The Research Process

The research process is important because it determines how good a research paper will be.  It determines the validity of the research and the credibility of sources.  There are many steps involved in writing a research paper and that is considered the research process, but what makes a research process good?  There are many variations of a good research process, but there are certain steps that should be included in every research paper.

Step 1: Who are the experts?
First you must understand what the experts say on the topic.  An expert is considered somebody who has good credibility and substantial experience with the subject.

Step 2: What type of research paper is it?
There are two types of research papers: argumentative and analytical.  In an argumentative paper, the research found is used to support and particular idea and persuade others whereas an analytical paper breaks the topic down and restructures it in a way that makes sense to you in your own perspective.

Step 3: Choosing a topic.
Find a topic that is interesting to you and has potential for further research.  Don't pick a topic unless you have a new idea on the topic that hasn't been presented yet.

Step 4: Conducting Preliminary research.
When conducting preliminary research, think of the scope of your paper.  How broad or narrow is your scope?  Do you need to broaden it more or narrow it more?

Step 5: Ask Research Questions.
It's time to focus your paper and begin doing the research.  Ask some important questions about your topic and research information centered around that question.

Step 6: "So What?"
Ask yourself "so what?"  What is the importance of your paper?  Who cares about the information in your paper?  Why should they care?  This is a question you should constantly be asking yourself when writing a research paper.

Step 7: Evaluate your sources.
Are your sources good?  Hopefully, the sources you choose are primary sources rather than secondary sources.  A primary source is an original document that stands alone.  It is a much stronger source than a secondary source and should be sought after as evidence in your paper.  Again, is it a peer-reviewed article? If so, then you are on the right track to finding good, credible sources.

Step 8: Annotated bibliography.
Create an annotated bibliography to provide background information on the author and why he or she is a credible source.  Also include why a source is relevant to your paper.

Example of an annotated bibliography

Step 9: Create an outline.
Before writing a research paper, it is a good idea to gather your thoughts in an outline so that you don't just free write it.  Organizing your thoughts will make your paper that much stronger.

Example of an outline

Step 10: Integrate your sources.
Remember to integrate your sources, but don't let them be the voice of your paper.  This is still your research paper; therefore, it should primarily contain your ideas and thoughts, not others.

Step 11: Writing and Revising.
Begin writing that awesome research paper, but don't forget to revise it.  It is important to get your ideas on paper and organized, but also important to go back and edit to make sure there are no mistakes.

If you follow these core steps in writing a research paper, your paper will be very strong.

Evaluating online sources (CAPOW)

Currency- Is the information up to date?

Authority- What are the credentials of the people who wrote the article?

Purpose- What is the purpose of the article?

Objectivity- Is the article biased?

Writing Style- Are there grammar mistakes or spelling errors?

It is always important to understand how credible your sources are since your research comes from your sources.  The stronger your sources are, the stronger your paper will be.