Define

Define your topic

When writing a research paper your first step will usually be choosing a topic.

Here are some steps you can take to make the process easier:

talk to your teacher about topic ideas
meet with a librarian to discuss ideas
browse topics in newspapers, in general or subject specific encyclopedias, or in an online sources such as Wikipedia.

Developing Your Research Question

When you have decided on your general topic, and understand it better, you can formulate your research question.What question are you trying to answer with your research? What is the purpose of your paper?

This question should be specific as possible. It might be helpful to focus on one aspect of the topic.

For example:

If your topic is the impact of social media on teenagers you might look at research questions such as:

How does the use of social media affect teens' sleep patterns?

Has social media had a negative impact on teenagers' social skills?

Developing your Thesis Statement

Your thesis statement - which will be the focus of your research and writing - can be looked at as the answer to your research question. It sums up the main point or idea of your paper.

A good thesis statement should be:

Short / Concise - no more than one or two sentences long.
Clear - making the main point of your paper obvious to anyone who is reading it
Focused - if your thesis statement is too broad, you may not be able to effectively cover all aspects of the issue in your assignment
Original - in your own words (not a quotation)
Statement, not Opinion - Avoid starting your thesis statement with words like "I think..." or "I believe".

For example:

If your research question is "How does the use of social media affect teens' sleep patterns?", your thesis statement might be:

The use of social media is negatively affecting teenagers' sleeping patterns.

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