Since we’re talking about research…

After posting about the research paper, I was inspired to follow up with a blog entry about plagiarism, or actually how to avoid plagiarism. For the most part, plagiarism happens accidentally. Most of the time, students have simply forgotten to give credit to the author, or the students were unaware of how to give credit or that they even needed to do so. Before you get lost in the piles of research, let’s have a heart-to-heart about some great ways to avoid plagiarism and show off your amazing research skills.

To Cite or Not to Cite: Have you heard of the term common knowledge? Students tend to confuse common knowledge with knowledge that they already had in their head. Saying the sky is blue is common knowledge, but if you already know why the sky is blue (without researching it), then that is not common knowledge and needs to be cited. Another example is George Washington. Saying George Washington was the first President of the United States is common knowledge, but saying that George Washington became president in 1789 is not common knowledge. It’s important to know the difference. When in doubt, look it up and cite it.  

Keep Track of Your Sources: Research papers require a lot of, well, research. It’s easy to read something at some point during your research and then forget where you read it. When this happens, you may be tempted to just stick it in your paper and not cite it. Don’t do that. Review your sources to find the information you need to cite. Next time, keep careful notes about the specific information that came from each of your sources. At the end of this entry, you’ll find a link to a handy software plug-in that will help you keep track of all the sources you find.

Paraphrasing: Another way that plagiarism happens is when a student paraphrases but doesn’t change enough of the words. This one can be a little confusing, but it doesn’t have to be. The general rule is not to use more than two words, in a row, verbatim from the source. If you use more than two words verbatim in a row, then you need to put them in quotations. Of course, even if you change enough words to paraphrase, you still must include an in-text citation at end of the sentence. Basically, anything that you borrow, whether it’s a direct quote, summary, or a paraphrase, needs a citation.

The Works Cited Page: Lastly, we need the works cited page. Your works cited page (or reference page, depending on the documentation style) needs to contain bibliographical information for all the sources that are included in your paper. I see students that have a long list of sources on their works cited page, but they’ve only cited one or two in their paper. That’s another thing to avoid. Make sure that every source in your works cited page is in your paper and vice versa. Check out our website at DelMar.edu/SWC for a list of helpful handouts.

It can be easy to avoid plagiarism; you just need the proper tools and knowledge. Always be aware of what ideas you’ve borrowed and what are your own thoughts. As long as you’re careful, you should be fine. Don’t be afraid to ask a consultant or your professor if you’re unsure of whether something needs to be cited. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense that can result in failing a class or being put on academic probation. Cite your sources carefully, and give authors the credit they deserve!

The Helpful Plug-In: Want some help saving all of your sources? I’ve used a plug-in called Zotero to do my own research. Zotero allows you to save sources, organize them, and make a works cited page. It’s amazing and really awesome for any research paper. It’s available for Mac and Windows, and you can get plug-ins for your browser. As with any helpful citation generator, you want to CHECK your citations carefully before you submit your paper.

Hope this helps, Readers! I’m diving back into my research! See you next time the sun is up, the breeze is cool, and the waves roll into view. ‘Til then, hang ten!

P.S. Help me reach 1000 followers! Follow @theSWC on Twitter! 

It's Research Paper Time!

We’re staring at the end of the semester, Roxy Readers! It’s so close, but yet so far. Most of y’all probably have a research paper looming on the horizon. You may even be in different stages of it. A research paper can seem overwhelming at first, but like all things, with practice it will become easier. Here are some great tips for writing that research paper.

1. Look at the assignment instructions: Don’t skip this step! Professors are super awesome and give you this handy set of blueprints for your paper. Take them seriously. When a professor gives you very specific instructions on what to write, follow them. There’s a good chance that a giant chunk of your grade is fulfilling the assignment requirements. This is the easiest thing you can do and one of the most important steps. So read over those instructions with a fine-tooth comb before, during, and after writing your paper. If you need help deciphering something in the instructions, come see us. 
2. Pick a topic that you like: You should pick a research topic that you’re interested in, while still staying within the parameters of the assignment. This will make the research and writing process much more enjoyable. Trust me. If you have to write about something that you know nothing about or don’t like, you may find this entire process painful. If you enjoy your topic, you’ll be more likely to put some heart into it and actually like what you’re doing.
3. Give yourself plenty of time: Don’t wait! You’ve probably done this before and then swore you’d never do it again. Don’t try to write your paper the night before it’s due. That’s stressful! Don’t do that to yourself. Give yourself time to research, outline, write, and revise. Ration out your time so you don’t tailspin into a panic attack. 
4. Have a strong thesis: Your entire paper will be built around this thesis. Make sure it’s a strong statement that clearly outlines what you’re going to discuss in your paper. Once you have your stellar thesis, make sure you follow it throughout your paper. Keep looking back at it to see that what you’re saying supports your thesis. This should prevent you from veering away from the topic. 
5. Do your research: Say what you want in your research paper, but back it up with reputable sources. You’ll want to gather these sources from scholarly publications and legitimate websites. The school’s library website will be your best friend. 
6. Ask for help: Seek the help of your teacher or a writing center consultant if you get stuck at any point. Don’t give up and come back to it five days later. Ask for help after the first day, and then you can spend those other four days accomplishing something.
7. Revise: This step is super important. Once you’ve written the paper, you aren’t done. You still need to read through it multiple times and revise and edit carefully. Reading through your paper backwards is a great way to catch sentence-level errors. If you’re looking for information holes, then I’d advise reading through it beginning to end.

Well, there you go. These are the basics for writing a solid research paper. Research papers can be daunting, but if you prepare and know what you’re heading into, they are completely doable. Good luck and happy researching.

See you next time the sun is up, the breeze is cool, and the waves roll into view. ‘Til then, hang ten!