Writing a Research Paper

When you begin to write your paper don’t worry about flow, spelling or grammar. These can be corrected later and it is much easier to develop an idea and steady thought process if you are not stopping to worry about these details. Just begin typing and let your mind go, jotting down everything you can think of regarding the subject, the content, arguments and counter arguments. Write it all down and then go back through it to determine what will work and how the content will be best structured.

Begin a research paper with a powerful assertion, one that will be clearly and definitively supported by your arguments. Peer reviewed papers are the most credible sources of information students will find to support their own research. Most school libraries will have peer reviewed articles on a range of subjects. That said in the past five years schools have recognized the legitimacy and permanence of the internet and it, along with books, journal and magazine articles and film media are all accepted research sources. Don’t forget to record detailed source information as you go, this will be very important when it comes time to cite your references.

Look through source material with a clear question in mind. Focus on that particular question as you look for supporting data and answers and try not to stray from the original idea too much, at least not at the start. As your argument develops there may be interesting aspects that you had not previously considered and that you now want to include and that is fine, but concentrate on the primary argument first. Use graphs, charts and statistics to support your research if that is appropriate. Be sure the conclusion is as concise as the introduction and that it re-iterates these statements in closing. Now edit for spelling, grammar and syntax and you are done!