Have you started your research paper for high school or college? It can be a daunting affair. You have to start somewhere. Where do you begin?
1. If you have not been assigned a subject, that is where you start. Let's say that you are allowed to choose your own topic. Start by thinking about what you like or are curious about. Suppose you eventually want to go in a military branch and you are a woman. You don't just research the military, you will want to answer a question. What is the best branch of the military for women? That is your question.
2. Let's call your question a thesis question. Your purpose will now be to answer your question. If you need help writing a thesis statement, Indiana University has an article on their website to help you: "How to Write A Thesis Statement."
3. Get ready to do your research. There is a very good book if you need help: "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Research Methods." This is the best book for undergraduate and high school research that there is. You will not be an idiot if you use this book.
4. You need to keep track of your research. You need a bibliography card for each resource source. You can use index cards or use your laptop to keep track of your resources. You also will need to write each resource in a style: MLA, APA, CMS, or Turabian. Your instructor will tell you which style to use.
5. Where to start? The library of course. In your library you will find thousands of resources: books, government documents, periodicals, electronic media and much more. Your main asset will be the Reference Librarians. These are amazing people with answers for you.
You are now ready to dive into your research. In my forthcoming articles I'll tell you how to choose resources, evaluate them, and take notes. There are some great books and electronic media waiting. You will be surprised with the resources available.
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