What's the first step of a research paper?

Answer 1

It depends exactly on what the research paper is on, and whether or not you have a topic that has been dictated to you.

If the topic is your choice, you have to start with finding it; that usually entails reading through some secondary and tertiary sources to try and discover what the pressing issues are that you might want to investigate. At this point, you want a question to ask, *not* a thesis statement; this will avoid "begging the question," a research fallacy.

Once you have a topic, you begin to start collecting evidence. Obviously, this depends on the nature of the problem, as scientific papers will want to focus on studies and experiments that have been conducted (this includes conducting your own, if necessary), while humanities papers (e.g., history and literature) will want to go to the primary sources that will form the backbone of your argument. When necessary, expand your research to secondary sources (do not be stingy with this; so long as you properly cite your sources, you will never be punished for the amount of secondary sources you incorporate into your paper). Through the analysis of these studies/experiments/sources, you will find your thesis statement.

Once you know what your thesis statement will be, start constructing an outline, and begin writing.

Answer 2

The first step of a research paper is reading and reviewing any and all sources, i.e., all materials (books, articles, videos, et al.). The second, closely related step, is keeping track of key points that you will want to cite or refer to within the research paper itself. This means highlighting, underlining, using a Post-It, or using a program or app that tracks information.

Best,

Helene F.

Answer 3

It really depends on the student. Choosing a topic, performing research/finding sources, and creating an outline are all necessary first steps.