1. Steps to a Successful Paper
The Research Paper
Steps to a Successful Paper

2. Choose a Subject and Refine a Topic
Determine your interests
1. Is there an illness or disease you want to know more about?
2. Is there a question you have about science or a specific event?
3. Do you have an interest in a specific career but know little of it?

3. Scout It Out!
Think of discussions, questions, passing comments, news events, family illnesses, etc.
Skim newspapers, magazines, or the Internet.
Ask questions about things that you have wondered about.

4. Survey the Landscape
Once you have chosen a subject, get an overview of its possibilites by looking for the kinds of information available on it. Then you can telescope in on a topic that you can manage. For example, one student began as follows:

5. Subject > Topic > Thesis
Subject = Knights & Legends
Topic = King Arthur
Thesis = the developments of legend of King Arthur
Thesis Statement = “The legend of King Arthur has developed over several centuries to be the story we know today.”

6. Ideas for narrowing a broad search to a more specific topic
Read a couple of general articles and consider headings or sub headings as a topic.
Search the Internet for sites using key words.
Discuss the subject with someone else who can help you focus and narrow your research.

7. Think About Your Purpose
The basic purpose of a research paper is expository, or informational. As you research your topic, you’ll uncover information and develop you own ideas about it.
When you write your paper, you will explain what you have learned.

8. Think About Your Audience
To helps your reader understand your topic, ask yourself, “What might my reader already know about the topic? How might I increase their understanding?”
Keep in mind explaining any new ideas and basic expectations in order to address potential misunderstanding by the reader.

9. Think About Your Tone
Tone is your attitude toward your topic and your reader.
The typical research paper is formal in tone; you will use third-person pronouns such as he, she, and they, to reflect your objective stance.
You will also avoid casual and informal language, such as slang, colloquial expressions, and contractions, to maintain a formal tone.

10. Develop Your Question
A research paper should ask and answer good questions. Jot down some specific questions to explore. Working with a list or research questions will make it easier for you to sort through the information you find.
One student asked the following:

11. Questions regarding King Arthur
Who is the real King Arthur, and how how did the stories about him develop?
Were the Knights of the Round Table real people? How did the Quest for the Holy Grail come to be a part of the story?
Have the stories about King Arthur always been the same, or have they changed?