THE STEPS FOR COMPLETING A
RESEARCH PAPER
(The following steps
represent a model for completing an academic research paper in any course on
any topic.)
1) Select a general topic or respond to an
assigned topic.
2) Based on preliminary research and the
assigned length of
the paper,
restrict the topic, seeking possible sub-points.
3) Based on preliminary research, formulate a
research
question or
working thesis statement .
4) Choose an organizational mode (pattern) for
your essay. If
no specific
pattern is assigned (such as comparison or
argument) use
the five-paragraph expository essay pattern.
5) Based on the assigned length and pattern, commit
to a
minimum of
three potential, logical, and parallel (equal) sub-
points (i.e.
one body paragraph for each sub-point)..
6)
Conduct the research proper,
collecting evidence (printing
relevant
articles) from approved sources.
7)
Open a Works Cited file and prepare
citations for all sources
from which you expect to quote or paraphrase in your paper.
8)
Flag all relevant evidence in your articles using color-coding
with
highlighters tying each piece of evidence to a sub-point.
10) Prepare a working thesis paragraph: a) open with a hook;
b)
state your thesis: based on the evidence you have
gathered, arrive at an original and compelling thesis (main
point, conclusion) which is actually the answer to the
research question; c) create an essay map (sub-points).
11)
Complete a draft of the first body paragraph using the steps
for preparing a
body paragraph in a research paper.
12)
Edit the documentation making certain that you have used
both types of
internal documentation for all researched
evidence (name
a source in the sentence and the page
number in a parenthetical
citation).
13)
Complete the other body paragraphs and a conclusion.
14) Modify and/or revise the organization and content of the
paper improving
the thesis statement, essay map, topic
sentences, evidence,
unity, transitions, and conclusion.
15) Proofread for basic skills, spelling, diction, word repetition,
usage, and sentence
variety.