How Do You Write a Research Paper When You Dont Know

Enquiry papers.

Unless you're a weirdo like me, you lot probably dread them. When I was in college, depending on the form, I even dreaded these.

Information technology'south the sort of project that can go out fifty-fifty the almost organized student quaking in their boots, staring at the assignment like they're Luke Skywalker and information technology's the Death Star.

You accept to pick a broad topic, practice some in-depth enquiry, hone in on a enquiry question, and and then nowadays your respond to that question in an interesting way. Oh, and you have to employ citations, too.

How on world are you supposed to tackle this thing?

Fear not, for fifty-fifty the Death Star had weaknesses. With a well-devised plan, some courage, and maybe a little help from a few midichlorians, you lot can conquer your research paper, too.

Let's get started.

1. Choice a Topic

And pick ane that interests y'all. This is not upwards for debate.

You and this topic are going to be spending a lot of fourth dimension together, so you might as well option something yous like, or, at the very least, have a vague interest in. Fifty-fifty if you hate the class, there'due south probably at least one topic that you're curious about.

Peradventure you want to write nearly "mental health in loftier schools" for your paper in your pedagogy class. That'south a good starting time, just take a couple steps to hone your idea a picayune further then y'all have an idea of what to research. Here's a couple of factors to look at when you desire to get more specific:

1. Timeframe: What are the well-nigh of import mental health bug for high schoolers that have come up in the last five years?
2. Location: How does the mental health of students in your area compare to students in the adjacent state (or country) over?
3. Culture or Grouping: How does the mental wellness of inner-urban center students compare to those in the suburbs or places like Silicon Valley?
4. Solution: If schools were to brand one change to high schools to improve the well-beingness of their students, what would be most effective, and why?

It's adept to be clear virtually what you're researching, just make sure you don't box yourself into a corner. Try to avert being also local (if the expanse is a modest town, for case), or as well contempo, equally there may not exist enough research conducted to support an entire paper on the subject.

Besides, avoid super analytical or technical topics that you retrieve you lot'll have a hard time writing most (unless that's the consignment…then jump right into all the technicalities you want).

You'll probably need to do some background inquiry and possibly begin with your professor before you can identify a topic that'southward specialized enough for your paper.

At the very least, skim the Encyclopedia Britannica department on your general area of interest. Your professor is another resource: utilize them! They're probably more than than happy to point you in the management of a possible inquiry topic.

Of course, this is going to be highly dependent on your class and the criteria set forth by your professor, so make sure you read your consignment and understand what information technology's asking for. If yous experience the assignment is unclear, don't go any farther without talking to your professor about it.

ii. Create a Clear Thesis Argument

Say information technology with me: a enquiry paper without a thesis question or statement is simply a fancy book report.

All research papers fall under three general categories: analytical, expository, or argumentative.

• Analytical papers nowadays an analysis of information (effects of stress on the human brain)
• Expository papers seek to explain something (Julius Caesar'southward rise to power)
• Argumentative papers are trying to testify a bespeak (Dumbledore shouldn't be running a schoolhouse for children).

And so effigy out what sort of paper you'd like to write, and so come up up with a feasible thesis statement or question.

Maybe it starts out looking like this:

• Julius Caesar's rise to power was afflicted by three major factors.

Ok, not bad. You lot could probably write a paper based on this. But it'southward not bully, either. Information technology'due south not specific, neither is information technology arguable. You're not actually entering whatsoever sort of word.

Maybe you rework it a piddling to exist more specific and you go:

• Julius Caesar's quick rise to ability was a direct issue of a power vacuum and social instability created by years of state of war and internal political corruption.

Meliorate. Now you tin can actually think about researching it.

Every expert thesis statement has three important qualities: information technology's focused, information technology picks a side, and it can exist backed up with research.

If you're missing whatsoever of these qualities, you're gonna take a bad time. Avoid vague modifier words like "positive" and "negative." Instead use precise, stiff language to codify your argument.

Take this thesis statement for example:

• "High schools should end assigning so much homework, considering information technology has a negative impact on students' lives."

Certain, it's arguable…only only sort of. Information technology's pretty vague. Nosotros don't actually know what is meant by "negative", other than "generically bad". Before you get into the research, you lot have to ascertain your statement a little more.

Revised Version:

• "Loftier schools in the U.s.a. should assign less homework, every bit lower workloads amend students' sleep, stress levels, and, surprisingly, their grades."

When in incertitude, always look at your thesis and inquire, "Is this arguable?" Is there something yous need to bear witness? If not, then your thesis probably isn't strong enough. If yes, then as long as you can actually prove it with your research, you lot're gold.

Good thesis statements give you lot a clear goal. You know exactly what you're looking for, and you know exactly where you're going with the paper. Attempt to be as specific and clear as possible. That makes the next pace a lot easier:

3. Hitting the Books

So you take your thesis, you know what you're looking for. It's fourth dimension to actually go out and do some existent research. By real research, I mean more than a quick internet search or a quick skim through some weak secondary or third sources.

If you lot've chosen a thesis you lot're a lilliputian unsteady on, a preliminary skim through Google is fine, but make sure you go the actress mile. Some professors will even have a list of required resources (e.g. "Iii academic articles, two books, 1 interview…etc).

Information technology's a good idea to start by heading to the library and asking your local librarian for help (they're usually then excited to help you find things!).

Check your school library for research papers and books on the topic. Look for primary sources, such every bit journals, personal records, or contemporary newspaper articles when you can find them.

As you lot're starting your inquiry, create some kind of organisation for filing helpful quotes, links, and other sources. I preferred it to all be on one text document on my reckoner, but you could try a physical file, too.

In this text document, I start compiling a list of all the sources I'm using. It tends to look like this:

Recall that at this betoken, your thesis isn't solid. It's still in a semi-squishy state. If your research starts to strongly contradict your thesis, then come up up with a new thesis, revise, and keep on compiling quotes.

The more support you tin observe, the improve. Depending on how long your paper is, you should have three-10 different sources, with all sorts of quotes between them.

Here are some good places to expect for reputable sources:

• Google Scholar
• Sites ending in .edu, .org, or .gov. While it's not a rule, these sites tend to represent organizations, and they are more likely to be reputable than your run-of-the-mill .com sites
• Your school library. It should have a department for articles and newspapers likewise every bit books
• Your school'southward gratis bookish database
• Online encyclopedias like Britannica
• Online almanacs and other databases

As you read, analyze your sources closely, and take good notes. Jot downwardly general observations, questions, and answers to those questions when you find them. One time you lot have a sizable stack of enquiry notes, it'south time to kickoff organizing your paper.

4. Write an Outline

Even if you normally experience confident writing a paper without i, use an outline when you lot're working on a research newspaper.

Outlines basically practise all the heavy lifting for you when it comes to writing. They keep you organized and on rails. Fifty-fifty if you feel tempted to merely jump in and encephalon-dump, resist. Yous'll thank me later.

Hither'south how to structure an outline:

You'll notice it's fairly curtailed, and it has three major parts: the introduction, the body, and the conclusion. Too notice that I oasis't bothered to organize my research as well much.

I've merely dumped all the relevant citations under the headings I call up they'll cease up under, then I can put in my quotes from my research document later equally they fit into the overall text.

Let'southward get a piffling more in-depth with this:

The Introduction

The introduction is made upwards of two main parts: the thesis and the introduction to the supporting points. This is where you essentially tell your reader exactly what sort of wild ride they're in for if they read on.

It's all about preparing your reader'due south mind to start thinking near your argument or question before you even really go started.

Present your thesis and your supporting points clearly and concisely. It should be no longer than a paragraph or two. Keep information technology simple and like shooting fish in a barrel to read.

Body Paragraphs

Okay, at present that you've made your betoken, information technology's time to prove it. This is where your trunk paragraphs come in. The length of this is entirely dependent on the criteria prepare by your professor, and then continue that in listen.

Notwithstanding, equally a rule, you lot should have at least 3 supporting points to help defend, testify, or explicate your thesis. Put your weakest signal first, and your strongest betoken last.

Decision

This doesn't need a lot of outlining. Basically, take your introduction outline and copy it over. Your conclusion should be about a paragraph long, and it should summarize your primary points and restate your thesis.

There's as well some other key component to this outline case that I oasis't touched on yet:

Enquiry and Annotations

Some people similar to write first, and annotate later. Personally, I like to get my quotes and annotations in right at the start of the writing process.

I find the rest of the paper goes more smoothly, and information technology's easier to ensure that I've compiled plenty support for my merits. That way, I don't go through all the work of writing the paper, but to discover that my thesis doesn't actually hold whatsoever h2o!

As a general dominion, it's good to have at least 3-v sources for every supporting point. Whenever you lot make a claim in your paper, you should support it with prove.

Some professors are laxer on this, and some are more stringent. Make sure you understand your consignment requirements really, really, actually well. You don't want to get marked downwards for missing the correct number of sources!

At this stage, you should also exist certain of what sort of format your professor is looking for (APA, MLA, etc.), as this volition salve you a lot of headache later.

When I was in college, some professors wanted in-text parenthetical citations whenever I made a claim or used my inquiry at all. Others only wanted citations at the finish of a paragraph. And others didn't heed in-text citations at all, so long as you had a bibliography at the terminate of your entire newspaper.

And so, become through your outline and start inserting your quotes and citations now. Count them upwardly. If you need more, then add them. If you lot think you take enough (read: your claims are so supported that even Voldemort himself couldn't scare them), then motion on to the next stride:

5. Write the Start Draft

Time to type this thing up. If you created a strong plenty outline, this should be a cakewalk. Well-nigh of it should already exist written for you. All you have to do at this point is fill up it in. Y'all've successfully avoided the initial blank-screen panic.

Don't worry likewise much about grammer or prose quality at this signal. It's the rough draft, and it's non supposed to see the light of mean solar day.

I find it helpful to highlight straight quotes, summaries, paraphrases, and claims as I put them in. This helps me ensure that I never forget to cite any of them.

So, practice what you've gotta do. Go to a studious place or create ane, put on an awesome playlist, close your social media apps, and get the work done.

In one case y'all've gotten the gist of your paper down, the real work begins:

vi. Revise Your Draft

Okay, now that you've word-vomited everywhere in a semi-organized fashion, information technology's time to start edifice this thing into a cohesive paper. If yous took the fourth dimension to outline properly, and so this part shouldn't exist besides hard.

Every paper has two editing stages:the developmental edit, and the line edit.

The developmental edit (the first i, at least) is for your eyes only. This is the function where you have a long, hard expect at your newspaper and ask yourself, "Does this make sense, and does it accomplish what I want it to accomplish?" If information technology does, then dandy. If it doesn't, and then how can y'all rearrange or change it and then that information technology does?

Here are a few good questions to ask yourself at this stage:

• Is the paper well-organized, and does it have a logical flow of idea from paragraph to paragraph?
• Does your thesis concur upwardly to the three criteria listed before? Is it well supported by your research and arguments?
• Accept y'all checked that all your sources are properly cited?
• How repetitive is the paper? Can yous go rid of summit points or language to tighten upwards your statement?

In one case you've run the paper through this process at least one time, information technology's time for the line edit. This is the part where y'all bank check for punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors.

It helps to let your paper sit overnight, and and so read it out loud to yourself, or the cat, or have a friend read it. Often, our brains know what we "meant" to say, and information technology's difficult for us to catch modest grammatical or spelling errors.

Here are a couple more than final questions to ask yourself before y'all phone call it a mean solar day:

• Take you avoided filler words, adverbs, and passive voice as much equally possible?
• Have you checked for proper grammer, spelling, and punctuation? Spell-checker software is pretty adept these days, only it notwithstanding isn't perfect.

If yous demand assist editing your paper, and your regular software just isn't cutting information technology, Grammarly is a good app for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Chrome that goes above and beyond your run-of-the-manufactory spell-checker. It looks for things similar sentence structure and length, also equally adventitious plagiarism and passive tense.

7. Organize Your Sources

The paper's written, but it'due south non over. You've notwithstanding got to create the very last page: the "works cited" or bibliography page.

Now, this page works a little differently depending on what fashion your professor has asked you to utilise, and it can get pretty confusing, equally dissimilar types of sources are formatted completely differently.

The about of import thing to ensure here is that every single source, whether big or small, is on this folio before y'all plough your paper in. If you forget to cite something, or don't cite it properly, you run the risk of plagiarism.

I got through college by using a couple of different tools to format information technology for me. Here are some accented life-savers:

• EasyBib – I literally used this tool all throughout college to format my citations for me, it does all the heavy lifting for you, and it's free.
• Microsoft Give-and-take – I honestly never touched Microsoft Word throughout my college years, but it actually has a tool that volition create citations and bibliographies for you, so information technology'due south worth using if you have it on your computer.

Onwards: One Step at a Fourth dimension

I leave you with this parting advice:

Once you lot empathize the method, research papers really aren't equally hard as they seem. Sure, there's a lot to practice, merely don't be daunted. Merely take it step by stride, piece by slice, and give yourself plenty of time. Take frequent breaks, stay organized, and never, ever, always forget to cite your sources. You can practise this!

Expert luck!

Looking for tools to brand the writing process easier? Check out our list of the best writing apps.

Paradigm Credits: featured

How Do You Write a Research Paper When You Dont Know

Source: https://collegeinfogeek.com/how-to-write-a-research-paper/

Share this post