Writing a Research Paper Worksheets
The first time you hear of a research paper project, you may feel like putting on a lab coat. This is not necessary at all there are many different forms of research. A research paper is basically an extended essay that examines a topic and sums up all of the available literature on the topic. The way in which this literature is presented within your work helps you form an argument as to the nature of the topic. It is not an opinion piece, but a gauged evaluation of a topic. While you do include your own prior knowledge of the piece in this work, your argument is inferred from all the evidence that you will uncover. As I tell students, research papers really write themselves. We as writers just gather all of the data and evidence that we can get our hands on. We are simply reporting what all that evidence says. This section of our website will help you learn all the key phases of preparing well develop research papers of your own.
Writing a Research Paper Worksheets To Print:
Review the Steps - Put
them in the correct order. Why is it important to do things in the correct order when writing your paper?
What Is Your Thesis? - You state the stand or claim your paper is making in your thesis
sentence. Following the thesis sentence, the body of your paper makes your
points, one by one. The conclusion of your paper should restate your thesis, and
reiterate why the reader should think, do, or believe your paper's thesis.
Types of Sources - Using various different types of sources increases the possibility that
your research paper will consider multiple perspectives. Considering
more perspectives as you do your research will strengthen your
paper.
Your Sources - List three sources you used to research your question/topic.
Brainstorm Your Topic - A good way to get ideas down onto paper is to brainstorm.
Brainstorming means jotting down any ideas that come into your
mind during a set period of time. You can set an alarm on your
phone for five or ten minutes to time your brainstorming session.
Using Direct Quotations
- Review your source material. Do you see anything that
will add to your paper if you quote it directly?
Outline
- The key features that any outline should include.
Paper Proposal
- Teachers love this one because it helps students validate why they chose a topic.
Ready to Submit? - Use the checklist below to make sure that you have done everything
you need to do before submitting your research paper.
Citing Your Sources
- Use the templates below to collect the information that you will need for your
bibliography.
Magazines - Citing a Magazine Article from an Online Database.
The Annotated Bibliography
- An annotated bibliography is a list of sources cited in your research paper along
with a brief (usually about 150 words) annotation. The annotation describes and
evaluates the information provided by the source. It tells your reader how the
source is relevant to your research, as well as how accurate and reliable you
believe the source to be (or not).
The Steps to Writing a Research Paper
Identify Your Topic
This can go one of two ways. In many cases you will be assigned a topic that you have very little latitude and in the real world we often find this to be true. Many corporate situations require learning about unknown topics quickly and they have their employees do this through research. In many academic situations, you will be given the freedom to pick just about anything or have a broad set of options. This can often be a daunting task. We highly suggest that before you commit to a topic that you start to research for a small bit to make sure that a good deal of information is known.
Make Sure There Is Enough Evidence
To make sure that you can complete a helpful piece, make certain there is enough information available on the topic. The goal of research is present evidence to bolster an argument or validate a hypothesis. If there is simply not enough information, it is time to find a different topic or aspect of the topic.
Locate, Evaluate, and Cite Source Documents
Prior to getting to this step, we have already identified a good amount of information. Your goal should now be to sort through all this sources and locate the best that are available. You can use sources from all of the research sources that we have discussed previous in print or electronic form. You might find our credible sources worksheets helpful to understand that process a little better. At the end of the validation process, you should have a list of sources that you wish to go with. Some people wait until the end of the project to cite the sources, I find it much easier to cite all of your sources now. We have covered how to do this in our Citing Sources worksheets and MLA Citations worksheets.
Make an Outline
Before you begin to write your piece, it is highly advisable to outline everything that you want to say. I highly encourage you to form an outline, wait a day and go back over the outline with fresh eyes. You will often see an inconsistency or missing element that you can catch and correct your second time around. Once you write the paper, it will be a real mess trying to fit anything in there.
Write the Paper
Working off of the outline begin to present your argument. Make certain that every step of the way you present evidence through your sources. I find it helpful to write a rough draft that is basically an extended skeleton off of the outline. Once I have that draft, I expand it more and more. I might do this three or four times each adding more detail. Just like most painters do.
Proofread
We suggest you proofread and edit your work several times. Once you have it down, pass it on to friend or trusted adult for another proofread. You should embrace any feedback that they give you.