Good research starts with a well-developed thesis statement. Think of your paper as an argument that you will construct in order to persuade your professor and peers to agree with your point of view on a particular subject. Your sources will be the evidence you use to support this point of view. Your thesis statement is your chance to let the audience know what you plan to argue and how you plan to argue it so that they are better able to frame your evidence and argument as they read your paper. Having an idea of what your thesis will be will help you locate and evaluate resources as you research but don't be afraid to adjust your thesis statement as needed throughout the writing process in order to make the strongest argument or to use the best sources as you establish your point of view.
Check out this resource from the Harvard College Writing Center for more strategies on Developing a Thesis.
Here are some more Thesis Statement Tips from LEO.
When you pick your topic, it's not set in stone. Picking and adjusting your topic is an integral part of the research process!
Academic writing is held to the same standards as scholarly publications in terms of form and content. This means your professors will expect you to be able to conduct original research using appropriate (often scholarly) resources, to develop a sound thesis statement, to present your ideas in an organized and professional manner, and to use the work of others appropriately to support your argument.
The three main ways to use the words and ideas of others in your work are through:
Using sources is an essential part of academic writing as every argument must show an awareness of the current state of research within the field related to the research topic and should respond, even if to disagree, with the norms that have been accepted by the subject experts. Though using sources is an important part of participating in the conversation that is academic writing remember, your sources are there to support your ideas not replace them! Using too few or too many quotes, paraphrases, and summaries can weaken your argument and have a negative impact on your research.
Schreiner University prohibits plagiarism as part of its Code of Academic Conduct "Submitting material that in part or whole is not entirely one’s own work without attributing those same portions to their correct source. (Themes, essays, term papers, tests and other similar requirements must be the work of the student submitting them. When direct quotations are used, they must be indicated, and when the ideas of another are incorporated in the paper, they must be appropriately acknowledged." (p. 63)
Plagiarism may occur in any of the following ways:
The good news is, avoiding plagiarism is easy! Anytime you use, quote, paraphrase, or summarize the work of others, cite your source. Before submitting your work double check to make sure your Works Cited page matches the cited resources within your paper or project.
For more information on identifying and avoiding plagiarism, check out these links:
Did you know all of our library databases have tools to help you cite your sources correctly? Look for the Cite button in the tools section of the detailed record view for help citing your sources in ALA, MLA and other common academic writing styles.
Looking to up your research game? Feeling the strain of information overload this semester? Keep track of your research and organize your sources with these free web applications.