1. How to begin writing research papers. GETTING STARTED

2. What is the assignment asking for? Before you begin, first consult your instructor’s assignment description. What type of paper are they looking for you to write? How large in scope is the paper? How long does the paper need to be? How many sources are required?

3. What format is required? Typically, academic papers composed at GSU are in APA or MLA style. Though similar, there some distinct differences in how these papers are formatted. The writing center’s website has helpful resources for both APA, and MLA style papers. Visit govst.edu/owl and click the documentation styles side tab for more tools.

4. Focus statement Perhaps the most important aspect of a paper is your focus/thesis statement. What is your central focus, point, or purpose for writing this paper? What is it that you hope to accomplish by writing this paper? Your focus statement should encapsulate all your paper seeks to do in 1 or 2 sentences in your introduction.

5. What makes a good focus statement? Is this something that can be proved, or argued effectively? Is there sufficient interest in the academic community to still write about it? Put another way, is your topic still relevant? Is their sufficient secondary research to support your claim?

6. Researching your topic After you have chosen a solid topic, and constructed a good focus statement, it is time to research! Make sure your sources are credible and avoid using sources that are not peer reviewed such as Google search results, and Wikipedia. Books and database journal articles are the best.

7. Where to go for research Governors State’s library has many resources for you beyond print books. Research librarians are here to help! http://libguides.govst.edu/index.php A vast collection of academic journals are available through our databases http://libguides.govst.edu/databases

8. Research tips Collect more sources than required so you more to choose from. Read abstracts of articles to see if this piece will be relevant to your work before your read the entire piece. Search a wide variety of databases and books, and keep an open mind about your topic, your focus statement, may change greatly based on the research your find.

9. Writing Strategies Give yourself plenty of time to complete your work. Write a little bit every day, and set attainable goals so you don’t get overwhelmed. Set aside specific time to focus in on your research, and your writing.

10. Outlining Another good method to keep you on track, and to brainstorm ideas is to form an outline. Outlines do not need to be formal, it can be a simple concept map to help you form ideas on where you might go with your writing.