After Reading >> Writing Practice

I. A Brief Introduction

One of the most difficult parts of writing about complex and serious topics is actually doing the research. The following guidelines might be helpful for you to get the information in the most efficient way possible.

Step 1 The first place you should go to conduct research is the library. University libraries, especially those on research-based campuses, are great resources. You should begin your research by searching the library catalogs for books and journals that relate to your topic.

Step 2 Once you’ve found your written sources, start searching online databases for electronic copies of scholarly journals. Databases like JSTOR and Science Direct contain a wealth of information that may be relevant to your topic.

Step 3 If you still need more sources after you’ve dug through the databases, use Google Scholar. While you’re less likely to find full-text articles this way, the abstracts of articles that you find can be very useful. Some information may be the same as what you’ll find in the databases, but you may find that you’re coming across new sources.

Step 4 The last place that you should go to get resources for your research paper is to general search sites, such as Google or Yahoo. Very few of the results that these sites return will be suitable for inclusion in your source list. However, many websites do contain useful statistics or articles that you can use to improve your research paper.

II. A Sample

The Civil Rights Movement in the U.S.

The first Africans in America arrived in 1619. By 1640, Maryland became the first colony to institutionalize slavery.

In 1860, the election of Abraham Lincoln as President led to the outbreak of the U.S. Civil War. The progress of the war produced The Emancipation Proclamation freeing slaves, and ultimately ended slavery in the United States.

Even though the slavery ended, racial segregation persisted. For example, public facilities and government services such as education were divided into separate “white” and “colored” domains. Those for colored were underfunded and of inferior quality.

The Civil Rights Movement was a struggle against racial oppression and prejudice. It was at a peak from 1955 to 1965. Rosa Parks was arrested for sitting in the “wrong” part of the bus. She worked with civil rights organizations to start the Montgomery Bus Boycott and helped end segregation on buses in the South. Mary McLeod Bethune created schools for black students and worked with several U.S. presidents to make sure all children receive a good education. Martin Luther King gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech and led the Montgomery Bus Boycott. One important achievement of the Civil Rights Movement was the passage of Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, national origin in employment practices and public accommodations.

Forty years after the civil rights era, the United States remains, in some area, a residentially segregated society. Small businesses in black neighborhoods still receive fewer loans. Recent studies show that groups of homeowners of all races tend to self-segregate in order to be with people of the same education level and race. Today, many whites are willing, and are able, to pay a premium to live in a white neighborhood. Therefore, it is believed that much remains to be done before full and complete equality is achieved.

III. Homework

Suppose you are an American and an advocate of the civil rights movement in the U.S. You are now invited to speak for about three minutes to a group of overseas students about the movement. Write a speech script which should cover the following points:

(1) When were the first black people brought to America? How were they treated in the new land?

(2) How did black Americans live in the U.S. after slavery ended?

(3) What gave rise to the civil rights movement? Who was its leader?

(4) What has the civil rights movement helped to bring about?

(5) Why is it believed that much remains to be done before black Americans enjoy full equality?