Writing Help > A+ Papers > RESEARCH PAPER
A research paper requires you to use books, articles or interviews in order to find information about your topic.
To write a research paper, follow the steps below:
Choose your topic. Pick a topic that interests you.
Write three questions that you have about this topic. You will answer these questions in your paper.
Gather information that will help you answer the questions. Take a trip to the library to find nonfiction and reference books on your topic. If you find a book that is useful, find the bibliography or list of sources. The bibliography can help you find other books or articles on the same topic. If you have trouble, ask a librarian for help.
Read source material and take notes. Be sure to keep track of all the books and articles you use. You will need that information for your bibliography. Use an idea organizer to help you take notes.
Write a title. Be sure your title informs your reader about your paper topic.
Write an introduction. Be sure your introduction briefly describes your topic and lets the reader know what the rest of the paper will be about.
Use the outline to help you write the paragraphs. Each question that you researched will become the main topic of a paragraph. The details you use in the paragraph should answer the question.
Write subheads, or section titles, for your paragraphs. You may want to use questions for your subheads, which will appear at the beginning of each of your paragraphs.
Write your conclusion. What do you want your reader to learn or remember from your paper?
Write a bibliography. Be sure to show the sources you used to gather facts about your topic.
Once you have finished your paper, be sure to review your writing.
