A series of steps, starting with developing a research question and working thesis, will lead you through writing a research paper. As you move through these steps and actually create the research paper, you may find that you can't move through all of them in chronological order, and that's o.k. In fact, you may change the order of the steps depending on the subject, your knowledge of the subject, and your sources.

For example, sometimes you need to do just a bit of background research and reading before you can develop a research question. Sometimes you need to go back and find additional sources to corroborate your viewpoint. The research writing steps that we offer represent a general, ideal, movement through the research writing process. Why did we say ideal? in our opinion, these steps represent the best way to move through the writing process because they ask you to think and develop a research question before you actually do a lot of research. The one big mess that you can get into, as a student, comes from doing too much unfocused research before identifying your own viewpoint, the one that you will eventually need to support. If you do too much unfocused research first, then the tendency is to try to include all of it in the paper.

The result is a hodgepodge of information that's not focused, developed fully, or indicative of your own thoughts. It's also not efficient to do too much research before you really know what you're looking for. Try it our way develop that research question first to cut out a lot of research paper mess. the college research paper organization and outlining because research papers are rigorous and formal in function, they have a basic structure that actually makes them easy to organize and outline. research paper: parts and their functions 1 introduction�issue + thesis. A good introduction consists of a brief, compelling presentation of the issue, question or problem driving the paper, followed by a thesis statement at the very end.

Thesis that the rest of the paper will support in detail. 2 optional and non standard background information and opposing arguments. This is a short, intermediate section that may be useful to include between the introduction and the body of the paper, depending on the topic. In this section you can briefly present some background information that readers may need in order to understand and evaluate the thesis support. In addition or instead , this section may include a brief discussion of views or arguments that run counter to the paper�s thesis, yet have some merit and are relevant to the central issue. 3 thesis support/body. This is the main part of the paper�all of the ideas, arguments, facts, examples, statistics and so forth that support the thesis. 4 ending. In shorter, college length papers five to seven pages , avoid a mechanical ending aka �conclusion� that restates your main points.

Either end with your strongest supporting point or develop an idea that underlines or expands your thesis support or strongest argument. Try to leave the reader with something to think about. filling in the parts�approximate lengths and proportions assuming that five to seven pages is an average length of a college research paper, the approximate proportions of the four main parts are shown below. 1 introduction. A proportionate introduction for a college paper is typically one or two paragraphs. A published research paper that is longer and more complex may have an introduction that runs several paragraphs or even pages. However, the function of an introduction is always the same�to present the main issue and a thesis at the end.

In shorter college papers, the ending may be an extension of the last and strongest supporting point, and therefore, not require a separate paragraph. If you conceive of a conclusion that contributes something to the paper and doesn�t just restate the main points , add a paragraph but limit yourself to no more than one. filling in the parts effectively�addressing function as you conceptualize your paper and adapt your draft to the structure above, remember that all the parts of the paper perform real functions. To do an effective job of conceptualizing and drafting, you may need to unlearn some generic concepts that you learned in high school. for example, an introduction isn�t an introduction in a general sense �dana, this is jim�.

With that said, your paper almost certainly will have to conform to a prescribed length�a minimum and maximum number of pages. While you�re still gathering information, taking notes and putting together an informal outline�will help you conduct your research and write the rest of your paper more efficiently. as we have seen, the introduction has two functions: to present the central issue and the thesis. most of your introduction should be devoted to presenting the issue. If you�ve conceived your paper around a question or problem, you know the central issue well enough to draft a description of it for your introduction.

Of course, you�ll learn more about the issue as you proceed with your research, but you can always refine and strengthen the draft later on. drafting your thesis statement is a little trickier. Normally, you won�t know your exact thesis until you�ve finished your research i.e. After the introduction they will know what the purpose of your paper is and where it is going. If your strongest support comes too early, then the rest of your paper may be anticlimactic. your goal should be to organize your support in such a way that it builds to a strong conclusion or climax. you won�t always find the ideal sequence in your first draft. Discussing drafts of your paper with your instructor and classmates will help you determine the best way to organize your thesis support. this page is brought to you by the owl at purdue . This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources. contributors: jack raymond baker, allen brizee, ashley velбzquez last edited: 2013 02 21 1:50

the research paper

there will come a time in most students' careers when they are assigned a research paper.

Such an assignment often creates a great deal of unneeded anxiety in the student, which may result in procrastination and a feeling of confusion and inadequacy. This anxiety frequently stems from the fact that many students are unfamiliar and inexperienced with this genre of writing. Never fear mdash inexperience and unfamiliarity are situations you can change through practice! writing a research paper is an essential aspect of academics and should not be avoided on account of one's anxiety.

In fact, the process of writing a research paper can be one of the more rewarding experiences one may encounter in academics. What is more, many students will continue to do research throughout their careers, which is one of the reasons this topic is so important. Becoming an experienced researcher and writer in any field or discipline takes a great deal of practice. Remember, even the most seasoned academic veterans have had to learn how to write a research paper at some point in their career.

History of Photography Research Paper

Therefore, with diligence, organization, practice, a willingness to learn and to make mistakes! , and, perhaps most important of all, patience, a student will find that she can achieve great things through her research and writing. This handout will include the following sections related to the process of writing a research paper: genre this section will provide an overview for understanding the difference between an analytical and argumentative research paper. choosing a topic this section will guide the student through the process of choosing topics, whether the topic be one that is assigned or one that the student chooses himself. identifying an audience this section will help the student understand the often times confusing topic of audience by offering some basic guidelines for the process. where do i begin this section concludes the handout by offering several links to resources at purdue, and also provides an overview of the final stages of writing a research paper. writing college research papers how it differs from writing in high school click here for printed copy much of what you learned in high school will be useful to you as you approach writing in college: you will want to write clearly, to have an interesting and arguable thesis, to construct paragraphs that are coherent and focused, and so on.