During research paper writing, it is natural to have a list of questions. These might include:
- What topic do I want to write about?
- What is proper research paper format?
- Where will I get my research?
- How much time will it take for me to complete this assignment?
- Do I need to include graphs or charts in my paper?
- Where do I start?
Having questions is natural. In answering what topic you want to write about ‘” you try to determine which subject will best fit with your assignment. Many professors will provide details about what they expect and often give you an idea of what they might be looking for. Once you have a subject in mind, you can start searching online, in the library and in print publications to locate some specific ideas that will help you shape your thesis idea.
Research paper format is the standard of how you will layout your writing and format your document. Most academic writing is completed in APA format. There is another format called MLA that is also used. Your professor will give you the formatting option that they want your paper to be completed in. You can also utilize the Owl at Purdue, a resource for formatting that has a template of both of these formatting options.
You will more than likely acquire your research from online publications from online library databases. While you might go to the library to search through some of the periodicals and books, many academic sources are available online.
The time that it takes to complete an assignment is largely based on you and how much time you have for the assignment submission date. You will likely utilize all of the time, since each step in the writing process takes time. Some portions of the process will take longer than others. You will likely spend most of your time collecting your resources and writing your paper. These generally take the most time and are more intense activities.
Usually you have the option to include graphs, charts and other visuals. Visuals do help break up the information and are quite useful if you are sharing statistics or an experiment of some kind. By providing a picture description, you are engaging the reader in the information and they will likely be able to understand the facts you are sharing with visuals alongside your written work.
In starting your paper, you want to define your topic first. Once you have narrowed down your topic, you can start to plan your thesis statement. Your thesis statement is the heart of your work. You want to catch your reader’s attention and use your thesis to demonstrate what you will be sharing in the rest of your research paper. This is the most logical place to start when writing, since your thesis statement is required and will give you direction in locating resources for your paper. As example, check out this thesis statement on alcoholism.
Good luck!