Tips for writing a great research paper

M R S . L I G O S L M S , B A Y S H O R E M I D D L E S C H O O L

Tips for Writing a Great Research Paper

Understanding your Assignment

Understand the topic and your teacher’s requirements

- Is this an explanatory or informational report ?

if so, focus on the facts

- Is this a persuasive report?

if so, include your own opinion to persuade the reader

Understanding your Assignment

Understand the length and requirements given by your teacher

How many pages or slides?

Does my report require video or images?

What format can I use (paper/multimedia)?

What freedom do I have in picking my topic?

Where can I find resources?

When is my deadline?

Choosing your Topic

Choose a topic that interests you

Conduct preliminary research to make sure that you will have enough resources to persuade or inform your reader

Getting Organized

Define your main idea

Be a “detective” and conduct thorough research

-include information from various sources: books, videos, interviews, websites, maps

Create an outline, mind map or K-W-L chart to collect and organize your thoughts

Example of an OutlineTopic: Armadillo

I. Introduction

II. What do they look like?

A. Size

1. 14 -30 inches long

2. 9-66lbs

B. Armor

1. Hard outer shell

2. Can roll up in a ball for protection

III. Where do they live?

A. Region (North & South America)

B. Burrows

IV. Conclusion

Example of a Mind Map

Armadillo

Size

Food/Diet

Habitat

9-66Lbs

burrow

North & South

America

K-W-L

What I know already What I want to know What I have learned

I know they have hard armor covering their bodies

Why do they have armor?

To protect them against predators such as: bears, wolves and cougars. They also have bad eye sight which makes them vulnerable.

Tips for Writing

Your report should have an introduction, body and conclusion (beginning, middle end)

Your introduction should include something to keep your reader interested such as an interesting statistic or descriptive word picture.

Your conclusion should summarize what you know. Think about what you want your reader to remember.

Examples of Introductions

The armadillo looks like a slow animal, carrying its heavy armor but it isn’t. It can travel up to speeds of 30mph.

It is three and a half million square miles of sand, rocks and mountains about the size of the United States and covers parts of ten countries. It is the Sahara, the world largest desert.

More Tips for Writing

Building sentences and paragraphs

a sentence contains a subject + a verb

a sentence contains at least one thought

start a new paragraph with each new idea

each paragraph should contain a topic sentence, several sentences that support evidence or provide information, a concluding sentence

Don’t be boring! Include information to keep your reader interested

Review your Work

Reread your report. Sometimes reading aloud helps you identify areas that do not flow.

Make sure your spelling and grammar is correct.

Have someone else preview your work and give you constructive comments.

Give credit to all of your sources!

Bibliography

Gaines, Ann. Ace Your Research Paper. Berkeley Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2009. Print.

Scholastic Writer's Desk Reference. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Print.