With a little planning and preparation, you can write a successful research paper. Sometimes the hardest part is just getting started, but there are some basic tips for research that can help you.
1. Understand your assignment. Communication with your instructor is a key component to writing
a successful research paper. Many instructors have a handout about what they want in your paper.
Read it! If you have questions, ask the instructor. Be sure to know the expected length, format,
sources, due date, etc.
2. Get topic ideas. How do you find a good topic? Here are some suggestions:
Your instructor will often offer examples to give you ideas. This can help you understand the type of topics that you can choose.
Current events are often helpful. Browse magazines and newspaper articles. Remember–the LRC subscribes to 12 newspapers and almost 140 magazines as well as many full-text article databases. In addition, one of our databases, CQ Researcher, offers a “Browse by Topic” feature that is particularly helpful when you are looking for a paper topic.
Browse through our “New Books” section in the LRC. It’s the bookcase across from the circulation desk as you enter the library. This is where we put our most recently acquired materials. Most of these items have been published in the last 6 months.
Think about what interests you. What are your interests, hobbies, passions. If you choose a topic that is difficult for you to maintain your interest, it will probably be a difficult paper to write.
3. Locate some background information on a few topics that interest you. Encyclopedias,
reference materials, circulating books, and magazine articles can provide background information
so that you can understand the topic better. This will help you decide if the support material you
can locate for your chosen topic meets the source requirements for your paper. Make sure the
resources are readily available within the LRC’s collection or other collections accessible to you.
4. Narrow or widen your topic by the criteria given to you by the instructor (see “understand
your assignment”). Don’t write a paper on very broad topic like “terrorism” but on an aspect more
specific such as “U.S. government measures to combat bioterrorism”.
5. Make sure your instructor knows your topic before you proceed. Why? Because if it does not
meet the requirements for your assignment, you need to know before you invest any more time and
effort. Your instructor may also have some suggestions on the scope of your topic (i.e. too broad or
too narrow) that may help you with your paper.
6. If you have legitimately searched for a topic and are stumped, ask your instructor if there
is a topic he or she would like you to write about. But be prepared, your instructor will probably
have one!
