The Research Paper

Choosing a Topic
Choose a subject that interests you and is not too broad. A 10 page paper on the history of pest extermination could not provide adequate detail to engage the reader. Since the reader is giving you a grade, it is in your best interest to captivate your audience. You could narrow your topic to something like "Chlordane in residential Buildings: Who must Die?"

Try to find a subject that has not already been the topic of two zillion research papers. It would be quite an achievement, for example, to write a paper on abortion that would stand out among the crowd. A more mundane topic will often make an interesting research paper. For example, a paper on the best way to kill roaches could be both amusing and informative. Don't be afraid to have fun with the subject. Professors don't enjoy reading page after page of monotonous information any more than you do.

If the topic was assigned by the professor, try to find a thesis that interests you. The thesis is the basic argument you are presenting. If nothing about the topic interests you, try to find a thesis that interests the professor argued passionately in favor of roach bait over roach spray a paper on the superiority of bait in pest control might be a good choice.

Source Materials
Once you have chosen your subject, consult the computerized card catalog, computerized and print indexes, and Readers' Guide in the library to find out what reference material is available. New technology is constantly bringing new and faster ways to retrieve information. Ask the reference librarian for guidance. Notice the copyright date; some material may be out of date.

Keep in mind the difference between original and secondary sources of material. For example, in writing about a person, his or her letters would be an original source of information, and a printed collection of his or her letters would generally be almost as good as an original source (remember, however, that letters and sometimes edited). A secondary source would be the opinions of another author about the person under discussion. For important paper, original sources should be used when available.

You've already narrowed your topic, but with the new electronic search systems available you could still find yourself with an overabundance of sources. Evaluate the sources critically to find the ones that will be of greatest use. A research paper should present a logical narrative or argument, not just an impressive show of how much information you managed to acquire. Weed out any material that does not support your thesis, fit neatly into your outline, sound interesting, or is outdated. Of course, if something doesn't support your thesis but is extremely interesting, you can simply change your thesis and outline to accommodate the new gem. You have to be decisive enough to complete the paper on time, but changing your mind once or twice shouldn't hurt you too much.

Source Cards
List each source on a separate card -- usually 3 by 5 inches. Include:

• author's name, last name first, or the editor's name followed by the abbreviation "Ed." If no author is given, list the title first.