'The World'

By Daniel Millions

Here is a quick how to guide on the research writing process. I will break it up into parts using a standard research writing method. This may not be for everyone. Certain subjects require specific information that may not be covered in this article. Overall though I think the knowledge found here will prove itself useful.

Topic: If you needed to do a research paper about stars specifically, you may also need to include information throughout about outer space in general. You're going to have to research gravity, solar systems, planets, constellations, star types, solar systems and galaxies just to have a basic understanding of astronomy. Dealing with what has been observed opposed to theories is the best option when writing about scientific research. However, you may be asked to write about both.

Research: Now that we have decided on a topic it's now time to do some research. A few places you can research are the library, internet, magazines, television and professionals. Now, when I say professionals I simply mean people who have hands on experience in dealing with that particular topic.

There may be a professor at your local college who may be willing to sit down and have a discussion with you. If the opportunity presents itself to speak with someone, remember to take notes. They may even be open to you recording the conversation(s). In any event make sure you document your findings so you can verify them later. If you don't do the research about the topic you are writing about, it will show in the final draft.


Compiling Data: Assuming you have gathered all of the research required for your paper,
it's now time to review and compile it all. The best thing to do is to put everything in order for easier access. Lay everything out and review each piece to determine what you want to keep and what you want to discard of. Take notes and quote each source along the way. If you obtained a certain point out of an encyclopedia for example, make sure you have the volume and page number to go along with it.

This will make writing your draft easier and take up less time. Double check everything to make sure your sources are legitimate. You may want to go the extra mile and places some phone calls or e-mails with the sources to verify them. That way you can be confident in what you are writing is actually accurate.

Writing: We have covered choosing a topic, research and compiling our data, now it's time to begin writing. Have a few snacks close by if you know you will be writing for a few hours. Consider this your rough draft but write it as if it were the final draft. When you write a point that requires a source, make sure you find them in your notes and list them.

The more documentation you can provide in the paper, the better it will appear. After you have completed the rough draft take some time off and relax. Once you have proofread it, make the areas of your document that you can approve upon. Make any and all revisions and proofread it again. Check for spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors and revise it once more.

When you feel you have the paper the way you want it, have others read it for feedback. You may need to revise it several times until it is complete. After all of this has been completed then you will be done with your well written research paper.