A Brief Guide to Writing a Research Paper

• Choose a topic you are interested in and know something about, if you have a choice.
  
  
• To find a topic
  -check with your teacher
  -go over class notes
  -check out journals in the field for article topics
  -check chapter titles in books

• Make sure you understand the assignment and what the teacher is asking you to do. Talk to the teacher if you need clarification.
  

• Focus your topic: Find out what you know and what you need to know.
  -BRAINSTORM questions about your topic
  -CLUSTER ideas about your topic
  -Look for links or connections among questions and ideas
  -Try to come up with one or two main questions about your topic to narrow it
  
  
• Research your topic using library resources. Consult handout and/or a research librarian to help you find appropriate sources. Start early! Be sure to write down the bibliographic info for each source and note pages where you take info. DON'T COPY a lot of material from books and journals. Instead, SUMMARIZE info in your own words, always noting book/journal and page numbers where the ideas come from. FREEWRITE on your own ideas as you do your research. Write to answer "SO WHAT?"

• Stop researching and organize your paper well before the due date. Try to write a tentative THESIS statement. Your thesis could be the answer to the main questions you asked or your point of view, argument, what you want to say about your topic. Next, try to sketch out an "IDEA TREE" or hierarchy of main points that support your thesis with details or facts from your research notes to support each main point. If you have difficulty seeing a plan for your ideas, make an appointment with a Learning (Writing) Specialist (SGW and Loyola) or a Writing Assistant (SGW).

• Write your paper quickly, as you would freewrite. Don't worry about paragraphing, word choice, grammar, spelling, sentence structure, etc. Just try to get the ideas down on paper, following your idea tree. If your paper is long, write one section or main point at a time. It sometimes makes writing easier if you talk to someone about what you want to say before you write. It is also often easier to plug in specific facts and ideas from your research notes after you have explained the main ideas the support your argument/thesis. Write your intro and conclusion last, being sure to include your thesis statement in both.

• Fix up your paper after letting it "rest" over night or at least a few hours. Focus first on content and organization. Make sure ideas are clear for the reader, complete and correct (check your research notes). Check to make sure your paper is organized hierarchically (see handout: Organization Checklist). Finally, check the language: use spell check; print out a hard copy and read your paper out loud to check for missing words and sentences that donÕt make sense. This is a good time to ask a friend to read your paper and tell you where itÕs confusing or where there are language errors. This is especially important if English is not your first language. As well, you could see a Learning Specialist or Writing Assistant for feedback.

• Document your references (quotations or summaries in your own words) of information you took from your research sources. Also prepare a "ReferencesÓ"or "Works Cited" page (bibliography) that lists the publications you refer to in your paper. See the APA or MLA handout (or manual) for this.

• Proofread your paper in hard copy again before you hand it in. Make a cover page with the title of your paper, your name, ID, date, and anything else the teacher may have specified. Keep a xerox copy of your paper just in case. For help at any point, make an appointment with a Learning Specialist by calling 848-3555 (Loy) or 848-3545 (SGW), or drop into H-440 to make an appointment to see a Writing Assistant.

Student Learning Services, Concordia University