How To Write a Research Paper

Great job getting this far! You have now organized your research materials and are ready to write the first draft of your paper. Consider these things as you write:

• Don't worry too much about 100% accuracy. Write your first draft without worrying too much about it being completely organized and correct. You will probably be revising your first draft a couple of times before submitting it to your professor, so don’t put too much pressure on yourself with the first draft.

• Find your own voice. Unless the information is factual and must be included as is, don’t just copy the information from your research directly into your paper. Try to let your personal thoughts and opinions come through in your paper and draw your own conclusions.

• Organize the information. Try to keep the information organized. Don’t mix different thoughts and ideas in one section or paragraph. Don’t scatter the same type of information throughout multiple sections of the paper. It is easier for users to follow along if the information is arranged in a logical order.

• Proofread it. After writing your first draft, proofread it. Check grammar and spelling mistakes. Check that the information is organized. Check the formatting and citations. Revise as needed.

Congratulations! You are now ready for the last and final step for writing a research paper. After you have revised your first draft a few times, you should prepare your final draft.

This final version of your paper should:

• Be clearly organized.
• Have very few or no spelling and grammatical mistakes.
• Be formatted correctly (margins, running headers, spacing, page numbers, citations, etc.)
• Have your name, the course and professor information, and the date the paper is due.
• Have a separate works cited page that has the bibliographical information for each of your sources.