Research Papers Colleges have placed considerable information online to help student writers. Some of the better sites have been selected for this page. For an overview, select a book or online source from the first category to the right. Otherwise, select a specific topic from the index. Index APA Style Beginning Chicago Style Citations Conclusions Glossing Handbooks Introductions MLA Style More Links Online Sites Paragraphs Parts of a Paper Plagiarism Sentences Thesis Transitions Writing Labs

The Research Paper What is a research paper? In general, such papers gather, organize, and interpret research on a selected topic and present the conclusions you have reached. It differs from essays and other papers by requiring careful documentation of the sources used in the paper's body and conclusions. No exact formula exists for writing all research papers. Different subjects and instructors have different requirements and even the way citations are written vary depending upon the field of study. The sites and handbooks listed on this page present a variety of methods and suggestions that are intended to help in the writing process. Always check with you instructor if you have any question about what method or style to follow. General Handbooks and Online Guides Online Handbooks A Guide for Writing Research Papers Based on Modern Language Association (MLA) Documentation A good general guide by Capital Community College Library to all phases of research paper writing. The section on grammar is detailed and contains useful examples. Planning and Writing a Research Paper The University of Wisconsin-Madison provides a concise list of the steps involved in writing a research paper. It makes a useful to review before writing the final draft. Nuts and Bolts of College Writing by Michael Harvey is a comprehensive guide to writing papers that contains plain advise on writing problems. The site is easy to use with a clear contents list and site search. The New Guide to Writing Research Papers Monroe Community College A useful handbook that covers the entire research writing process. The table of contents of this online book allows quick access to desired topics. Writing research papers : a complete guide /Lester, James D., LB2369 .L4 1987 (Book) Schaum's quick guide to writing great research papers /Rozakis, Laurie (eBook) Writing research transforming data into text / Clare, Judith (eBook) Onine Web Sites Purdue's Online Writing Lab (OWL) has a abundance of information for research paper writers. An extensive list of handouts, exercises, and student materials are available in printer-friendly and PDF versions. All areas of research writing are covered in this large but easy to navigate site Writing Center University of Richmond A public-access handbook on the mechanics of writing research papers. A graphical representation of the writing process allows easy exploration of topics at any stage. A+ Research & Writing for High School and College Students by Kathryn L. Schwartz Internet Public Library has an informal guide to writing papers, finding information, and links to online resources for research and writing. Mechanics of Writing Research Papers Research papers, like molecules, can often best be understood by examining their parts. The following documents explain the parts of a paper and should be reviewed if you need help or are stuck at a certain place in your writing. Beginning Your Paper Writing Research Papers University of Arizona Library Tips to help you begin writing a paper. Topics include: determining what to write about, generating ideas, tracking sources, and revising your paper. Glossing Your Ideas Glossing Ideas in Student Writing Glossing aids in focusing or conceptualizing a paper. Introductions University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Introductions and Conclusions Arizona State University How To Write a Thesis Statement Indiana University The Thesis Statement Capital Community College Thesis Statements University of Kansas The thesis statement is a brief condensation of the argument presented in the beginning part of your paper. Body of the Paper Common Faults in Sentence StructureUniversity of Otago Sentence StructureTowson University Writing Effective ParagraphsUniversity of Minnesota Checklist for Effective ParagraphsCornell College Transition CuesSt. Cloud State University A list of words to use as transition cues in your paragraphs. Conclusions ConclusionsUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Strategies for Writing a ConclusionSt. Cloud State University Introductions and Conclusions Cleveland State University The Complete Paper Parts of a Paper - Putting It All Together Uni. of California-Berkeley Documentation Styles How to Write Citations Citing Sources: Documentation Guidelines for citing sources and avoiding plagiarism An excellent source of documentation guidelines and explanation of plagiarism is available from Duke University Libraries. These pages give examples of how to cite sources within papers, assemble a list of works cited, and avoid plagiarism. Landmarks Citation Machine This Web tool uses forms that you fill in with information from a book or other resource. A citation is automatically generated according to MLA or APA standards. Sources A Site from Dartmouth College that gives information on plagiarism and how to cite sources. Contains examples of full citations of materials that are referenced most frequently in undergraduate papers. MLA, APA & Chicago Style English Works! at Gallaudet University Contains basic guidelines on using APA, MLA, Chicago, ASA, I-Search, and CBE styles. Site also contains links to other online sources of information on style formats. Chicago/Turabian Documentation University of Wisconsin-Madison Information and example on using this style of documentation. Research and Documentation Onlineby Diana Hacker Contains information on documenting sources in MLA, APA, Chicago, and CBE styles. Also included are sample papers written in each of the styles. Style Tips /APA Style.org Some examples and tips from the publishers of the APA Publication Manual Online! A Reference Guide to Using Internet Sources by Andrew Harnack and Eugene Kleppinger Contains illustrations of MLA, APA, and other styles of documenting online sources Form and style : research papers, reports, these /Slade, Carole LB2369 .C3 1999 (Book) MLA handbook for writers of research papers /Gibaldi, Joseph, LB2369 .G53 2003 Limited (Book) Links to More Information Writing Research Reports Links to information on writing scientific reports Other Online Writing Labs with Original DocumentsRoane State Community College Links to resources for writersInternational Writing Centers Association Online Writing Help (By Topic)Ferris State University