Got a big research paper to write? Properly
researching your paper can seem like a mammoth
task, but it's not nearly as daunting if you
break it down into steps. Read on to find out how
to prepare your research paper with the minimum
amount of fuss and the maximum amount of impact.
!! Steps !!
Decide on your objective. Spend some time
thinking about what you want your paper to
accomplish. Do you want it to prove your
viewpoint? Explain a topic? You'll want to
have a clear focus [1] before you begin your
research. You also need to know what kind of
paper you are doing, for example literary
analysis, historical, scientific, etc. This
will determine the structure and style of your
paper.
* Know the specialized requirements sought by your educational
institution with respect to format, style, and content for a
research paper in a specific field. Sometimes the requirements are
very exacting.
* Choose a title. Pick a clear and concise title to sum up your
paper. Keep the title focused, so that your paper goes into one
specific subject or question really deeply, rather than giving a
less informative overview of the entire topic area. Make it fit in
with your objective, for example, if you were aiming to write an
analytical paper, consider saying something more like "How far did
X affect Y", rather than just "What were the effects of X".
However, be prepared to change this if your research takes you in
a different direction.
* List some key words. Make a list of key words
on your topic that will be helpful in locating information when
you conduct online and offline searches. Making a mind map [2] of
all the topics and sub-topics you are thinking about covering can
be very helpful.
Go to the library [3]. While you can find an
abundance of material with your laptop, to get
an actual book on a topic, plus find academic
papers, journals, and other subscriber-only
materials, you'll need to head to a library.
Find a quiet spot, grab some books and get
down to work! You can find books by looking
down the shelves [4] of books for that topic,
asking a librarian, or using the library
catalogue, if there is one. Libraries may also
have desks, so take advantage of this and
spread out your notes and books!
* Don't forget to use reserved or reference sections. These will
usually carry the most popular information as well as restricted
borrowing items.
Make some notes [5] on your sources. Get down any facts, and make
detailed notes from a variety of sources, as long as your notes are
*completely in your own words [6]*. If you don't think you can
write something in your own words but you need to include it, you
can always directly quote the source, as long as you use speech or
quote marks "" and make it absolutely clear that it is a quote, and
referencing where you got it from in the footnotes [7] or endnotes.
If the books have any relevant pictures, you could also scan the
pages and include them in your paper, as long as you reference
where you got them too! Don't be afraid to make your notes
colourful, as well as making them more interesting to look at;
doing this can help you keep organised, for example by
colour-coding by sub-topic. If you want, you could also scan in or
photocopy some of your paper sources, so you can make notes or
highlight *on* copies of them!
* If reading PDFs [8] online, learn how to highlight text for quick
return referencing when writing up your paper.
* Avoid leaving notes pencilled in the margins of library books.
This is a nuisance for later readers; always erase any marks you
make.
* Check library indexes. Use the library's
indexes to find articles in periodicals, like trade journals and
magazines. They'll contain the very latest information on your
subject, and are much more likely to be peer-reviewed and
reliable. Ask a librarian for help if you need it - they will know
better than anyone what information there is available to you
there.
* Go online. Now you can do some online
research by plugging in those keywords you listed at the start.
Only take information from reputable sites and organisations [9].
Wikipedia, for example, has been shown to be about as accurate as
"proper" encyclopaedias, but isn't completely accurate and
wouldn't be respected as a research source unless your educational
institution has said otherwise. It *can* be put to good use
however, to gather a brief overview of the topic and to send you
to other sources that are considered reputable; look at bottom of
any Wikipedia article – see which sources they used to decide
whether these might be useful to you too! There is also a large
number of books, or portions of books that can be found online,
without cost or a great amount of effort. Check places like Google
Books and the Gutenberg Project.
Find statistics [10]. While you're
researching the facts, don't forget the
figures. Find some useful statistics to aid
your research. Helpful search words when
looking for statistics include "percent
of," "Census Bureau," and "survey
results." These will be more useful if
you're writing a more scientific or economics
paper, but can also be used to illustrate a
point in a wide variety of topics. Once you
have the statistics, you can always use a
program like Excel [11] to make them into
graphs to include in your paper.
* Be sure to analyse the statistics with care and not simply pick
and choose elements of them to meet what you want them to
demonstrate.
* Don't forget the videos. See if there are any
documentaries on your topic. These will be more visual, more
interesting to research, and will also add some variation to your
list of sources! Check the television schedules of some relevant
documentary channels, look around for DVDs or some older
documentaries can also be found on places like YouTube [12]. If
you do quote from a video, be sure to cite it properly.
* Start writing [13]. Organise your research,
mull it over, and then start writing! Once you've started, don't
be afraid to go back to the library to do a little more research
in a particular area if needed, or to alter your title slightly if
one area of your research is particularly interesting or detailed.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* If your library doesn't have a book you need, ask the librarian
if they can borrow it from another branch.
* Note your sources carefully as you go along to make the
bibliography easier - and to prevent plagiarism [14]! Read How to
Cite Sources [15] for a list of the details you will need to
include for each type of source.
* Consider interviewing [16] an expert in the field you're
researching. It's a guaranteed way to impress your professor. If
you can't find an accessible expert, think about doing a search
online for an expert in the relevant field and sending them an
email.
!! Warnings !!
* Avoid procrastination [17]. It would be a good idea to make a
realistic time plan [18] of when you expect to complete each stage
of your paper and stick to it. Stay focused and never leave
anything to the last minute.
* Always be wary of plagiarism [19]. Write only in your own words
[20], and properly cite [21] any sources you use, not just quotes.
This may seem like a bit of a hassle, but noting down everything
you've read will also impress your professor with how much work
you have put into the paper.
* If more than one person is researching the same topic, or you have
been set it as a group, make sure you get to the library early.
Otherwise the others could have checked all the books on that
topic out already!
!! Things You\'ll Need !!
* Library
* Notebook
* Internet access
* Expert to interview (optional)
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Find Primary Source Documents [22]
* How to Research for a Historical Essay/Paper [23]
* How to BS Your Way Through a College Paper [24]
* How to Write a Research Essay [25]
* How to Be a More Detailed Writer [26]
* How to Write a Thesis Statement [27]
* How to Structure a Dissertation [28]
!! Sources And Citations !!
* Research a Paper video from Howcast,
http://www.howcast.com/videos/873-How-To-Research-a-Paper [29] -
Original Source of text and images, shared with permission.
* http://homeworktips.about.com/od/paperassignments/a/writing.htm
[30] - Research source
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
Links:
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[1] http://www.wikihow.com/Focus
[2] http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Mind-Map
[3] http://www.wikihow.com/Locate-a-Book-in-a-Library
[4] http://www.wikihow.com/Use-the-Dewey-Decimal-System
[5] http://www.wikihow.com/Take-Notes
[6] http://www.wikihow.com/Write-in-Your-Own-Words
[7] http://www.wikihow.com/Cite-Sources
[8] http://www.wikihow.com/Turn-Documents-Into-PDFs-for-Free-%28Windows%29
[9] http://www.wikihow.com/Evaluate-the-Credibility-of-a-Source
[10] http://www.wikihow.com/Understand-and-Use-Basic-Statistics
[11] http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Graph-in-Excel
[12] http://www.wikihow.com/Look-up-a-Video-on-YouTube
[13] http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Paper
[14] http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Plagiarism
[15] http://www.wikihow.com/Cite-Sources
[16] http://www.wikihow.com/Conduct-a-Detailed-Interview
[17] http://www.wikihow.com/Stop-Procrastinating
[18] http://www.wikihow.com/Organize-Your-Time
[19] http://www.wikihow.com/Avoid-Plagiarism
[20] http://www.wikihow.com/Write-in-Your-Own-Words
[21] http://www.wikihow.com/Cite-Sources
[22] http://www.wikihow.com/Find-Primary-Source-Documents
[23] http://www.wikihow.com/Research-for-a-Historical-Essay/Paper
[24] http://www.wikihow.com/BS-Your-Way-Through-a-College-Paper
[25] http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Research-Essay
[26] http://www.wikihow.com/Be-a-More-Detailed-Writer
[27] http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Thesis-Statement
[28] http://www.wikihow.com/Structure-a-Dissertation
[29] http://www.howcast.com/videos/873-How-To-Research-a-Paper
[30] http://homeworktips.about.com/od/paperassignments/a/writing.htm
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