Step by Step Guideon How to Write a Research Paper
Choosing a topic: Interest, information, and focus - Your job will be more pleasant, and you will be more apt to retain information if you choose a topic that holds your interest. Even if a general topic is assigned ("Write about impacts of GMO crops on world food supply"), as much as possible find an approach that suits your interests.
Preliminary reading & recordkeeping - Gather some index cards or a small notebook and keep them with you as you read. First read a general article on your topic, for example from an encyclopedia. On an index card or in the notebook, record the author, article, and/or book title, and all publication information in the correct format (MLA or APA, for example) specified by your instructor.
Organizing: Mind map or outline - Based on your preliminary reading, draw up a working mind map or outline. Include any important, interesting, or provocative points, including your own ideas about the topic. A mind map is less linear and may even include questions you want to find answers to.
Formulating a thesis: Focus and craftsmanship - Write a well-defined, focused, three- to the five-point thesis statement, but be prepared to revise it later if necessary. Take your time crafting this statement into one or two sentences, for it will control the direction and development of your entire paper.
Researching: Facts and examples - Now begin your heavy-duty research. Try the internet, electronic databases, reference books, newspaper articles, and books for a balance of sources.
Rethinking: Matching mind map and thesis - After you have read deeply and gathered plenty of information, expand or revise your working mind map or outline by adding information, explanations, and examples. Aim for balance in developing each of your main points
Drafting: Beginning in the middle - Write the body of the paper, starting with the thesis statement and omitting, for now, the introduction (unless you already know exactly how to begin, but few writers do).
Revising: Organization and attribution - Read, revise, and make sure that your ideas are clearly organized and that they support your thesis statement. Every single paragraph should have a single topic that is derived from the thesis statement.
Writing: Intro, conclusion, and citations - Write the final draft. Add a one-paragraph introduction and a one-paragraph conclusion. Usually, the thesis statement appears as the last sentence or two of the first, introductory paragraph.
Proofreading: Time and objectivity - Time permitting, allow a few days to elapse between the time you finish writing your last draft and the time you begin to make final corrections. This "time out" will make you more perceptive, more objective, and more critical.
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