Basic Steps To Writing A Research Paper

Writing a research paper is a science. It is a learned skill, which you can gain and apply throughout your college years. These proven and tested steps to writing a research paper will guarantee a good foundation for custom writing papers at college and relieve you from the everyday struggle with writer’s block and never - ending pressure from approaching deadlines:


Step # 1. Choose a good research paper topic and make sure that:

It raises questions you would like to answer;
It invokes strong feelings in you;
You can find authoritative information about it;
It provides an intellectual challenge or forces you to reflect on what you think;
It does not have many other people interested in it and scrambling for the same sources.

Step # 2. Find a focus for your research

List what you already know, then turn to brainstorming questions you would like to answer through your research. Ask yourself the following:

What is my tentative focusing question?
How other questions might help me explore that focus?

Step # 3. Give yourself enough time to work

Unless you plan to use a custom paper writing service, for an average length research paper you should give yourself a month for collecting materials, writing your first draft, and polishing your paper until it is perfect. At a bare minimum you should give yourself a week.

Write a quick schedule to help you allocate your time wisely: list the days you have left and the time during the day you will be able to work.

Take some time to familiarize yourself with the libraries you will be using. After all, each library has its own system for reference materials, which can be quite complicated. So, it is a good idea to talk to one of the reference librarians about where and how to start.

Step # 4. Do a preliminary search on your research paper topic

Look for books, journal articles, experts you can interview, web sites, videos, etc. Make sure you can find enough information to develop your research paper. Use information from a variety of reference sources. These sources include encyclopedias, almanacs, scholarly journals, books, magazines, and newspapers. Find these sources in print form, on CDs, or in the Internet.

Once you have found sources to help you answer your research question, be sure to evaluate them for authority, objectivity, relevance to your topic, currency, quality, and accuracy. Your professor is likely to estimate your research paper with a higher grade if it is based on scholarly and academic sources.

Step # 5. Prepare note cards for your research paper

Use note cards to record notes from each source you have utilized while writing a research paper. Number all your note cards to keep track of them and write down all bibliography information on a separate index card. This approach will help you identify footnotes and citations.

Try to be as accurate as possible when you write down statistics and direct quotes. Be sure to check for errors when you have finished. It is good to have a lot of pertinent quotes in a final draft, but keep in mind that no more than 10-15% of your written research paper should consist of quotations.

Step # 6. Write a rough draft

Use your note cards to write a rough draft of your research paper. As you have written your draft, use numbered footnotes to credit sources from which you have taken quotations or major ideas.

Step # 7. Experiment with "leads"

As you write your introduction, consider the following options to grab attention of your reader:

use an anecdote;
set a scene;
profile a person or provide background on your topic;
use a quotation;
compare two unlikely things that highlight a problem or dilemma;
open with a dialogue, question, or announcement.

As you develop your research paper, consider the following options for its style:

narrative;
problem-to-solution;
cause-to-effect (or vice versa);
question-to-answer;
known-to-unknown (or vice versa);
simple-to-complex;
general-to-specific (or vice versa);
comparison and contrast.

Write a strong conclusion.

Step # 8. Revise your rough draft

Make any changes needed to make sure that your ideas are clearly expressed, and your writing has accurate spelling and grammar.

Step # 9. Prepare your reference list

At the end of your research paper, provide a list of all sources you have used in your paper. Your note cards will help you list your sources of information in alphabetical order and format them according to a citation style assigned by your professor.

Step # 10. Create a title page

A title page is the first page of your research paper. It should include the title of your paper, the date, your name, and your teacher’s name. However, there are some differences in formatting the title page of your paper, depending on the research paper format you have been assigned.

Now you've got an idea of the scope of work that you will have to do. If you feel that you won't make it and afraid of failing to submit your research paper on time, find a site to help you write a research paper. This can be either a custom essay writing service or a single professional writing research papers and term papers for sale.

Tonia Walls is a founder of CustomResearchPapers.us - a site to help you write a research paper. If you need help writing essays or step-by-step online help for research paper and thesis writing, check out her blog: Steps To Writing A Research Paper

By: WallyT

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Tonia Walls is a founder of CustomResearchPapers.us - a site to help you write a research paper. If you need help writing essays or step-by-step online help for research paper and thesis, check out her blog: www.customresearchpapers.us/steps-to-writing-a-research-paper