non-Scholarly Sources
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 4: Finding and Evaluating Research Sources”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 4: Finding and Evaluating Research Sources” (PDF)
Instructions: Please read Chapter 4 for information on finding and evaluating research sources, and complete the writing activities. You may skip the writing activity on page 3 for now; you will complete this in subunit 2.3.1. This reading will cover types of sources as well as the credibility of both print and electronic resources.
Reading this article and completing the writing activities should take approximately 4 hours.
Terms of Use: This chapter is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Cornell University Library’s Library Research: A Hypertext Guide: “Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals”
Link: Cornell University Library’s Library Research: A Hypertext Guide: “Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals” (PDF)
Instructions: Read “Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals” to learn how to differentiate between scholarly sources (such as peer-reviewed journals) and non-scholarly sources (such as newspapers or Wikipedia entries). Note that you will view the videos (“Watch Video”) by accessing these resources through YouTube below.Links from Cornell University go to pages with certain information (e.g., specific scholarly journals) that are available only to those affiliated with Cornell University. You may want to print this page or make note of some of these journal titles and topics so that you can access them through other sources or through your public library. You also may want to bookmark these pages for future reference.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML) by Cornell University. You can find the original Cornell University Olin & Uris Libraries version of this article here.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Web Media: YouTube: Cornell University Library’s “Research Minutes: How to Identify Scholarly Journal Articles” and “Research Minutes: How to Identify Substantive News Articles”
Link: YouTube: Cornell University Library’s “Research Minutes: How to Identify Scholarly Journal Articles” (YouTube) and “Research Minutes: How to Identify Substantive News Articles” (YouTube)
Instructions: View both videos for information on how to identify scholarly journal articles and substantive news articles to use for research papers. Note that these videos are also linked through the “Distinguishing Scholarly Journals from Other Periodicals” reading.
Viewing these videos and pausing to take notes should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML) by Cornell University. You can find the original Cornell University Olin & Uris Libraries version of this article here.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Texas Libraries: “Peer Reviewed Journals” and “What’s a Review Article?”
Link: University of Texas Libraries: “Peer Reviewed Journals” (PDF)
Instructions: Read “Peer Reviewed Journals” for information on these scholarly sources as well as read “What’s a Review Article” to learn the difference between this type of source and a peer reviewed journal.
Links from the University of Texas go to pages with certain information (e.g., specific scholarly journals) that are available only to those affiliated with the University of Texas. You may want to print this page or make note of some of these journal titles and topics so that you can access them through other sources or through your public library. You also may want to bookmark these pages for future reference.
Studying these readings should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 4: Finding and Evaluating Research Sources”
- 2.3 Reviewing and Evaluating Your Sources
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2.3.1 Primary versus Secondary Sources
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 4: Finding and Evaluating Research Sources”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 4: Finding and Evaluating Research Sources” (PDF)
Instructions: Note that you have already seen this material in subunit 2.2.2. Please re-read “Introduction” and “Types of Research Sources” (through “Definition of Secondary Sources”) in Chapter 4 for a review of the definitions of primary and secondary sources. This reading will also address the differences between primary and secondary research in detail. Also, complete the writing activity on page 3.Reviewing this material and completing the writing activity should take approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: This chapter is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 4: Finding and Evaluating Research Sources”
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2.3.2 Identify Your Primary and Secondary Sources
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Identifying Primary and Secondary Sources”
Instructions: Working with your outline and list of research questions you developed so far, identify the primary and secondary sources that will answer each research question. Your goal is to have at least five primary sources and five secondary sources. You may find that you have to revise your outline or develop new research questions as you work on this activity. If you do, do not worry; this is a normal outcome of researching a topic in depth. You may also need to do additional research.
Completing this activity should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Identifying Primary and Secondary Sources”
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Unit 3: Reviewing and Analyzing Your Sources
A successful research paper is more than a well-constructed argument supplemented by facts, figures, and quotations. Like the good writing that it supports, successful research involves planning, careful analysis, and reflection. Before you can incorporate an outside source into your work, you must take some time to think about more than just the facts and ideas that you have uncovered. Is the source authoritative? Is the information substantiated fact, or is it primarily opinion? Is it up-to-date? Is it accurate and complete? These are just some of the essential questions you must ask about each piece of source information that you discover.
In this unit, you will take an in-depth look at some techniques for analyzing and evaluating the information that you locate. As you review critical reading as a research strategy, you will look very closely at techniques for evaluating and comparing information that you find on the Internet and in print. You will learn some well-established techniques for determining whether a source is reputable and authoritative, and you will acquire some tools for discerning fact and opinion. You will also get to have a little fun as you complete a WebQuest in which you will find and analyze information online.
Unit 3 Time Advisory show close
By the time you have completed this unit, you should be more confident about how and when to use the sources you have identified, and you should have a basic understanding of how to use your research to effectively and clearly support a well-developed academic paper. You will also be ready to complete your research.
Unit 3 Learning Outcomes show close
- 3.1 Evaluating What You Find
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3.1.1 Reading Critically as a Research Strategy
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 3: Research and Critical Reading”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 3: Research and Critical Reading” (PDF)
Instructions: Read and study Chapter 3 and then complete the writing activity in this chapter, which will allow you to analyze your reading habits.Reading this article and completing the activity should take approximately 3 hours.
Terms of Use: This chapter is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 3: Research and Critical Reading”
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3.1.2 Analyze Your Research
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.5: Critical Thinking and Research Applications”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.5: Critical Thinking and Research Applications” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 11.5 from Chapter 11, and complete the exercises, which are designed to guide you through the process of evaluating your research for credibility and relevance. Use the exercises as an opportunity to complete more of your research.Reading this article and completing the exercises should take approximately 6 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 11, Section 11.5: Critical Thinking and Research Applications”
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3.1.3 WebQuest
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “WebQuest Assessment”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “WebQuest Assessment” (PDF)
Instructions: Using only Internet resources, find the answers to the 10 questions listed in the worksheet. When you are done, check your work against the answers provided in The Saylor Foundation’s “WebQuest Answer Locations” Sheet (PDF). In this assessment, you will test your skills in finding credible sources while conducting Internet research.
Completing this assessment should take approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Saylor Foundation’s “WebQuest Assessment”
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3.2 Developing an Annotated Bibliography
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 6: Writing Documents for Classes – Annotated Bibliographies” and “Sample Annotated Bibliography”
Link: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 6: Writing Documents for Classes – Annotated Bibliographies” (PDF) and “Sample Annotated Bibliography” (PDF)
Instructions: Read the section on “Annotated Bibliographies” for tips on developing an annotated bibliography, then download the “Sample Annotated Bibliography” to study an example.
Studying these readings should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License. It is attributed to Joe Schall and The Pennsylvania State University's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences' OER Initiative, and may be found in its original version here and here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Cornell University Library’s Library Research: A Hypertext Guide: “How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography”
Link: Cornell University Library’s Library Research: A Hypertext Guide: “How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this article titled “How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography” to define an annotated bibliography, to distinguish between an annotated bibliography and abstract, to learn about the process of creating an annotated bibliography, and to review a sample annotation.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0 (HTML) by Cornell University. You can find the original Cornell University Olin & Uris Libraries version of this article here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Research Activity: Annotated Bibliography”
Instructions: Using the skills you have learned about finding and evaluating sources, create an annotated bibliography for all of the sources you have identified for your research topic so far. As you continue your research, compile annotated entries for each new source that you identify.
Completing this activity should take approximately 6 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 6: Writing Documents for Classes – Annotated Bibliographies” and “Sample Annotated Bibliography”
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3.3 Research Assessment
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Research Activity: Reviewing and Evaluating Your Sources”
Instructions: Review all of the sources you have identified for use in your research paper. Determine which are reliable, which may need further corroboration, and which may not be suitable for use in your final paper. Note the status of each source and, if necessary, conduct further research to remedy any problems you find. Revise your rough draft as necessary to reflect your findings.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Research Activity: Reviewing and Evaluating Your Sources”
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Unit 4: Putting Your Source Material to Work
Many college research papers are structured primarily as arguments that are supported, at least in part, by evidence gathered from outside sources. A major purpose of the Composition I course was to define written arguments and to practice some techniques for developing them. To help clarify the close relationships between research and argumentation, we will use the first part of this unit to review some of the basics of formulating written arguments. As we do so, you will be able to explore the best techniques for putting research to work in your writing, and we will analyze how these techniques support the fundamental requirements of successful academic writing.
Unit 4 Time Advisory show close
As we discuss the essential components, you should pay particular attention to how your research must support your basic logical structure and rhetorical strategy. This unit will give you a chance to get a little more practice in analyzing and developing written arguments.
You will spend some time investigating how various forms of research can support different writing strategies, including literary analysis, discussions, and comparison-contrast strategies. You will get some more practice in using research and analytical tools, and you will have an opportunity to update your paper if you think it needs it.
Before we begin the more rigorous practice of citation and style in Unit 4, we will take a more general look at how to build quotations, paraphrases, and summaries into your work. You will be able to explore the best uses for all of these forms of reference so that you can use your source material confidently without changing its meaning, tone, or intent – or distorting your own.
At the end of the unit, you will use what you have learned to create a detailed outline that specifies what resources you will use where and develop your arguments more fully.
Unit 4 Learning Outcomes show close
- 4.1 Reviewing Arguments and Academic Writing
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4.1.1 What Is an Argumentative Essay?
The purpose of an argumentative essay is to persuade your audience of something with a strong thesis, supporting evidence, and convincing research.
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Argument”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Argument” (PDF)
Instructions: Read “Argument” to learn about the goals of writing an argumentative essay, developing claims, and using supporting evidence.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. It is attributed to The Writing Center at UNC, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 10, Section 10.9: Persuasion”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 10, Section 10.9: Persuasion” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 10.9 from Chapter 10, and complete the exercises, which are designed to guide you through the process of creating a persuasive essay. Please note that the final exercise will ask you to write a persuasive essay. For this exercise, please write a brief draft essay on your research topic. At this point, you do not need to add in your research or evidence, but use this exercise as an opportunity to develop an argument you will make in your final paper.
Studying the reading and completing the exercises should take approximately 5 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 15: Readings: Examples of Essays – Section 15.10: Persuasive Essay”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 15, Section 15.10: Persuasive Essay” (PDF)
Instructions: Review this sample essay to see an example of a persuasive argument. Based on what you learned in Section 10.9 in the reading above, identify techniques of the persuasive rhetorical mode used in this example.
Reading this article and identifying examples of persuasive rhetorical techniques should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Argument”
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4.1.2 Research and Argumentative Essays
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 1: Research Writing and Argument”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 1: Research Writing and Argument” (PDF)
Instructions: Review the sections titled “Definitions of Rhetoric and the Rhetorical Situation,” “Elements of the Rhetorical Situation,” “How to Approach Writing Tasks Rhetorically,” and “Rhetorical Appeals.” Carefully study the section titled “Research Writing as Conversation.” View all of the supporting videos, and complete any of the activities in these sections.
Studying these sections, completing the activities in these sections, and viewing the supporting videos should take approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: This chapter is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 1: Research Writing and Argument”
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4.1.3 Dividing Your Argument
- Reading: University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Dividing Your Argument”
Link: University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Dividing Your Argument” (PDF)
Instructions: Read “Dividing Your Argument” to learn about the use of logical transitions in your paper to move from an idea in one paragraph to the next.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The copyright for this file is held by the University of Ottawa's The Writing Centre. The university has given permission for educational uses. The license information can be found here. The original file can be found here. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Dividing Your Argument”
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4.1.4 Avoid Shifts in Emphasis
- Reading: Assessment: University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Review: Dividing Your Argument”
Link: University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Review: Dividing Your Argument” (PDF)
Instructions: Use what you have learned from the reading in subunit 4.1.3 to complete this assessment. Follow the directions on the attached PDF.
Completing this assessment should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The copyright for this file is held by the University of Ottawa's The Writing Centre. The university has given permission for educational uses. The license information can be found here. The original file can be found here. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Assessment: University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Review: Dividing Your Argument”
- 4.2 Organizing Your Arguments
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4.2.1 Refine Your Thesis
Earlier in this course (see subunit 1.3.2), you developed a working thesis, the purpose of which was to help you begin your research. Now that you have completed your research, you must write your real thesis, which articulates the argument that your research supports.
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 9, Section 9.1: Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 9, Section 9.1: Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 9.1 from Chapter 9, and complete the exercises. Then, create a final version of your thesis statement for your research paper.
Reading this article, completing the exercises, and developing your final thesis should take approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 9, Section 9.1: Developing a Strong, Clear Thesis Statement”
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4.2.2 Develop Arguments around Your Thesis
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 6, Section 6.2: Effective Means for Writing a Paragraph”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 6, Section 6.2: Effective Means for Writing a Paragraph” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 6.2 from Chapter 6, and complete the exercises. Use these exercises as an opportunity to review your thesis statement and develop the arguments you will make in your paper. After you have completed the exercises, revise the outline you created earlier in the course so that it helps support the arguments you wish to make.
Reading this article, completing the exercises, and revising your outline should take approximately 3 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 9, Section 9.2: Writing Body Paragraphs”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 9, Section 9.2: Writing Body Paragraphs” (PDF)
Instructions: read Section 9.2 from Chapter 9, and complete the exercises. This reading and these exercises will help you develop stronger body paragraphs in which the claim of that paragraph supports your thesis.
Reading this article and completing the exercises should take approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 6, Section 6.2: Effective Means for Writing a Paragraph”
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4.2.3 Strengthen Your Claims
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources: Blending Source Material with Your Own Work”
Link: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources: Blending Source Material with Your Own Work” (PDF)
Instructions: Read “Blending Source Material with Your Own Work” from Chapter 5. This reading will help you to learn techniques for integrating your research with your writing.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The chapter above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. You can find the original Pennsylvania State version of this chapter here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources: Blending Source Material with Your Own Work”
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4.2.4 Toulmins Schema
Stephen Toulmin developed a system for analyzing arguments, a system that you can use to develop more effective arguments.
- Reading: Utah State University: “Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode: Toulmin’s Schema”
Link: Utah State University: “Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode: Toulmin’s Schema”
Instructions: Review and analyze this reading about Toulmin’s schema. Then, take some time to draft a formal warrant for your paper. Consider how your research findings will relate to your warrant, and rework it as you think necessary. Finally, return to your essay outline and revise as necessary, adding as many elements from Toulmin’s Schema as you can.
Reading this article, drafting a formal warrant, and revising your outline should take approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommericial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. It is attributed to Utah State University's OpenCourseWare, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Utah State University: “Intermediate Writing: Research Writing in a Persuasive Mode: Toulmin’s Schema”
- 4.3 Refine Your Arguments
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4.3.1 Look for Assumptions and Generalizations
- Reading: Utah State University: “Intermediate Writing: Detecting Assumptions and Generalizations”
Link: Utah State University: “Intermediate Writing: Detecting Assumptions and Generalizations” (HTML)
Instructions: Read this article to learn how to recognize and fix assumptions and generalizations. Then, return to your essay outline and look for any assumptions and generalizations. Revise as necessary.
Reading this article and revising your outline should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. It is attributed to Utah State University's OpenCourseWare, and the original version may be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Utah State University: “Intermediate Writing: Detecting Assumptions and Generalizations”
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4.3.2 Using Direct Quotations to Support Your Arguments
- Reading: The University of Richmond, Writing Center’s Writer’s Web: Heather Logan’s “Using Sources Creatively”
Link: The University of Richmond, Writing Center’s Writer’s Web: Heather Logan’s “Using Sources Creatively” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this article on tips and suggestions for using sources in your writing.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The copyright for "Using Sources Creatively" is held by the University of Richmond Writer's Web. The university has given permission for educational uses. The
license information can be found here. The original file can be found here. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Quotations”
Links: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Quotations” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this handout about when to quote, how to quote, and why you should use a quote.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0.
Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Richmond, Writing Center’s Writer’s Web: Heather Logan’s “Using Sources Creatively”
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4.3.3 Addressing Counterargument
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Argument – Counterargument”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Argument – Counterargument” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this handout on how understanding counterargument can reinforce your main argument.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Argument – Counterargument”
- 4.4 Preparing to Write
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4.4.1 Write an Abstract of Your Work
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Abstracts”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Abstracts” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this handout on the purpose of an abstract, types of abstracts, and how to write an abstract. After reading, develop an informative abstract for your paper.
Reading this article should take approximately 45 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Abstracts”
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4.4.2 Revising Your Outline
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Revising Your Outline”
Instructions: Return to your outline and flesh out as much detail as possible. Your thesis should be clear and focused, and all of your logic and evidence should clearly support that controlling idea. Using your annotated bibliography, make note of the sources you will use to support your arguments. You may identify points that could use additional clarification and notice a few small holes in your research, though your information-gathering should be almost complete at this point. If needed, conduct some more research to fill these gaps
Completing this activity should take 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Revising Your Outline”
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Unit 5: Writing the Research Paper and Acknowledging Your Sources
When you write a research paper, the success of your work can depend almost as heavily on the work of others as it does on your own efforts. Your information sources not only provide essential facts and insights that can enhance and clarify your original ideas, source material can help you better understand your own theories and opinions and help you to arrive at more authoritative, clearly drawn conclusions.
Unit 5 Time Advisory show close
Because of the debt that you, as the author of a research paper, owe to your sources, it is essential that you understand how to present, acknowledge, and document the sources that you have built into your work. You should be aware that using accepted standards of style and citation can benefit you as a writer as well. When your references are clearly annotated within your work, you can see where your source material appears, making it that much easier to edit, update, and expand your work.
By following accepted standards to present your work in a manner that is accessible to readers, you also enhance your credibility as a writer and researcher. When your readers can easily identify and check your sources, they are more likely to accept you as a member of their discourse communities. This is especially important in an academic environment, where your readers are likely to investigate your work as a potential source for their own research projects. To put it bluntly, careful adherence to accepted style conventions in academic writing can mean the difference between great success and total failure.
In this unit, we will review the concept of plagiarism and discuss how you can use clear, consistent documentation to avoid even the unintentional misuse of source material. We will also review many of the commonly accepted methods of acknowledging and documenting sources used in writing college research papers. We will pay particular attention to the Modern Language Association (MLA) style standards, because this is the most widely used convention in college undergraduate work.
This unit will culminate in an opportunity to build your selected source material into a fully developed first draft of your final research paper. By the time you have finished the final activity in this unit, you should have accomplished much of the groundwork for your final research paper.
By the time you have finished the work in this unit, you should have a command of the materials and techniques you will need to complete a well-developed academic paper. As a by-product, your final research paper for this course will probably be nearly finished.
The final activity in this unit is to develop a final polished and clearly documented research paper that makes full use of the tools, techniques, and products that you have discovered, developed, and organized during the preceding four units.
Unit 5 Learning Outcomes show close
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5.1 Preparing to Write the First Draft.
- Optional Mobile App: WAGmob’s English Writing: “Writing Process”
Link: WAGmob’s English Writing (iOS App) or Learn English Writing (Android App)
Instructions: Read the tutorial, “Writing Process.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Optional Mobile App: WAGmob’s English Writing: “Writing Process”
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5.1.1 Drafting Process
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 12, Section 12.1: Creating a Rough Draft for a Research Paper”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 12, Section 12.1: Creating a Rough Draft for a Research Paper” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 12.1 from Chapter 12, and complete the exercises. Developing a first draft of a paper requires a series of steps. This reading takes you through the steps and the order in which they should be completed so that you may write a strong first draft.
Reading this article and completing the exercises should take approximately 3 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 12, Section 12.1: Creating a Rough Draft for a Research Paper”
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5.1.2 Overcoming Writer’s Block
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Writing Anxiety”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Writing Anxiety” (PDF)
Instructions: Read “Writing Anxiety” for tips and suggestions on how to overcome writer’s block.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License. It is attributed to The Writing Center at UNC, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Writing Anxiety”
- 5.2 Getting Started
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5.2.1 Writing an Introduction
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Introductions”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Introductions” (PDF)
Instructions: Read the handout to learn about the purpose of writing a strong introduction as well as tips and strategies to effectively open your paper. Using the information you have learned in this reading, revise the introduction you drafted in subunit 5.1.1, based on Exercise 1 in the reading.
Reading this article and revising your introduction should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. It is attributed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Introductions”
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5.2.2 Paragraph Development
- Reading: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Developing Unified and Coherent Paragraphs”
Link: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Developing Unified and Coherent Paragraphs” (PDF)
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpages above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Review: Paragraph Development”
Link: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Review: Paragraph Development” (PDF)
Instructions: Complete the “Review: Paragraph Development” assessment. Follow the instructions on the attached PDF, making sure to review the paragraph and to answer the question before checking the correct answer and explanation.
Completing this assessment should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The copyright for this file is held by the University of Ottawa’s The Writing Centre. The university has given permission for educational uses. The license information can be found here. The original file can be found here. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Developing Unified and Coherent Paragraphs”
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5.2.3 Topic Sentences
- Reading: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Writing Topic Sentences”
Link: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Writing Topic Sentences” (PDF)
Instructions: Read “Writing Topic Sentences” to learn about developing the opening sentence to each paragraph, which serves to transition from the previous paragraph’s point and to indicate to the reader what the new paragraph will discuss.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The copyright for this file is held by the University of Ottawa's The Writing Centre. The university has given permission for educational uses. The license information can be found here. The original file can be found here. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Assessment: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Review: Topic Sentences”
Link: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Review: Topic Sentences” (PDF)
Instructions: Complete the “Review: Topic Sentences” assessment. Follow the instructions on the PDF, making sure to review the paragraph and to answer the question before checking the correct answer and explanation.
Completing this assessment should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The copyright for this file is held by the University of Ottawa's The Writing Centre. The university has given permission for educational uses. The license information can be found here. The original file can be found here. Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of Ottawa, The Writing Centre: Dorothy Turner’s “Writing Topic Sentences”
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5.2.4 Coherence and Transitions
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Transitions”
Link: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Transitions” (PDF)
Instructions: Read this handout to learn about types of transitions, when and why transitions are needed, and examples of transitional phrases.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5 License. It is attributed to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Center: “Transitions”
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5.2.5 Writing a Conclusion
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 9, Section 9.4: Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 9, Section 9.4: Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs” (PDF)
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Instructions: Read Section 9.4 from Chapter 9, and complete Exercise 3. This reading will provide a review of writing effective introductions and conclusions.
Reading this article and completing the exercise should take approximately 1 hour.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 9, Section 9.4: Writing Introductory and Concluding Paragraphs”
- 5.3 Citing Sources
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5.3.1 Why You Must Acknowledge Sources
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 5: Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 5: Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Chapter 5 to learn about avoiding plagiarism. Do not attempt the exercise right now; you will work on it later in this unit.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: This chapter is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 5: Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism”
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5.3.2 Acknowledging and Integrating Sources
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.2: Citing and Referencing Techniques”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.2: Citing and Referencing Techniques” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 13.2 from Chapter 13, and complete the exercises, which will help you properly cite sources in your research paper.
Reading this article and completing the exercises should take approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.2: Citing and Referencing Techniques”
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5.3.3 Avoiding Plagiarism
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources – How Plagiarism Occurs”
Link: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources – How Plagiarism Occurs” (PDF)
Instructions: Because plagiarism – both intentional and unintentional – can be a major problem in academic writing, please read this page carefully.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. You can find the original Pennsylvania State version of this article here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources – How Plagiarism Occurs”
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5.3.3.1 Documenting to Avoid Plagiarism
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Anatomy of a Well-Documented Paragraph”
Link: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Anatomy of a Well-Cited Paragraph” (PDF)
Instructions: Because plagiarism – both intentional and unintentional – can be a major problem in academic writing, please read this page carefully, noting the accepted techniques for citing source information.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. You can find the original Pennsylvania State version of this article here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Anatomy of a Well-Documented Paragraph”
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5.3.3.2 When Sources Must Be Cited
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources – When Sources Must Be Cited, Checklist”
Link: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources – When Sources Must Be Cited, Checklist” (PDF)
Instructions: Because plagiarism – both intentional and unintentional – can be a major problem in academic writing, please review this checklist carefully, noting the accepted techniques for citing source information.
Studying this checklist should take less than 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: The article above is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. You can find the original Pennsylvania State version of this article here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources – When Sources Must Be Cited, Checklist”
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5.3.4 Frequently Asked Questions about Citing Sources
- Activity: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 5: Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism”
Link: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 5: Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism” (PDF)
Instructions: Follow the instructions to complete the “Anti-Plagiarism Activity” on pages 3 and 4. In this activity, you will analyze samples of student writing to detect plagiarism.
Completing this activity should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This chapter is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. It is attributed to Dr. Pavel Zemliansky, and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources – FAQs about Citing Sources”
Links: The Pennsylvania State University, College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: Joe Schall’s Effective Technical Writing in the Information Age: “Chapter 5: Using Sources – FAQs about Citing Sources” (PDF)
Instructions: Because plagiarism – both intentional and unintentional – can be a major problem in academic writing, please read these frequently asked questions about citing sources carefully, noting the accepted techniques for citing source information.
Reading this article should take approximately 15 minutes.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above. This article is released under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share-Alike License 3.0. You can find the original Pennsylvania State version of this article hereSee a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: Dr. Pavel Zemliansky’s Methods of Discovery: A Guide to Research Writing: “Chapter 5: Acknowledging Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism”
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5.4 Standard Style and Documentation Systems
There are several widely used style standards. Each of these is preferred in a different set of disciplines. Unless you are taking this course to prepare a research paper for another course that requires a different style standard, you should use MLA style to prepare your research paper for this course.
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5.4.1 Modern Language Association (MLA) Style
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.4: Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.4: Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style” (HTML)
Instructions: Read Section 13.4 from Chapter 13, and complete the exercises, which will help you properly cite sources in your research paper.
Reading this article and completing the exercises should take approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Optional Mobile App: MLA Reference Guides
Link: Michael Spade’s Cited (iOS App) and Christopher Galluzzo’s References MLA (Android App)
Instructions: Both of these free apps are great reference tools to find examples of MLA style citations that are often required in research papers. They also include sections describing how to do in text citations.
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.4: Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style”
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5.4.2 American Psychological Association (APA) Style
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.1: Formatting a Research Paper”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.1: Formatting a Research Paper” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 13.1 from Chapter 13, and complete the exercises, which walk you through the steps of APA formatting. Knowledge of APA style is not required for this course. You should review the material available through these pages so that you can get a general understanding about using APA style to document sources for reference papers in the sciences.
Reading this article and completing the exercises should take approximately 2 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 13, Section 13.1: Formatting a Research Paper”
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5.4.3 The Chicago Manual of Style
- Reading: Graduate Journal of Social Science: “Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide”
Link: Graduate Journal of Social Science: “Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide” (PDF)
Instructions: Knowledge of Chicago style is not required for this course. You should review the material available through these pages so that you can get a general understanding about using Chicago style to document sources.
Reading this article should take approximately 30 minutes.
Terms of Use: This resource is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs 3.0 License. It is attributed to gjss.org [Graduate Journal of Social Science], and the original version can be found here.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Graduate Journal of Social Science: “Chicago Manual of Style Citation Guide”
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5.4.4 Comparing Documentation Styles
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Comparing Documentation Styles”
Instructions: Select three sources that you investigated when you began researching your paper and format them in accordance with MLA bibliographic style. Then, reformat them in accordance with APA and Chicago style. In three short paragraphs, compare and contrast the resulting sets of entries.
Completing this activity should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Comparing Documentation Styles”
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Unit 5 Activity
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Developing a Finished Draft”
Instructions: Use the outline and research notes that you have compiled to develop the draft of a research paper of 1200 to 1500 words (approximately five double-spaced pages).
In unit 6, after you have finalized your research and completed the full draft, you will have the opportunity to review and revise your work to make it as polished as you can.
Completing this activity should take approximately 10 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Developing a Finished Draft”
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Unit 6: Polishing Your Research Paper
Now that you have completed the draft of your research paper, you will revise and polish it. Keep in mind that writing is a process from the pre-writing phase to drafting to revising your essay. In this final unit, we will review techniques for revising and improving your writing. In revising your paper, you will consider the use of diction, sentence-level issues (e.g., transitional phrases, grammar, tone, etc.), paragraph-level problems (e.g., cohesion, relating the paragraph back to your thesis), and incorporating proper format for MLA style.
Unit 6 Time Advisory show close
Unit 6 Learning Outcomes show close
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6.1 Review, Revise, and Finalize Research Paper
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 8, Section 8.4: Revising and Editing”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 8, Section 8.4: Revising and Editing” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 8.4 from Chapter 8, and complete the exercises. This reading and these exercises will help you to identify areas of weakness in your paper that need revision and what steps need to be taken to improve your writing.
Reading this article and completing the exercises should take approximately 3 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Optional Mobile App: WAGmob’s English Writing: “Tips for Effective Writing”
Link: WAGmob’s English Writing (iOS App) or Learn English Writing (Android App)
Instructions: Read the tutorial, “Tips for Effective Writing.”
Terms of Use: Please respect the copyright and terms of use displayed on the webpage above.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 8, Section 8.4: Revising and Editing”
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6.2 Completing Your Research Paper
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 12, Section 12.2: Developing a Final Draft of a Research Paper”
Link: Writing for Success: “Chapter 12, Section 12.2: Developing a Final Draft of a Research Paper” (PDF)
Instructions: Read Section 12.2 from Chapter 12, and complete the exercises, which will help you take steps to revise your paper. Throughout these exercises, you will have the opportunity to edit your paper several times and correct the most common problems in research writing. Click on the links to additional review material for refreshers on editing for correct grammar, tone, etc.
Reading this article, reviewing the additional material, and completing the exercises should take approximately 8 hours.
Terms of Use: The text was adapted by The Saylor Foundation under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 License without attribution as requested by the work's original creator or licensee.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Activity: The Saylor Foundation’s “Completing Your Research Paper”
Instructions: Prepare a polished, publishable version that meets all MLA formatting and style requirements. Be sure that your paper meets all requirements for page layout and formatting and that all of your citations are properly formatted. As a final step, proofread and spell-check your entire paper, including the abstract and bibliography.
Completing this activity should take approximately 2 hours.See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Reading: Writing for Success: “Chapter 12, Section 12.2: Developing a Final Draft of a Research Paper”
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Final Exam
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation’s “ENGL002 Final Exam”
Link: The Saylor Foundation’s “ENGL002 Final Exam”
Instructions: You will need to be logged into your Saylor Foundation School account in order to access this exam. If you do not yet have an account, you will be able to create one, free of charge, after clicking the link.
See a broken link? Please let us know!
- Final Exam: The Saylor Foundation’s “ENGL002 Final Exam”
