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Curious Researcher : A Guide to Writing Research Papers

by: Ballenger, Bruce

ISBN: 9780321366498 | 0321366492

Edition: 6th
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Longman
Pub. Date: 1/1/2009

Newer Edition Available

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Summary Table of Contents

Featuring an engaging, direct writing style and inquiry-based approach, this popular research guide stresses that curiosity is the best reason for investigating ideas and information. An appealing alternative to traditional research texts, The Curious Researcher stands apart for its motivational tone, its conversational style, and its conviction that research writing can be full of rewarding discoveries. Offering a wide variety of examples from student and professional writers, this popular guide shows that good research and lively writing do n... MORE

Contents by Subject

xxi

Preface

xxvii

Introduction: Rethinking the Research Paper

1

(26)

EXERCISE 1 Collecting Golf Balls on Driving Ranges and Other Reflections

1

... MORE

Learning and Unlearning

4

(1)

Using This Book

4

(3)

The Exercises

4

(1)

The Five-Week Plan

5

(1)

Alternatives to the Five-Week Plan

6

(1)

The Research Paper and the Research Report

7

(1)

Discovering Your Purpose

7

(1)

How Formal Should It Be?

8

(2)

When "Bad" Writing Is Good

9

(1)

Thinking Like an Academic Writer

10

(1)

"Essaying" or Arguing?

10

(2)

The Research Essay and Academic Writing

12

(2)

Becoming an Authority by Using Authorities

14

(1)

"It's Just My Opinion"

15

(1)

Facts Don't Kill

15

(12)

EXERCISE 2 Reflecting on "The Bothersome Beauty of Pigeons" by Bruce Ballenger

16

(9)

The Question Habit

25

(2)

Chapter 1 The First Week

27

(36)

The Importance of Getting Curious

27

(11)

Learning to Wonder Again

27

(1)

Getting the Pot Boiling

28

(4)

EXERCISE 1.1 Building an Interest Inventory

29

(3)

Other Ways to Find a Topic

32

(2)

What Is a Good Topic?

34

(2)

Checking Out Your Tentative Topic

35

(1)

Making the Most of an Assigned Topic

36

(12)

EXERCISE 1.2 The Myth of the Boring Topic

36

(2)

Developing a Working Knowledge

38

(10)

EXERCISE 1.3 Getting a Lay of the Land

39

(1)

The Reference Librarian: A Living Source

40

(1)

The Library of Congress Subject Headings: Your Topic in the Larger Landscape

40

(2)

Encyclopedias and Surveying the Landscape

42

(2)

Surveying the Electronic Landscape

44

(1)

Subject Search

44

(4)

Narrowing the Subject

48

(7)

Circling the Lighthouse

50

(1)

From Landscape Shots to Close-Ups

51

(7)

EXERCISE 1.4 Finding the Questions

51

(2)

EXERCISE 1.5 Finding the Focusing Question

53

(1)

EXERCISE 1.6 Finding the Relationship

53

(2)

Possible Purposes for a Research Assignment

55

(3)

EXERCISE 1.7 Research Proposal

57

(1)

Reading for Research

58

(5)

EXERCISE 1.8 Ways of Reading to Write

58

(5)

Chapter One

58

(2)

Reading Rhetorically

60

(1)

Reading like an Outsider

61

(2)

Chapter 2 The Second Week

63

(52)

Developing a Research Strategy

63

(14)

The Internet Itch: Should You Scratch It First?

64

(1)

Library Research Strategy

64

(4)

Moving from General to Specific

65

(1)

Evaluating Library Sources

65

(8)

Why Journal Articles Are Better Than Magazine Articles

66

(1)

Look for Often-Cited Authors

67

(1)

Primary over Secondary Sources

67

(1)

Not All Books Are Alike

67

(1)

Internet Research Strategy

68

(1)

Three Drawbacks of Internet Research

69

(1)

Three Reasons to Use the Internet for Research

70

(1)

The Invisible Web

71

(6)

Evaluating Online Sources

73

(11)

Key to Evaluating Internet Sources

74

(3)

Search Languages: Words That Open Doors

77

(5)

Controlled Language Searches

78

(1)

Boolean Searching

78

(2)

Magic Words on the World Wide Web

80

(2)

Developing Deep Knowledge

82

(2)

Library Research Techniques

84

(9)

Finding Books

84

(1)

Understanding Call Numbers

85

(8)

EXERCISE 2.1 Library Investigations

86

(2)

Coming Up Empty-Handed?

88

(1)

Checking Bibliographies

88

(1)

Interlibrary Loan

88

(1)

Finding Magazine and Journal Articles

89

(3)

Newspaper Articles

92

(1)

Internet Research Techniques

93

(4)

Types of Search Engines

94

(3)

EXERCISE 2.2 Investigating the Internet

95

(2)

Living Sources: Interviews and Surveys

97

(18)

Arranging Interviews

97

(9)

Finding Experts

98

(1)

Finding Nonexperts

Affected by Your Topic

99

(1)

Making Contact

100

(1)

Conducting Interviews

100

(3)

Whom to Interview?

101

(1)

What Questions to Ask?

101

(1)

During the Interview

102

(1)

Notetaking

103

(1)

The E-Mail Interview

103

(3)

Finding People on the Internet

103

(1)

Making Contact by E-Mail

104

(1)

The Chat Room Interview

105

(1)

Deciding What to Ask

105

(1)

Finding a Group on Your Topic

106

(1)

Planning Informal Surveys

106

(5)

Defining Goals and Audience

106

(1)

Types of Questions

107

(1)

Survey Design

108

(3)

Avoid Loaded Questions

108

(1)

Avoid Vague Questions

108

(2)

Drawbacks of Open-Ended Questions

110

(1)

Designing Your Multiple-Choice Questions

110

(1)

Continuum Questions

110

(1)

Planning for Distribution

111

(1)

Conducting Surveys

111

(4)

Distribution

111

(1)

The Internet Survey

112

(3)

Chapter 3 The Third Week

115

(50)

Writing in the Middle

115

(22)

Becoming an Activist Notetaker

116

(4)

EXERCISE 3.1 Getting a Word in Edgewise

117

(3)

EXERCISE 3.2 "Say Back" to a Source

120

(1)

Recognizing Plagiarism

120

(1)

I Read What You Said and Borrowed It, Okay?

120

(3)

Why Plagiarism Matters

123

(1)

Sources Are from Mars, Notetakers Are from Venus

123

(9)

Paraphrasing

124

(2)

EXERCISE 3.3 Paraphrase Practice

125

(1)

Summarizing

126

(2)

Quoting

128

(20)

When to Quote

128

(2)

Quoting Fairly

130

(1)

EXERCISE 3.4 How Your Notes Can Make Music

130

(2)

"Self-Assured, Stressed, and Straight," by Kathleen Phalen

132

(5)

Notetaking Techniques

137

(11)

The Double-Entry Journal

140

(8)

Other Notetaking Techniques

148

(7)

The Research Log: A Jay Leno Approach

148

(3)

Narrative Notetaking

151

(4)

First Layer: Story the Source

151

(1)

Second Layer: Rapid Summary

151

(3)

Third Layer: Narrative of Thought

154

(1)

Digging Deeper for Information: Advanced Searching Techniques

155

(10)

First-Level Searching

155

(1)

Second-Level Searching

155

(5)

Essays and Articles Buried in Books

157

(1)

Bibliographies

158

(1)

Unpublished Scholarly Papers

158

(1)

Searching the Invisible Web

159

(1)

Using Specialized Search Engines

159

(1)

Search by Author

160

(1)

Third-Level Searching

160

(5)

Library Sources

160

(1)

Current Periodicals

160

(1)

Audiovisual Departments

160

(1)

Special Collections

161

(1)

Interlibrary Loan

161

(1)

Other Libraries

161

(1)

Nonlibrary Sources

161

(4)

Bookstores

162

(1)

Lectures

162

(1)

TV and Radio

162

(1)

Image Searches

163

(2)

Chapter 4 The Fourth Week

165

(48)

Getting to the Draft

165

(42)

When the Experts Disagree

166

(10)

Evaluating Conflicting Claims

167

(16)

EXERCISE 4.1 Grade Inflation: Myth or Reality?

167

(1)

First Claim: Grading Has Become More Lenient

168

(1)

Opposing Claim: No Substantial Grade Inflation

173

(3)

Follow-Up Discussion

176

(1)

EXERCISE 4.2 Reclaiming Your Topic

176

(1)

An Application Example

177

(5)

Deciding Whether to Say I

182

(1)

Getting Personal without Being Personal

183

(1)

Beginning at the Beginning

183

(6)

Flashlights or Floodlights?

184

(2)

Writing Multiple Leads

186

(3)

EXERCISE 4.3 Three Ways In

187

(2)

Deciding on a Voice

189

(3)

Considering Purpose, Audience, Subject, and Who You Are

189

(3)

The Differing Voices of Research

190

(2)

Writing for Reader Interest

192

(7)

Working the Common Ground

192

(3)

Topics for Which Common Ground Is Hard to Find

194

(1)

Putting People on the Page

195

(1)

Using Case Studies

195

(1)

Using Interviews

195

(1)

Writing a Strong Ending

196

(2)

Endings to Avoid

196

(2)

Using Surprise

198

(1)

Considering Patterns of Development

199

(1)

The Exploratory Research Essay

199

(3)

The Argumentative Research Paper

202

(1)

Writing with Sources

202

(5)

Blending Kinds of Writing and Sources

203

(4)

Handling Quotes

204

(1)

Handling Interview Material

205

(2)

Trusting Your Memory

207

(1)

Citing Sources

207

(6)

An Alternative to Colliding Footnotes

207

(1)

I Hate These Theses to Pieces

208

(2)

Driving Through the First Draft

210

(3)

A Draft Is Something the Wind Blows Through

210

(3)

Chapter 5 The Fifth Week

213

(34)

Revising for Purpose

213

(13)

EXERCISE 5.1 Wrestling with the Draft

214

(2)

The Thesis as a Tool for Revision

216

(5)

EXERCISE 5.2 Dissecting the Fish

220

(1)

Using a Reader

221

(2)

What You Need from a Reader

221

(4)

EXERCISE 5.3 Directing the Reader's Response

222

(1)

Attacking the Draft

223

(3)

EXERCISE 5.4 Cut-and-Paste Revision

223

(2)

Examining the Wreckage

225

(1)

Revising for Information

226

(1)

Finding Quick Facts

226

(1)

Revising for Language

227

(11)

Listening to the Voice

227

(2)

Avoid Sounding Glib

229

(1)

How to Control Information

229

(3)

Scrutinizing Paragraphs

232

(1)

How Well Do You Integrate Sources?

232

(1)

Is Each Paragraph Unified?

232

(1)

Scrutinizing Sentences

232

(5)

Using Active Voice

232

(2)

Using Strong Verbs

234

(1)

Varying Sentence Length

234

(2)

Editing for Simplicity

236

(2)

EXERCISE 5.5 Cutting Clutter

237

(1)

Stock Phrases in Research Papers

237

(1)

Preparing the Final Manuscript

238

(8)

Considering "Reader-Friendly" Design

239

(1)

Following MLA Conventions

240

(1)

Proofreading Your Paper

240

(9)

Proofreading on a Computer

240

(1)

Looking Closely

241

(1)

EXERCISE 5.6 Picking Off the Lint

241

(1)

Ten Common Mistakes

242

(2)

Using the "Find" Function

244

(1)

Avoiding Sexist Language

245

(1)

Looking Back and Moving On

246

(1)

Appendix A Guide to MLA Style

247

(58)

Part One: Citing Sources in Your Essay

249

(10)

1.1 When to Cite

249

(1)

The Common Knowledge Exception

249

(1)

1.2 The MLA Author/Page System

249

(10)

The Basics of Using Parenthetical Citation

250

(7)

1.2.1 Placement of Citations

251

(2)

1.2.2 When You Mention the Author's Name

253

(1)

1.2.3 When There Is No Author

253

(1)

1.2.4 Works by the Same Author

254

(1)

1.2.5 Indirect Sources

255

(1)

1.2.6 Personal Interviews

256

(1)

1.2.7 Several Sources in a Single Citation

256

(1)

Sample Parenthetical References for Other Sources

257

(2)

1.2.8 An Entire Work

257

(1)

1.2.9 A Volume of a Multivolume Work

257

(1)

1.2.10 Several Sources for a Single Passage

257

(1)

1.2.11 A Literary Work

257

(1)

1.2.12 An Online Source

258

(1)

Part Two: Format

259

(4)

2.1 The Layout

259

(4)

2.1.1 Printing or Typing

259

(1)

2.1.2 Margins and Spacing

259

(1)

2.1.3 Title Page

260

(1)

2.1.4 Pagination

260

(1)

2.1.5 Placement of Tables, Charts, and Illustrations

260

(1)

2.1.6 Handling Titles

261

(1)

2.1.7 Italics and Underlinings

262

(1)

2.1.8 Language and Style

262

(1)

Names

262

(1)

Ellipsis

262

(1)

Quotations

262

(1)

Part Three: Preparing the "Works Cited" Page

263

(29)

3.1 Format

264

(1)

Alphabetizing the List

264

(1)

Indenting and Spacing

264

(1)

3.2 Citing Books

265

(7)

Title

266

(1)

Edition

266

(1)

Publication Place, Publisher, and Date

266

(1)

Page Numbers

266

(1)

Sample Book Citations

267

(1)

3.2.1 A Book by One Author

267

(1)

3.2.2 A Book by Two Authors

267

(1)

3.2.3 A Book with More Than Three Authors

267

(1)

3.2.4 Several Books by the Same Author

267

(1)

3.2.5 A Collection or Anthology

268

(1)

3.2.6 A Work in a Collection or Anthology

268

(1)

3.2.7 An Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Prologue

268

(1)

3.2.8 A Book with No Author

269

(1)

3.2.9 An Encyclopedia

269

(1)

3.2.10 A Book with an Institutional Author

269

(1)

3.2.11 A Book with Multiple Volumes

269

(1)

3.2.12 A Book That Is Not a First Edition

270

(1)

3.2.13 A Book Published Before 1900

270

(1)

3.2.14 A Translation

270

(1)

3.2.15 Government Documents

270

(1)

3.2.16 A Book That Was Republished

271

(1)

3.2.17 An Online Book

271

(1)

3.3 Citing Periodicals

272

(5)

Author's Name

272

(1)

Article Title

272

(1)

Periodical Title

272

(1)

Volume Number

272

(1)

Date

273

(1)

Page Numbers

273

(1)

Sample Periodical Citations

273

(1)

3.3.1 A Magazine Article

273

(1)

3.3.2 A Journal Article

274

(1)

3.3.3 A Newspaper Article

274

(1)

3.3.4 An Article with No Author

275

(1)

3.3.5 An Editorial

275

(1)

3.3.6 A Letter to the Editor

276

(1)

3.3.7 A Review

276

(1)

3.3.8 An Abstract

276

(1)

3.4 Citing Nonprint and Other Sources

277

(4)

3.4.1 An Interview

277

(1)

3.4.2 Surveys, Questionnaires, and Case Studies

278

(1)

3.4.3 Recordings

278

(1)

3.4.4 Television and Radio Programs

279

(1)

3.4.5 Films, Videotapes, and DVD

279

(1)

3.4.6 Artwork

280

(1)

3.4.7 An Advertisement

280

(1)

3.4.8 Lectures and Speeches

280

(1)

3.4.9 Pamphlets

281

(1)

3.5 Citing CD-Roms and Other "Portable" Databases

281

(2)

3.5.1 A Nonperiodical Database

281

(1)

3.5.2 A Periodical Database

282

(1)

3.6 Citing Online Databases

283

(9)

Other Recent Changes by the MLA

284

(1)

Is It Also in Print?

284

(1)

Address Mistakes Are Fatal

285

(1)

Sample Online Citations

286

(1)

3.6.1 An Article

286

(1)

3.6.2 An Article or Abstract in a Library Database

286

(1)

3.6.3 An Online Book

287

(3)

3.6.4 A Personal or Professional Web Site

290

(1)

3.6.5 An Online Posting

290

(1)

3.6.6 An E-Mail Message

291

(1)

3.6.7 A Sound Clip

291

(1)

3.6.8 An Interview

292

(1)

3.6.9 Synchronous Communication (MOOS, MUDS, IRCS)

292

(1)

Part Four: Student Essay in MLA Style

292

(13)

"Big Picture Dreams" by Carolyn Thorne

294

(11)

Appendix B Guide to APA Style

305

(38)

Part One: How the Essay Should Look

308

(6)

1.1 The Layout

308

(6)

1.1.1 Page Format

308

(1)

1.1.2 Title Page

308

(1)

1.1.3 Abstract

309

(1)

1.1.4 Body of the Paper

309

(2)

1.1.5 Handling Quoted Material

311

(1)

1.1.6 References Page

312

(1)

1.1.7 Appendix

312

(1)

1.1.8 Notes

312

(1)

1.1.9 Tables and Figures

313

(1)

1.1.10 Language and Style

313

(1)

Part Two: Citing Sources in Your Essay

314

(4)

2.1 The APA Author/Page System

314

(4)

2.1.1 When the Author Is Mentioned in the Text

314

(1)

2.1.2 When the Author Isn't Mentioned in the Text

314

(1)

2.1.3 When to Cite Page Numbers

314

(1)

2.1.4 A Single Work by Two or More Authors

315

(1)

2.1.5 A Work with No Author

315

(1)

2.1.6 Two or More Works by the Same Author

315

(1)

2.1.7 An Institutional Author

316

(1)

2.1.8 Multiple Works in the Same Parentheses

316

(1)

2.1.9 Interviews, E-Mail, and Letters

317

(1)

2.1.10 New Editions of Old Works

317

(1)

2.1.11 A Web Site

317

(1)

Part Three: Preparing the "References" List

318

(13)

3.1 Order of Sources

318

(1)

3.2 Order of Information

318

(2)

Author

318

(1)

Date

319

(1)

Article or Book Title

319

(1)

Periodical Title and Publication Information

319

(1)

3.3 Sample References

320

(6)

3.3.1 A Journal Article

320

(1)

3.3.2 A Journal Article Not Paginated Continuously

320

(1)

3.3.3 A Magazine Article

320

(1)

3.3.4 A Newspaper Article

321

(1)

3.3.5 A Book

321

(1)

3.3.6 A Book or Article with More Than One Author

321

(1)

3.3.7 A Book or Article with an Unknown Author

321

(1)

3.3.8 An Encyclopedia Entry

322

(1)

3.3.9 A Book with an Institutional Author

322

(1)

3.3.10 A Book with an Editor

322

(1)

3.3.11 A Selection in a Book with an Editor

323

(1)

3.3.12 A Republished Work

323

(1)

3.3.13 An Abstract

323

(1)

3.3.14 A Source Mentioned by Another Source

324

(1)

3.3.15 A Book Review

324

(1)

3.3.16 A Government Document

324

(1)

3.3.17 A Letter to the Editor

324

(1)

3.3.18 A Published Interview

325

(1)

3.3.19 A Film or Videotape

325

(1)

3.3.20 A Television Program

325

(1)

3.3.21 A Musical Recording

326

(1)

3.3.22 A Computer Program

326

(1)

3.4 Citing Electronic Sources

326

(5)

3.4.1 An Electronic Version of an Article Also in Print

326

(1)

3.4.2 An Article Only on the Internet

327

(1)

3.4.3 An Electronic Text

327

(1)

3.4.4 An Article or Abstract from a Library Database

328

(1)

3.4.5 A Part of a Work

328

(1)

3.4.6 An Online Journal

329

(1)

3.4.7 A Newspaper Article

329

(1)

3.4.8 A Web Page

329

(1)

3.4.9 Discussion Lists

330

(1)

3.4.10 E-Mail

331

(1)

3.4.11 CD-ROM Databases and Encyclopedias

331

(1)

Part Four: Sample Paper in APA Style

331

(12)

"What's Love Got to Do with It? Compatability and Marital Success" by Jennifer Suittor

333

(10)

Appendix C Tips for Researching and Writing Papers on Literary Topics

343

(24)

Mine the Primary Source

343

(1)

Search Strategies

344

(3)

Researching the Author

345

(1)

Biographies

345

(1)

Primary Bibliographies

345

(1)

Researching the Critics

346

(1)

Researching the Genre or Tradition

346

(1)

Sample Essay: Personal Response

347

(12)

"I Can Relate to It" Is Only a Start

348

(1)

"Breaking the 'Utter Silence': A Response to Orwell's 'Marrakech'," by Kazuko Kuramoto

349

(10)

Sample Critical Essay: Formal Response

359

(8)

"Nature as Being: Landscape in Silko's 'Lullaby'," by Julie Bird

360

(7)

Index

367

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