creating better papers through better research and accurate citation

Month: March 2021

Essay vs. Research Paper

From the time that you turn your tassel at your High School Graduation, one major change is going to take place in your writing and composition: you will shift from mainly essay-writing to the wonderful world of Research Papers! 

What’s the Difference Between Essays and Research Papers?

Some notable aspects of the essay:

  • Essays are generally written from a personal point-of-view
  • Essays generally are written from the first-person (I, me, we) 
  • Essays sometimes include a few quotes or facts
  • Essays might be written as a call to action

Some notable aspects of the Research Paper: 

  • Research Papers are not opinion-based; instead, they are academically-focused
  • Research Papers are written in the third person
  • Research Papers include an evaluation of the various scholarly views on the topic
  • Research Papers depend on direct and indirect quotes and references to support the claims made by the author

How do I get started writing my Research Paper?

Writing a research paper is a process. You do not simply open up a new document and begin typing. The work begins in the library (in-person, online, or preferably, a combination of both); you must gather your resources, create a thesis, and build an outline before you begin writing. When writing, remember, a research paper is highly-structured, and it must be documented properly. 

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For help with gathering resources for your research, check out our custom search engine on this post: https://turabiantutor.com/search-free-resources 
For help with the properly structuring and formatting your paper, check out the template on this post: https://turabiantutor.com/turabian-templates

Easy Bibliography/Footnotes

Sure, you can manually type each footnote and bibliography entry. However, it is much easier to use an online generator. These are helpful tools, but the generated information should be closely examined before your final draft to ensure accuracy.

One of my favorite resources is eTurabian. It can be accessed by visiting https://www.eksendia.com. You can generate a footnote for nearly any resource. My favorite tool on this website is the ISBN lookup, that allows you to enter the ISBN number of a book rather than typing in each field. Try it out at https://www.eksendia.com/tm/requestISBN.aspx.

Because eksendia is in archive status, it will not be around forever. Fear not! There are other resources, such as https://www.citationmachine.net/turabian

Turabian Template

The file below will give you a basic crash course on writing your paper in the Turabian format. This template was designed by Liberty University’s School of Divinity.

Feel free to use the document as a guide for properly formatting your papers. One useful aspect of the sample paper is that it can be used as a template for your own paper; simply change the headings and labels, and paste in your original content. Remember, this template is not a substitute for learning the ins and outs of Turabian formatting yourself, but it serves as a good basic guide.

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