Research paper format

Most high school and college students have to write term papers and/or research papers in their classes and we all know how stressful that can be. A little organization and some how-to tips can make a world of difference. Below you will find several tips that I have used and found very useful to making my paper interesting, informative, and captivating for the desired audience.

Where else to begin then at the beginning? The most important part of the paper is the topic and that can be one of the most draining decisions. If the professor wants a pro/con paper, everyone has been drilled with the pro/cons for abortion, death penalty, prayer in school, gun control, so on and so forth. In order to keep your audience awake, the best thing is to choose something close to your city or state that has been in the news recently. The more you can find, the more people will listen and the better grade you will get. If you are to do a paper on someone who has changed the world for the better, think of someone who has changed the world for the better in YOUR opinion. If Einstein just didn't impress you with his E=MC squared, then don't praise him and go with someone else who isn't talked about as often. The key is to let people hear about something that isn't always mentioned when semester exams or term paper time rolls around. Now that you have chosen a topic, now you have to get the information.

To get the information, start with about 200 or so index cards and go to the school library or the city library. Take out as many books, newspapers, magazines, etc...you can find on your topic and sit down and write important facts and notes on the cards, citing each note, of course. Put only one fact on one card, (that's why you need so many cards) and categorize them. For example, if you were doing a pro/con paper, keep the pros in one stack, the cons in another, stats in another, procedural facts in another, and resolving the issue at hand in another.

After the cards are done, which it may take a week or so to come up with enough information, it's time to start with your rough draft. Don't copy your index cards exactly onto your paper, make complete sentences and try not to jump around with the facts. Make sure to have a beginning, middle, and end to your paper and if you happen to use quotes, give the correct person the credit or else it's plagarism. Include your own opinion AFTER the facts are stated and explain why you feel the way you do. In a pro/con paper, never have the paper sound like your opinion is the only one that counts and everyone else is wrong, leave room for the audience to give their thoughts and views.

After the rough draft is written, it's time to either type the paper up or write it neatly on notebook paper. A work cited page is always a great way to refer to who said what and can get you a higher grade. The bibliography shows where you got your information and allows the professor to go check out your information to see if you are on the right track or not. When making the speech, don't read the paper, try to memorize some of it and keep looking at the audience. Eye contact is very important, as is pronunciation and enunciation. Last but not least, good luck!!!