To write a good research paper, you must be specific about your topic, know what you want to say, and say it effectively. Following these ten steps will help you write a good research paper.
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Choose Your Topic.
When choosing a topic, choose one in which you are interested, and for which there is enough information. If your topic is too broad, you will have difficulty completing your paper. “World Religious Practices” is too broad because there are so many forms of religion all over the world. “The Practice of Christianity in Singapore” or “How Mainstream Religions are Practised in Singapore” are more specific and allow better in-depth discussion.
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Locate Information .
Use information from a variety of reference sources. These sources include encyclopedias, almanacs, scholarly journals, books, magazines, and newspapers. Find these sources in print form, on CD-ROMS, and on the Internet.
When you surf the net for information, pay attention to domain name extensions, eg. .edu (educational institution),.gov (government) or.org (non-profit organization). These sites represent institutions and tend to be more reliable. Be selective of commercial sites (.com). Evaluate them critically.
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Prepare Bibliography Cards.
Prepare bibliography cards to document the sources of information you use when writing your paper. Your library will have style manuals to illustrate how to prepare bibliography cards for various sources of information.
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Prepare Note Cards.
Use note cards to record notes from each source you use when writing your paper. Number your note cards to keep track of them.
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Prepare an Outline.
Write an outline for your paper by organizing your notes from the note cards into Introduction, Body, Details and Conclusion. Use an organization such as:
INTRODUCTION
State your topic, add brief comments leading into the subject matter – How Mainstream Religions are Practised in Singapore |
BODY
Define the Mainstream Religions Practised in Singapore |
DETAILS
Describe the practices and beliefs of each religion
Who are the worshippers.
Demographic evidence.
Compare and contrast the religions.
Comment on religious tolerance in Singapore. |
CONCLUSION
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Write A Rough Draft.
Use your note cards and outline to write a rough draft of your paper. As you write your draft, use numbered footnotes to credit sources from which you take quotations or major ideas.
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Revise Your Rough Draft.
Make any changes needed to be sure your ideas are clearly expressed and your writing has accurate spelling and grammar.
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| 8. |
Prepare Your Bibliography. At the end of your paper, provide a list of all the sources you used to gather information for the paper. Your bibliography cards will provide this information. List your sources in alphabetical order by the first word on each of your bibliography cards.
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Prepare a Title Page and Table of Contents. The title page is the first page of the paper. It should include the title of your paper, your name, and the date on which the paper is due. The table of contents is the second page. It should list the main topic, important sub-topics, and the page on which each is introduced in your paper.
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Final Checklist. Before handing in your paper, be sure you have the following:
- Title page
- Table of contents
- Numbered pages correctly
- Provided footnotes for quotations and major sources of information
- Included a bibliography
- Kept a copy on file
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