We've drilled into your head that there are 5 steps to the research process:
More accurately, these are 5 steps you can take to obtain high-quality resources for your academic paper. In reality, the research process will also include:
If you're new to writing academic-level research papers, this whole process might seem overwhelming. Luckily, there are people on campus whose job it is to help you with this stuff.
If you have questions about finding resources in library databases or on the web, librarians are the people to ask. Here's how to get research help:
If you're having trouble with any aspect of writing your paper -- coming up with a thesis statement, following a style guide, making revisions -- you can work with a tutor or student success specialist. Check out their website to get more info.
At the end of the day, only your professor can tell you exactly what she's expecting from you. Don't be afraid to send an e-mail, drop by during office hours, or grab her after class if you have a question or problem.
It's been fun, y'all. Before we send you off, here's a last piece of wisdom about research papers.
The point of writing a research paper isn't the paper itself. To be perfectly honest, your professor probably doesn't want to read yet another 5 page paper on theme parks or any other topic. So why did he ask you to write it? Because doing research teaches you how to grapple with information and think critically. These skills will come in handy for the rest of your life. Think about doing research as exercising -- it may not be fun while you're doing it, but it's really, really good for your brain. And the more you do it, the easier it gets.
Reading through this tutorial and taking the quiz definitely count as Research Exercise. Good hustle, team! You're already stronger and smarter than you were before you started.
