Writing A Research Paper For Dummies

Don't worry--you won't get lost in a sea of sources.In fact, this guide is designed to help you navigate the research voyage, through developing a research question and thesis, doing the research, writing the paper, and correctly documenting your sources.When you write an essay, you use everything that you personally know and have thought about a subject.

Don't worry--you won't get lost in a sea of sources.In fact, this guide is designed to help you navigate the research voyage, through developing a research question and thesis, doing the research, writing the paper, and correctly documenting your sources.When you write an essay, you use everything that you personally know and have thought about a subject.

The body is the largest part of a research paper; in it you collect and arrange evidence that will persuade the reader of your argument. If the paper is long, it is a good idea to partition the body into sections using headings and sub-headings.

This includes using parenthetical citations when referencing another author's work in the body of your text.

To draw a parallel, a lawyer researches and reads about many cases and uses them to support their own case.

A scientist reads many case studies to support an idea about a scientific principle.

Once your research paper is finished, compile your reference list.

This is an alphabetical listing of all the sources you referenced in the body of your paper.

Remember that while the organization of your research paper may be clear to you, it may not necessarily be clear to your readers.

Therefore, the introduction should acquaint them with the journey ahead, making it easier for them to understand what follows and helping to improve their evaluation of your work.

If you made notes about your sources, this task should be straightforward.

Be sure to follow whatever style guide your professor or school recommends.