How to Write a College Research Paper

When attempting to write a college research paper for the first time, the task can seem daunting. However, the process can be broken down into easy steps. Just follow the steps and writing your college research paper should be easier.

Pick a good topicThe topic must obviously fit any guidelines your professor has given you. If the maximum amount of pages you are allowed is relatively short, you may want to avoid a topic that is overly broad (such as cramming "The Complete Geological History of North America" into 10 double spaced pages). It would be very tempting to include too much information into your paper, and none of the information would be adequately discussed. Conversely, you may want to avoid a topic that is too specific, or you could run out of things to say before making your page count. It helps to have a topic that is somewhat interesting to you, and has available research, too.

ResearchThis part of the process can be spread out over a few days, assuming you have started on your paper before 11 p.m. the night before the due date (which is a no-no!). Include books, magazines, journals and the internet in your research process. Consider going to your campus library; often times they have access to online journals that private citizens don't. Be careful which websites you use, however, because some are opinion sites cleverly disguised as fact. It helps to have a few more resources than the minimum required. In case something doesn't pan out you will have a back-up handy.