I have to say this is quite a great book for those who intend to write a research paper.
Before reading this book, I assumed it to be rather discursive and tediously long. But after a quick scanning of it, I am overwhelmingly impressed by its simplicity, readability and considerateness. I like its accessible, friendly writing style. And I appreciate the words that come at the very first in chapter 1, helping me lift away my fear of the research paper. More importantly, I have really learned a lot about how to write a research paper in a very short time.
Chapter 1 clarifies the definition, format of and reasons for the research paper as well as the writing process with easy-to-digest steps. It even produces a schedule that may be referred to by us so that we know what to do and when to do it. As the book suggests, generally there are seven steps in the process that lasts five weeks.
From chapter 2, I learn that I can choose a topic with the help of OPAC, the internet or an encyclopedia. Besides, topics should not be too big or technical; neither should them be trivial, overused, contemporary or based on a single source.
Chapter 3 introduces something about the library that I need to use to create well-constructed research papers. The library is absolutely a useful tool because of not only its wealth of books but also its electronic miracle of the digital computer. The computer, used to catalog and organize the connection of the library, is also linked to useful databases. These databases provide users with easy access to all kinds of materials they need.
In Chapter 4, I learn how to formulate and place the thesis. I also learn that outlines should observe certain visual conventions. Outline entries should show equal ranking and parallelism. Moreover, different types of outlines are also displayed.
Chapter 5 tells me how to make use of the computer to facilitate my research. With the computer, we are able to access the internet, online resources, research engines, usenet, etc. However, we should always carry a cautious attitude towards umpteen sources online in case some are suspect. A formula for evaluating sources is based on a series of where, who and what questions.
Chapter 6 is about how to do the research. We can turn to the library or online databases, encyclopedia and search engines for single-fact, general or in-depth
information. Then skim every source to determine its usefulness and turn those useful to our research into notes either by hand or with a computer. Also important is that we should not plagiarize.
Chapter 7 tells how to transform the notes into a rough draft. That is to properly tie into the text the notes including quotations, paraphrases, summaries and our own
personal observations. We should write with unity, coherence and emphasis, using the proper tense or graphics if needed. When writing the abstract, we should note several criteria as well.
Chapter 8 falls on to the revision of the draft. We should go over the entire paper for at least three times. It is recommended that we revise the paper from the biggest to the smallest, namely following the sequence of the introduction, the paragraphs, sentence and finally words.
Chapter 9, 10 and 11 respectively introduces the three documentation systems, MLA, APA and CMS. The finished forms of each are presented. The rules for listing the references and in-text citing are also instructed with samples.
Each stand-alone chapter is so brief that I don't need to wade through extraneous content and can be used effectively in any order according to my needs. It is truly appropriate to say that this is a book not meant to be read but to be consulted. It maintains close contact with reality, life and readers in terms of its brevity and practicability. I firmly believe this book will help a lot with research paper writing and I will make full use of it for sure.
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