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Guide To Writing A Research Paper

Choosing a Topic

Researching the Topic

Writing the Paper

Building the Bibliography

Writing for Specific Purposes

Welcome!

The purpose of this website is to provide an overview of basic steps used for writing a college or graduate level research paper. The items listed below and on the main menu were designed to be followed linearly, however since this is the world wide web you are welcome to view them in any order you want.

Choose the "Site Index" button at the top of the page for a detailed outline of the entire website or choose "Resources" for a collection of links related to writing.

Steps for writing a research paper

Choosing a Topic
Sometimes the hardest part of writing a research paper is deciding what to write about. This section provides tips for choosing a quality paper topic that reflects your interests. Even if your teacher has provided a topic for you, check out this section for ideas on narrowing or expanding your topic and developing a thesis statement.
Researching the Topic
Most of the time you spend on your paper will be related to research. This section will provide you with an overview of the most efficient and productive ways of conducting research including finding sources and notetaking.
Writing the Paper
This section will take you through the nuts and bolts of writing your paper from first to last sentence. Discover the secret to writing great introductions and conclusions, creating concise and coherent paragraphs, citing sources, formatting your paper and conducting a thorough revision.
Building the Bibliography
A bibliography gives credit to those who contributed information to your paper and provides readers with resources for further study. Visit this section to be sure you cite your sources properly.
Writing for Specific Purposes
Do you need more information about writing for a spedific discipline? Do you think you might want to publish your paper? Perhaps you are considering getting your PhD and want to know what's involved in writing a dissertation. If so, don't skip this section!