CD - CoRP - Maxwell: Next is Synthesizing and Analyzing

Now that you've found the information, how do you use it in your paper?

1. Take notes. 
   • As you read your sources, highlight and make notes in the margins of printouts or on a separate sheet of paper.
   • Write summaries of the  main points in your own words, noting the source of each summary.  
   • If you copy groups of words, put them in quotation marks so that you will remember that you copied them.
2. Plan and outline.
   • Decide how to organize your paper and make an outline that will help you stay on topic and present your ideas in a logical order. 
3. Use sources ethically.
   • Quote: when you use the exact words from the source. You will need to put quotation marks around the words that are not your own and cite where they came from.
     • “It wasn’t really a tune, but from the first note the beast’s eyes began to droop….Slowly the dog’s growls ceased – it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep” (Rowling 275).
   • Paraphrase: when you state the ideas from another source in your own words. Even when you use your own words, if the ideas or facts came from another source, you need to cite where they came from.
     • With the simple music of the flute, Harry lulled the dog to sleep (Rowling 275).
     • When paraphrasing, you must write out the idea in your own words. Simply changing a few words from the original source or restating the information exactly using different words is considered plagiarism. If you cannot state an idea in your own words, you should use the direct quotation. 
   • Summarize: much like a paraphrase, but used in cases where you are trying to give an overview of many ideas. As in paraphrasing, quotation marks are not used, but a citation is still necessary.
     • Through a combination of skill and their invisibility cloak, Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped through Hogwarts to the dog’s room and down through the trapdoor within (Rowling 271-77).
4. Use sources appropriately. 
   • When integrating a source into your paper, remember to use these three important components:
     • Introductory phrase to the source material: mention the author, date, or any other relevant information when introducing a quote or paraphrase.
     • Source material: a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary with proper citation.
     • Analysis of source material: your response, interpretations, or arguments regarding the source material should introduce or follow it. When incorporating source material into your paper, relate your source and analysis back to your original thesis.
5. Write and Revise.
   • Do not expect to write a finished paper all at once.  
   • First, get your ideas down on paper in a rough draft. Read it over and revise, trying to improve the content and organization.
   • Ask someone else to read it and give you feedback.
   • Edit your paper for sentence structure and word choice. 

Sources: 

• Sierra College. (2020, August). Research Papers. www.sierracollege.edu. https://libguides.marshall.edu/ld.php?content_id=65728247
• University of Nevada Libraries. (n.d). Integrating Sources into Your Research Paper. www.library.unr.edu. https://library.unr.edu/help/quick-how-tos/integrating-sources-into-your-paper

Now that you've incorporated the information into your paper, how do you add your own analysis?

To analyze means to break a topic or concept down into its parts in order to inspect and understand it, and to restructure those parts in a way that makes sense to you. For many assignments, you do research to become an expert on a topic so that you can restructure and present the parts of the topic from your own perspective.

Here are a few ways to analyze the information you've read:

1. Find the author’s thesis. A thesis statement is usually the last sentence of the introduction (or several sentences). It is an essential part of the paper since it reflects the author’s main point. Make sure you determined the thesis statement and understood it.
2. Consider the author’s arguments. How does the author support his position? What are the key arguments they present in their research paper? Are they logical? Evaluate whether the points are clear and concise enough for any reader to get. Do they support the author’s thesis?
3. Check the evidence. Try to find all the proof provided by the writer. A successful research paper should have valid evidence for every argument. These can be statistics, diagrams, facts taken from documentaries or books, experiments hold by researchers, etc.
4. Determine the limits of the study. An author is supposed to set limits to avoid making their research too broad. Find out what are the variables the writer relied on while determining the exact field of study. Keep them in mind when you decide whether the paper accomplished its goals within limits.
5. Establish the author’s perspective. What position does the author take? What methods are applied to prove the correctness of the writer’s point? Does it match with your opinion? Why/ why not?

Still unsure how to provide an analysis?

The following resources go in-depth to provide further explanation and clarity:

Sources:

Empire State University (n.d.) Analysis in Research Papers. https://sunyempire.edu/online-writing-support/resources/research/research-paper/analysis-research-papers/ 

Custom-Writing.Org (2024, May 30). Research Analysis Paper: How to Analyze a Research Article [2024]. https://custom-writing.org/blog/research-papers-analysis