Assignment Planner: Research Paper

Step 1: Understand assignment. Select topic.

Read through and understand the assignment (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill).
- Contact your professor with questions; take advantage of your professor's office hours.
- Familiarize yourself with the purpose and features of a research paper (pdf from Academic Success Centre).
Select a workable topic (video from University of Prince Edward Island).
Conduct preliminary investigation into topic using Google or other web searches. Work to understand your topic and the issues surrounding it.
- Try a specialized encyclopedia.
- Write down 5-10 keywords about your topic including terms, jargon, events, people, and places to use when you search for sources.
- Try mapping your research ideas (video from UCLA).

Percentage of time on this step: 8%

Step 2: Draft thesis or research question.

Revise and narrow topic as needed. Many students think this is one of the hardest steps!
- How do I turn a topic into a research question? (from Emory University)
- Moving from a topic to a thesis (from York University)
- How to write a thesis statement (from Indiana University Bloomington)
- Thesis generator (from Ashford University)
- Don't be afraid to let your topic or thesis evolve as you learn more about it.
Get online or in-person writing support through UFV's Academic Success Centre.

Percentage of time on this step: 7%

Step 3: Find and evaluate evidence and sources.

General strategies:
- Use the keywords you generated in the previous step and try different combinations until you get results that are useful.
- Look for a research guide for your course or subject area to get suggestions for strategy and places to search.
- Ask a librarian for help with strategy.
As you conduct research, ask yourself what each source can do for you, and how you might use the evidence:
- As background to provide context?
- To introduce and situate your thesis with existing conversation on a topic?
- To demonstrate the value of your working research question?
- To support or counter an argument?
Gather and read different types of sources or evidence.
- Learn about the value, uses, and characteristics of different types of sources (e.g., scholarly, popular).
- Use Find It or search subject-specific databases (e.g., business, psychology, health sciences) to find journal articles and other sources relating to your research question or topic.
- Learn how to read and comprehend scholarly research articles (video from Kishwaukee College).
- Consider using books and media to help you understand the scope and various perspectives on your topic.
- Consider the need for historical or primary documents.
- Do you need facts and statistics to shore up your argument or evidence?
- Can government reports, data, and other information shed light on your topic?
- Gather information on your sources for your bibliography. Consider using Mendeley, Zotero or other tools to save PDFs (from Simon Fraser University) and help you with your references list later.

Percentage of time on this step: 20%

Step 4: Critically read and evaluate sources.

Evaluate sources based on your research question or working thesis.
- Can you believe what you'll do after watching this video? (video from University of Minnesota)
Take notes while reading (from University of Toronto). Make notes on margins. Use tools to comment or highlight PDFs. Work to develop your own voice. Some useful strategies are:
- Critical reading (pdf from University of Minnesota)
- Close reading (from Harvard College)
- Read to write (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
- Summarizing a scholarly journal article (pdf from Academic Success Centre)
Conduct more research to fill in gaps as needed.

Percentage of time on this step: 25%

Step 5: Develop structure. Draft paper with in-text citations.

Polish or refine your thesis statement (from University of Wisconsin) as a response to your research question.
Organize your thoughts and your paper's structure. Try the following techniques:
- Outlining strategies (from Walden University)
- Brainstorming techniques (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), including free-writing, listing/bulleting, 3 perspectives, cubing, similes, concept mapping, diagramming, and more
- Talk out your structure. Record yourself talking about your topic and ideas. Transcribe your thoughts to your computer.
Continue to flesh out your outline (from Hunter College) with more detail.
If you are ready to start writing, begin with segments or chunks, not necessarily the introduction or in sequence. As you write you will discover more of what you want to say.
Get online or in-person writing support through UFV's Academic Success Centre.

Percentage of time on this step: 5%

Step 6: Write first draft.

Keep in mind there are many ways to approach writing your first draft. You do not have to start at the beginning. Instead begin drafting segments or chunks. Concentrate on writing your rough ideas (pdf from Concordia University) and not on revising.
Take breaks. Use breaks as a way to keep your brain and your writing fresh.
As you incorporate others' ideas or words into your paper be sure to cite your sources with in-text citations. Ask your professor if you are unsure on which citation style to use (e.g., APA, MLA).
- Learn how to build your argument and use evidence (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) in support of your thesis statement.
- Understand what plagiarism is (pdf from Academic Success Centre).
- Learn how to paraphrase ideas (from University of Wisconsin) to avoid plagiarism.
- Skillfully (and sparingly) integrate quotations (pdf from University of Wisconsin) from your sources.
- Finding your academic voice through critical writing (from University of Arizona)
Write a draft of your introduction (pdf from Academic Success Centre).
Get online or in-person writing support through UFV's Academic Success Centre.
Need a computer? Visit one of the campus libraries or a drop-in computer lab.
Conduct more research to fill in gaps as needed.

Percentage of time on this step: 20%

Step 7: Revise and rewrite; focus on content.

Get online or in-person writing support through UFV's Academic Success Centre.
In light of your draft, you might need to revise your thesis (from University of Wisconsin).
Revise to shape meaning and craft language (pdf from Academic Success Centre).
- Revising the draft (from Harvard College) (includes examples)
- Revising drafts (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
- Post-draft outline (video from Excelsior College)
- Transitions and connective expressions (pdf from Academic Success Centre)
Draft your references or works cited page.
- Consider using Mendeley, Zotero or other tools to format your references (from Simon Fraser University).
- Be sure to double check the citations.

Percentage of time on this step: 10%

Step 8: Polish and put paper in final form.

Reread your assignment guidelines to make sure you have met all of the requirements.
Edit and proofread (from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill) your paper carefully.
- Editing checklist (from University of New South Wales)
- Writing an effective title (pdf from University of Minnesota)
- Grammar tips (pdf from Academic Success Centre)
- More grammar tips (from University of Minnesota)
- Punctuation tips (from University of Minnesota)
Check citations for accuracy and formatting.
- Consider using Mendeley, Zotero or other tools to format your references (from Simon Fraser University).