Throughout college you will be required to write research papers.

A research paper can

be used for exploring and identifying scientific, technical and societal issues. If it's your
first time writing a research paper, it may seem daunting, but with good organization
and focus of mind, you can make the process easier on yourself. Writing a research
paper involves four main stages: choosing a topic, researching your topic, making an
outline, and doing the actual writing. The paper won't write itself, but by planning and
preparing well, the writing practically falls into place. Also, try to avoid plagiarism.

1
Part

Choosing Your Topic

1.

1
 Ask yourself important questions. Although you may be limited by specific classroom
or work related guidelines, choosing your topic is the first and most important step in
your research paper project; regardless of whether your topic can be anything you want
or has rigid requirements, it is important to keep a few questions in mind: Is there
enough research available on this topic? Is the topic new and unique enough that I can
offer fresh opinions? Is it pertinent to my class/occupation?

Expert Answer

Q
When asked, "How do you start a research paper?"

EXPERT ADVICE

Chris Hadley, PhD in Clinical Psychology, responded: "Reading. Lots of

reading.Research papers typically begin with a review of the relevant literature. The
review provides the context for the current study: why is it needed? What missing
questions is it intended to address? What theories are pertinent?"
2.
 2
Pick something you love. Whenever possible, choose a topic that you feel passionate
about. Choosing just any old topic is not enough. You want to choose something that
you will enjoy because at the end of the day this is your education, and you want to
make the most of your education even if the class is not interesting or in your major. In
addition, choosing a good topic that you are interested in will make the writing process
that much easier.
3.
 3
Get advice. If you are struggling to come up with a topic that feels “just right,” ask your
professor, coworkers/classmates, or a tutor for advice. They will likely have great ideas
that might guide you in the right direction. Asking a professor for help may seem
frightening, but if they are worth anything as a professor, they want you to be successful
with your work, and will do what they can to make that happen.
4.
4
Don’t be afraid to change your topic. If you choose a topic, begin researching, and
realize that it isn’t the right decision for you for some reason, don’t fret! Although it
requires a bit more time, you have the ability to change your topic even after you begin
researching others.
Score
0/4
Part 1 Quiz
What is the most important element to consider when choosing a research topic?
If you are passionate about the subject.
 If there is enough information about the topic.

If the topic has never been written about before.

If the topic is persuasive.

Part2
Researching
1.

1
Begin your research. With a topic selected, the next step is to begin research. There
are two forms of research, primary sources like journal articles and newspaper articles,
and secondary sources like web articles. Most professors want you to use primary
articles, however look at the assignment for specifics. Normally you can use web
 articles so long as you meet the requirements for primary sources. Ir is better to use
several sources than just 5, so if you are struggling with the length of your paper, then
you should try and add more sources. [1]
2.

2
Visit the library. Take a trip to your local library or university library. Although it may
seem old fashioned, libraries are chock full of helpful research materials from books to
newspapers and magazines to journals. Don’t be afraid to ask the librarian for help
either - they are trained in research and know where everything about your topic is
located.
3.
 3
Look online. Using a search engine and picking the top three results isn’t necessarily
the best method of researching; use critical thinking to thoroughly read every source
and determine if it is legitimate. Websites, blogs, and forums online aren’t required to
publish facts only, so make sure that the information you find is trustworthy.
 Typically, websites that end with .edu, .gov, or .org contain information that is safe to
use. That is because these websites belong to schools, the government, or
organizations dealing with your topic. Try adding s i t e : e d u to your Google search. You
can also add P D F alongside that format.
  Try changing your search query often to find different search results for your topic. If
nothing seems to be coming up, it could just be that your search query isn’t matched
well with the titles of most articles dealing with your subject.
4.

4
Use academic databases. There are special search engines and academic databases
available that search through thousands of peer-reviewed or scientifically published
journals, magazines, and books. Although many of these require a paid membership to
use, if you are a current student in college you have free access through your
university’s membership.
  Look for databases that cover your subject only. For example, PsycINFO is an
academic database that holds nothing but works done by authors in the field of
psychology and sociology. This will help you to get more tailored results than a very
general search would.[2]
 Most academic databases give you the ability to ask for very specific information by
presenting multiple search query boxes as well as archives containing only a single type
of resource (such as only journal articles or only newspapers). Take advantage of this
ability to ask for specific information by using as many of the query boxes as you can.
 Visit your school library and ask the librarian for a full list of the academic databases
they subscribe to, as well as the passwords for each.
5.
 5
Get creative with your research. If you find one really awesome book or journal that
fits your topic perfectly, try looking in the works cited/bibliography/reference list at the
end of it. This should contain many more books and journals that are about your topic
as well.
Score
0/4
Part 2 Quiz
What would be the best resource to use for a paper on tetanus?
A peer-reviewed article by a doctor.

A video of what tetanus looks like.

A blog written by a tetanus survivor.

A dictionary definition of tetanus.

3
Part

Making an Outline
1.
 1
Annotate your research. Once you’ve gathered all your research, print it out (if it is an
online source) and gather post-its or anything you need to mark notes in the
books/magazines you are using. This step is very important: read through your
research, take notes on what you think is important, and highlight key facts and
phrases. Write directly on copies you’ve made, or use slips of paper tucked into pages
to mark places of importance.[3]
 Do a thorough job annotating to make your outlining and paper-writing easier in the end.
Make marks on anything that you think might be remotely important or that could be put
to use in your paper.
  As you mark off important pieces in the research, add your own commentary and notes
explaining to yourself where you might use it in your paper. Writing down your ideas as
you have them will make writing your paper much easier and give you something to
refer back to.
2.

2
Organize your notes. Annotating your research can take quite a bit of time, but needs
to be taken one step further in order to add a bit more clarity for the outlining process.
Organize your notes by collecting all of your highlighted phrases and ideas into
categories based on topic. For example, if you are writing a paper analyzing a famous
 work of literature, you could organize your research into a list of notes on the
characters, a list of references to certain points in the plot, a list of symbols the author
presents, et cetera.
 Try writing each quote or item that you marked onto an individual note card. That way,
you can rearrange and lay out your cards however you would like.
 Color code your notes to make it easier. Write down a list of all the notes you are using
from each individual resource, and then highlight each category of information in a
different color. For example, write everything from a particular book or journal on a
single sheet of paper in order to consolidate the notes, and then everything that is
related to characters highlight in green, everything related to the plot mark in orange, et
cetera.
3.
 3
Construct a preliminary bibliography/references page. As you go through your
notes, mark down the author, page number, title, and publishing information for each
resource. This will come in handy when you craft your bibliography or works cited page
later in the game.
4.

4
Identify the goal of the paper. Generally, speaking, there are two types of research
paper: an argumentative research paper or an analytic research paper. Each requires a
slightly different focus and writing style which should be identified prior to starting a
rough draft.
  An argumentative research paper takes a position on a contentious issue and argues
for one point of view. The issue should be debatable with a logical counter argument.
 An analytic research paper offers a fresh look at an important issue. The subject may
not be controversial, but you must attempt to persuade your audience that your ideas
have merit. This is not simply a regurgitation of ideas from your research, but an offering
of your own unique ideas based on what you have learned through research.
5.

5
Determine your audience. Who would be reading this paper, should it be published?
Although you want to write for your professor or other superior, it is important that the
 tone and focus of your paper reflect the audience who will be reading it. If you’re writing
for academic peers, then the information you include should reflect the information you
already know; you don’t need to explain basic ideas or theories. On the other hand, if
you are writing for an audience who doesn’t know much about your subject, it will be
important to include explanations and examples of more fundamental ideas and
theories related to your research.[4]
6.

6
Develop your thesis. The thesis statement is a 1-2 sentence statement at the
beginning of your paper that states the main goal or argument of your paper. Although
you can alter the wording of your thesis statement for the final draft later, coming up
with the main goal of your essay must be done in the beginning. All of your body
 paragraphs and information will revolve around your thesis, so make sure that you are
clear on what your thesis is.[5]
 An easy way to develop your thesis is to make it into a question that your essay will
answer. What is the primary question or hypothesis that you are going to go about
proving in your paper? For example, your thesis question might be “how does cultural
acceptance change the success of treatment for mental illness?” This can then
determine what your thesis is - whatever your answer to the question is, is your thesis
statement.
 Your thesis should express the main idea of your paper without listing all of your
reasons or outline your entire paper. It should be a simple statement, rather than a list
of support; that’s what the rest of your paper is for!
7.
 7
Determine your main points. The body of your essay will revolve around the ideas
that you judge to be most important. Go through your research and annotations to
determine what points are the most pivotal in your argument or presentation of
information. What ideas can you write whole paragraphs about? Which ideas to you
have plenty of firm facts and research to back with evidence? Write your main points
down on paper, and then organize the related research under each.
 When you outline your main ideas, putting them in a specific order is important. Place
your strongest points at the beginning and end of your essay, with more mediocre
points placed in the middle or near the end of your essay.
 A single main point doesn’t have to be kept to a single paragraph, especially if you are
writing a relatively long research paper. Main ideas can be spread out over as many
paragraphs as you deem necessary.
8.
 8
Consider formatting guidelines. Depending on your paper rubric, class guidelines, or
formatting guidelines, you may have to organize your paper in a specific way. For
example, when writing in APA format you must organize your paper by headings
including the introduction, methods, results, and discussion. These guidelines will alter
the way you craft your outline and final paper.[6]
9.
9
Finalize your outline. With the aforementioned tips taken into consideration, organize
your entire outline. Justify main points to the left, and indent subsections and notes from
your research below each. The outline should be an overview of your entire paper in
bullet points. Make sure to include in-text citations at the end of each point, so that you
don’t have to constantly refer back to your research when writing your final paper.
Score
0/4
Part 3 Quiz
 What is the most important reason to come up with a thesis statement early in
your writing process?
So you can organize your essay to prove your point.

The thesis statement comes first in your essay.

You might have to submit your thesis statement to your professor before the entire essay.

The thesis statement is the most difficult part of the essay.

Part4
Writing Your Paper
1.
 1
Write your body paragraphs. Although it may seem counter-intuitive, writing your
introduction first may be more difficult to accomplish than starting with the meat of your
paper. Starting by writing the main points (focusing on supporting your thesis) allows
you to slightly change and manipulate your ideas and commentary.
 Support every statement you make with evidence. Because this is a research paper,
there shouldn’t be any remarks that you make that cannot be supported by facts directly
from your research.
 Supply ample explanations for your research. The opposite of stating opinions without
facts is stating facts with no commentary. Although you certainly want to present plenty
of evidence, make sure that your paper is uniquely your own by adding commentary in
whenever possible.
 Avoid using many long, direct quotes. Although your paper is based on research, the
point is for you to present your own ideas. Unless the quote you intend on using is
absolutely necessary, try paraphrasing and analyzing it in your own words instead.
 Use clear segues into adjacent points in your paper. Your essay should flow well, rather
than stopping and starting in a blunt fashion. Make sure that each of your body
paragraphs flows nicely into the one after it.
2.
 2
Write the conclusion. Now that you have carefully worked through your evidence,
write a conclusion that briefly summarizes your findings for the reader and provides a
sense of closure. Start by briefly restating the thesis statement, then remind the reader
of the points you covered over the course of the paper. Slowly zoom out of the topic as
you write, ending on a broad note by emphasizing the larger implication of your findings.
 The goal of the conclusion, in very simplified terms, is to answer the question, “So
what?” Make sure the reader feels like (s)he’s come away with something.
 It’s a good idea to write the conclusion before the introduction for several reasons. First
of all, the conclusion is easier to write when the evidence is still fresh in your mind. On
top of that, it’s recommended that you use up your most choice language in the
 conclusion and then re-word these ideas less strongly in the introduction, not the other
way around; this will leave a more lasting impression on the reader.
3.

3
Write the introduction. The introduction is, in many respects, the conclusion written in
reverse: start by generally introducing the larger topic, then orient the reader in the area
you’ve focused on, and finally, supply the thesis statement. Avoid repeating exact
phrases that you already used in the conclusion.
4.
 4
Document your paper. All research essays must be documented in certain ways in
order to avoid plagiarism. Depending on the topic of your research and your field of
study, you will have to use different styles of formatting. MLA, APA, and Chicago are the
three most common citation formats and determine the way in-text citations or footnotes
should be used, as well as the order of information in your paper.
 MLA format is typically used for literary research papers and uses a ‘works cited’ page
at the end. This format requires in-text citations.
 APA format is used by researchers in the social sciences field, and requires in-text
citations as well. It ends the paper with a “references” page, and may also have section
headers between body paragraphs.
 Chicago formatting is used mainly for historical research papers and uses footnotes at
the bottom of each page rather than in-text citations and works cited or references
page.
5.

5
Edit your rough draft. Although it is tempting to simply read over your essay and use
the spell-check tool, editing your paper should be a bit more in-depth. Have at least one,
but preferably two or more, person/people look over your essay. Have them edit for
basic grammatical and spelling errors as well as the persuasiveness of your essay and
the flow and form of your paper.
  If you edit your own paper, wait at least three days before returning to it. Studies show
that your writing is still fresh in your mind for 2-3 days after finishing, and so you are
more likely to skim over basic mistakes that you would otherwise catch.
 Don’t ignore edits by others just because they require a bit more work. If they suggest
that you rewrite a section of your paper, there is probably a valid reason for their
request. Take the time to edit your paper thoroughly.
6.

6
Create the final draft. When you have edited and re-edited your paper, formatted your
work according to the subject matter, and finalized all the main points, you are ready to
create the final draft. Go through your paper and fix all mistakes, rearranging
information if necessary. Adjust the font, line spacing, and margins to meet the
requirements set by your professor or profession. If necessary, create an introduction
page and a works cited or references page to bookend your paper. The completion of
these tasks finalizes your paper! Make sure to save the paper (in multiple places, for
extra security) and print out your final draft.
Score
0/4
Part 4 Quiz
Why is it important to finish your paper with a great conclusion?
To summarize your main points.

To tell the reader why they read the paper.

To give the reader something to think about.

All of the above.

Sample Research Papers and Outlines

Sample Scientific Research Paper

Sample Environmental Research Paper
 Sample Research Paper Outline

Community Q&A
 Question

Does making a research paper require me to invent something new or it is just

about gathering information?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer

It can be for the both, whether you invent something new to implement or you gather
some sort of data based valuable information and synthesize it.
Not Helpful 15Helpful 81

 Question

What about can I write for the introduction?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
 The introduction should set out what you intend to discuss and prove in the research
paper, and outline the approaches per topic or heading section. It is also nice to open
the topic and lead into it in an interesting way that helps the reader to want to read on.
Not Helpful 22Helpful 75

 Question

How do we know what topic is better than the other ones?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer

To be honest there is no rule book or a set of formulas which will give you the best or
better topic. Once you have a number of topics in hand you need to evaluate as to
which topic interests you and your audience more.
Not Helpful 13Helpful 40

 Question

How do I make a questionnaire?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer

See Make a Questionnaire for the method needed.

Not Helpful 19Helpful 45

 Question

Where can I go for publishing a research paper?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer

You can publish a research paper through established journals or you can use open
source online publishing sites, such as SSRN or Researchgate. If your research paper
is long enough, you could also publish it as a small book or an ebook, and disseminate
it via book sales sites and stores.
Not Helpful 19Helpful 41

 Question

What should be the length of the research paper?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
 Long enough to strongly answer your thesis. If you can cover it in 10 pages wonderful. If
you need to utilize 50 pages that is great too. If you are forcing a specific number of
pages than your work may come off as too repetitive or poorly written. You don't want to
over exhaust the topics or include unless information just to get a page count.
Not Helpful 12Helpful 28

 Question

Do you need to number the second and third pages?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer

If you are numbering the pages, then yes, the second and third pages should be
numbered.
Not Helpful 17Helpful 36

 Question

Can you use contractions in a research paper?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer

Yes, but it is best to write a research paper without contractions. If you must use them,
make sure they are spelled correctly and used in the right places.
Not Helpful 12Helpful 27

 Question

Where should we attach our questionnaire in the research paper?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer

I believe that the questionnaires are attached in the appendix section of the paper with
the survey forms, raw data, documentations and other tables.
Not Helpful 3Helpful 10

 Question

How can I write correct English words for other languages such as Thai?

wikiHow Contributor
Community Answer
 There should be a standardized way of writing Thai words in English. If there is more
than one convention, you can choose one and state which one you're going to use in
the preface to your paper.
Not Helpful 7Helpful 10

Show more answers

Unanswered Questions
 Does doing research need to have a site visit or questionnaire? Can i just refer to
the rules or classification society?
Answer this question Flag as...

 If my thesis question is how does caffeine affect the body? What would my thesis
statement be?
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 Can I write a paper based on a hypothetical condition? The condition may never
come true but it is interesting.
Answer this question Flag as...

 My research paper is on a specific animal species and I need to answer given

areas. Should I use a headline above the paragraphs when I address these?
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 How is essay writing used in the academic setting?

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Tips
 Be sure to get your assignments done on time.

 Do not wait until the last minute to do so.

 Look for the important themes, questions and key issues when researching. Try to
home in on what you really want to explore rather than having too many broad ideas in
the paper.

 Make sure that the information matches the topic and is accurate.

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References
1. ↑ http://www.infoplease.com/homework/t3sourcesofinfo.html
2. ↑ http://www.ebscohost.com/academic
3. ↑ http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/552/03/
4. ↑ http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/02/
5. ↑ http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/thesis_statement.shtml
6. ↑ http://libguides.jcu.edu.au/content.php?pid=83923&sid=3619280

Article Info
FEATURED ARTICLE

This article was co-authored by Chris Hadley, PhD, a trusted member of wikiHow's
community. Chris Hadley, PhD is part of the wikiHow team and works on content
strategy and data and analytics. Chris Hadley earned his PhD in Cognitive Psychology
from UCLA in 2006. Chris' academic research has been published in numerous
scientific journals.

Categories: Featured Articles | Research Papers

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Italiano: Scrivere una Tesina di Ricerca, Español: escribir un trabajo de

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