Phase Three: Writing about your research topic
Phase Three of a common research project involves the actual writing. So far you should
have investigated a variety of sources, perhaps including:
Ø interviews
Ø observation/descriptions
Ø articles in periodicals in the library
Ø articles on the Internet
Now you must put this information together. Your paper could include: (at least)
1.an introduction with a thesis
2. an interview of a stakeholder (someone who is invested in the dilemma)
3.citations from periodicals (either magazines, journals or newspapers)
4.citations from articles from the Internet
5. at summary of an article
6. paragraphs reporting the results of interviews if you conducted one
7. paragraphs depicting your observations
8. paragraphs discussing your reflections
9. paragraphs explaining solutions
10. a conclusion.
Of course, feel free to add to this. If you have been completing the tasks according to
your schedule, at this point all you have to do is put your different information together
to form the first draft, perhaps adding some additional information to pull your ideas
together. You have learned the most important rule in research - if you divide the project
into discrete units, the process is relatively painless.
However, if you are scrambling around trying to put something together, you have
discovered the second most significant rule in research -- don't let one part of the
process stop you from completing other tasks. If you have run into stumbling blocks, you
may not have all of the information yet, for example, your interviews may be missing;
still you should combine what you have into some kind of first draft.
This paper will use standard MLA documentation style. Refer to a handbook if you are
unsure how to document your paper and prepare your Works Cited.
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