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11/21/2016

HowtoWriteaResearchPaper:PickingaTopic
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Homework Center (/homework/) Writing Skills (/homework/writingskills1.html)

How to Write a Research Paper


What is the first step in writing your paper?
Establish Your Topic
1. Try to pick a topic that's fun and interesting. If your topic genuinely interests you, chances are
you'll enjoy spending time working on it and it won't seem like a chore.
2. Finding a topic can be difficult. Give yourself plenty of time to read and think about what you'd
like to do. Trying to answer questions you have about a particular subject may lead you to a
good paper idea.

What subject(s) are you interested in?


What interests you most about a particular subject?
Is there anything you wonder about or are puzzled about with regard to that subject?

Research Papers

3. Once you have a topic, you will probably need to narrow it down to something more
manageable. For example, say you are assigned to write a 10-page paper, and you decide to
do it on Ancient Egypt. However, since Ancient Egypt is a big topic, and you only have a limited
number of pages, you will have to focus on something more specific having to do with that
topic.

1. Establish your topic.


2. Look for sources of information.
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Too general:
Ancient Egypt.

3. Read your sources and take


notes.
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Revised:
The building of the pyramids of Ancient Egypt.

4. Organize your ideas.


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4. One method for coming up with a more specific focus is called brainstorming (or freewriting).
Brainstorming is a useful way to let ideas you didn't know you had come to the surface.

Sit down with a pencil and paper, or at your computer, and write whatever comes into your head
about your topic.
Keep writing for a short but specific amount of time, say 35 minutes. Don't stop to change what
you've written or to correct spelling or grammar errors.
After a few minutes, read through what you've written. You will probably throw out most of it, but
some of what you've written may give you an idea that can be developed.
Do some more brainstorming and see what else you can come up with.

5. Write a first draft.


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6. Use footnotes or endnotes to
document sources.
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7. Write a bibliography.
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8. Revise the first draft.
(/homework/t9revise.html)
9. Proofread the final draft.
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