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Writing a Research Paper in Political Science: A Practical Guide to Inquiry, Structure, and Methods

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101 research paper topics.

  • Why do we sleep ?
  • How do GPS systems work?
  • Who was the first person to reach the North Pole ?
  • Did anybody ever escape Alcatraz ?
  • What was life like for a gladiator ?
  • What are the effects of prolonged steroid use on the human body?
  • What happened during the Salem witch trials ?
  • Are there any effective means of repelling insects ?
  • How did trains and railroads change life in America?
  • What may have occurred during the Roswell  UFO incident of 1947?
  • How is bulletproof clothing made?
  • What Olympic events were practiced in ancient Greece?
  • What are the major theories explaining the disappearance of the dinosaurs ?
  • How was the skateboard invented and how has it changed over the years?
  • How did the long bow contribute to English military dominance?
  • What caused the stock market crash of 2008?
  • How did Cleopatra come to power in Egypt what did she do during her reign?
  • How has airport security intensified since September 11 th , 2001?
  • What is life like inside of a beehive ?
  • Where did hip hop originate and who were its founders?
  • What makes the platypus a unique and interesting mammal?
  • How does tobacco use affect the human body?
  • How do computer viruses spread and in what ways do they affect computers?
  • What is daily life like for a Buddhist monk ?
  • What are the origins of the conflict in Darfur ?
  • How did gunpowder change warfare?
  • In what ways do Wal-Mart stores affect local economies?
  • How were cats and dogs domesticated and for what purposes?
  • What do historians know about ninjas ?
  • How has the music industry been affected by the internet and digital downloading?
  • What were the circumstances surrounding the death of Osama Bin Laden ?
  • What was the women’s suffrage movement and how did it change America?
  • What efforts are being taken to protect endangered wildlife ?
  • How much does the war on drugs cost Americans each year?
  • How is text messaging affecting teen literacy?
  • Are humans still evolving ?
  • What technologies are available to home owners to help them conserve energy ?
  • How have oil spills affected the planet and what steps are being taken to prevent them?
  • What was the Magna Carta and how did it change England?
  • What is the curse of the pharaohs?
  • Why was Socrates executed?
  • What nonlethal weapons are used by police to subdue rioters?
  • How does the prison population in America compare to other nations?
  • How did ancient sailors navigate the globe?
  • Can gamblers ever acquire a statistical advantage over the house in casino games?
  • What is alchemy and how has it been attempted?
  • How are black holes formed?
  • How was the assassination of Abraham Lincoln plotted and executed?
  • Do the benefits of vaccination outweigh the risks?
  • How do submarines work?
  • Do lie detector tests accurately determine truthful statements?
  • How did Cold War tension affect the US and the world?
  • What happened to the lost settlers at Roanoke ?
  • How does a hybrid car save energy?
  • What ingredients can be found inside of a hotdog ?
  • How did Julius Caesar affect Rome?
  • What are some common sleep disorders and how are they treated?
  • How did the Freedom Riders change society?
  • How is internet censorship used in China and around the world?
  • What was the code of the Bushido and how did it affect samurai warriors ?
  • What are the risks of artificial tanning or prolonged exposure to the sun?
  • What programs are available to help war veterans get back into society?
  • What steps are involved in creating a movie or television show?
  • How have the film and music industries dealt with piracy ?
  • How did Joan of Arc change history?
  • What responsibilities do secret service agents have?
  • How does a shark hunt?
  • What dangers and hardships did Lewis and Clark face when exploring the Midwest?
  • Has the Patriot Act prevented or stopped terrorist acts in America?
  • Do states that allow citizens to carry guns have higher or lower crime rates?
  • How are the Great Depression and the Great Recession similar and different?
  • What are the dangers of scuba diving and underwater exploration?
  • How does the human brain store and retrieve memories ?
  • What was the Manhattan Project and what impact did it have on the world?
  • How does stealth technology shield aircraft from radar?
  • What causes tornadoes ?
  • Why did Martin Luther protest against the Catholic Church?
  • How does a search engine work?
  • What are the current capabilities and future goals of genetic engineers ?
  • How did the Roman Empire fall?
  • What obstacles faced scientists in breaking the sound barrier ?
  • How did the black plague affect Europe?
  • What happened to Amelia Earhart ?
  • What are the dangers and hazards of using nuclear power ?
  • How did Genghis Khan conquer Persia?
  • What architectural marvels were found in Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire ?
  • From where does spam email come and can we stop it?
  • How does night vision work?
  • How did journalists influence US war efforts in Vietnam ?
  • What are the benefits and hazards of medical marijuana ?
  • What causes desert mirages and how do they affect wanderers?
  • What was the cultural significance of the first moon landing ?
  • What are sinkholes and how are they formed?
  • Have any psychics ever solved crimes or prevented them from occurring?
  • Who is Vlad the Impaler and what is his connection to Count Dracula ?
  • What are the risks of climate change and global warming ?
  • What treatments are available to people infected with HIV and are they effective?
  • Who was a greater inventor, Leonardo di Vinci or Thomas Edison ?
  • How are the Chinese and American economies similar and different?
  • Why was communism unsuccessful in so many countries?
  • In what ways do video games affect children and teenagers?

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923 Comments

I like using this website when I assist kids with learning as a lot of these topics are quickly covered in the school systems. Thankyou

Mackenah Nicole Molina

Wow! I always have trouble deiciding what to do a research project on but this list has totally solved that. Now my only problem is choosing what idea on this list I should do first!

Most of these my teacher rejected because apparently ‘these aren’t grade level topics, and I doubt they interest you”

I’m sorry to hear that. Sounds like you will have a potentially valuable character-building experience in the short-term.

Edwin Augusto Galindo Cuba

THIS SITE IS AWESOME, THERE ARE LOTS OF TOPICS TO LEARN AND MASTER OUR SKILLS!

research kid

I need one about animals, please. I have been challenged to a animal research project, Due Friday. I have no clue what to research! somebody help, thanks for reading!

You can do one on bats

For international studies you can do Defense and Security.

This was very helpful.

Research on Ben Franklin? I think THAT will get a real charge out of everyone (hehehehegetit)

Mandy Maher

“Is it possible to colonize Mars?”

maddy burney

these are silly topics

thx for making this real.

more gaming questions!!!!!!

Is it still considered stealing if you don’t get caught?

Yes, yes it is still considered stealing.

I need topics on memes

Mary Nnamani

Please I need project topics on Language Literature

Marcella Vallarino

I would appreciate a list of survey questions for middle school grades 6-8

I need a research topics about public sector management

I NEED FIVE EXAMPLES EACH ON QUALITATIVE AND QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH (EDUCATION, HEALTH, TECHNOLOGY, ECONOMY AND ENGINEERING)

publish research that are interesting please……

hey can you do one on the burmiueda triangle

Anybody know video games effect kids,and,teens. There Fun!!

they’re

I need a topic about woman history if any of u can find 1 please that would be great!

You could research about the history of the astronauts, and of human past (WWI, WWII, etc.)

so about women? Manitoba Women Win the Right to Vote in Municipal Elections, The First Women, January 23, 1849: Elizabeth Blackwell becomes the first woman to graduate from medical school and become a doctor in the United States, Rosa Parks Civil Rights Equal Pay. I have way more. so if you need more just ask.

communism is good

what are you a communist?!?!

Did FDR know about the upcoming attack on Pearl Harbor on 07 DEC 1941.

do you know how babies are born

Christine Singu

kindly assist with a research topic in the field of accounting or auditing

need more about US army

Please can yiu give me a topic in education

I think one should be how can music/Video games can affect the life for people

or How Do Video Games Affect Teenagers?

zimbabwe leader

I think a good topic is supporting the confederate flag!

Need a research topic within the context of students union government and dues payments

do more weird ones plz

joyce alcantara

Hi pls po can you give me a topic relate for humanities pls thank u.

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Research Guide

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Take notes during your research process

  • Library Research Worksheet Click the link and a Word version of the worksheet will download to your computer for completing and printing.
  • Library Research Worksheet Click the link and a PDF version of the worksheet will download to your computer for printing.

The Library Research Worksheet is a resource that you can print out and use to take notes during your research process. Note-taking while you research is highly recommended because it helps you organize your thoughts and findings, and it keeps you on track when you have to divide your research time into several sessions. The worksheet guides you through the steps of developing your topic, figuring out how to search for information, evaluating search results and citing sources.

See an example of the research process

This document is the Library Research Worksheet completed with an example topic to help you understand the research process a little better.

  • Library Research Worksheet Example
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A Process Approach to Writing Research Papers

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research paper worksheets

(adapted from Research Paper Guide, Point Loma Nazarene University, 2010) 

Step 1: Be a Strategic Reader and Scholar 

Even before your paper is assigned, use the tools you have been given by your instructor and GSI, and create tools you can use later. 

See the handout “Be a Strategic Reader and Scholar” for more information.

Step 2: Understand the Assignment 

  • Free topic choice or assigned?
  • Type of paper: Informative? Persuasive? Other?
  • Any terminology in assignment not clear?
  • Library research needed or required? How much?
  • What style of citation is required?
  • Can you break the assignment into parts?
  • When will you do each part?
  • Are you required or allowed to collaborate with other members of the class?
  • Other special directions or requirements?

Step 3: Select a Topic 

  • interests you
  • you know something about
  • you can research easily
  • Write out topic and brainstorm.
  • Select your paper’s specific topic from this brainstorming list.
  • In a sentence or short paragraph, describe what you think your paper is about.

Step 4: Initial Planning, Investigation, and Outlining 

  • the nature of your audience
  • ideas & information you already possess
  • sources you can consult
  • background reading you should do

Make a rough outline, a guide for your research to keep you on the subject while you work. 

Step 5: Accumulate Research Materials 

  • Use cards, Word, Post-its, or Excel to organize.
  • Organize your bibliography records first.
  • Organize notes next (one idea per document— direct quotations, paraphrases, your own ideas).
  • Arrange your notes under the main headings of your tentative outline. If necessary, print out documents and literally cut and paste (scissors and tape) them together by heading.

Step 6: Make a Final Outline to Guide Writing 

  • Reorganize and fill in tentative outline.
  • Organize notes to correspond to outline. 
  • As you decide where you will use outside resources in your paper, make notes in your outline to refer to your numbered notecards, attach post-its to your printed outline, or note the use of outside resources in a different font or text color from the rest of your outline. 
  • In both Steps 6 and 7, it is important to maintain a clear distinction between your own words and ideas and those of others.

Step 7: Write the Paper 

  • Use your outline to guide you.
  • Write quickly—capture flow of ideas—deal with proofreading later.
  • Put aside overnight or longer, if possible.

Step 8: Revise and Proofread 

  • Check organization—reorganize paragraphs and add transitions where necessary.
  • Make sure all researched information is documented.
  • Rework introduction and conclusion.
  • Work on sentences—check spelling, punctuation, word choice, etc.
  • Read out loud to check for flow.

Carolyn Swalina, Writing Program Coordinator  Student Learning Center, University of California, Berkeley ©2011 UC Regents

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

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Information Literacy Instruction

  • Exercises to Build Research Skills
  • Formulate a research topic
  • Find Information
  • Evaluate Information
  • Use Information
  • Chicago/Turabian
  • Citation Tools

Exercises Overview

Library instruction exercises.

The exercises below are designed for students learning to do research. They can be done in class or assigned as homework. They are in Word format so instructors who wish to use them can easily edit or adapt them. When appropriate, they contain an answer key, so instructors should look at the full handout and remove the answer key before sharing with students.

If you would like a librarian to come to your class to lead these exercises or if you would like an exercise customized for your subject area, contact your Library Liaison!

  • Formulate a topic
  • Find information
  • Evaluate information
  • Incorporate information
  • Cite information
  • Writing assignment formats
  • Triangulating your research This exercise guides students with a broad topic to identify search terms and narrow their topic, arriving at a research question.
  • Formulating a Research Question from a Broad Topic Students often begin their research (and writing) with a very broad topic. This means they waste a lot of time looking for resources that they will never use. Before they begin to research, it is ideal to have a focused question. This 10 minute assignment teaches them how to turn a very broad topic into a focused research question.
  • Identifying and Refining a Research Topic Using Concept Maps This exercise is designed to help students think of words and concepts and see how they are related. They create a concept map of their topic, which may help them see ways to narrow their topic and arrive at a research question.
  • Identifying and Refining a Research Topic Using Journalistic Questions Journalistic questions are a set of questions you can use to define your topic more clearly. This exercise will help student ask questions about their topic. Having specific questions to answer makes researching the topic easier when you get to that stage.
  • Defining Search Terms Students will often try one or two search terms when using a database and assume there’s no information on their topic if it doesn’t work the first time. This exercise gets them thinking about synonyms and related words. This 15 minute exercise may seem simple, but I can almost guarantee that the next time they sit down at a database they will try multiple searches before giving up.
  • Identifying Keywords In this exercise, students will practice identifying keywords that might be used to research their topic. The exercise has three parts. First, they will identify the keywords from sample research questions. Then they will brainstorm synonyms for those keywords, demonstrating the need to search using more than just one keyword. Finally, they will complete the exercise for their own research question.
  • Information Source Comparison This activity helps students explore the strengths and weakness of Google, Google Scholar, Academic Search Complete and topic specific databases as information sources.
  • Understanding Boolean Operators: AND, OR, NOT In order to apply your keywords to an effective search, you must be able to employ Boolean logic. Those operators are AND OR & NOT. The object of this exercise is to practice your use of those operators by looking at an everyday experience : Ordering food from a fast food restaurant.
  • Creating Keyword Searches Using Boolean Operators In this exercise, students will practice selecting search terms and combining them using boolean operators in order to create an effective search.
  • Popular, Trade or Peer Reviewed? Great hands-on exercise to teach students about the differences among the 3 types of publications. Students can read the differences in the provided example, but real learning takes place when they have to sift through the actual publications and write down differences. Can be tailored to use any three sources appropriate for your discipline.
  • Analyze 4 types of sources This assignment does two things: 1) it makes students find 4 different types of sources rather than just search the Web; 2) it teaches students how to evaluate ALL information and compare and contrast different types of sources.
  • Pin the News Source on the Fake News Continuum This activity asks students to research a variety of news sources and place them on a continuum to define their reliability.
  • Evaluating Sources Process Cards This is a group activity in which students are given cards with a variety of sources on them. They evaluate the sources based on criteria such as "authority," "ease of creation," "time to creation" etc.
  • Evaluating sources writing assignment Requires the student to answer a series of questions about a source they have found. These questions are also a good basis for writing the annotation for an annotated bibliography exercise.
  • Article Analysis - upper level This exercise requires students to evaluate a scholarly article for not only its relevance to their research topic but also for its potential to help them find more sources via citation mining and keyword generation.
  • Evaluating Web Resources Students choose one of three websites to evaluate. After evaluating the website they must make a judgment on whether it is good or bad for academic research and explain their decision. This assignment can be tailored to use websites related to your subject area. Just ask!

Introductory level - avoid plagiarism by properly using quotes, paraphrases and summaries.

  • Evaluating quotes and paraphrases (100/200 level) Students are given a sample citation and 7 easy uses. They judge if the use is appropriate or plagiarism.
  • Evaluating quotes, summaries and paraphrases Students are given a sample text and 4 summaries. They judge if the summary is legitimate or plagiarism.
  • Quotes, Summaries and Paraphrases from the Purdue Owl This PDF from the Purdue Owl explains what each of these are, how to use them and concludes with a hands on exercise that requires students to summarize and paraphrase several sample original texts.
  • Write your own quote, summary, paraphrase Given a single sample text, students are asked to write their own quote, summary, paraphrase for the instructor's evaluation. Can be tailored for any class.

Introductory level - how to integrate quotes, paraphrases and summaries

  • Integrating quotes Given a single sample paragraph, students are asked to identify several key methods quotes are integrated into the paragraph.
  • Analyzing how to integrate quotes and summaries This exercise has students analyze how and why scholarly authors have integrated quotes and summaries in order to help them learn smooth methods to use quotes and summaries in their own research.
  • Analyzing supporting evidence An exercise that asks students to analyze how and why evidence is used in an existing scholarly article.

Introductory level - learning how and why to use sources

  • Un-research Project This exercise helps students focus on why they choose sources to support their research.
  • Is your paper well supported with evidence A quick, easy and visual exercise to help students determine if their paper arguments are well supported with evidence.

Upper level - synthesizing information

  • Updating a literature review This exercise is appropriate to introduce the concept of a literature review and how to synthesize information in one.
  • Mini-literature review assignment An introduction to literature reviews. Scaffolded instruction for how to approach your first literature review.
  • Synthesis Matrix A beginner's matrix to help students begin thinking about synthesizing their sources.
  • Advanced Synthesis Matrix A source synthesis matrix for advanced level writing assignments.

Create a list of sources with improper citations. Have the students attempt to locate the sources.  This should demonstrate to students how citations are used to track down sources and how frustrating it can be for their teachers and fellow researchers when they don’t provide adequate citations. Examples to use here could include books with multiple editions or books with very generic titles.

Breaking citations down: Develop a list of citations. Break these citations down (components: author, date, publisher, title, etc). Type or write them down on larger pieces of construction paper, cardboard, etc. You can utilize a variety of colors, shapes, sizes. Have students work as groups to assemble the parts (you can use pin boards, a wall and tape, magnetic boards, etc). This can easily be turned into a competitive game.

Selecting an Effective Writing Assignment Format

In addition to the standard essay, report or full research paper formats, several other formats exist that might give students a different slant on the course material or allow them to use slightly different writing skills. Here are some suggestions:

Journals. In-class journal entries can spark discussions and reveal gaps in students’ understanding of the material. Having students write an in-class entry summarizing the material covered that day can aid the learning process and also reveal concepts that require more elaboration. Out-of-class entries involve short summaries or analyses of texts, or are a testing ground for ideas for student papers and reports.

Letters. Students can define and defend a position on an issue in a letter written to someone in authority. They can also explain a concept or a process to someone in need of that particular information. They can write a letter to a friend explaining their concerns about an upcoming paper assignment or explaining their ideas for an upcoming paper assignment. If you wish to add a creative element to the writing assignment, you might have students adopt the persona of an important person discussed in your course (e.g., an historical figure) and write a letter explaining his/her actions, process, or theory to an interested person (e.g., “pretend that you are John Wilkes Booth and write a letter to the Congress justifying your assassination of Abraham Lincoln,” or “pretend you are Henry VIII writing to Thomas More explaining your break from the Catholic Church”).

Editorials . Students can define and defend a position on a controversial issue in the format of an editorial for the campus or local newspaper or for a national journal.

Cases . Students might create a case study particular to the course’s subject matter.

Position Papers . These projects ask students to research a topic from a variety of viewpoints, and then use that research to support their own perspective. Students can define and defend a position, perhaps as a preliminary step in the creation of a formal research paper or essay.

Imitation of a Text . Students can create a new document “in the style of” a particular writer (e.g., “Create a government document the way Woody Allen might write it” or “Write your own ‘Modest Proposal’ about a modern issue”).

Instruction Manuals . Students write a step-by-step explanation of a process.

Dialogues . Students create a dialogue between two major figures studied in which they not only reveal those people’s theories or thoughts but also explore areas of possible disagreement (e.g., “Write a dialogue between Claude Monet and Jackson Pollock about the nature and uses of art”).

Collaborative projects . Students work together to create such works as reports, questions, and critiques.

Summary papers These assignments ask students to summarize a key concept from the course, or a reading or set of readings.

Compare/contrast papers Students are asked to compare/contrast theoretical positions from key scholars, reading, methods, or procedures for completing a task, etc.

Reading responses Students are asked to respond to specific questions about course readings. These can take place in reading journals that you occasionally collect, or reading responses on a discussion forum (on Moodle or elsewhere).

Position response papers Students are provided with a position that they must then defend or refute using course concepts and outside research.

Disciplinary problem papers These projects ask students to make an argument for the best solution to a disciplinary problem.

Data analysis papers Students are provided with raw data (or asked to collect raw data themselves) that they must then analyze using a particular methodology from the course.

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How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline | Example

Published on August 7, 2022 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on August 15, 2023.

How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline

A research paper outline is a useful tool to aid in the writing process , providing a structure to follow with all information to be included in the paper clearly organized.

A quality outline can make writing your research paper more efficient by helping to:

  • Organize your thoughts
  • Understand the flow of information and how ideas are related
  • Ensure nothing is forgotten

A research paper outline can also give your teacher an early idea of the final product.

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Table of contents

Research paper outline example, how to write a research paper outline, formatting your research paper outline, language in research paper outlines.

  • Definition of measles
  • Rise in cases in recent years in places the disease was previously eliminated or had very low rates of infection
  • Figures: Number of cases per year on average, number in recent years. Relate to immunization
  • Symptoms and timeframes of disease
  • Risk of fatality, including statistics
  • How measles is spread
  • Immunization procedures in different regions
  • Different regions, focusing on the arguments from those against immunization
  • Immunization figures in affected regions
  • High number of cases in non-immunizing regions
  • Illnesses that can result from measles virus
  • Fatal cases of other illnesses after patient contracted measles
  • Summary of arguments of different groups
  • Summary of figures and relationship with recent immunization debate
  • Which side of the argument appears to be correct?

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Follow these steps to start your research paper outline:

  • Decide on the subject of the paper
  • Write down all the ideas you want to include or discuss
  • Organize related ideas into sub-groups
  • Arrange your ideas into a hierarchy: What should the reader learn first? What is most important? Which idea will help end your paper most effectively?
  • Create headings and subheadings that are effective
  • Format the outline in either alphanumeric, full-sentence or decimal format

There are three different kinds of research paper outline: alphanumeric, full-sentence and decimal outlines. The differences relate to formatting and style of writing.

  • Alphanumeric
  • Full-sentence

An alphanumeric outline is most commonly used. It uses Roman numerals, capitalized letters, arabic numerals, lowercase letters to organize the flow of information. Text is written with short notes rather than full sentences.

  • Sub-point of sub-point 1

Essentially the same as the alphanumeric outline, but with the text written in full sentences rather than short points.

  • Additional sub-point to conclude discussion of point of evidence introduced in point A

A decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline, but with a different numbering system: 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc. Text is written as short notes rather than full sentences.

  • 1.1.1 Sub-point of first point
  • 1.1.2 Sub-point of first point
  • 1.2 Second point

To write an effective research paper outline, it is important to pay attention to language. This is especially important if it is one you will show to your teacher or be assessed on.

There are four main considerations: parallelism, coordination, subordination and division.

Parallelism: Be consistent with grammatical form

Parallel structure or parallelism is the repetition of a particular grammatical form within a sentence, or in this case, between points and sub-points. This simply means that if the first point is a verb , the sub-point should also be a verb.

Example of parallelism:

  • Include different regions, focusing on the different arguments from those against immunization

Coordination: Be aware of each point’s weight

Your chosen subheadings should hold the same significance as each other, as should all first sub-points, secondary sub-points, and so on.

Example of coordination:

  • Include immunization figures in affected regions
  • Illnesses that can result from the measles virus

Subordination: Work from general to specific

Subordination refers to the separation of general points from specific. Your main headings should be quite general, and each level of sub-point should become more specific.

Example of subordination:

Division: break information into sub-points.

Your headings should be divided into two or more subsections. There is no limit to how many subsections you can include under each heading, but keep in mind that the information will be structured into a paragraph during the writing stage, so you should not go overboard with the number of sub-points.

Ready to start writing or looking for guidance on a different step in the process? Read our step-by-step guide on how to write a research paper .

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Research Writing Templates

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If you're assigning this to your students, copy the worksheet to your account and save. When creating an assignment, just select it as a template!

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What is Research?

Research is the systematic process of gathering and analyzing information to establish facts, gain knowledge, and draw new conclusions. It involves a methodical approach to collecting data from various sources and critically examining it to generate insights and deepen understanding.

When conducting research, individuals seek to explore a chosen topic or question and find relevant information to answer it. This may involve investigating existing knowledge, gathering data through surveys or experiments, analyzing statistical information, or reviewing scholarly literature. The goal is to uncover new insights, validate existing theories, or contribute to the advancement of knowledge in a particular field.

Collecting information requires careful consideration of reliable sources. These sources can include books, scholarly articles, reputable websites, and expert interviews. By utilizing trustworthy and credible sources, researchers can ensure the accuracy and validity of their findings.

Research allows individuals to go beyond surface-level knowledge and delve into a subject in depth. It involves critically examining different perspectives, analyzing data, and interpreting results to form evidence-based conclusions. Individuals can contribute to the body of knowledge, inform decision-making processes, and make meaningful contributions to their respective fields.

Utilizing Research Worksheets to Improve Research Skills and Enhance Writing Abilities

These skills are essential for students to develop a better understanding of various subjects and effectively explore topics. Our templates offer valuable guidance and resources to assist middle school students in their journey of conducting research and writing papers. They provide a structured framework that helps students navigate the process, explore different subtopics, generate ideas, and avoid plagiarism. By utilizing these worksheets, students can enhance their skills, improve their writing abilities, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics they are studying.

One of the key aspects of the research process is identifying suitable topics. Our templates offer prompts and exercises that help students brainstorm ideas and select topics that align with their interests and academic goals. By engaging in these activities, students can explore various subjects and narrow down their focus to a specific area.

Once students have chosen their topics, the templates guide them through the process of conducting research. They provide helpful tips on utilizing search engines effectively, evaluating the credibility of sources, and organizing information. Kids can use these worksheets to record their findings, take notes, and develop a comprehensive understanding of their chosen topics.

Furthermore, they cater to the unique needs of students by providing age-appropriate activities and resources. They are designed to foster engagement, critical thinking, and independent learning. By utilizing these worksheets, students can develop essential skills that will benefit them not only in their academic journey but also in their future educational pursuits.

In conclusion, research worksheets serve as valuable tools for middle school students to enhance their skills, streamline the process, and gain a better understanding of various topics. By incorporating these handouts into their learning, students can develop valuable skills, foster a deeper appreciation for education, and excel in their academic endeavors.

Examples of Classroom Activities to Use Research Worksheets

  • Social Studies Exploration: Introduce students to the world of research by assigning a country project. Provide them with templates that guide them through the process of gathering information about their chosen country. These worksheets can include sections for collecting statistical information, identifying reliable sources, and establishing facts about the country.
  • College-Level Research: Prepare middle school students for higher education by incorporating college research worksheets into their curriculum. These worksheets can focus on developing skills such as utilizing search engines effectively, avoiding plagiarism, and critically evaluating sources. Students can practice these skills by exploring different subtopics related to their areas of interest.
  • Writing a Research Paper: Help students navigate the process of writing a research paper by providing them with specialized worksheets. These worksheets can assist them in organizing their research, outlining their paper, and citing sources. By using writing a research paper worksheets, students can gain a better understanding of the process and develop strong academic writing skills.
  • Interactive Research Activities: Engage students in hands-on activities using printable country research worksheets. These worksheets can include prompts and questions that guide students in collecting specific information about a country, such as its geography, history, culture, and economy. Students can work individually or in groups to complete these activities, fostering collaboration and critical thinking.

In addition, we offer a wide selection of other educational materials to support your teaching. Our worksheet templates section provides a wealth of resources, including phonological awareness activities, making connections worksheets , and active reading worksheet templates . These resources can be seamlessly integrated into your lessons to strengthen students' understanding of cardinal directions while building essential reading and comprehension skills.

How to Make a Research Writing Worksheet

Choose one of the premade templates.

We have lots of templates to choose from. Take a look at our example for inspiration!

Click on “Copy Template”

Once you do this, you will be directed to the storyboard creator.

Give Your Worksheet a Name!

Be sure to call it something related to the topic so that you can easily find it in the future.

Edit Your Worksheet

This is where you will include directions, specific images, and make any aesthetic changes that you would like. The options are endless!

Click "Save and Exit"

When you are finished, click this button in the lower right hand corner to exit your storyboard.

From here you can print, download as a PDF, attach it to an assignment and use it digitally, and more!

Happy Creating!

Frequently Asked Questions About Research Writing Worksheets

Where can i find research worksheets for different topics.

You can find a variety on Storyboard That. They offer activities and college research worksheets that cater to various subjects and grade levels.

Can I use Storyboard That for research activities?

Yes, Storyboard That offers a range of resources and tools to support research activities. We offer handouts and college research worksheets that assist students in organizing their findings, creating visual representations, and writing research papers. Additionally, their free printable country research worksheet is a helpful resource for studying and exploring different countries.

Are the research worksheets from Storyboard That suitable for college-level research?

Yes, Storyboard That offers college research worksheets that are designed to meet the research requirements of college-level students. They cover various aspects of the research process, including topic selection, gathering statistical information, using reliable sources, and drawing new conclusions. They provide a comprehensive framework for conducting thorough research and writing academic papers.

Can I access the research worksheets from Storyboard That for free?

While Storyboard That offers a range of resources and tools, some of the premium content may require a subscription or purchase. However, we also provide free printable country research worksheets and offer trial periods and discounts for educators and students.

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Research Skills Writing Worksheets

Language arts categories, free weekly worksheets, worksheets by email, how to write a research paper.

A research paper is a form of academic writing comprising of analysis, interpretation, and an argument. It outlines a researcher's in-depth research efforts. They are very much similar to research essays but are much longer than these essays. Excelling in research paper writing is a treasurable skill. If you wish to write a research paper, follow these simple tips, and things will fall into place. A research paper always starts with the development of a proper understanding of the assignment. The second step is to choose a research topic; the best option is to choose a topic you are interested in and have a strong base knowledge. After choosing a topic, carry out preliminary research. This includes using books, journals, and reliable online encyclopedias to gather your information. Work on your thesis statement and make sure it is strong. It should clearly state the purpose of your research paper. Do not begin writing your paper before creating a proper outline. It helps in the organization of your research and thoughts. Each paragraph needs to focus on a new theme or idea.

research paper worksheets

How to Choose Your Own Topic

The first step in writing a research paper is to choose a topic. It is very important that you choose a topic that you like. If you choose a topic that interests you, then you will enjoy working on the paper. Be sure that your topic is something that you find fun and interesting.

research paper worksheets

How to Narrow Down Your Topic

Now that you have chosen your topic, you will definitely need to narrow it down. Remember that there is a lot of information on a topic, so you can't be too general, otherwise your paper will go on forever! For example, let's say you decide to write on the topic of butterflies, but you only have a certain number of pages to use for your research report; you will have to narrow down the topic.

research paper worksheets

Where Do I Look?

Once you decide on your topic, you must remember to research sources. It is important to either go to the library or use the internet for your research topic. When you research, you should have a variety of sources to use in your bibliography such as books, encyclopedias, magazine articles, and the internet. Be sure to use more that one source.

research paper worksheets

My Very Own Outline!

This outline guides you through the entire research paper writing process.

research paper worksheets

My Very Own First Draft

We guide you through all the steps of composing your first draft.

research paper worksheets

My Very Own Bibliography

Remember that a bibliography is what makes a research paper. Without it, you could not call it a research paper. The bibliography lets the reader know that you have consulted sources regarding your topic. At this point in your paper, it is important that you use your note cards with your sources on them. The first step is to create an alphabetized list of your sources.

research paper worksheets

How to Proofread My Essay

Proofreading is a very important piece of writing an essay. After you revise an essay, you must then proofread it for mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Although you may type an essay, the computer doesn't always catch every grammar and spelling mistake. It is your job to look over each sentence to make sure that it does not have any mistakes.

research paper worksheets

Revising My Draft

What does revise mean? The word revision means; to see again. When you revise your draft, you are looking at it again to make sure that: - your writing shows what you really wanted to say. - your writing includes points worth mentioning. - your reader understands what you are saying. There are certain steps when revising your draft.

research paper worksheets

My Very Own Revision Handout

Review the revision questions and answer the questions using your first draft of your research paper.

research paper worksheets

Index Card Format Worksheet

We show you how to prepare your follow up index cards.

research paper worksheets

Research Topics

Write and deliver a research report about the life of Christopher Columbus. Who was he before he discovered the Americas? What led him to explore America? What resulted from this exploration?

How to Research Animals

Animal research always based on research question. If the research refers to the mating behavior zebras or toads then, you will study specific animal. Perhaps, you may have to be careful for restrictions in this approach due to the danger related to the species of interest. Scientific animal research will only become successful when your work interest matches with other. For the best result, you will have to select right animal that relates to your desired field of interest of the research. As a scientist, if you are going to introduce a new medication method or scientific pathway in the market, they will always experiment it on animals so that any human will not suffer due to any side effect. They can use any animal for that. There are lots of scientific reasoning and multiple learning capacity related theories came in being due to the success of animal research. Usually, the use of mice, rats, and dogs are the animals that scientist choose for their research. But they will have to take care of rules and regulation in the selection of some animals such as Chimpanzees and cephalopods. In their matter, it is mandatory for scientists to explain the purpose of their research.

research paper worksheets

Dinosaur Research

You are tasked with learning all about these ancient creatures.

research paper worksheets

Rainforest Animals

Before you begin your research, complete the KWL Chart to find out what you already know about the animals. You will complete the first and second columns now. Complete the third column when you learn more about the animal.

research paper worksheets

Polar Bears

What do you know? What do you want to know? What have you learned?

research paper worksheets

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. Air pollution is one of the problems of our environment. Find resources that will help you complete the chart.

Why Birds are Fascinating to Humans?

We see birds everywhere, don't we? It seems like they are the only species besides humans that you are guaranteed to see almost every day. Don't we get fascinated when we see birds? Let's figure out why. Birds are aerial creatures, which means that they fly. And that is the biggest reason why humans, to this day, are so fascinated by birds. The bodies of birds are built in a way to support them when they are in the air. Studying how birds are shaped, how their bones are hollow, human beings were able to create airplanes. Besides that, the melodious voice of birds is also one of the biggest contributors to the human's fascination with birds. Their voices seem magical to humans, and how beautiful in general they are is like a dream to human beings.

research paper worksheets

Flying Animals

We begin the research process on all types of different flying animals.

What Are Nocturnal Animals?

We all know that the animal kingdom is extremely big! There are so many types, classes, and order of animals. From birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals to fish, there are so many subclasses and species of animals as well. Did you know that there are so many animals that are yet to be discovered as well? Yikes! Today, we are going to learn a new subclass of animals known as Nocturnal. The meaning of the word Nocturnal is defined as "belonging to the night." This means that animals that are active during the night and get their rest during the day are known as nocturnal animals. There are several examples of nocturnal animals, such as owls, bats, aardvarks, and aye-ayes.

research paper worksheets

Nocturnal Animals

We learn about these animals that are active all when the sun is down.

The Most Popular Water Creatures

Water creatures! They are one of nature's most wonderful creations. The idea that a living thing can live, eat, breathe and sleep under the water is just fascinating! Let's take a look at some of the most popular water creatures today! Jellyfish are so squishy! And here is something unbelievable, jellyfish can clone themselves! And because of their tentacles, they are known as the Medusa of the sea. Why is a starfish called a starfish is not even a question; they totally look like stars! But did you know that starfish have no brains? Yikes! Adorable creatures of the sea, the sea horse is named so because of the shape of its tiny head, because it looks like a horse. Here's something funny, the male of the sea horse carries the baby! These sea dragons are truly a beautiful sight to see and are named so because of their leafy appearance. They are found in the coasts of Australia. If the first thing that pops in your head after reading the name is that of Dumbo the elephant from Disney, then you are actually right! Not only can the Dumbo Octopus change color, but they can also grow over 5 feet long!

research paper worksheets

My Research about Ocean Animals

Before you begin your research complete this KWL chart to find out how much you know about your topic and what you want to learn and what you learned after your research.

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Doing Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy

Student resources, reading research.

This chapter offers a grounding in the key research skill of reading research papers from a critical and affirmative stance. There is an emphasis on reading papers as a means of developing an appreciation of the diversity of research questions, methodologies and techniques that exist within the contemporary psychotherapy research literature. A further aim of the chapter is to explore strategies for finding interesting and relevant research papers.

The following learning activities offer starting points for developing critical reading skills:

PART 1. Reading Research Papers

Step 1.  Read through  this worksheet to support the development of skills in critically analysing a research paper and familiarise yourself with basic principles of critical analysis. 

Step 2.  Read the following  research paper , and make notes on its strengths and weaknesses, in accordance with the questions in the worksheet.

Step 3.  After (not before!) you have completed the previous step, read John McLeod’s notes on the  Stephenson & Hale (2020) paper . Compare your perception of the paper with the analyses of your colleagues.

Step 4.  Read the  list of further questions to consider when critically analysing a research paper. Add to this list any additional questions that seem relevant to you, or that emerged when you were working on Stephenson & Hale (2020).

Step 5.  Here are two additional papers to analyse, generated by a Google Scholar ‘cited by’ and ‘related articles’ search on the Stephenson & Hale (2020) article:

Rayner, M., & Vitali, D. (2016). Short-term existential psychotherapy in primary care: A quantitative report.  Journal of Humanistic Psychology , 56(4), 357 – 372. 

You are now in a position to go further, by including conclusions and insights arising from a comparison of this paper and Stephenson & Hale (2020).

Rayner, M., & Vitali, D. (2018). Existential experimentation: structure and principles for a short-term psychological therapy.  Journal of Humanistic Psychology , 58(2), 194 – 213.

This more detailed understanding of a key aspect (i.e., the intervention) of these two studies makes it possible to consider other important questions, such as: 

  • How appropriate is the CORE outcome measure, as a tool for evaluating the effectiveness of existential therapy?
  • What other methods of data collection, or research designs, might be appropriate?
  • How would you describe existential therapy, if you were helping prospective clients to choose between this and CBT?
  • What kind of rationale for existential therapy would be credible for health service managers and policy-makers – and what kind of research might be convincing to such stakeholders?

Step 6.  Repeat this process, on a research topic that is particularly relevant to your own interests, or a topic that has been agreed by the members of your learning group. To get started, all you need is one relatively recent study. You can then work forwards and backwards, using the reference list in the article, Google Scholar, and search tools available through your university or college library or your workplace.

PART 2. Reviewing the research literature

In any research project, it is necessary to contextualise the proposed study by providing a rationale that shows how it builds on previous knowledge. This requires carrying out some kind of review of previous research. The extent and level of detail of such a review can vary widely. 

A useful source of learning about the process of reviewing the research literature is to read published reviews.  Doing Research in Counselling and Psychotherapy  (4 th  edn.) does not highlight completing a published review as part of the core skills set of a novice or practitioner researcher, because such research ‘products’ are too demanding for that stage of development as a researcher. However, reading reviews, and becoming a connoisseur of reviews, make it possible to appreciate the skills and strategies involved in conducting a high-quality review, as a basis for deciding which of them might be feasible or relevant to one’s own project.

The following sources provide an overview of some of the main types of review that have been implemented:

Munn, Z., Peters, M. D., Stern, C., Tufanaru, C., McArthur, A., & Aromataris, E. (2018). Systematic review or scoping review? Guidance for authors when choosing between a systematic or scoping review approach.  BMC Medical Research Methodology , 18(1), 1 – 7. 

A scoping review is basically a careful trawl of the research literature, to map and classify existing evidence. By contrast, a systematic review seeks to provide a rigorous answer to a specific question. This paper provides a clear explanation of this distinction. 

Access to several downloadable scoping reviews of research is available at the following sites:

https://www.bacp.co.uk/events-and-resources/research/publications/   (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)

https://www.pacfa.org.au/Portal/Publications-and-Research/Pub.aspx   (Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia)

McPherson, S., Wicks, C., & Tercelli, I. (2020). Patient experiences of psychological therapy for depression: a qualitative metasynthesis.  BMC Psychiatry , 20(1), 1 – 18. 

This review is a good example of what is possible with qualitative metasynthesis (or meta-analysis).  When reading it, pay particular attention to how these reviewers have handled the challenging task of comparing and making sense of different themes that have been identified in different studies.

It can be hard to conduct a systematic review on very large numbers of studies, because of the density and complexity of information that is available. A key strategy in such contexts is to identify a subset of studies that have examined a specific aspect of the topic.

The majority of reviews restrict themselves to establishing what is known – the facts of the matter – in as credible, unbiased and comprehensive a manner a possible. However, many reviews also make suggestions for further research (e.g., filling in the gaps, or concentrating on using research techniques that are associated with the most valid or reliable findings). In addition, some reviews are used to build theoretical understanding. 

de Haan, A. M., Boon, A. E., de Jong, J. T., & Vermeiren, R. R. (2018). A review of mental health treatment dropout by ethnic minority youth.  Transcultural Psychiatry , 55(1), 3 – 30. 

This is a typical example of a review of quantitative studies. This particular review zooms in on that literature by applying two filters: age and ethnic minority status.

Miller, C. E., Townsend, M. L., Day, N. J., & Grenyer, B. F. (2020). Measuring the shadows: A systematic review of chronic emptiness in borderline personality disorder.  PloS One , 15(7), e0233970. 

This is even more highly focused in examining research on a single characteristic (chronic emptiness) of the experience of individuals seeking help for a specific problem.

Fernee, C. R., Gabrielsen, L. E., Andersen, A. J., & Mesel, T. (2017). Unpacking the black box of wilderness therapy: A realist synthesis.  Qualitative Health Research , 27(1), 114 – 129. 

Realist synthesis is a review approach that aims to develop a theoretical model of an area of practice. As well as providing an example of using the review process to develop a theoretical model, this article illustrates how a good review can be used to consolidate knowledge and provide a platform for further research in an area where relatively few studies have been published. 

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Research Skills Worksheets

This is a vital skill to any job or project worth having in the real world. We expect to see the concept and process of research being emphasized much more in education at all levels.

In just about any job having solid and actionable research skills make the different between being a leader and being a follower. Researching skills are now more needed than ever with all the media that we constantly and involuntarily taking in. What is real and what is fake? If you can use your skills to find out the truth, you will be in high demand in the future. These worksheets will help develop those research skills for all your students.

Answering Research Focused Questions - This is a great exercise to dive into with your students before you start working on full blown projects.

Conflicting Information - How do you weigh which is a better source? We focus ourselves on validating sources and differentiating between them.

Conflicting Viewpoints - We explore how to completely avoid this when are creating your own work.

Gather Relevant Search Information - A great section to learn how to develop a set of background information and see what has already been explored with your topic.

Grade 3 Research Projects - A good time to get your feet wet with the basics.

Grade 4 Research Projects - The focus here is on planning.

Grade 5 Research Projects - We start asking students to examine a great deal more material.

Grade 6 Research Skills - This is the first time that we are letting students completely loose on the entire project.

Grade 8 Research Projects - There is a fold over between this series and grade 7 work. This is where students begin to take flight with the topic.

Grade 9 Research Projects - These are full on projects at the high school level that we ask students to get after.

Experiential Writing - This form of writing finds itself being monumentally helpful when we are exploring the results and discussion section.

MLA Citations - This is one of the most popular forms of listed and stating the resources that were used. We explain it in entirety.

Shared Research Writing Projects - These are done by complete group and each of the participants has their own distinct set of tasks.

Shared Research and Writing Projects (Kindergarten) - These are very basic in nature and are great for getting into the spirit of inquiry.

Sorting Evidence When Writing - It is all about determining which of the facts speaks volumes to support your thesis.

Technology Assisted Writing - A must for when you are composing your final product. Yes, some people still handwrite their first draft.

Using Dictionaries and Glossaries - When you run into terms that you may be unfamiliar with. We explore the quickest method for using these tools.

Using Evidence to Support Claims - We explore how to heighten your argument so that it is practically a no brainer.

Using Multiple Sources For Writing - Where do you get them and how do you cite them?

Using Reference Tools to Find Answers - Take some time to scrutinize all the different tools that you have at your disposal.

Using Text and Search Features - This is helpful for when you are looking for specific pieces of evidence that you may discount along the way.

Validating Arguments - We approach this from many different angles and give you time to get after it.

Writing a Research Paper - We help you put it all together in this comprehensive section.

How to Improve Your Research Skills

At some point in your academic life, you will be asked to investigate and probe a specific topic. Good research skills will make your article stand out. Here are some tips that will help you in improving your investigation skills.

Ask Good Questions

This is the most important tip to improve your research skills. This is because you should be well aware of what you want to delve into before you start. You should ask yourself plenty of questions like what are you expecting out of this inquisition process. What is it exactly that you want to prove? What knowledge do you want to share? What field interests you? What sources you will opt for? All of these questions will give you a clear direction for your research. You can do it better once you are sure of what you want to do.

Think Carefully About the Sources

Research is all about providing information and knowledge on different aspects of several fields of study. When you are beginning the process, you should pay attention to the sources. This is because the sources will decide the quality of your work. Give yourself plenty of time to find out the best sources that are available. This is a big mistake that many people make, they are not patient to look at all possible sources. They should not be biased or outdated. You should also confirm the information that you get from one source. All of your information should be completely accurate.

There will be many times through out your life that you will be exploring something that is new to you. As time goes on, you will learn how to compile a great many different sources. This means that you will be getting plenty of information that you will need to sift through. To avoid getting overwhelmed with all the information, you can organize all of it. If most of your research is on the Internet, you can use bookmarks and folders to organize the data. You can also get them printed if you like things to be right in front of you.

Ideas for Middle School Projects

Middle school is the most important phase of a student's academic life since the knowledge gained during this academic year will help the student throughout high school as well as in his or her professional life. Therefore, students must work hard during this grade to be successful in their future prospects. For most of the students, eighth grade is that first academic year where they are asked to do a research project. Eighth graders encounter a little difficulty in choosing a good starting topic that is informative as well as easy. One thing that eighth-graders must keep in mind while choosing a topic is that the topic must be of their interest so that they can enjoy working on it.

Given below are some basic ideas that will help the eighth-graders in choosing a research idea that is easy and informative:

Evaluation of Languages

To do an investigative project regarding the origin and evaluation of languages is one of the best and enjoyable topics. Middle school students can include formation, history, development, and phases of their development while focusing on either their native language or any other foreign language. This idea, chosen as research project, will help the middle school students to enjoy their research project alongside learning something useful.

Literary Writers' Contributions Towards Languages

Literary writers play a vital role in the development of any language. Middle school students can highlight the contributions to any of the languages by their respective literary writers in their research project. This topic is appreciated by the literature teachers as it is a combination of two topics: personalities and evaluation of language.

Impact of Media On Language

After scholars the media, either print or electronic, also has a significant impact on the development of any language. As media is quickly changing the ways of communication, students can look in on those ways and can include them in their end projects.

How to Gather Relevant Search Information (For Research Papers)

Writing a good research paper requires a writer to gather a lot of relevant data and read it carefully to use it as a guide for his or her project as well as to be able to quote the relevant information from the published works in the paper being written to substantiate it. However, collecting the right amount and nature of data that suits our research work is not an easy task. Most of the students fail badly in their field work because of their inability to gather relevant and useful information for their topic of interest.

Here are a few tips for such students that can help them find the most relevant information for their chosen topic:

Write Your Requirements Clearly and Briefly

Searching for the relevant data on the web must be done by entering a clear command into the browser. Add precise phrases and ideas so that you can get the most relevant thoughts through to your audience. To do this, you first need to be very clear about the idea you are doing your investigation on and the relevant data you want. Once you are clear on your idea, try to search for the relevant data using the keywords search method and make sure the phrases you add in the search bar are short and clear too.

Go Through the Specific Journals

Successful research writers get published in various journals depending upon the topic they have written on and the specific niche of their study. Try to find the journal that is well known for the publications related to your topic of interest and search for your requirements in those journals.

Search for Specific Researchers

Know the most famous researchers in your field who keep on getting their works published and try to search for their papers to get accurate results.

Steps of a Research Project

A research project is an academic piece of writing the students are bound to submit and clear with good grades within the given deadline. It is based on its writer's knowledge base on a particular topic. Given below are few important steps of a research project that will help the researcher to come up with a good enquiry project easily:

Select a Good Topic

While choosing a topic, one should select a topic that is according to his or her interest so that he or she can enjoy working on it. Secondly, the selected topic should be informative and a good quantity of information, data, and facts must be gathered related to it so one can use them to come up with a good body of work.

Develop Background Information

Once you have selected your topic of research, develop background information about that topic to broaden your knowledge and to have a better understanding of information that can be added in your research.

Develop a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement provides a clear idea about the research project. The background information you have gained will help you to come up with a good thesis statement. The thesis statement will guide you throughout your project and will help you to stay focused during your investigation therefore, it must be very clear and well-written.

Create a Rough Draft

Do the preliminary research and come up with a rough draft. Include only the necessary information that will support your topic.

Write Your Paper

After organizing the information in the rough draft, start writing your paper properly. Remember to write it in an appropriate format, use strong academic language, correctly punctuate it and follow all the rules of grammar.

Add References

An important part of the research project is proper referencing and citations. Remember to cite the resources you have used over the course of your writing at the end of your project. Use APA or MLA format to cite resources.

How to Answer Research Focused Questions?

As the students grow up and reach their higher-level educational years, the focus of teacher's shifts from the course books and related material to research activities. Answering research-focused questions at that time becomes a great issue for the students who are not taught the ways to do so before. Simply defined, the research focused questions are the questions that are based on some work done by other scholars and the students have to either read those whole researches or try finding the direct answers to those questions over the internet. Some basic steps to follow to answer such questions are as follows:

Understand the Question

Being clear on the question you are being asked is the first step to answering a research-focused question correctly. You must be able to understand where the question came from, what type of previous work can be read to find out the answers to it, and what it exactly and precisely means. Once you are all clear about the question, only then you can answer it right and effectively.

Search the Internet

Most of the times, the specific research paper that has the answer to the questions given are known by the students. However, in cases otherwise, the students have to search the web using focused keywords and precise queries to know their answers. It is better to add a search query that is short but clear so that you have the answers to the questions easily.

Read the Paper and Write Your Answers

If you have got a lot of time, you should read the complete paper yourself and answer your questions. However, in case you do not have enough time, you can simply read an abstract to find the answers to the question and write your answer precisely and in an informative way.

Tips for Preparing Research Papers

A research paper is a text in academic writing that includes both theoretical and factual data. Writing a research paper might seem like a tiring exercise but it becomes easy overtime and with practice. Many students do not have enough knowledge regarding preparing a presentable research paper. Given below are some important tips that will help one to write efficient research papers easily:

Selecting a Topic

To prepare a research paper, it is very important to first select a topic that is of your accord or interest. Choosing an interesting and informative topic to conduct a research on is very helpful. It is enjoyable for one to research on the topic that is according to his or her interest.

Collecting Reliable Sources

Before beginning to write the main body of the research paper, it is advised to collect all the information, facts, figures, and other proven statistics. Collecting information before writing a research paper helps one to stay focused while writing the paper.

Writing a Rough Draft

After collecting all the necessary information, start writing a rough draft. Introduce all the ideas you want to include in the final research paper. Do care for the grammar, spellings, and punctuation marks even if it is only a rough draft because it will serve as the basis for your final paper.

Writing Main Body

During this stage, one organizes the ideas according to some sequence. Rewrite the rough draft, following the rules of grammar, using correct spellings, and punctuation marks. Also, remember to add the references of the sources used in the research paper.

Before submitting the research paper, remember to read it completely. Recheck your paper for grammatical errors, spelling errors and other literary elements. Ask an honest friend to read your paper and ask for his or her advice regarding how to further improve the document.

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  1. Printable Research Writing Worksheets

    Research writing worksheets help children build the skills necessary to succeed at all levels of schooling. Designed by educators for children from first to fifth grade, research writing worksheets combine whimsical themes with real assignments to make learning enjoyable. Your child can write an animal report on camels, discover information ...

  2. Research Worksheets and Handouts

    This worksheet walks you through the five steps that will help you skim, re-read, interpret and summarize research articles. Reading research gets easier once you understand and recognize the pieces and purposes of research studies, from abstract to references. Helpful resources for every stage of the research process.

  3. PDF APA Style Research Article Activity

    This activity helps students find, cite, analyze, and summarize a scholarly research article. For each step of the activity, type your responses directly into the text fields provided, or copy the questions into your preferred word-processing program and answer them there. Complete this activity multiple times to help you write papers such as ...

  4. Worksheets

    So You Have to Write a Research Paper. General Resources; Getting Started: Finding a Research Question. Worksheets; Learning Proper Citation Forms, Finding the Scholarly Debate, and Summarizing and Classifying Arguments: The Annotated Bibliography. Worksheets; Making Sense of the Scholarly Answers to Your Research Questions: Writing the ...

  5. 101 Research Paper Topics

    If you are interested in your topic, learning about it will be more pleasurable and you will write with greater passion, so choose your topic thoughtfully. Use the following list of 101 research paper topics as a starting point for your paper. As you begin learning and writing about your topic, you should revise or amend your research question ...

  6. Scaffolding Methods for Research Paper Writing

    Research Paper Scaffold: This handout guides students in researching and organizing the information they need for writing their research paper.; Inquiry on the Internet: Evaluating Web Pages for a Class Collection: Students use Internet search engines and Web analysis checklists to evaluate online resources then write annotations that explain how and why the resources will be valuable to the ...

  7. PDF Research Essay Worksheet

    Research Essay Worksheet. Putting Content into Structure. This outline is designed to help you write a research paper. In your thesis statement, you must let the reader know the main focus of your essay. You will express an opinion as to what you believe about your research topic. Both of these objectives must appear in your thesis.

  8. PDF Research Paper Scaffold

    Original Research How would you test the idea you think makes the most sense? In order to test the ideas about (your topic) this researcher will (describe a suitable way to test your ideas: survey, experiment, model, interview, etc.) _____Results: (What happened?)List your results. You can attach a table, chart, or list of findings.

  9. PDF Research Paper Introductions Worksheet

    Research Paper Introductions Worksheet Some professors will tell you that the introduction should be the last thing that you write. Some will tell you that it should be the first. Both strategies probably have merits, but what's most important is keeping in mind the purpose of your introduction. Your introduction should

  10. RESEARCH WORKSHEET

    The Library Research Worksheet is a resource that you can print out and use to take notes during your research process. Note-taking while you research is highly recommended because it helps you organize your thoughts and findings, and it keeps you on track when you have to divide your research time into several sessions. The worksheet guides ...

  11. A Process Approach to Writing Research Papers

    Step 5: Accumulate Research Materials. Use cards, Word, Post-its, or Excel to organize. Organize your bibliography records first. Organize notes next (one idea per document— direct quotations, paraphrases, your own ideas). Arrange your notes under the main headings of your tentative outline.

  12. Exercises to Build Research Skills

    Position Papers. These projects ask students to research a topic from a variety of viewpoints, and then use that research to support their own perspective. Students can define and defend a position, perhaps as a preliminary step in the creation of a formal research paper or essay. Imitation of a Text. Students can create a new document "in ...

  13. Writing a Research Paper Worksheets

    Write the Paper. Working off of the outline begin to present your argument. Make certain that every step of the way you present evidence through your sources. I find it helpful to write a rough draft that is basically an extended skeleton off of the outline. Once I have that draft, I expand it more and more.

  14. How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline

    A decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline, but with a different numbering system: 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc. Text is written as short notes rather than full sentences. Example: 1 Body paragraph one. 1.1 First point. 1.1.1 Sub-point of first point. 1.1.2 Sub-point of first point.

  15. Research Worksheets: Free Printable Templates

    These worksheets can assist them in organizing their research, outlining their paper, and citing sources. By using writing a research paper worksheets, students can gain a better understanding of the process and develop strong academic writing skills. Interactive Research Activities: Engage students in hands-on activities using printable ...

  16. Printable 4th Grade Research Writing Worksheets

    Worksheet. Two Truths and One Lie: Martin Luther King, Jr. Worksheet. Two Truths and One Lie: Martin Luther King, Jr. Use the game Two Truths and One Lie to help your students research facts about Martin Luther King, Jr. Learners will decide which two statements are true and which is a lie. 4th grade. Social studies.

  17. PDF Topic Development: Getting Started with Your Research

    Getting Started with Your Research 1 W h at i s y ou r top i c ? W h at ab ou t i t i s ( or c ou l d b e ) i n te re sti n g to y ou ? I f y ou ' r e n ot s u r e , G oog l e t h e t opi c a nd l e a r n mor e a bout i t .

  18. Research Skills Writing Worksheets

    A research paper is a form of academic writing comprising of analysis, interpretation, and an argument. It outlines a researcher's in-depth research efforts. They are very much similar to research essays but are much longer than these essays. Excelling in research paper writing is a treasurable skill. If you wish to write a research paper ...

  19. Reading Research

    Step 1. Read through this worksheet to support the development of skills in critically analysing a research paper and familiarise yourself with basic principles of critical analysis. Step 2. Read the following research paper, and make notes on its strengths and weaknesses, in accordance with the questions in the worksheet. Step 3. After (not before!) you have completed the previous step, read ...

  20. PDF 8th Grade Research Packet

    In 8th grade, we will conduct THEMATIC RESEARCH - that is research that is based on an overarching theme. Your goal is to create a 2 - 3 "magazine-type- page" academic essay that presents information and illustrations (pictures, charts, graphs, etc.) that supports your group's theme by exploring a specific topic within the theme.

  21. Research Skills and Projects Worksheets

    Research Skills Worksheets. This is a vital skill to any job or project worth having in the real world. We expect to see the concept and process of research being emphasized much more in education at all levels. In just about any job having solid and actionable research skills make the different between being a leader and being a follower.

  22. Practical Research Worksheets for Senior High School

    Worksheet 1 - Identifying a Research Topic. Worksheet 2 - Collecting and Organizing Literatures. Worksheet 3 - Introduction of the Study. Worksheet 4 - Conceptual Framework and Statement ...

  23. PDF Career Research Strategies for Doctoral Students Worksheet

    This worksheet describes four strategies for conducting career research. Remember that the time and energy you put into learning more about career paths, types of positions and specific organizations and making professional contacts (networking) will pay off in the long run. The information you gain and relationships you make are a foundational ...