How to get started on a college research paper
A common nightmare for many people who are beginning college is the research paper. The first time one of these assignments is given, many students panic. Although writing a college research paper may be time consuming and difficult, there are some strategies to getting started right. Once the correct research is in place, the rest of the writing is easier to accomplish.
Things You'll Need
- Determination and patience
- Writing material, either pen and paper or computer
- Note cards
- Maybe a library card
Instructions
-
-
1
Identify a research question. This will eventually become your thesis statement, but should begin first as a question, giving you something to answer in your research. Instead of allowing your research to be controlled by a statement such as, "Hamlet was an indecisive anti-hero who caused pain to others," create instead an appropriate question to guide your research: "Was Hamlet a hero or a victim?" As you research, you can refine your question until it helps you focus your pending essay's topic. Once your research is complete, you'll be able to create a stronger thesis statement.
-
2
Find sources to answer your question. Researching is frequently a time consuming process, but essential to compiling the best information for your paper. Use your university's online periodical and journal databases to find appropriate resources. When you find a good source, check that article's bibliography for related articles that can help answer your research question.
As you search for sources, don't make decisions about their utility for your project based only on the titles. Read the abstracts in full and take a few minutes to skim the articles. Read section headings, section introductory paragraphs, topic sentences, and conclusions. Usually you can decide whether a source will be useful in about five minutes.
-
-
3
Organize your information, first initially and then for verification.
Initial organization occurs you read your sources for the first time. For example, if your research question is "Was Hamlet a hero or victim?" label information that says he was a hero with a number 1, while information that claims Hamlet was a victim of circumstance can be labeled with a number 2. Information that is related but does not take a position can be number 3, and so on. Develop a labeling system that works well for you.
Secondly, organize for verification by using note cards or a journal. Jot down the most important information you highlighted or labeled in your articles and label them with the same number. Put all the 1's, 2's, 3's together and so on. Then look through your 1's and decide in what order the information should be presented, and so forth with all of your notes. This will create a physical outline to help you create the outline of your paper.
-
4
Make an outline with a good thesis statement, sections clearly indicated, topic sentences for each paragraph of each section and concise statements of what information and details will be in each paragraph and in what order.
A good thesis statement needs to state an answer to the research question you first posed. Your thesis statement should state clearly and precisely what your paper is about: "Hamlet starts as a victim, but soon becomes proactive and by the end of the play is a hero."
Every paragraph in your paper's sections should have a strong topic sentence that controls the content of that paragraph. Good topic sentences guide your reader through the essay.
-
1
References
- Photo Credit Jupiterimages/Comstock/Getty Images
