Research Guides: Writing a Research Paper: Home

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Use the Writing a Research Paper Guide

Here are the steps for researching and writing your paper:

Step 1: Choose your topic
help generating main ideas for your paper
Step 2: Find sources
help locating books, articles, and more
Step 3: Evaluate sources
help determining if your sources enhance or detract from your paper
Step 4: Organize your information
help getting your sources together
Step 5: Draft Your Paper
help formulating that first draft
Step 6: Review, revise, & refine
help editing and re-editing your paper

The Research Process

Check out these books on the research process. Available books can be requested at Library Help on the 2nd floor of Hale Library.

MLA Handbook by The Modern Language Association of America
Call Number: LB2369 .G53 2016 - on reserve at the library help desk, 2nd floor of Hale Library
ISBN: 1603292624
Publication Date: 2016
The Modern Language Association takes a fresh look at documenting sources in the eighth edition of the MLA Handbook, the official guide to MLA format.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by American Psychological Association
Call Number: BF76.7 .P83 2020 - on reserve at the library help desk, 2nd floor of Hale Library
ISBN: 9781433832161
Publication Date: 2020
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style.
Research Strategies: Finding Your Way Through the Information Fog by William Badke
Call Number: Z710 .B23 2011
ISBN: 1462010172
Publication Date: 2011
A thorough treatise on finding your way through the deluge of information out there, this guide is great for finding out about the many types of sources--AND--how to use them effectively.
The Rowman and Littlefield Guide to Writing with Sources by James P. Davis
Call Number: PE1478 .D37 2012
ISBN: 1442205695
Publication Date: 2011
A guide to incorporating sources into your writing. Contains sections on when to credit a source, quoting directly from a source, and paraphrasing.
A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker; Nancy Sommers (Contribution by); Tom Jehn (Contribution by); Jane Rosenzweig (Contribution by)
Call Number: PE1408 .H2778 2007
ISBN: 0312450257
Publication Date: 2007
Divided into three main categories, Hacker's reference book covers composition/style, correctness, and research/basic grammar.

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