How to write an A+ research paper

Start with the Library

Basic steps

STEP 1. CHOOSE A TOPICSTEP 2. FIND INFORMATIONSTEP 3. STATE YOUR THESISSTEP 4. MAKE A TENTATIVE OUTLINESTEP 5. WRITE YOUR FIRST DRAFTSTEP 6. REVISE YOUR OUTLINE AND DRAFTSTEP 7. TYPE FINAL PAPER

STEP 1. CHOOSE A TOPIC

Your instructor has presented you with a research assignment. It is up to you to find a good topic. You have an idea…

But you are unsure of the direction.

STEP 1. CHOOSE A TOPIC

• Keep a diary of your ideas and progress. • Talk it over with your instructor.• Talk it over with your peers.• The more you brainstorm or talk about

your topic you will have a broader understanding of what you want to research.

STEP 2. FIND INFORMATION

Come to the library and talk it over with the librarian.

We will help you find information to support your topic

STEP 2. FIND INFORMATION

The library has several resources to help you develop your topic. They include...

• Encyclopedias• Specialized titles• Online Databases

• E-Books• Academic Journals• Magazines• Newspapers• Multimedia

The LRC Articles Database

Below are databases with thousands of periodicals containing millions of full-text articles and electronic books.  Many of the periodicals are scholarly journals. The databases are categorized by

• General - Magazine and Journals • Specialized Databases• Citation Pages• New Resources• E-books

STEP 2. FIND INFORMATION

Great places to start when looking for information on controversial issues are the following databases. Each database will give you…

• An overall understanding on the issue• Argumentative sides to the issue• Statistics• Additional resources

Facts.com Opposing Viewpoints

STEP 2. FIND INFORMATION

Facts.com Issues and Controversies helps researchers understand the crucial issues we face today, exploring more than 800 hot topics in business, politics, government, education, and popular culture. Updated weekly, with links to a 12-year back-file, Issues and Controversies offers in-depth articles made to inspire thought-provoking debates. This database is great for research papers and debate prep.

Found in “General” Articles and Databases

STEP 2. FIND INFORMATION

Opposing Viewpoints in Context is the premier online resource covering today’s hottest social issues, from Offshore Drilling to Climate Change, Health Care to Immigration. Opposing Viewpoints in Context helps students research, analyze and organize a broad variety of data for conducting research, completing writing assignments, preparing for debates, creating presentations and more.

Found in “Specialized” Articles and Databases

Additional Resources

• The library has additional databases with millions of resources available.

• There are limitless possibilities…

STEP 3. STATE YOUR THESIS

Now that you have an idea and you have found supporting resources, it is time to state you thesis.

Do some critical thinking and write your thesis down in one sentence. A thesis statement is like a declaration of your opinion about a topic. The main portion of your paper will consist of arguments to support and defend this opinion.

STEP 4. MAKE A TENTATIVE OUTLINE

“An outline enables you to judge the relevance of facts and opinions, to organize your ideas in paragraphs and to determine their most effective order.”

Coyle, William and Joe Law. Research Papers. Boston: Wadsworth, 2010. Print.

STEP 5. WRITE YOUR FIRST DRAFT

When writing your first draft, be sure to include the resources you have found at the library.

Refer to your…• Notes• Outline• Scholarly resources

After writing your first draft, you may even find that you need more information.

Plagiarism

IT IS UNETHICAL TO PLAGIARIZETo avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you

use:• another person’s idea, concept or theory; • any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings—any pieces of

information—that are not common knowledge; • quotations of another person’s actual spoken or

written words; or • paraphrase another person’s spoken or written

words. http://www.indiana.edu/~wts/pamphlets/plagiarism.shtml

STEP 6. REVISE YOUR OUTLINE AND DRAFTSTEP 7. TYPE FINAL PAPER

Always consult with your instructor when writing a research paper to ensure you are on the right path.

MLA & APA

MLA & APA style guides are available in the library.

They are also available 24/7 on the library’s website.

Articles / databases Citation pages

Learning Tools

When in doubt…talk it out

Research help is available during library hours and 24/7 using Research Help Now Virtual Reference.

Thank You

Questions