Research Paper

A research paper typically has 5-7 pages and contains anywhere from 10-15 sources.  This makes the task of writing a research paper pretty challenging, so this post is dedicated to learning about how to write a research paper.

Finding Research Paper Topics:

  • Choose a topic that is unique, and for which a good reason exists for studying it.
  • Choose a topic that interests you. The topic of a research paper should be interesting to you as well as the audience.
  • Choose research topics that have sufficient information from quality sources so that you have enough material to cite in your paper.

Choosing a Title:

  • Put thought into the title of your research paper so that it will catch the reader's interest.
  • Keep your title short and descriptive.

Researching your Paper:

  • Take advantage of all the resources you can to conduct your research, including libraries, librarians, the Internet, online research papers, and even interviews.
  • It can be helpful to buy a research paper online so you can use it as a model for your own paper.  Viewing a research paper sample is a great learning tool for writing a paper.
  • An example research paper can also be used as a source of information and for its bibliography.
  • Once you find a site that sells research papers, see if there are viewable abstracts about the paper or quoted text from the paper.  Viewing this information can help you determine the paper's quality before you buy.

Writing a Thesis Statement:

  • The thesis statement is included in your introduction and is an extremely important part of your paper.
  • As you formulate your thesis statement, keep in mind that the rest of your research paper will consist of arguments supporting and defending your statement.
  • A thesis statement should be powerful, engaging, simple and to the point.

Supporting Arguments:

  • The arguments that you make to support your thesis statement belong in the body of your research paper.  This is where the sources you used to conduct your research will be cited.
  • Organize your arguments into clear, logical paragraphs that the reader can understand.
  • Write an outline of your research paper first to ensure that the construction of your paper is logical and organized.

General Research Paper Tips:

  • Proofread your work and get others to proofread your work.
  • Make sure your sources are quoted and in the correct format.
  • Maintain objectivity throughout your paper, but also make sure that you have supported your thesis.
  • In your conclusion, make sure that you reiterate your thesis and show how you've supported it, but do so briefly and concisely.

Remember too that there are plenty of online resources that can help you with all aspects of writing an essay.  Be sure to take advantage of these sites, as they offer a wealth of information.

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