writing research papers

Guide to Writing Research Papers
. INTRODUCTION
As a university student, you will undoubtedly have to write research papers. The tasks of selecting a topic, preparing an outline, locating sources, reading books and articles, taking notes, citing references, writing,rewriting, word processing and proofreading may sound challenging at first, but they merely require time and, above all, organization. Allow yourself enough time to do a thorough research job; avoid the lastminute panic. The following is a step-by-step guide that explains the research process. It will help you prepare a well-organized research paper.
CHOOSING A TOPIC
When writing a paper you may be able to choose your own topic, you may be assigned a topic, or you may be presented with a list of topics from which to choose. In any case, you will need to decide on a specificidea or approach to take with your topic.
When choosing a topic consider the following:
Are you interested in the topic?
Do you have enough time to cover the topic?
Are there enough resources in the library to cover your topic? Are you willing and able to visit other libraries if necessary?
Is the topic within your scope? It is generally a good idea to avoid topics that are completely unfamiliar and involve determining technical concepts too involved to investigate within the given time frame.

UNDERSTANDING THE TOPIC
Once you have decided on a topic it is important to do some background reading to gain an understanding of the subject area. Increasing your knowledge of the topic will help you narrow your topic and develop a thesis.