RULES AND TIPS FOR STUDENT RESEARCH PAPERS
Prof. W. Paul Vogt
Some colleagues have asked for an electronic copy of this document, one that their students could access online. Here it is.
1.
The
Three-Word Rule.
You must not copy more than three words in a row from one of
your sources without (a) putting those words between quotation marks and (b)
citing the source of the quotation.
Failing
to abide by this rule is by far the most common form of plagiarism on
student papers. The penalties can be
severe, especially for repeat offenders.
2.
The 20%
Rule.
No more than 20% of you paper should be composed of
quotations. When grading your papers, I
am not interested in how accurately you can copy another’s words, rather I am
interested in how well you can present evidence and how clearly you can think
about it and express it in your words.
Quotations
should be resorted to only in special circumstances, for example: (a) when the author has said something in a
distinctive way that can only be preserved by retaining his/her original
words; or (b) when you intend to analyze
extensively a particular passage.
3.
YOU must
write your paper.
This is a logical consequence of following Rules 1 and
2. Also, and more obvious, you may not
turn in the work of another as your own.
4.
A
Separate Paper for Each Assignment.
While you may build upon work you have done in other
courses-—indeed you are encouraged to do so—it is a violation of university
rules (and ordinary norms of honesty) to hand in the same work for two
different assignments. (The faculty does
occasionally cross-check.)
5.
The ONLY
Criterion for a Citation System.
The criterion: If your reader can easily check your sources for
accuracy, the system is good. If your
reader cannot do so, the system is bad.
Specific format matters little if it meets this criterion.
Suggestions about picking a format:
Suggestions about picking a format:
(a) Follow
the format used by an author you like.
(b) Or,
use the format insisted upon by one of your other professors (I hear tell that
some believe it is very important to capitalize only the first word in a title,
while others say all words in a title should be capitalized; and apparently
many think it is crucial to give an author’s full name while others, with equal
passion, argue for last name and initials only.)
(c) Or
buy a manual. Among the better known
manuals the two most widely used (and available in bookstores) are probably
Kate Turabian’s and the American Psychological Association’s.
In short, pick a convenient citation style and use it
consistently.
To meet the criterion, (your reader can easily check) citations
need to include:
(a) the
name of the author
(b) the
title of the publication
(c) the
place published (for a periodical this means: name, volume, and page numbers)
(d) for
a book the name and place of the publisher
(e) the
date of the publication.
The same information must be included for sources obtained
on the internet. In addition, for
internet/www sources, you need to provide the “web address,” i.e., the
URL. Giving the URL only is not enough;
you need to include the author, title, etc. Including only the URL would be like
responding to the question, “What book did you read?” by saying, “it’s on the
third floor of the library, northeast corner, second shelf from the top, 8th
book from the right.” You have to tell your reader what it is not just where it is.
6.
When to
Cite Page Numbers.
Always give page numbers (as well as author, title,
etc.) when citing a quotation. Cite page
numbers whenever your information comes from specific pages of a source. When in doubt, it is safest to include the
page numbers. On the other hand, if you
are referring to a general idea found throughout the source, page numbers may
be omitted.
7.
Complete
Citations.
Give full information for a source you cite. The most common form of incomplete citation
occurs when the paper refers to a work, such as (Smith, 2009), but Smith does
not appear in the Bibliography or Reference List. Such errors seem most often to be a result of
students mindlessly copying (i.e., plagiarizing, see Rule 1) from some source
that does list Smith in its reference
list.
8.
Justification
of Sources.
You should use not only some
sources, but they should be good sources. You will often need to explain (briefly) why
these sources are good ones. Also, if
you decide not to use some obvious,
well-known source on your subject (such as a classic in the field or such as
one of our course texts), you need a reason for this omission.
If your
paper is a review of literature on a
subject, or contains such a review, as it almost inevitably will, be sure to
indicate how you selected the particular groups of works you are
analyzing. If you use a standard index
such as SOCIOFILE or PsychINFO or Google Scholar, it is important to say (briefly) how you used
it. What key words did you use in your
search, how many sources did you find, and what criteria did you use for
selecting among those sources?
Widely used, but inappropriate criteria for selecting
sources include:
(a) the
first ten I found,
(b) all
those that agreed with me
(c) the
ones that were easiest to read.
TIPS FOR HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR FIRST DRAFT
Not many people can write a good paper in one draft. For most writers, rewriting is the key to good quality. Here are some suggestions for deciding how to revise drafts.
1. Imagine
that you believe the opposite of what you are arguing in your paper. Read it from that critical standpoint to spot
weaknesses so you can fix them. This
form of “role playing” is an indispensable intellectual tool. (Note:
if you cannot imagine what the opposite of your argument would be, this
is a sure sign that you are in one of several kinds of trouble and need help
with your topic.)
2. Have
a friend read your paper. Quiz him/her
about what it says. What s/he does not
understand is almost certainly your fault.
Fix it. Pick a smart friend and
be very appreciative of his/her criticism.
If your friend only says nice things about your paper to make you feel
good, s/he is not taking your or your paper seriously.
3. Read
your paper to yourself, aloud. Reading
aloud often help authors hear problems that otherwise would have slipped by unnoticed.
