<p>THE RESEARCH PAPER<br />

Like other forms of writing&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; the research paper should be<br />

characterized by lucid&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; coherent exposition. No set of conven-<br />

tions for preparing a manuscript can replace lively and intelli-<br />

gent writing. Unlike some other forms of writing&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; however&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; the<br />

research paper requires writers to seek out and investigate<br />

sources of information other than their own personal knowl-<br />

edge and experience. Research into a topic will yield new<br />

information&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; sharpen perception of a problem&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; and lend au-<br />

thority to some hypotheses. The research paper&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; the final<br />

product of research&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; is not a collection of other persons opin-<br />

ions but a carefully constructed presentation of an idea---or<br />

series of ideas--that relies on other sources for clarification<br />

and verification. Learned facts and borrowed opinions must be<br />

fully documented in the research paper&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; usually through end-<br />

notes or footnotes&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; but always in such a manner that they<br />

support rather than overshadow the paper itself.<br />

2 SELECTING A TOPIC<br />

All writing begins with a topic. If you have some freedom in<br />

choosing a topic&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; look for one that interests you and that can<br />

be treated effectively within the imposed limits of time and<br />

space. &quot;Twentieth-Century Literature&quot; would not be a suit-<br />

able choice for a term paper or even a dissertation. Students<br />

and scholars alike frequently begin with a fairly general topic<br />

and subsequently refine it&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; by research&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; into a more specific<br />

one. The student whose initial topic is &quot;The Imagery of Words-<br />

worth s Prelude&iuml;&frac14;&OElig;&quot; for instance&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; might&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; after some careful<br />

thought and reading&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; decide to focus on &quot;Nature Imagery in<br />

Book I of Wordsworth s Prelude&quot;; the topic &quot;Modern Avia-<br />

tion&quot; could be narrowed to &quot;The SS2F an~ the Environment.&quot;<br />

(On selecting a dissertation topic&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; see Ap~ndlx&iuml;&frac14;&OElig; Sec. <br />

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