"The Lost Art of Research-Paper Writing"

by Donna Garner

November 22, 2002

Students no longer need the excuse "The dog ate my research paper" because in a large majority of our nation's schools, there are no research papers for the dog to eat! Many high-school teachers around the country have quit teaching research-paper writing because they simply do not know how to keep their students from plagiarizing off the Internet. Rather than facing the problems which arise when students cheat, many teachers are backing away from teaching a full-fledged research paper at all.   

Meanwhile, businesses are clamoring for employees who can do quality research and who can then write up their research in such a way that there is no chance of litigation being filed against their companies.

Colleges and university professors are complaining because their students no longer know how to do independent research. When papers are assigned, many college students are taking the easy way out by plagiarizing because they really do not know a systematic way to go through the research process. 

After teaching in the public schools for over 27 years, I have spent several years in a private, Christian school where. we have required our students to research both contemporary and literary topics using the fifth edition of Joseph Gibaldi's MLA HANDBOOK FOR WRITERS OF RESEARCH PAPERS (ISBN 0-87352-975-8, c. 1999). We have developed two research-paper packets -- one for English I - II and another for English III - IV. The process which we have devised is very explicit and sequential. Students are monitored at each step in the research process and during the writing of their papers.  We  believe we have found a way to make sure students do their own independent research.

We want to offer our research packets (plus an important document entitled "Steps to Research Paper") free-for-the-taking to anyone who wants to use them. For that reason, the packets have been mounted on our school's website ( http://www.ctcslions.com/english.htm ) under English Research Papers I - IV).  We want public schools, private schools, charter schools, and homeschoolers to make use of our materials. The papers are mounted in WORD, PDF, and HTML for easy accessibility. By downloading the papers and computerizing them, teachers can feel free to change the content to make them specific to their own students' needs. CTCS is a private, Christian school; but educators in the secular setting can easily utilize the materials by making a few changes via their computers. We are claiming no authorship or copyright privileges.

Donna Garner

English Teacher

Central Texas Christian School