The Best Research Writing Tips

Every college student must learn how to prepare an excellent research paper and the first step in doing this is talking with your professor to get an idea of what he expects in the research paper and what he does not want to see in the research paper. You should also consider the format that the professor requires for the paper and if you are unsure of how to write in a certain format, you should refer to instruction books that you can find in the library on the topic. When choosing a thesis statement for the research paper. Research your argument so that you can know if it is valid and logical.

Choose Research Topic That is Unique But Manageable

You should choose a topic that is different from what has already been researched but that you can handle within a certain period of time. For example, if you are studying the American Revolution, you can write a research paper on lives of children during colonial times and how the Revolutionary War affected them. Get ideas from topics by reading scholarly journals and watching historical documentaries.

Tips on Locating Research Sources

Never rely only on Internet sources when gathering research material for the paper but instead use diverse sources such as encyclopedias, nonfiction books, scholarly journals and magazines. You should also check year that the books and articles were written in so you can determine if the information is relevant or outdated. Research materials from the past five years are the best sources for your paper.

Cite Sources According to Format

Citing your sources is important when researching your paper and make sure you use the format that is required by the professor. Don't just cite the primary research sources you used but also the secondary sources and double check all sources before you write the works cited page.

Don't be afraid to talk with the professor before starting the research paper so you will know that you're on the right track. On the day you're assigned the paper you want to start gathering information right away so it won't be hard for you to type the paper in the days leading to the due date. Finally, put your creativity and passion into the paper since you are writing on a topic that you like, and use descriptive yet authoritative language in the paper.