How to Begin Writing a Research Paper

Edited by Chelsea Baldwin, Tryme2, Meg, Maniac and 1 other

Writing a research paper can be a frightening, especially if it is one of those 10-page term papers. But sitting around and worrying about it won't get you anywhere. Here are some easy, simple steps to follow that will get you started out on the right foot.

Edit Steps

1
Decide on a topic. It may be already chosen by your professor, but you will usually have some liberty in deciding what exactly you write about. Choose something that is interesting to you and that you want to learn more about.

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2
Do some preliminary research. You may have an interesting topic, but if there isn’t much information out there, you’re going to dig yourself into a hole pretty quickly. Following the “See Also”, “Notes”, “References”, and “External Links” weblinks on Wikipedia is a good way to start.
3
Narrow down your sources. Use only the best of the online sources and search through the books and archives available at your local library for pertinent information.
4
Consolidate information. Whether you do it electronically or on note cards, unify the information by sub-topic, and be sure to label what source (and page, if information to flow. The outline can be as broad or as specific as you like it.
5
Write. Now that you’ve done all the dirty work, follow your outline, write your paper, and insert your facts where necessary.

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Edit Tips

Be sure to cite your sources correctly, depending on the format your professor specifies. Search for online citation guides and propagators.

Edit Warnings

Do not plagiarize. Re-write each piece of information into your own words. If you don’t want to do this, use quotation marks if you directly quote four words or more.
It is also considered plagiarism not to cite information from sources, even if they are not given in a direct quote.