The International Student's Guide to Writing a Research Paper

Book excerpt: The International Student’s Guide to Writing a Research Paper is a reference text for undergraduate students and those in ESL or bridge courses who are writing a research paper for the first time. This book is partly an update of Writing a Research Paper (by Lionel Menasche, 1998) and partly a companion to The ESL Writer’s Handbook. Each section of the book includes a discrete task called a Building Block, which requires students to apply the skills learned toward the development of their own paper. This step-by-step approach allows students to construct knowledge as they become more familiar with the process, making writing a research paper a less intimidating task. Special features: This guide uses simple direct language for those for whom writing a research paper is new. Most example writing is from international students in an ESL program or first-year writing class, including two sample papers—one in APA and one in MLA. A section on responding to instructor feedback to provide students with the tools to read and understand comments and use them to improve the first draft. A subsection dedicated to constructing clear and cohesive paragraphs and sentences. The guide includes citation and style examples in MLA 8th edition.