Writing a Research Paper in Political Science - International Student Edition

PREFACE CHAPTER 1: So You Have to Write a Research Paper What Is a Research Paper? A Few Helpful Metaphors What Research Paper Writing Entails Blueprint of the Book CHAPTER 2: Getting Started: Finding a Research Question Characteristics of a Good Question Practical Summary Recipe 1: The Research Question Exercises CHAPTER 3: Learning Proper Citation Forms, Finding the Scholarly Debate, and Summarizing and Classifying Arguments: The Annotated Bibliography What Are Bibliographies, and Why Do We Bother With Them? Plagiarism versus Paraphrasing and Avoiding Drop-Ins and Transcripts, Too Annotating the Bibliography Identifying the Key Conceptual Issues Searching for Sources Identifying Similar Arguments and Grouping Your Sources One Last Word of Advice: Generic Schools of Thought Writing the Annotated Bibliography Practical Summary Recipe 2: The Annotated Bibliography Exercises CHAPTER 4: Making Sense of the Scholarly Answers to Your Research Question: Writing the Literature Review Preparing for and Understanding the Literature Review The Fundamentals of the Literature Review Writing the Literature Review Practical Summary Recipe 3: Literature Review Exercises CHAPTER 5: Effectively Distilling Your Argument: The Thesis, Model and Hypothesis The Thesis The Model The Hypothesis Applying These Insights Recipe 4: Model and Hypothesis Section Exercises CHAPTER 6: Revising and Editing Your Work: The Research-Writing-Thinking Spiral Practical Summary Recipe 5: Revising and Editing Exercises CHAPTER 7: Making Your Plan and Protecting Yourself from Criticism: The Research Design Research Design: The Courtroom and Medical Science Analogies Writing the Research Design Focusing on Hypothesis-Driven Research The Research Design: Two Examples Practical Summary Recipe 6: Research Design Exercises CHAPTER 8: Evaluating the Argument: The Analysis and Assessment Section Qualitative Analysis Mixed (Qualitative and Quantitative) Analysis Quantitative Analysis Practical Summary Recipe 7: Analysis and Assessment Exercises CHAPTER 9: Bringing the Paper Together in Three Essential Ways: The Conclusion, Introduction and Title Considering the Significance and Limitations of Your Findings: The Conclusion Writing a Good Introduction A Last Element in Attracting Readers: Developing an Appealing Title Almost Done: Writing an Abstract and Giving a Presentation Are You Done? The Joy (and Continued Responsibilities) of Finalizing Your Draft Practical Summary Recipe 8: Conclusion, Introduction, and Title Exercises BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX