Research Papers: Step by Step

0. Assignment Review

• oWhat are the requirements? Were you provided a topic or can you choose one yourself?

1. Topics

• oWhat are you interested in? Make it your own!

2. Research Questions

• oAsk yourself if you want to find a problem, a solution, or synthesize existing research.

3. Research Proposal (if necessary)

• oAfter developing your questions, find some specific research, decide what you will focus on, and write a proposal.

4. Research

• oFocus your research on your research questions. Make sure it is specific and from multiple types of sources.
• oContinue to develop your opinions and argument.

5. Annotated Bibliography

• oTo keep track of your sources, you can create an annotated bibliography to organize citations and their content.

6. Thesis Statement

• oCreate a statement that encapsulates the argument. Focus on clarity and confidence.

7. Outline

• oStart outlining your paper. What will the intro, body, and conclusion look like? What sources will you use and where?

8. Drafting and Revision

• oBegin writing the paper using all of the previous steps to guide you.
• oReceive feedback and revise the paper as much as you can.

9. Formatting and Works Cited/References Page

• oProperly format the paper and include a proper Works Cited/References page.