1. Research Proposal
Every project should start with the proposal. It shouldn't extend over 500 words and should reflect what the topic of the paper is. A proposal is not static, and changes will occur over time. This doesn't mean there were mistakes in the proposal, but rather show that the project is evolving.
2. First Readings
First readings include things like encyclopaedias and study guides / textbooks. These give an overview of the topic as well as will give you key words and special terminology. It will also indicate the leading literature and leading scholars in the area. This prevents you from time-consuming mistakes, especially with regards to terminology.
3. Library Catalog
A library is a concentration of useful sources. The catalog reflects all the resources in the library and is a great starting point to find all the books that you need. These will guide you to your first readings and to some seminal works.
4. Commercial Electronic Databases & the Internet
Although Google is now the first stop for doing searches, it may surprise you to know that not every database is accessible via Google. It is also well-known by now that not all resources found via Google are legitimate or truthful, or even scholarly. Commercial databases are often not accessible to Google, and so you would need to conduct searches on each database.
Topics are generally first addressed in law reviews and legal journals before appearing in books. Over a year, there are thousands of papers being published and databases help you in finding these papers.
5. International and Comparative Materials
Social sciences are affected by globalisation. You can enrich your paper by referring to the application or status of your research topic in other countries. This will expand the perspective and study of the elements under analysis, and provide the opportunity to look at other solutions.
6. Working Bibliography
You will find that you will be generating a lot of materials from your previous steps. So a working bibliography will be not only useful, but necessary. It will include a list of materials divided into the following groups: legislation, court cases, books, law reviews / journal articles, and websites. It will be a work in progress, and will grow with the project. Annotations of each work may also assist you.
7. Working with the Materials (or how to skim)
When screening your materials that you find, consider the following: the title of a work, the author, the journal and the date of publication. These will indicate the usefulness and reliability of the article. Then look at the table of contents, which will show you the outline and the main topics addressed. Then the introduction and conclusion, as these will summarise the main claims and conclusions. If you are still interested in the material, then read the first sentence of each paragraph which will present the main topic in each paragraph. This allows you to avoid useless reading.
Thereafter you need to organise the materials, perhaps by marking in the categories of relevant (R), not relevant (N/R) and interesting (I). You can do this by marking each paper physically, or by filing on your computer. Keep in mind that you will need to follow alphabetical order in your bibliography, so perhaps use the same order in your organisation of materials so that you can easily find them.
8. Structural Outline
The proposal and working bibliography will allow you to draft an outline. Outlines of papers should include, but isn't limited, to the following: introduction and state of affairs, postulation of the claim (s), analysis of the claim (s), and conclusion (s). You can add in additional information as needed.
While using the outline, make sure that you mark each tab with its sections.
9. Additional Research
Research is a knowledge-building process, and materials that may be not relevant may become relevant. Repeat steps 3 to 5 once you have completed the structural outline.
Common mistakes to be avoided when looking at research:
It may also be useful to consult studies from other disciplines that will provide a richer context for understanding.
10. Writing & Referencing
It is difficult to pinpoint the time to start writing, but if you find yourself going in circles with materials, it may be useful for starting to write. When writing, consider the audience you are writing for. Try to keep sentences short and develop one main idea per paragraph.
Become familiar with your referencing style and when to reference. Once you have an understanding of it, then you will be able to recognise when to reference easily. Consult the style early on in the writing process. In general, be consistent in your references. This way, even if you have made a mistake, you have consistently made that mistake and it shows your professionalism. Use your Word program fully to introduce cross-referencing, if applicable.
11. Reviewing & Editing
Writing is only as effective as its clarity. Start your reviewing process while you are writing because it will allow you to fix any unclear areas. Do not leave this till last, because it takes time! Many outside editors take a while to edit - follow their guidance and save enough time to review and edit.
12. Blue-Ribbon Draft
A blue ribbon draft is simply a high quality draft. By following the above steps and doing conscious research, writing and editing, the draft you will produce will be of high quality and will be in an almost final stage. At this point, others looking through your work may do a more thorough examination of the work.
A blue ribbon draft will include the following elements: a cover page, a table of contents, the body of the paper, a list of references, and a page for reviewers to add final comments. Hard copies are shared easily and usually preferred, but not always. Ask your reviewer which they prefer. All footnotes should already be in the correct format.
13. Feedback
Once your draft is ready, seek feedback from others. Edits and suggestions will move papers from mediocre to good or good to excellent. Feedback needs to be analysed and considered carefully. You can reject feedback, but you would need to be able to clarify your reasons why. Keep copies of all feedback with these reasons.
Manuscript language should be
Prevent spelling errors by using a spellchecker in English (SA). Common language errors include incorrect tenses, grammar, sentences, and paragraphs.
Paragraphs
Tenses
Take care to use the proper tenses.
Present tense: Use the present tense for known facts and hypotheses
Past tense: Use the past tense for describing experiments that have been conducted and the results of these experiments
Remember: avoid shifting tenses within a unit of text: a paragraph, sub-section or section.
Grammar
Use the active voice to shorten sentences.
The passive voice can be used in the Methods section, but otherwise using the active voice will shorten sentences and make them more dynamic and interesting for the reader. The phrase "we found that" signals to the reader that you are describing results. It is more concise than "it has been found that there had been", and more to the point.
Avoid abbreviations and acronyms
Eliminate redundant words or phrase
Double check unfamiliar words or phrases
Sentences
Write direct and short sentences.
The average length of sentences in scientific writing is only about 12-17 words.
Include only one piece of information per sentence
Sentences should be in short, factual bursts.
Avoid making multiple statements in one sentence
Convey a single idea per sentence. Link sentences together within a paragraph to provide a clear storyline.
Keep related words together
Closely place the subject and verb to allow the reader to understand what the subject is doing.
Pay attention to the order in which you write a sentence
The "stress position" within a sentence contains new information to be emphasized. The "topical position" contains old information leading to the point to be emphasized. The topical position comes before the stress position.
Put statements in a positive form
Plan
Prepare
Practice
Perform
Polish
