Curious Researcher, The: A Guide to Writing Research Papers, 9th edition

This print textbook is available for students to rent for their classes. The Pearson print rental program provides students with affordable access to learning materials, so they come to class ready to succeed.

For courses in Research Writing.

An engaging, direct writing style propels this inquiry-based guide to writing research papers

Featuring an engaging, direct writing style and inquiry-based approach, The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers stresses that curiosity is the best reason for investigating ideas and information. An appealing alternative to traditional research texts, The Curious Researcher stands apart for its motivational tone, its conversational style, and its conviction that research writing can be full of rewarding discoveries. Offering a wide variety of examples from student and professional writers, the text encourages students to find ways to bring fact-based writing to life. A unique chronological organization sets up achievable writing goals along with week-by-week guidance. Full explanations of the technical aspects of writing and how to document source-based papers help students develop sound research and analysis skills. The 9th Edition has been revised with new features and sections, a new thematic table of contents, and up-to-date coverage of MLA style.

Now available! Free copy of the Pearson Guide to the 2021 MLA Handbook

Download your free copy, for use with this title. Contents include:

• What Is MLA Documentation Style?
• The Basic Principles of Documenting
• A Three-Step Process for Documenting Sources
• Creating Your Works-Cited List
• Creating In-Text Citations
• Researching Online
• Sample Works-Cited List

• An engaging, informal writing style demonstrates and advocates for interesting writing, as evidenced by sections titled, “Magic Words on the World Wide Web,” and “The Internet Itch: Should You Scratch it First?”
• An emphasis on inquiry-based investigations challenges students’ assumption that research papers are empty rituals leading to foregone conclusions, rather than opportunities for discovery and learning.
• The five-week structure is designed to overcome procrastination by suggesting weekly activities (and assignments) that keep the process going.
• The latest information on using the Internet for research includes an extensive discussion of how to evaluate Web sources.
• Productive exercises help students actually write their papers, rather than engage in busywork not directly related to the assignment.
• An emphasis on selecting search terms helps students find what they need more efficiently in the library and on the Web.
• Each chapter follows the progress of a single student as she works to develop and draft her research essay using some of the book’s techniques.
• Full treatment of MLA and APA citation formats, including full coverage of electronic citation formats, now provides a comprehensive resource.
• Coverage of emerging digital sources and note-taking techniques shows how RSS feeds and podcasts can provide useful information, and how online technology like Google Notebook and Zotero could be alternatives to a pen and paper. The text also discusses the advantages of new technologies versus more traditional research tools.
• Coverage of reading like a researcher provides techniques for reading source material strategically and critically.
• NEW! Presenting Research in Alternative Genres, a recurring feature, helps students to reimagine their projects as a slide presentation, infographic, photographic essay, or poster.  They will find tips for choosing, planning, designing, and reflecting on a relevant genre for their research project.
• NEW! Latest approaches on how to think about sources: Inspired by the recent Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, a dramatic new report from the group that represents university librarians, this edition encourages students to see sources in a more rhetorical context.
• UPDATED! Updated MLA citation conventions: With the publication of the latest MLA Handbook came a revolution in how to document sources in the humanities. This edition includes a straightforward and lively discussion of these changes that will help students adapt to the new style, including lots of examples.
• NEW! More help on crafting search terms: Now more than ever, care in choosing search terms and phrases for library databases and Web searches makes a huge difference in the quality of results. This edition includes new ways of thinking about how to come up with the best language.
• NEW! New sections on narrative and argumentative logic: From the beginning, The Curious Researcher advocated the exploratory research essay as a useful alternative to the argumentative research paper. The new edition looks at each option more closely, examining how essay and argument draw on different reasoning strategies and helping students choose which is most appropriate for their project.
• NEW! A new thematic table of contents is organized around five key categories: research skills, research strategies, writing and rhetoric, inquiry, and genre, which helps users who want to tailor their use of the book to meet the needs of a particular course, or the particular challenges of their students.

The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers, 9th Edition is also available via Revel™, an interactive learning environment that enables students to read, practice, and study in one continuous experience. Learn more.

• Presenting Research in Alternative Genres, a recurring feature, helps students to reimagine their projects as a slide presentation, infographic, photographic essay, or poster.  They will find tips for choosing, planning, designing, and reflecting on a relevant genre for their research project.
• Latest approaches on how to think about sources: Inspired by the recent Framework for Information Literacy for Higher Education, a dramatic new report from the group that represents university librarians, this edition encourages students to see sources in a more rhetorical context.
• Updated MLA citation conventions: With the publication of the latest MLA Handbook came a revolution in how to document sources in the humanities. This edition includes a straightforward and lively discussion of these changes that will help students adapt to the new style, including lots of examples.
• More help on crafting search terms: Now more than ever, care in choosing search terms and phrases for library databases and Web searches makes a huge difference in the quality of results.  This edition includes new ways of thinking about how to come up with the best language.
• New sections on narrative and argumentative logic: From the beginning, The Curious Researcher advocated the exploratory research essay as a useful alternative to the argumentative research paper. The new edition looks at each option more closely, examining how essay and argument draw on different reasoning strategies and helping students choose which is most appropriate for their project.
• A new thematic table of contents is organized around five key categories: research skills, research strategies, writing and rhetoric, inquiry, and genre, which helps users who want to tailor their use of the book to meet the needs of a particular course, or the particular challenges of their students.

The Curious Researcher: A Guide to Writing Research Papers, 9th Edition is also available via Revel™, an interactive learning environment that enables students to read, practice, and study in one continuous experience. Learn more.