Planning a Research Paper

1. Planning a Research Paper Milly Grillone FAO Consultant

2. Writing as a Process The communication of complex ideas is a process that requires thinking and rethinking, working and reworking

3. Before writing…. Brainstorming write down your ideas just the way they come in your mind Brainstorming Choosinga Topic

4. ….organize your ideas Imposing order on your ideas make the information • easier to understand and • easier to remember. If you choose a clear, recognizable pattern (on the level of the paragraph and also on the level of the whole essay body) you guide your reader in discovering relationships that connect things.

5. Thesis Statement • TheThesis Statement is that sentenceor two in your textthat contains the FOCUS or COREof your essay • Try to narrow your topic. • Example: “Agricultural Policy” “Agricultural Policy in the EU” “Agricultural Policy Changes in the EU” • The TS should remain FLEXIBLE until the paper is finished. • If you discover new information that ought to be included in the TS, you’ll have to rewrite your TS. On the other hand if you discover that the TS appears to include things that you haven’t addressed, then you need to limit your TS. Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosinga Topic

6. Structure of the Essay Outline INTRODUCTION-ARGUMENT-CONCLUSION • Construct your Outline by listing all the important points you want to cover in your essay • Provide one main point for each paragraph • Start with the introduction under which you will write out your TS and work through LOGICALLY, point by point until you reach the conclusion The Outline Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosinga Topic

7. The Outline Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosinga Topic Structure of the Essay Outline (2) • Group related ideas together under general headings and arrange them so they flow logically • Each point in your outline should connect with the next • Each main category should be linked to your thesis • Focus your outline by discarding anything not useful or pertinent • Categorize your points according to their importance, keeping in mind the method of organization you intend to use

8. Principles of Organization: Transition between Ideas Organize your information according to a: • Chronological Order (Order of Time) Following the order in which events occur • Spatial Order Items are arranged according to their physical position or relationship • Climactic Order (Order of Importance) Items are arranged from least important to most important

9. Principles of Organization (2) • General to Specific Order • Specific to General Order • Simplest to Most Complex Order • Topical Order

10. 5 Golden Rules…… Try to be always • Clear • Simple • Brief • Coherent • Logical

11. RESEARCH • Reading or/and Field Research • Collecting and verifying data Research The Outline Choosing a thesis Brainstorming Choosinga Topic

12. RESEARCH (2) • Selection of information • Summary of information

13. Ready to start…

14. Some Simple Rules... • No comma between subject and verb Agriculture, is one of the main component of GDP • Subject-Verb Agreement: the subject and the verb must agree in number, both must be singular or both plural (≠ Arabic!) Syria have a comparative advantage The media was biased in it’s reporting of the event