How To Write A Research Paper

Even though there are several types of research papers, most have the same basic principals not matter what class they are for. If you learn these basics, any research paper will become easier to organize. With the basics down, you can then concentrate on researching the topic that you must write about.

Bibliographies

Bibliographies are the most important part to a research paper. Since you must show each source of information, it essential that you do this step first. As you gather all the information that you intend to use from the library and online, you will need to take notes so that you can return the books, magazines, and other materials. Once you have returned them or left the website, you may have trouble relocating them if you need the bibliography. The best practice is the write down the information you need in correct format before you even begin taking notes from the source. You can use either note cards or your computer to record the information, but make sure to include the author/authors, the title, the place and date of publication, and each page number that goes with each set of notes.

Outlines

Many teachers will ask for a working outline at the onset of a research paper. Don't panic thinking of all the information that you don't have, yet. Instead, think of this as a way to focus your research. Come up with an idea, event, or person related to the topic that has been assigned. Once you have that, you can begin looking at all the categories that could go into this topic. You may want to organize it as a timeline, as cause and effect, as a problem and solution, or as a persuasive message. With the overall organization pattern, you can start dividing it the idea into blocks of information with headings and subheadings. Depending on the teacher's requirements, you can use the Roman numeral traditional method of an outline, or you can follow the pattern that websites use as a site map. Organize the outline from the big picture down to the details.

Citations

To avoid plagiarizing, you must cite any information that you used from any of the texts you consulted, even if you paraphrase it into your own words. If you quote it directly, be sure to put quotation marks around the exact text. With either paraphrasing or direct quoting, you must use parenthetical citations to note the source. The format will vary depending on which method you have been told to use: MLA and APA are the most used in universities. To find how to do these two styles, you can consult websites and books that contain the proper format of citations and bibliographic notations for every type of source material you can think of. A couple of places to look include Purdue University's Online Writing Lab and Dartmouth's Writing Center. Most college bookstores have books devoted to just this topic.

With all of these steps, you still have to start in plenty of time to finish without feeling pressured. It won't do you any good to have all the steps right but miss the due date!