Environmental
Sustainabililty Home		 Your Research Paper
Start to Finish

Contents

Getting Started
 Choosing a Paper Topic
Prewriting Techniques and Paper Planning
Researching
 Finding Sources
Evaluating Sources
Citing Sources
Writing
 Writing an Introduction
General Writing Tips
Sources for Writing Help
Editing and Revising
 Editing and Revising Strategies
Making a Reverse Outline
Keeping an Editing Log
Revise for Extra Credit
Grading and Evaluation
 Assignment Due Dates and Descriptions
Grading Criteria

Getting Started

Your research paper should be about the production of waste or the consumption of water or energy.  It should be 4-6 pages and you will turn in increments of the paper throughout the term (see assignments).  Your paper should do the following:

See the grading criteria for an idea of how your paper will be evaluated.
 
Choosing a Paper Topic Strategies and prewriting techniques to narrow your topic to a manageable size.
Paper Planning Ways to plan you paper and develop an outline.

 

Researching

Finding Sources There are many ways to find sources.  Here are just a few:
  • Search a library database for articles on your topic.
  • Search the internet using search engines for web pages on your topic.
  • Search the internet using newspaper archives for news articles on your topic.
  • Conduct a "backwards" search by finding articles in the bibliography of other articles.  For example, if you found one useful article on your topic, locate other useful articles in its reference list.
  • Browse journals in the library to find topics of current interst.
  • Search the links on this web site to important web pages. 
Evaluating Sources Ways to critically evaluate professional literature, including web sites. 
Citing Sources For this term paper, we'll use Chicago Style (refernece list, parenthetical style) citations.  A complete guide to Chicago Style Citations was presented in class.  For more information on Chicago Style, see: 
  • Turabian, Kate.  1996.  A Manual for Writers of Term Papers, Theses, and Dissertations.  Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
  • The Chicago Manual of Style: The Essential Guide for Writers, Editors, and Publishers.  14th Edition.  1993.  Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
You might also try these links:

 

Writing

Writing an Introduction The introduction is an important piece of the research paper.  Your introduction should not only capture the reader's interest and introduce the topic, but it should:
  •     include a thesis statement
  •     justify the topic (in other words, why is this issue important?)
  •     outline where the rest of the paper will go
See the sample introduction discussed in class.
General Writing Tips A handout with guidelines and tips for more concise, grammatically correct writing. 
Sources for Writing Help Links to sources for writing help, including PSU's Writing Center.  A visit to the Writing Center (and writing a one-page response) will get you Extra Credit!

 

Editing and Revising


Editing and Revising Strategies A Writing Center handout on differnt ways to edit and revise. 
Making a Reverse Outline Reverse outlines help you organize your ideas.
Keeping an Editing Log Editing logs help you correct your most common errors. 
Revise for Extra Credit Take your paper to the Writing Center and write one page about your experience for Extra Credit.


 

Grading and Evaluation


Assignment Descriptions and Due Dates See the Syllabus Page
Grading Criteria The 10 Criteria that Dr. Maser and Michelle will use to evaluate your paper