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📚 Research Writing and Citation

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📚 Research Writing and Citation

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📚 Research Writing and Citation

🎯 Learning Objectives

After studying this topic, you will be able to:

Structure a research paper with proper sections
Use in-text citations (APA and MLA styles)
Create a references/works cited page
Integrate sources smoothly (quoting, paraphrasing, summarizing)
Avoid plagiarism through proper attribution

📋 Prerequisites

BSHS1001 Week 7: Summarizing and Paraphrasing — using sources ethically
BSHS1001 Week 8: Essay Structure — academic essay framework
BSHS1002 Week 7: Persuasive Writing — building arguments

3. 📖 Core Content

3.1 Intuition: Why Research Writing Matters

Research writing is how scholars join the conversation. When you write a research paper, you are not just stating your opinion — you are building on what others have found, adding your own analysis, and contributing to human knowledge.

Real-world context: In your IITM degree, you will write projects, assignments, and possibly a capstone paper. In the workplace, research skills help you make data-driven decisions. Proper citation shows you are part of a scholarly community and protects you from plagiarism accusations.

3.2 The Research Paper Structure

(Diagram)

Section	Purpose	Key Questions Answered
Title	Identifies the paper	What is this about?
Abstract	Brief summary (150-250 words)	What was done? What was found?
Introduction	Background + research gap + thesis	Why does this matter? What is missing?
Literature Review	What others have found	What do we already know?
Methodology	How the research was done	How was data collected? How was it analyzed?
Results	What was found	What did the data show?
Discussion	What the results mean	Why did this happen? What are the implications?
Conclusion	Summary + future work	What did we learn? What next?
References	All sources cited	Where did the information come from?

3.3 Finding and Evaluating Sources

Types of Sources

Source Type	Examples	Credibility
Primary	Original research, data, interviews	High (original)
Secondary	Analysis of primary sources	Moderate
Tertiary	Encyclopedias, textbooks	Low (summaries)
Peer-reviewed	Academic journals	Highest
Popular media	News, blogs, magazines	Variable
AI-generated	ChatGPT, etc.	Use with caution

The CRAAP Test (from Week 1)

Criteria	Ask
Currency	When was this published?
Relevance	Does it relate to my topic?
Authority	Who wrote it? Are they qualified?
Accuracy	Is it supported by evidence?
Purpose	Why was it written? (Inform? Persuade? Sell?)

3.4 Integrating Sources

Quoting (exact words)

Use When	Rule	Example
The original wording is powerful	Use quotation marks + citation	Smith argues that "climate change is the defining issue of our time" (2023, p. 45).
You want to analyze specific language	Keep quotes short (under 40 words)

Paraphrasing (your words, same meaning)

Use When	Rule	Example
You need to explain a concept in simpler terms	Change BOTH words AND structure	Smith (2023) contends that climate change represents the most significant challenge of the current era.

Summarizing (condensed version)

Use When	Rule	Example
You need to give an overview of a longer source	Much shorter than original	In his 2023 study, Smith examines the impacts of climate change, concluding that urgent action is required.

Signal Phrases

Function	Phrase
Introducing	"According to Smith (2023),..."
Agreeing	"Smith (2023) supports this view, arguing that..."
Disagreeing	"However, Jones (2022) challenges this perspective..."
Adding	"Furthermore, Patel (2024) found that..."
Concluding	"Thus, the evidence suggests that..."

3.5 APA Citation Style (7th Edition)

In-Text Citations

Type	Format	Example
Author named in text	Author (Year)	"Smith (2023) found that..."
Author not named	(Author, Year)	"The study found that...(Smith, 2023)."
Two authors	(Author & Author, Year)	"(Smith & Jones, 2023)."
Three+ authors	(Author et al., Year)	"(Smith et al., 2023)."
Direct quote	(Author, Year, p. #)	"(Smith, 2023, p. 45)."

Reference List

Source Type	Format	Example
Journal article	Author. (Year). Title. Journal, Volume(Issue), Pages.	Smith, J. (2023). Climate action. Environmental Studies, 15(2), 45-67.
Book	Author. (Year). Title. Publisher.	Smith, J. (2023). Climate change. Oxford UP.
Website	Author. (Year). Title. Site Name. URL	Smith, J. (2023). Climate action. WHO. https://who.int/climate

3.6 MLA Citation Style (9th Edition)

In-Text Citations

Type	Format	Example
Author named	Author Page	Smith argues that "climate change is serious" (45).
Author not named	(Author Page)	Climate change is "the defining issue" (Smith 45).

Works Cited

Source Type	Format	Example
Book	Author. Title. Publisher, Year.	Smith, John. Climate Change. Oxford UP, 2023.
Article	Author. "Title." Journal, vol. #, no. #, Year, pp. #-#.	Smith, John. "Climate Action." Environmental Studies, vol. 15, no. 2, 2023, pp. 45-67.

3.7 Avoiding Plagiarism

What Must Be Cited

✅ Cite	❌ Don't Need to Cite
Direct quotations	Common knowledge ("The Earth is round.")
Paraphrased ideas	Your own original ideas
Statistics and data	Well-known facts ("Water boils at 100°C.")
Someone else's theory	Your own opinions
Images, charts, data from sources	Common sayings ("Practice makes perfect.")

Plagiarism Spectrum

Type	Example	Severity
Clone	Submitting someone else's work as your own	Severe
Mosaic	Changing a few words but keeping structure	Moderate
Find-Replace	Changing key words only	Moderate
Remix	Paraphrasing from multiple sources	Moderate
Recycle	Submitting your own past work	Minor (but still wrong)
Hybrid	Mixing cited and non-cited sources	Moderate

3.8 Before/After: Weak vs. Strong Source Integration

Before (Weak — plagiarism risk):

"Climate change is the defining issue of our time. The effects are already being felt across all continents." (taken from source — no citation) After (Strong — properly cited): According to Smith (2023), climate change represents "the defining issue of our time" (p. 2). Furthermore, the impacts are already observable across all continents.

Improvement	Why
Added signal phrase	"According to Smith (2023)" introduces the source
Quotation marks	Shows exact words from source
Page number	Gives specific location
"Furthermore"	Shows this is the student's own continuation

3.9 Key Concepts Summary Table

Concept	Definition	APA Example
In-text Citation	Brief citation in the text	(Smith, 2023)
Reference List	Full details at end	Smith, J. (2023). Title. Publisher.
Direct Quote	Exact words with " "	"Climate change is urgent" (Smith, 2023, p. 5).
Paraphrase	Your words, same meaning	Smith (2023) argues that...
Signal Phrase	Introduces a source	"According to Smith (2023)..."
Abstract	Summary of the paper	150-250 word overview
Plagiarism	Using sources without credit	Cite everything that isn't your own idea

4. Common Pitfalls

Pitfall 1: Forgetting to Cite Paraphrases

Mistake: "I changed the words, so I don't need to cite."
Why: Students think only direct quotes need citations
How to fix: Cite EVERY time you use someone else's idea — whether you quote, paraphrase, or summarize.
Correct: Smith (2023) argued that climate change is urgent. (cite the paraphrase)

Pitfall 2: Wrong Citation Format

Mistake: Mixing APA and MLA in the same paper
Why: Students are unsure which style to use
How to fix: Ask your instructor which style to use. Use that style CONSISTENTLY throughout.
Correct: If APA: (Author, Year). If MLA: (Author Page). Stick to one.

Pitfall 3: Over-Quoting

Mistake: A paper with 40% quoted text and 60% student writing
Why: Students think quotes add authority
How to fix: Use quotes sparingly (only when the original wording is powerful). Most of your paper should be YOUR voice.
Correct: Quote only key phrases; paraphrase the rest.

5. Practice Questions

Question 1

Which style uses (Author, Year) for in-text citations?

Click for answer

APA (American Psychological Association). MLA uses (Author Page).

Question 2

Create an APA in-text citation for a book by John Smith published in 2023.

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Narrative: Smith (2023) argues that... Parenthetical: (Smith, 2023)

Question 3

When should you use a direct quote instead of a paraphrase?

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When the original wording is powerful, unique, or memorable, or when you need to analyze the specific language used by the author.

Question 4

Is this plagiarism? Original: "Exercise reduces stress." Student writes: "Stress is reduced by exercise." (no citation)

Click for answer

Yes, it is plagiarism. Although the structure changed (active → passive), the idea is still from a source and must be cited. This is "patchwork" or "mosaic" plagiarism.

Question 5

Format this reference in APA: Author: Priya Sharma, Year: 2024, Title: "AI in Education," Journal: Journal of Educational Technology, Volume: 18, Issue: 3, Pages: 45-62

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APA: Sharma, P. (2024). AI in education. Journal of Educational Technology, 18(3), 45-62.

Question 6

What is the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

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Reference list includes ONLY sources cited in the paper. Bibliography includes all sources consulted (read) whether cited or not. APA uses References; MLA uses Works Cited.

Question 7

Add a signal phrase to this paraphrase: "Online learning improves access to education." (Source: Kumar, 2023)

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"According to Kumar (2023), online learning improves access to education."

Or: "Kumar (2023) found that online learning improves access to education."

Question 8

Which of these needs a citation? a) "The capital of France is Paris." b) "The Great Wall of China is over 13,000 miles long." c) "Studies show that 60% of students prefer online learning." (from a research study)

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c) needs a citation — it is a specific statistic from a research study. (a) and (b) are common knowledge.

Question 9

Convert this to MLA format: Smith argues that climate change is urgent (2023, page 45).

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MLA: Smith argues that climate change is urgent (45).

Or: Smith argues that "climate change is urgent" (45).

Change: Only the page number, no year or comma.

Question 10

Identify the issue: "In his article, Smith talks about climate change. He says it's bad. Other researchers agree."

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Issues:

Vague ("talks about," "says it's bad")

No page numbers or years

No specific evidence mentioned

Informal language ("it's bad")

Better: "Smith (2023) argues that climate change poses an existential threat, citing rising global temperatures and extreme weather events as evidence."

Question 11

Create a proper APA reference for this website: Website: World Health Organization, Title: "Climate Change and Health," Published: 2024, URL: https://www.who.int/climate-change

Click for answer

APA: World Health Organization. (2024). Climate change and health. https://www.who.int/climate-change

Question 12

Add the correct in-text citation for this sentence: "Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare" (source: Patel, 2022, page 112). Write it in APA and MLA.

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APA: "Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare" (Patel, 2022, p. 112).

MLA: "Artificial intelligence is transforming healthcare" (Patel 112).

6. Cross-References

BSHS1001 → Week 7: Summarizing and Paraphrasing — source integration
BSHS1002 → Week 1: Critical Analysis Reading — evaluating sources
BSHS1002 → Week 2: Report Writing — formal research reports
BSHS1002 → Week 9: Creative Writing — contrast with research writing Join Discord PreviousPersuasive WritingNextCreative Writing