QUALITY IN BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY(A Study into the History and Development of Quality in Business and Industry)

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RESEARCH PAPER WRITING GUIDELINES
To write a research paper you must first conduct the research regarding the topic of
your interest. This may include reading about the topic in various sources such as
assigned text books, academic literature, periodicals, newspapers, and the Internet.
In some cases you may also interview the subject experts. The information gathered
from these sources is then compiled to support the focal points that you want to
address in your paper.
Please refer to the Assessment Scheme for the minimum numbers of words required
for the research paper that you are about to write.
The following steps will assist you in writing a research paper.

STEP 1: CHOOSE A TOPIC
1. Choose a topic which interests and challenges you. Your attitude towards the
topic will have major impact on the effort and enthusiasm you put into your
research. You can also select one of the suggested topics (see the course
Assessment Scheme). In selecting a topic for the research paper, ask yourself
the following questions:
What interests you the most about a particular subject?
Is there anything you want to explore further or are curious about with
regard to that subject?
2. Once a topic is selected, you need to narrow the subject down to a manageable
scope/focus.
One method for coming up with a more specific focus is called brain storming.
This entails putting your main idea in a circle in the middle of the page, then write
down whatever comes into your head about your topic. Write as many thoughts
as you can. Don't stop to change what you have written or to correct spelling or
grammar errors.

STEP 2: FIND INFORMATION
1. Surfing the Net. Read and evaluate. Bookmark your favorite Internet sites. Pay
attention to domain name extensions, e.g., .edu (educational institution), .gov
(government), or .org (non-profit organization). These sites represent institutions

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and tend to be more reliable, but be watchful of possible political bias in some
government sites. Be selective of .com (commercial) sites.
2. Check out ACU On line Library. Use the electronic catalog to look for books,
periodicals, magazines, etc. on your topic. If you find a book that is useful, check
the bibliography (list of sources) in the back of that book for other books or articles
on the same topic. Check with ACU librarian (see the office hours posted on ACU
site) if you need help finding sources.
Don't rely on just one source for all your information.
3. As you gather your resources, jot down full bibliographical information (author,
title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, page numbers, URLs,
creation or modification dates on Web pages) on your work sheet, or enter the
information into your computer for later retrieval. Keep a list of all the sources that
you use. This information will help you to write the bibliography in Step 6.

STEP 3: STATE YOUR THESIS
Do some critical thinking and write your thesis statement down in one sentence. Your
thesis statement is a declaration of your belief. The main body of your essay will
consist of arguments to support and defend this belief.

STEP 4: MAKE AN OUTLINE
Develop an outline to organize your ideas. An outline shows your main ideas and the
order in which you are going to write about them.
The purpose of an outline is to help you think through your topic carefully and organize
it logically before you start writing. A good outline is the most important step in writing a
good paper. Include in your outline an INTRODUCTION, a BODY, a CONCLUSION
and a paragraph on RECOMMEDATIONS / APPLICATIONS.
1. INTRODUCTION - State your thesis and the purpose of your research paper
clearly. What is the objective of the paper? State also how you plan to approach
your topic. Explain briefly the major points you plan to cover in your paper and
why readers should be interested in your topic.

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2. BODY - This is where you present your arguments to support your thesis
statement. It consists of a number of paragraphs in which you develop your ideas
in detail.
Don't attempt to discuss more than one main idea per paragraph.
Prove your points by using specific examples, quotations, grounded
theories, supporting literature.
Use transitional phrases to ensure a smooth flow of ideas from
paragraph to paragraph.

3. CONCLUSION - Restate your thesis. Summarize your arguments. Explain why
you have come to this particular conclusion.

4. RECOMMENDATIONS / APPLICATIONS - Based on the search results and
conclusion derived, propose at least three recommendations for implementation
at work or daily life. The recommendations should be both relevant and feasible.

STEP 5: WRITE YOUR FIRST DRAFT
This is the most important stage in writing a research paper. Here you will analyze,
synthesize, and articulate on the information you have gathered and hopefully learn
something about your topic which is the real purpose of doing a research paper in the
first place. You must be able to effectively communicate your thoughts, ideas, insights,
and research findings to others through written words.
Do not include any information that is not relevant to your topic. Opposing views should
also be noted if they help to support your thesis.
Make sure the information that you have noted is carefully summarized and
paraphrased in your own words, if possible. Credit the sources for all ideas borrowed.
Plagiarism is ground for invalidating your paper. For detailed information, see the
power point presentation on How to Avoid Plagiarism in Research Writing posted on
ACU platform.

STEP 6: WRITE A BIBLIOGRAPHY
A bibliography is a list of the sources you used to get information for your report. It is
included at the end of your report.

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You will find it easier to prepare your final bibliography if you keep track of each book,
periodical, magazine, or article you use as you are reading and taking notes described
in Step 2.
When assembling a final bibliography, list your sources (texts, articles, interviews, and
so on) in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources that don't have authors
(encyclopedias, movies) should be alphabetized by title. For detailed information, see
the power point presentation on APA Style and Why Use posted on ACU learning
platform.

STEP 7: PROOF READ AND FINALIZE YOUR DRAFT
Read your paper for any content errors. Arrange and rearrange ideas to follow your
outline. Always keep the purpose of your paper and your readers in mind.
Checklist for the contents of the paper:
1. Is your thesis statement clear?
2. Did you follow the outline drafted in Step 4?
3. Are your arguments presented in a logical sequence and supported with
documented evidence and examples?
4. Have you proved your thesis with strong supporting arguments?
5. Have you made your points interesting and convincing but remained
objective?
6. Are all sources properly cited to ensure that you are not plagiarizing?
Checklist for the writing Style:
1. Did you begin each paragraph with a proper transitional phrase?
2. Is there any run-on or unfinished sentences?
3. Does one idea flow smoothly into the next?
4. Did you avoid using contractions? Use "cannot" instead of "can't", "do not"
instead of "don't"?
5. Did you write as a third person? Avoid using phrases such as "I think", "I
believe", "I suppose"
6. Did you leave the reader(s) with a sense of completion at the end of the
paper?
Proof-read your paper for grammatical errors. Do a spell check. Use a dictionary or a
thesaurus as needed.
Practice makes Perfect.

Continue to refine your research writing skills.

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