Below are links and videos to help you undertake a research paper successfully.
The information here includes:
Understanding the assignment. Sounds obvious. But more often than not, some students approach the paper without fully understanding the assignment beforehand.
The checklist below will help you to understand the assignment COMPLETELY.
1. When is the assignment due?
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2. How long is it supposed to be?
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3. How many sources must you use?*
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4. What types of sources? (scholarly database, peer-reviewed, print, etc.)
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5. Do you need primary source materials?
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6. What style is the paper formatted in? (APA, MLA, etc.)
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7. Is your professor expecting in-text citations and a bibliography?
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8. Does the paper require images? _______________
9. Do you understand the topic question/assignment clearly? _______________________________________
*NOTE: If the number of sources aren't mentioned, use the following rule of thumb: for a shorter paper, use 5-8 sources; for a longer paper, provide 8-10 sources.
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Instructional materials, practice exercises, videos, etc.
Tips on grammar and writing; exercises, quizzes.
WCSU LibGuide - Basics of Library Research
A Library Guide to guide students through the process.
Univ. of Minnesota Research Calculator
Another great tool for organizing a research paper.
