How to do a research paper?

Question

How to do a research paper?

Answer 1

1

Answer 2

Research papers at the 8th grade level should be very straightforward. As you already know, you need a thesis paragraph, a body, and a concluding paragraph. Also, you are aware that you need citations in foot-notes and an annotated bibliography. Other formatting issues, such as headings on certain paragraphs should be avoided, unless your teacher specifically asked you to include them. At your level, the paper should be about five paragraphs long, unless your teacher asked for a different minimum length.



Before you sit down to write your paper, you should have already done your research and have a good idea of what points you want to express. At your level, you should limit yourself to just three points. If this paper is simply an informative paper, then your three points might be: the factors that lead to the Great Fire, the actual damages from the Great Fire, and the aftermath of the Great Fire. You could also get specific about a particular person or building that was impacted by the Great Fire and focus your paper there. This kind of focus might make your paper easier to write and more engaging for your audience to read.



The body of the paper will be three or more paragraphs. At least one paragraph for each point. Each paragraph should be three to five sentences long. Make sure each paragraph only addresses one point. If you re-read your paper and you catch yourself going off on a tangent in the middle of a paper, you need to edit it to eliminate the unnecessary information.



The concluding paragraph will be the last paragraph. In its simplest form, this kind of paper is a five paragraph paper. However, you can make it longer if you have more points to make or if your points are particularly complicated or detailed. For the 8th grade, I think simple is better.



Including citations in the form of foot-notes or a bibliography is a matter of following the format your teach gave you. I won't go into the details, but there are many places on-line you can get this kind of generic information. More importantly, you need to be sure you understand the computer software you are using so that these features can be added automatically by the computer and you don't have to spend too much time figuring it out on your own.



Any other formatting issues, such as margins, font, font size, page numbering, line spacing, or other details should have been specified by your teacher. Typically, you should have one inch margins on all four sides, double spaced lines, and 12 point Times font. Each page should be numbered at the bottom and there should be a title as well as a space for your name, which class the paper is for, and the date. Some teachers like the name, class, and date to appear on each page, some prefer a dedicated title page. You need to review your assignment to know which one your teacher wants.



Obviously, you should ensure spelling and grammar are correct. Make sure your verb tense is correct throughout the paper and you match subjects and verbs for each sentence. Avoid use of contractions, and other informal speech such as "you", "you know", "like", and street slang of any kind. Writing a formal paper requires a higher level of word choice and sentence structure than speaking to a person face to face. If you have a tendency to use the word "that", re-read your paper and anytime you see the word "that", take it out and re-read the sentence. If the sentence still makes sense without the "that" then leave it out.



Good luck!

Answer 3

if you are confused and need help then I suggest going to your teacher and asking for help or go to your school library!

Answer 4

Nicole's "experience" (that isn't a valid "source," Nicole) is worthless. She doesn't even know what a thesis is, for example.



Lola's answer is much more useful. Also, you could investigate the website called "Online Writing Laboratory" from Purdue University; it explains all of this stuff.

Answer 5

Write until your hand falls off

Answer 6

Well i dont really know what you mean by number one, but..

2) the thesis should be an overview of the whole topic your going to talk about. talk about some possible reasonsi t started shortly, its just a brief start off to your paper, but keep in mind that it is the most important part. talk about when it happened, why it was important, etc. make sure to make an outline. like everything your going to talk about. maybe make 3-6 main things you want to talk about, and any supporting details with those things. then in the intro. make a sentence per point. (if you have five main points, say something short about each point)

3) conclusion sums it up, restate your thesis that you put in your intro and again, say why its important. just "tie up all loose ends"

4) dont quite under stand

5) you should ask your teacher, if not told, i think 3-5 pages is good(:

6) no

Answer 7

1: How do I put an annotated bibliography into my paper?

You type out your Bibliography on a separate page. After you cite your sources in MLA style you explain how it helped you underneath the source

http://scammonschool.com/Student/HistoryFair/biblio.jpg



2. How should I start the thesis/introduction paragraph?

Your thesis is a statement explaining what your topic is going to be about and your stance on the subject. Throughout your whole paper you have to defend your thesis and use sources to back it up.

ex. The Great Fire of London served as a major turning point in English history because it caused...



3. How should I write my conclusion?

Sum up its importance and refer back to your thesis. Explain why its important and the changes it brought.



4. How to put citations into foot-notes.

This is rather difficult to explain. Usually you place a number next to the information you are citing with the source listed at the bottom. How you format it depends if its a book or a web page.

http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/footnote.html

http://www.oberlin.edu/faculty/svolk/citation.htm



5.How many paragraphs should the body be?

How long is a piece of string? As long as you need it. Papers have a long word limit in NHD competitions. Use as many paragraphs as you need to get your point across and to explain its relation to this year's topic. You have between 1,500-2,500 words for this category.



6. Should I put headings on certain paragraphs?

This shouldn't be necessary. Just make sure to use proper transition sentences in order to make sure your different ideas flow correctly.



Tips

1. Make sure to remember which books your sources came from. It'll become important once you type out a bibliography. For NHD competitions I usually keep a notebook especially for my project. I'll write down the book title on the top along with the author's name then the information I got from it. Same thing for websites.



2. Make a chart organizing your information and how you plan on using it. Use information that backs up your thesis and helps the reader understand why it's important.



3. http://easybib.com/

It does your bibliography for you :)



4. http://www.paperrater.com/

Gives you a basic idea on how to improve your paper once you have it typed out.



5. If you organize your bibliography in ABC order it gives it a sense of professionalism.



6. Research paper must be in third person.

http://www.gradesaver.com/writing-help/essay-writing-first-person-and-third-person-points-of-view/



Sample Paper:

http://www.nhd.org/images/uploads/paperexample.pdf



You can find a bunch more online. Also, if you need more help, type this in Google :*your state* history day. It should come up with your state's history page and it should be filled with more tips.