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Get Organized: Starting Your Research

Steps in Writing an Effective Research Paper

  1. Pick a topic that sounds interesting or intriguing to you. A research paper is a long journey and you should enjoy the trip. Start with a topic that you want to learn more about.

  2. Conduct a general search and eliminate unreliable sources. Test each source for authority, objectivity, accuracy, currency, and content relevancy.

  3. Write a research statement or question (a.k.a. a “thesis statement”). It should be your analysis and not a summary of ideas from your sources.

  4. Visit your instructor during office hours and receive feedback on your research statement and your sources. Clarify the citation method required for the paper.