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Researching the history of an era . . .
From Reading to Writing We get a mere
glimpse of the cultural richness of the Harlem
Renaissance in this unit. It was a time when
African Americans used a variety of means to
show pride in their race and in the contributions
they had made to American culture.
Researching the history of an era . . .
This period offers a rich variety of choices for a
research report—an academic paper that
presents and interprets information collected
through reading and other research. When you
write a research report, you not only deepen
your knowledge but you also sharpen your
research skills.
Basics in a Box
Research Report at a Glance
RUBRIC
Standards for Writing
A successful research project should
• provide a strong introduction with a
clear thesis statement
• follow a logical pattern of
organization, using transitions
between ideas
• use evidence from primary and
secondary sources to develop and
support ideas
• synthesize ideas with a satisfying
conclusion
• credit sources of information
• provide a correctly formatted Works
Cited list at the end of the paper
Writing Your Research Report
The important thing is not to stop
questioning.
Albert Einstein
Writing Your Research Report
1 Prewriting and Exploring
If you are writing your research report on
the Harlem Renaissance, you might
begin by looking in the library for books
and articles not only on the Harlem
Renaissance, but also on the 1920s, on
individuals whose works appear in this
unit, on famous African Americans, on
black history, on American jazz, or on
American literature.
Planning Your Research Report
1. Choose a topic. What subjects really intrigue you?
What would you like to learn about one of them?
Make a list of ideas that appeal to you and then
choose the topic that interests you most. You might
also try making a word web to generate ideas.
Zora Neale
Hurston
Cotton Club
Harlem
Renaissance
Langston
Hughes
racial
pride
Planning Your Research Report
2. Narrow your topic. Is your topic too broad for the
research report you plan to write? Can it be divided
into smaller parts?
3. Decide on your goal. What do you want to achieve
with you report? Do you want to prove a point, draw
a conclusion, or just learn and share information
about the subject?
Planning Your Research Report
4. Consider your audience. What do they already
know about the subject? What background
information might they need?
5. Write a thesis statement. Your thesis statement is a
sentence that explains what your paper will be about.
It will guide your research and help you sort out
relevant and irrelevant information on your topic. Be
flexible enough to consider reworking your thesis if
your research leads you in new directions.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
Begin your research by making a list of
relevant and interesting questions. Use
these questions to guide your review of
reliable sources. You might look in
general reference books, such as
encyclopedias, and then examine books,
periodicals, and on-line databases for
more specific information.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
Evaluate Your Source Material
These guidelines can help you evaluate your
sources.
 Is the author an unbiased authority?
Be sure to read material from a variety
of viewpoints to get a balanced picture.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
 How up-to-date is the source?
In fields such as medicine or technology,
rapid changes make it crucial that you
get the most up-to-date information.
 Where was the article published?
Newspapers that specialize in scandal
or sensational stories, for example, are
not reliable sources of information.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
 What is the intended audience?
Is the material written for a general
audience? Some sources may
provide oversimplified information,
whereas other sources may be too
technical.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
Make Source Cards
Make source cards to keep track of the
information you find. Use index cards to
record publishing information for each
source you decide to use. Number each
source card and refer to it when you take
notes. You will use these source cards to
credit sources in your report and to write
your Works Cited list.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
Read Your Sources and Take Notes
As you read, keep your thesis statement
and the questions you want answered in
mind. Use a separate index card for each
piece of information you record. Write the
number of the source on each note card.
Use the following techniques.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
Paraphrase. Restate the material in your
own words.
Quotation. Copy the original text word for
word, including all punctuation marks. Use
quotation marks to indicate the beginning
and end of the quotation. Use this form to
emphasize a point or when the author’s
words are well phrased.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
Get Organized
Once you have gathered a quantity of
material, begin to organize it. It is a good
idea to make an outline that will provide the
framework for the information you have
collected.
Writing Your Research Report
2 Researching
Get Organized
Group your note cards according to the
main ideas on the cards. Then determine
the best way to arrange those main ideas.
You might want to use chronological
order, comparison-and-contrast order, or
cause-and-effect order, depending upon
your subject. Write your outline based on
your arrangement of the main ideas and
subpoints in your stacks of note cards.
Writing Your Research Report
3 Drafting
Use your outline as a guide to begin
writing. The first part of your report
should state your main idea, or thesis.
You will need to end with a conclusion
that restates the thesis and summarizes
your main points. The rest of your report
should be organized according to your
outline.
Writing Your Research Report
3 Drafting
Craft Your Thesis Statement
Now that you have researched your topic
and written your outline, you should have
a better understanding of what your
report will accomplish. Shape your thesis
statement to tell what your paper will
prove.
Writing Your Research Report
3 Drafting
Stay Flexible As You Write Your Draft
In the drafting stage, concentrate on using
clear, natural language to get your ideas
on paper. Follow your outline and refer to
your note cards as you write, but feel free
to reorganize your material any time you
collect new information or discover a
different way of connecting ideas.
Writing Your Research Report
3 Drafting
Add Your Own Analysis. Make
inferences and interpret evidence to
reach a conclusion using facts,
quotations, statistics, and examples.
Give Credit Where Credit Is Due. If you
do not credit the sources of information in
your report, you are guilty of plagiarism—
the unlawful use of another’s words or
ideas.
Writing Your Research Report
3 Drafting
Take Another Look
Take a break from your writing—a few
days if possible. Then review your draft.
Asking the following questions can help:

How can I make my thesis statement
clearer?

What additional information would
support my thesis statement?
Writing Your Research Report
3 Drafting

What information, if any, is
irrelevant?

How can I improve organization?

What facts and documentation do I
need to check?
Writing Your Research Report
4 Revising
TARGET SKILL
ELABORATING—DETAILS AND
EXAMPLES
Your report will be more authoritative and
more interesting if you provide facts and
statistics to support your point.
Writing Your Research Report
5 Editing and Proofreading
TARGET SKILL
USING COMMAS
Reports include a great deal of information.
The correct use of commas can help your
readers better understand the relationship
between ideas.
Writing Your Research Report
6 Making a Works Cited List
When you have finished revising, editing,
and proofreading your report, make a
Works Cited list and attach it to the end of
your paper.