Take this documentaries as background for our current unit.
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
How to Give an Oral Report
Oral reports are often difficult to complete, but
luckily there is a good method of completing them. Some research, a good
outline, and some practice is sure to improve the outcome
Step # 1
1
Go to Wikipedia and search for your topic. Despite its academic reputation, Wikipedia is
definitely a great starting point; just make sure to write down the related
footnotes instead of Wikipedia as a source.
2
Read the article through, scanning for related and
interesting facts on the topic.
3
As you find the points you'd like to make in your
report, paraphrase them in bullet format in a word processor, such as Microsoft
Word or Open Office.The reason
you should use bullet format is that if you don't have complete sentences to
read off a page, you look more human to your audience. You will also have to
make sure you know what each bullet point means, forcing you to practice.
4
Open all the external links that the article
hyperlinks to, and read them thoroughly. Again, if you find facts you'd like to reference, write them down
in bullet format in your word processor. At this step make sure to write down
the URLs for any external links you use.
5
If you don't have enough material, search Google
for some more sources and information. Answers.com is also a great reference. Otherwise, go to the next
step.
6
Compile all your sources into a list, in the format
your teacher or professor prefers.
7
Streamline your bullet points as much as possible. Write down the basic point you'd like to
make(summarized in one key word, if possible), and any necessary statistics or
facts. The bullet point method requires that you know what you are talking
about, and that you are able to improvise vocally from sentence to sentence. If
you are afraid you won't be great at this, practice before adding more to your
bullets.
8
Re-read your outline;
when you are confident it is the best possible, print it out.
9
Practice, practice, practice! Get to the point where you are making a
speech - and not just reading your paper. If it helps, have a friend critique
you.
Tips
·
The best way
to learn a speech is to practice it several times over.
·
Remember that
you will usually speak faster in front of an audience. Keep this in mind if you
have a time limit to aim for.
·
Make eye
contact while making your points, and use hand gestures at key points. If you
overuse hand gestures, it minimizes the impact you make when you use a hand
gesture on the most important point, but a nice median will successfully
compliment your voice and eyes.
Warnings
·
Make sure to
allot the right amount of time to each project; if it is only worth a small
amount in relation to your final grade, don't overdo the report.
·
Don't panic;
that will do nothing to help you. Just start, and get as much done as possible.
How to write a research paper
A research paper can be used for exploring and identifying scientific,
technical and social science issues. If it's your first time writing a
research paper, it may seem daunting. However, with good organization and
clarity of focus, you can make the process easier on yourself.
Pre-writing Process
1
Ask yourself important questions.
Although you may be limited by specific classroom or work related
guidelines, choosing your topic is the first and most important step in your
research paper project. Regardless of whether your topic can be anything you
want or has a more rigid rubric, it is important to keep a few questions in
mind:
·
Is there
enough research available on this topic?
·
Is the topic
new and unique enough that I can offer fresh opinions?
·
Is it
pertinent to my class/occupation?
2
Pick something you love.
Whenever possible, choose a
topic that you feel passionate about. Writing about something you enjoy
certainly shows in the final product, making it more likely that you will be
successful writing a paper about something you enjoy.
3
Stay original.
If you are writing a research paper for a
class, consider the other students.
·
Is it likely that they will also be writing about your topic?
·
How can you keep your
paper unique and interesting if everyone is writing about the same thing?
4
Get advice.
If you are struggling to come up with a
topic that feels “just right,” ask your professor or coworkers/classmates for
advice. They will likely have great ideas that, even if there aren’t options
for you to choose, they can inspire you with new ideas. Asking a professor for
help may seem frightening, but they want you to be successful with your work,
and will do what they can to make that happen.
5
Don’t be afraid to change
your topic.
If you choose a topic,
begin researching, and realize that it isn’t the right decision for you for
some reason, don’t fret! Although it requires a bit more time, you have the
ability to change your topic even after you begin researching others.
Method 2 of
4: Researching
1
Begin your research.
With a topic selected, the next step is to begin research. Research comes in
numerous forms including web pages,
journal articles, books, encyclopedias, interviews, and blog posts, among
others. Take time to look for professional
resources who offer valid research and insight into your topic. Try to use
a minimum of five sources to vary
your information; never rely on only 1-2 sources.
2
Look for empirical research.
Whenever possible, look for peer reviewed
empirical research. These are articles or books written by experts in your
field of interest, whose work has been read and vouched for by other experts in
the same field. These can be found in scientific journals or via an online search.
3
Visit the library.
Take a trip to your local library or university
library. Although it may seem old fashioned, libraries are chock full of
helpful research materials from books to newspapers and magazines to journals..
Don’t be afraid to ask the librarian for help either - they are trained in
research and know where everything about your topic is located.
4
Look online. Using a search engine and picking the top three
results isn’t necessarily the best method of researching; use critical thinking
to thoroughly read every source and
determine if it is legitimate. Websites, blogs, and forums online aren’t
required to publish facts only, so make sure that the information you find is
trustworthy.
·
Typically, websites that end with .edu, .gov, or .org contain information that is safe to use. That
is because these websites belong to schools,
the government, or organizations dealing with your topic.
·
Try changing your search
query often to find different search results for your topic. If nothing
seems to be coming up, it could just be that your search query isn’t matched
well with the titles of most articles dealing with your subject.
5
Use academic databases.
There are special search engines and academic databases available that
search through thousands of peer-reviewed or scientifically published journals,
magazines, and books. Although many of these require a paid membership to use,
if you are a current student in college you have free access through your university’s
membership.
·
Look for databases that cover your subject only. For example,
PsycInfo is an academic database
that holds nothing but works done by authors in the field of psychology and sociology. This will
help you to get more tailored results
than a very general search would.
·
Most academic databases give you the ability to ask for very
specific information by presenting multiple search query boxes as well as
archives containing only a single type of resource (such as only journal
articles or only newspapers). Take advantage of this ability to ask for
specific information by using as many of the query boxes as you can.
·
Visit your school library and ask the librarian for a full
list of the academic databases they subscribe to, as well as the passwords for
each.
6
Get creative with your
research.
If you find one
really awesome book or journal that fits your topic perfectly, try looking in
the works cited/bibliography/reference
list at the end of it. This should contain many more books and journals that
are about your topic as well.
Method 3 of 4: Making an Outline
1
Once
you’ve gathered all your research, print it out (if it is an online source) and
gather post-its or anything you need to mark notes in the books/magazines you
are using. This step is very important: read through your research, take notes
on what you think is important, and highlight key facts and phrases. Write
directly on copies you’ve made, or use slips of paper tucked into pages to mark
places of importance.[3]
·
Do a thorough job annotating to make your outlining and
paper-writing easier in the end. Make marks on anything that you think might be
remotely important or that could be put to use in your paper.
·
As you mark off important pieces in the research, add your
own commentary and notes explaining to yourself where you might use it in your
paper. Writing down your ideas as you have them will make writing your paper
much easier and give you something to refer back to.
2
Organize your notes. Annotating your
research can take quite a bit of time, but needs to be taken one step further
in order to add a bit more clarity for the outlining process. Organize your
notes by collecting all of your highlighted phrases and ideas into categories
based on topic. For example, if you are writing a paper analyzing a famous work
of literature, you could organize your research into a list of notes on the
characters, a list of references to certain points in the plot, a list of
symbols the author presents, et cetera.
·
Try writing each quote or item that you marked onto an
individual note card. That way, you can rearrange and lay out your cards
however you would like.
·
Color code your notes to make it easier. Write down a list of
all the notes you are using from each individual resource, and then highlight
each category of information in a different color. For example, write
everything from a particular book or journal on a single sheet of paper in
order to consolidate the notes, and then everything that is related to
characters highlight in green, everything related to the plot mark in orange,
et cetera.
3
Construct a preliminary bibliography/references
page. As you go through your notes, mark down the author,
page number, title, and publishing information for each resource. This will
come in handy when you craft your bibliography or works cited page later in the
game.
4
Identify the goal of the paper. Generally speaking,
there are two types of research paper: an argumentative research paper or an
analytic research paper. Each requires a slightly different focus and writing
style which should be identified prior to starting a rough draft.
·
An argumentative research paper takes a position on a
contentious issue and argues for one point of view. The issue should be
debatable with a logical counter argument.
·
An analytic research paper offers a fresh look at an
important issue. The subject may not be controversial, but you must attempt to
persuade your audience that your ideas have merit. This is not simply a
regurgitation of ideas from your research, but an offering of your own unique
ideas based off of what you have learned through research.
5
Determine your audience. Who would be reading
this paper, should it be published? Although you want to write for your
professor or other superior, it is important that the tone and focus of your
paper reflect the audience who will be reading it. If you’re writing for
academic peers, then the information you include should reflect the information
you already know; you don’t need to explain basic ideas or theories. On the
other hand, if you are writing for an audience who doesn’t know much about your
subject, it will be important to include explanations and examples of more
fundamental ideas and theories related to your research.[4]
6
Develop your thesis. The thesis statement is a
1-2 sentence statement at the beginning of your paper that states the main goal
or argument of your paper. Although you can alter the wording of your thesis
statement for the final draft later, coming up with the main goal of your essay
must be done in the beginning. All of your body paragraphs and information will
revolve around your thesis, so make sure that you are clear on what your thesis
is.[5]
·
An easy way to develop your thesis is to make it into a
question that your essay will answer. What is the primary question or
hypothesis that you are going to go about proving in your paper? For example,
your thesis question might be “how does cultural acceptance change the success
of treatment for mental illness?” This can then determine what your thesis is -
whatever your answer to the question is, is your thesis statement.
·
Your thesis should express the main idea of your paper
without listing all of your reasons or outlining your entire paper. It should
be a simple statement, rather than a list of support; that’s what the rest of
your paper is for!
7
Determine your main points. The body of your
essay will revolve around the ideas that you judge to be most important. Go
through your research and annotations to determine what points are the most
pivotal in your argument or presentation of information. What ideas can you
write whole paragraphs about? Which ideas do you have plenty of firm facts and
research to back with evidence? Write your main points down on paper, and then
organize the related research under each.
·
When you outline your main ideas, putting them in a specific
order is important. Place your strongest points at the beginning and end of
your essay, with more mediocre points placed in the middle or near the end of
your essay.
·
A single main point doesn’t have to be kept to a single
paragraph, especially if you are writing a relatively long research paper. Main
ideas can be spread out over as many paragraphs as you deem necessary.
8
Consider formatting guidelines. Depending on your
paper rubric, class guidelines, or formatting guidelines, you may have to
organize your paper in a specific way. For example, when writing in APA format
you must organize your paper by headings including the introduction, methods,
results, and discussion. These guidelines will alter the way you craft your
outline and final paper.[6]
9
Finalize your outline. With the
aforementioned tips taken into consideration, organize your entire outline.
Justify main points to the left, and indent subsections and notes from your
research below each. The outline should be an overview of your entire paper in
bullet points. Make sure to include in-text citations at the end of each point,
so that you don’t have to constantly refer back to your research when writing
your final paper.
4 Writing Your Paper
1
Write your body paragraphs. Although it may seem
counter-intuitive, writing your introduction first may be more difficult to
accomplish than starting with the meat of your paper. Starting by writing the main points (focusing on supporting your
thesis) allows you to slightly change and manipulate your ideas and commentary.
·
Support every statement you
make with evidence. Because this is a research paper, there shouldn’t be any
remarks that you make that cannot be supported by facts directly from your
research.
·
Supply ample explanations
for your research. The opposite of stating opinions without facts, is stating
facts with no commentary. Although you certainly want to present plenty of
evidence, make sure that your paper is uniquely your own by adding commentary
in whenever possible.
·
Avoid using many long,
direct quotes. Although your paper is based on research, the point is for
you to present your own ideas. Unless the quote you intend on using is
absolutely necessary, try paraphrasing and analyzing it in your own words
instead.
·
Use clear segues into
adjacent points in your paper. Your essay should flow well, rather than stopping and starting in a blunt fashion.
Make sure that each of your body paragraphs flows nicely into the one after it.
2
Now that you have carefully worked through your
evidence, write a conclusion that briefly summarizes your findings for the
reader and provides a sense of closure. Start by briefly restating the thesis
statement, then remind the reader of the points you covered over the course of
the paper. Slowly zoom out of the topic as you write, ending on a broad note by
emphasizing the larger implication of your findings.
- The goal of the conclusion,
in very simplified terms, is to
answer the question, “So what?” Make sure the reader feels like
(s)he’s come away with something.
·
It’s a good idea to
write the conclusion before the introduction for several reasons. First of all, the conclusion is easier
to write when the evidence is still fresh in your mind. On top of that, it’s
recommended that you use up your most
choice language in the conclusion and then re-word these ideas less strongly in
the introduction, not the other way around; this will leave a more lasting
impression on the reader.
3
The introduction is, in many respects, the conclusion written in reverse:
start by generally introducing the larger topic, then orient the reader in the
area you’ve focused on, and finally, supply the thesis statement. Avoid
repeating exact phrases that you already used in the conclusion.
4
Document your paper.
All research essays must be documented in
certain ways in order to avoid plagiarism. Depending on the topic of your
research and your field of study, you will have to use different styles of
formatting. MLA, APA, and Chicago
are the three most common citation formats and determine the way in-text
citations or footnotes should be used, as well as the order of information in
your paper.
·
MLA format is typically used for
literary research papers and uses a ‘works cited’ page at the end. This
format requires in-text citations.
·
APA format is used by researchers
in the social sciences field, and requires in-text citations as well. It ends
the paper with a “references” page, and may also have section headers between
body paragraphs.
·
Chicago formatting is used mainly for
historical research papers and uses footnotes at the bottom of each page rather
than in-text citations and a works cited or references page.
5
Edit your rough draft.
Although it is tempting to simply read over your
essay and use the spell-check tool, editing your paper should be a bit more
in-depth. Have at least one, but preferably two or more, person/people look
over your essay. Have them edit for basic grammatical and spelling errors as
well as the persuasiveness of your essay and the flow and form of your paper.
·
If you edit your own paper, wait at least three days before
returning to it. Studies show that your writing is still fresh in your mind for
2-3 days after finishing, and so you are more likely to skim over basic
mistakes that you would otherwise catch.
·
Don’t ignore edits by others just because they require a bit
more work. If they suggest that you rewrite a section of your paper, there is
probably a valid reason for their request. Take
the time to edit your paper thoroughly.
6
Create the final draft.
When you have edited and
re-edited your paper, formatted your work according to the subject matter, and
finalized all the main points, you are ready to create the final draft. Go through your paper and fix all mistakes,
rearranging information if necessary. Adjust the font, line spacing, and
margins to meet the requirements set by your professor or profession. If
necessary, create an introduction page and a works cited or references page to
bookend your paper. The completion of
these tasks finalizes your paper!
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