●This eighth edition of Writing the Research Paper: a Handbook makes no assumptions about its potential users. No other prerequisites are required to use this book other than enrollment in a class that requires the writing of a research paper. Whatever the student needs to know about how to use the library or how to explore a search engine for ideas on a particular subject will be found in this new edition.
●This new edition was made necessary by changes in the protocols of research paper writing and documentation made in 2009 by both the Modern Language Association (MLA) and the American Psychological Association (APA). Most of these changes were admittedly microscopic, but they nevertheless have to be observed. Every new trait or shift in style, now the law of the land of research, is faithfully covered here with many examples. We have added a new paper written in MIA style and updated the APA example. The CMS paper has also been tweaked to reflect changes, even minor ones, in the Chicago Manual of Style.
●In this edition, we finally bid goodbye to the familiar card catalog that had come down to us through the ages. In earlier editions we felt obliged to pay lip service to what was in its day the best classification technology available. This edition, however, concentrates on the computer and the vast opportunities for research it has bestowed on the researcher, professional or amateur.