Research Papers for Dummies

by Geraldine Woods

From blank page to final draft, this is your straightforward guide to research papers

You're sitting at your desk in a classroom or in an airless cubicle, wondering how many minutes are left in a seemingly endless day, when suddenly your teacher or supervisor lowers the She wants a research paper, complete with footnotes and a list of sources. She wants accuracy, originality, and good grammar. And – gasp! – she wants ten pages! You may be 16 years old or 60 years old, but your reaction is the Help! Take heart. A research paper may seem daunting, but it's a far-from-impossible project to accomplish. Turning research into writing is actually quite easy, as long as you follow a few proven techniques. And that's where Research Papers For Dummies steps in to help. In this easy-to-understand guide, you find out how to search for information using both traditional printed sources and the electronic treasure troves of the Internet. You also discover how to take all those bits of information, discarding the irrelevant ones, and put them into a form that illustrates your point with clarity and originality. Here's just a sampling of the topics you'll find in Research Papers For Dummies : Research Papers For Dummies also includes an appendix that's full of research paper ideas if you're stuck. If you're tasked with writing a research paper, chances are you already have a lot of demands on your time. You don't need another huge pile of papers to read. This book can actually save you time in the long run, because it gives you the easiest, fastest, and most successful methods for completing your paper.

Genres: Education, Nonfiction, Research

337 pages, Paperback

First published July 5, 2002

About the author

Geraldine Woods has taught English at every level from fifth grade through Advanced Placement, most recently at the Horace Mann School. She is the author of numerous nonfiction books for adults and children, including 25 Great Sentences and How They Got That Way. She lives in New York City.

Reviews

[Haven B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great help when you need to write a 15 page research paper in 2-3 weeks! My favorite part about this was it wasn't one of those overly stuffy and formal textbooks that are so commonly published. Woods interjected throughout the book with a bit of her own humor and stories, which just really added to the overall 5-star rating of this "For Dummies" book, and also helped understand the material and guidelines way more easily.

[Kanchan Mandanekar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Initially a little embarrassed to pick up a "Dummies Series" book, I soon felt it was better to be humble and read the book rather than remain a dummie!

A great book if you are looking at learning how to write a good research paper. The sources on how to clinically go about searching for information is fantastic. Plus, the author is very sensitive to the challenges a researcher faces and offers solutions on each and every challenge. Also, the humour keeps the reading light and yet focused. The book has been written many years ago when the usage of computers was pretty new so some organising info part can be skimmed. However, the fundamentals still remain valid.

I found it especially useful in two areas:
1. How to conduct research interviews
2. How to give proper credits without getting into copyright trouble.

I'd definitely recommend it to a young researcher.

[Read by Fred · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written and still quite relevant even though it was published in 2002.

An update to online research tools and computerized note-taking would be beneficial; however, the underlying concepts and methods found in this book transcend technology - well, until encyclopedic brain chips become available. :)

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid Advice, but a bit outdated

Author did a great job, but this book could use updates, technology wise. For example, Alta Vista was recommended as a search engine.

[Gianfranco Ruffini · Rating 1 out of 5]

B-/troppo semplicista/mediocre