本书是针对不知道什么是论文，没有写过任何论文的本科大学生和其他学习者编写的。其最大特点是用论文样本说话，手把手、一步一步地教给学生查资料、做研究、写论文的方法，把写作理论与写作实践高度统一起来。本书兼顾文、理、工科各类高校的学生，让他们把学到的英语知识运用到本专业的论文设计、写作中去，为未来搞好科研工作，参加国际学术交流会议，在国际学术刊物发表文章，在国际学术出版社出版论著奠定良好的基础。

本书尤其适合高校英语专业和其他专业毕业论文写作教学。它既体现了高等学校英语专业高年级教学大纲所要求的内容，又体现了国内外流行的科研论文写作规范(特别是MLA和APA的格式与规范)和修辞要求，并结合论文样本条分缕析地一一进行分析讲解。因此，本书的设计具有创新理念，可操作性强，有利于课堂教学与自学。

本教程是一本英语论文写作的入门教科书，共10个单元，内容包括对论文的界定、选题方法、研究过程，书目卡和文摘卡的制作、列提纲的方法、论文的组织、文摘资料与行文的融合、论文中语法与文体的要求、初稿的写作与论文的修改、文前文后部分的处理与安排等。正文后附有10篇论文样本，再加上第9单元中的1篇，共11个样本。全书10个单元内容的讲解都紧密结合了这11个样本。因此，本教程最大的特点是用论文样本说话，手把手、一步一步教给学生查资料、做研究、写论文的方法，把写作理论与写作实践高度统一起来。

本教程适合高校英语专业和其他专业毕业论文写作教学使用，兼顾文、理、工科各类专业的学生。

Unit 1 Understanding the Research Paper

  1. 1 Definition of a Research Paper

  1.2 Components of a Graduation Research Paper

  1.3 The Importance of Writing a Research Paper

  1.4 Kinds of Research Papers

  1.5 Steps Involved in Writing a Research Paper

Unit 2 Ways in Choosing a Topic

 2. 1 Identifying a General Subject Area

 2.2 Defining the Topic

2.2.1 Importance and Interest

2.2.2 Manageability

2.2.3 Availability of Resources

 2.3 Resources Guiding Your Choice of Topic

2.3. 1 Popular General Encyclopedias

2.3.2 Specialized Encyclopedias

2.3.3 Biographical Sources

2.3.4 Unabridged Dictionaries

2.3.5 Periodicals

2.3.6 Other Sources

 2.4 Making a Hypothesis for Your Topic

Unit 3 Process of Doing the Research (I)

 3.1 Using the library and Electronic Sources

 3.2 Preparing a Working Bibliography

3.2.1 Format for a Working Bibliography

3.2.2 Electronic Working Bibliography

  3.3 Reading Reference Materials

  3.4 Evaluating Sources

Unit 4 Process of Doing the Research (II)

  4.1 Format of the Note Cards

  4.2 Forms of Note Cards

4.2.1 The Quotation Note Card

4.2.2 The Paraphrase Note Card

4.2.3 The Summary Note Card

4.2.4 The Comment Note Card

4.2.5 Note in Chinese Origin

  4.3 Note-Taking on a Computer

  4.4 Avoiding Plagiarism

Unit 5 Outlining the Research Paper

  5.1 The Thesis Statement

5.1.1 Factors in Shaping a Thesis Statement

5.1.2 Acquiring the Thesis Statement

5.1.3 Functions of the Thesis Statement

5.1.4 Principles for Wording the Thesis Statement

 5.2 The Purpose Statement

 5.3 The Outline

5.3.1 Outline Formats

5.3.2 Types of Outlines

Unit 6 Organization of the Research Paper

 6.1 The Structure of a Research Paper

 6.2 Rhetorical Principles in Paragraphs and in the Paper as a Whole

6.2.1 unity

6.2.2 Coherence

6.2.3 Cohesion

6. 2.4 Emphasis

6.2.5 Completeness

Unit 7 Incorporating the Notes into Flow of the Paper

 7.1 Use of Summary-and-Paraphrase Notes

 7.2 Use of Quotation Notes

7.2. 1 How to Make an Alteration in a Quotation

7.2.2 How to Fit a Quotation into a Text

7.2.3 How to Use a Brief Quotation

7.2.4 How to Use a Long Quotation

7.2.5 How to Use Quotations from Poetry

7.2.6 How to Use Quotations from Drama

7.3 Punctuation with Quotations

 7.4 Use of Personal Comments

7.4.1 Interpreting Materials

7.4.2 Marking Transitions

7.4.3 Drawing Conclusions

Unit 8 Style and Grammar in Research Paper

 8.1 Style

 8.2 Diction

8.2.1 Precision

8.2.2 Economy

 8.3 Sentence Structure

8.3.1 Overuse of Intransitive Verbs

8.3.2 Run-on Sentences

8.3.3 Sentence Fragments

 8.4 Tense

8.4.1 Tense Used in Applied-Science Study

8.4.2 Tense Used in Describing Literature

8.4.3 Tense Used in Discussing Theory or Philosophy

8.4.4 Tense Used in Reporting Research Results

8.4.5 Tense Used in Writing a Literary Review

  8.5 Verb Voice

8.5.1 In Scientific and Technical Papers

8.5.2 Without Concern for the Doer

8.5.3 In Need of a Post-Modifier

8.5.4 In Avoidance of Vague Pronoun Subject

8.5.5 For Variety of Writing

  8.6 Authorial Voice

  8.7 Tone

Unit 9 Writing the Drafts--From the First Draft to the F'mal

   Manuscript

  9.1 The First Draft

  9.2 The Second Draft

  9.3 The Third, Fourth, and Fifth Drafts

  9.4 The Final Manuscript

Unit 10 Front Matter and Back Matter

  10.1 The Front Matter

 10.1.1 The Cover

 10.1.2 The Prospectus

 10.1.3 The Approval Sheet

 10.1.4 The Title Page

 10.1.5 The Outline Page

 10.1.6 The Abstract Page

  10.2 The Back Matter

 10.2.1 Acknowledgment

 10.2.2 Notation

 10.2.3 Appendix (es’)

 10.2.4 Bibliography

 10.2.5 The Final Typescript

 10.2.6 The Oral Defense for Your Paper

Appendix A Sample Papers

Appendix B A Sample of Prospectus

Bibliography

Index