Introduction to Research Paper Writing
The purpose of research writing is to collect, present, and interact with what is known about a topic. Primary research is “firsthand”—original research that generates new knowledge, such as scientific studies, social science surveys or case studies, and so on. Most college papers do not involve this kind of research. Secondary research is much more common. This is done by reading and organizing materials generated by others’ studies. (Most lower division college research papers are secondary research; primary research writing always begins with a survey of already-published research, often called a “review of related literature” or “lit review.”) Since this kind of writing is using materials that others have developed and published, it is very important to document and cite the sources of material used in writing. If sources are not documented and given proper credit, the result is plagiarism. Plagiarism may not be intentional, but it is still a serious problem. Passing off ideas, concepts, and data as one’s own is a violation of intellectual integrity. It amounts to theft of intellectual property. For many reasons, then, it is critically important to learn how to properly use material collected in research. The appropriate presentation of research content uses proper format. The format, or style, of a paper refers to the systematic way in which research materials are documented and cited. The documentation of sources used in a paper is commonly known as a bibliography. This term traditionally refers to books, but it has come to include all kinds of information resources, including books, periodicals, newspapers, electronic databases, Internet sources, printed materials of all types, electronic media (CDs, DVDs, broadcast radio and television, and so on). When a writer uses any source to gain information or ideas, the source