The 10 Steps of Preparing a Research Paper

The following ten steps are a possible strategy you can follow when preparing a research paper assignment. These steps are general in nature and can be adapted to any subject for which you need to find and present information. Click here for a print version of this handout.

A. Selecting and Narrowing Your Topic

Step 1 - Choose a Subject

For your research paper, you may be assigned a particular topic, given broad suggestions, or you may have to think of your own subject. In the latter two cases, be sure to choose a subject that is relevant to the course, one that you find interesting, and one for which there is information available. A quick check of the library will satisfy the last requirement.

Step 2 - Narrow the Topic and Establish a Thesis

Your presentation must have limits. Within a broad or general topic, you will need to select a subtopic. By reading general information on the subject (in textbooks and library reference books such as encyclopedias), you will discover the main aspects of the subject and you can choose one of these.

When you have the topic narrowed down to a manageable size, you will need to establish a thesis for your paper. The thesis is a statement of the main idea of the paper -- what point will you prove in the paper? What is the argument that will be supported by the research? Do not phrase the thesis statement as a question, but rather, the thesis statement is the answer to a question or problem. For example, if your topic is "marriage breakdown," possible thesis statements could be:

• As divorce is easier to get and society becomes more tolerant of single parents, the rate of marriage breakdown goes up correspondingly. (answer to a question)
• If divorce laws were tightened up, people might have more incentive to make marriages work... (solution to a problem)
• Marriage breakdown has a disastrous effect on children. (cause and effect)

B. Gathering Information

Step 3 - Library Research

For CNC Library menu, go to http://www.cnc.bc.ca/library

 

a. Find books

Using the library Catalogue, look up several good words describing your topic. Click on VIEW to see the "long" display and check for other useful subject words.

b. Find journal articles

Journals and newspapers are excellent sources for up-to-date information. Use the appropriate journal index to locate citations for specific articles on your topic. Some journal indexes are available in print in the library, but most are posted online, on the library's Journals page. Try a full-text index first, to retrieve complete articles on your topic.

c. Find other online sources

A lot of "good" and "bad" information is posted on the Internet. Evaluate these sources carefully, to ensure they are reputable, accurate, and relevant to your topic. Use one of the search engines recommended on the library's Web Search page to search for information on your topic.

d. Interlibrary Loan

Books and journal articles not available in the CNC Library may be borrowed from another library. Material takes up to 2 weeks to arrive, so start your research early. Note there is a charge of 10 cents/page for journal articles.

Step 4 - Prepare a Preliminary Bibliography

Complete this step in conjunction with Step 3 as you use the catalogue, journal indexes and online sources. This working bibliography keeps track of the sources you are using and provides information for your final bibliography. Different disciplines follow different "styles" for bibliographies and footnotes. Consult your instructor for an acceptable style. Information Sheets for APA, MLA and Chicago documentation styles are available in the library, in print or online on the Library's Citations page.

Step 5 - Take Notes

Skim through your books and articles to get the main ideas, making use of indexes and tables of contents. Then read the pertinent sections again carefully, asking yourself "what does the author say that's important?" Make notes of the important points.

We recommend the index card system for recording notes. Use 3" x 5" cards, write only ONE idea or important point per index card. Be sure to put the page number and author of the source on each note card. This card method is superior because it allows for easy organization of notes later on.

When you are taking notes, try to make them as short as possible. Be prepared to shorten and rearrange the author's words. If you quote the author's exact words, use quotation marks to remind yourself when you are writing your paper that this was a direct quotation. Remember to be accurate and honest in your note-taking. Record facts that refute your thesis as well as support it.

C. Organizing Your Information

Step 6 - Sort the Note Cards

Read through your note cards and at the top of each card put a heading that describes its contents. Sort the note cards into groups that seem to go together (e.g. those cards with the same or similar headings). Discard those cards that stray from the topic. Now put these piles of cards into a logical order that fits your topic, for example, chronological order, cause and effect, order of importance of points, problem and solution, or comparison and contrast. Cards within each pile can also be sorted into a suitable order. You may find that there are gaps in your information; that is, some card piles have few cards. Now is the time to go back to the library and look for information in these areas.

When your research is finished, you can finalize your thesis statement and revise it if necessary. Your final thesis statement may be the same as your original statement, or it might be quite different, depending on the findings of your research.

Constructing an outline can help you organize your notes and thoughts. An outline is especially useful to guide you in the right direction when you are writing the first draft of the paper. The headings of your note card groups will serve as the major divisions of your outline. Points within each group will become the sub-sections of the outline.

State the thesis in a sentence

I. First Major Point

A. ____________________

1. _______________

2. _______________

II. Second Major Point

A. ____________________

1. _______________

2. _______________

III. Third Major Point...

D. Presenting the Information

Step 7 - Write the First Draft

Double-space the first draft of your paper. Write the introduction, telling the reader what the essay is about. Include your thesis statement in the introduction. (If you are experiencing writer's block, the introduction can be left until later). Write the body of the paper following your outline and sorted note cards. Write down the source and page number of each idea from your research notes as you use it regardless of whether you quote or paraphrase the information. You will need this information later on to make a footnote (or bracket in-text reference). When you are writing the first draft, concentrate on content and logical organization of ideas, not on grammar and writing style. You can worry about these later on, during the editing process. Lastly, write the conclusion and decide on a title. If you are including diagrams, decide which ones to use and where you'll put them.

Step 8 - Revise the Draft

If possible, let your first draft sit for a day or so. Then read your draft over, several times! Each time you read or "sweep" through the paper, concentrate on revising a different aspect. During the initial sweep, concentrate on content -- Has your point been made? Does your paper have unity? Next, look at the composition of the paper -- Does one paragraph follow the other? Is each paragraph complete? Examine the sentence structure for run-on sentences, awkward phrases, etc., and consider your choice of words. Lastly, examine the paper for the small but important details such as spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Remember how you say it is as important as what you say.

Step 9 - Prepare the Final Copy

Prepare your final copy. Be sure that this copy is double-spaced and presented on only one side of the paper. Prepare the footnotes (or bracket in-text references), bibliography and a title page. Make sure these are in the format recommended by the style guide you are using (see Step 4). Document your sources of information carefully. When you use facts and opinions from somewhere else, give the original author credit. Even when you put the idea in your own words, you must still acknowledge the source of the idea. If you don't, the result is plagiarism.

Step 10 - Proofread

Read over your final copy carefully, especially looking for typos. Neatly make all needed corrections before handing in the paper. Ideally, have someone else proofread your work as well. They will likely pick out mistakes you may have overlooked.