One of the hardest things to teach to homeschool students is also one of the most important skills for them to carry into college and the workforce. For some reason, writing a research paper is dreaded by many. Even graduate students of writing will writhe and wail over the need for citing sources and disseminating information into some new analysis of someone else’s information.
That writhing and wailing was me the first time the knowledge addict living in my brain decided to get a master’s degree while homeschooling. Learning to research and cite sources at that level was a brutal punishment that quieted the addict for years.
But when the knowledge addict awakened for another master’s degree, things were different. I had spent years editing books and assisting authors in citing sources, so it had become second nature. So, after a quick refresher on MLA and APA, I jumped right back in. . .
And remembered how much I love both researching and writing.
Okay, you don’t have to love it. But if you have a high schooler, one of the greatest gifts you can give them is knowing how to write a decent research paper. My gift to you is this guide, which will hopefully help with the anxiety in this area.
This was written directly to the student, so you can give them this guide or walk them through it! Happy researching!
How to Write a Research Paper
Topic Selection
So, you’re writing a research paper. That can be overwhelming, or it can be fun (or both)! Either way, the first question you probably have is: “What should I write about?”
Scope
Depending on the thing to be viewed, you will want to look through different scopes. If you are birdwatching, you will not want a telescope. If you want to look at the stars, a microscope won’t help you. If you want to study a cell’s structure, you may want to put away the binoculars.
The same is true of a research paper. If you are only supposed to write a few pages (binocular size), you cannot expect to research a really big, telescope topic. You will want to narrow things down enough that you can write a decent paper, but not so far (microscope) that you won’t be able to find enough information on the topic. Here’s some examples:
Too Big (Telescope Size): Cats
Too Small (Microscope Size): Why does my cat eat so much?
Just right (Binocular Size): Why do a cat’s eyes glow in the dark?
If you’ll notice, those last two are in the form of a question. The best way to make sure you have the correct scope is to put your topic in the form of a question.
Research
Once you have your research question, you will need to do research to find the answer. Research requires going out (or online) and finding information from various sources. A research paper compiles (puts together) and then analyzes (forms new conclusions about) information. Information must not be copied or misrepresented. Copying is plagiarism (stealing someone else’s work and saying it is yours).
Reliability of Sources
If I ask a random stranger why a cat’s eyes glow in the dark, their answer may not be reliable. However, if I ask a veterinarian or an animal scientist the same question, the answer may be more reliable.
Google is a random stranger. It is not, itself, a source, even if their AI compiled some answer for you. It is a search engine that will draw all information, true or untrue, from the entire internet. You will need to tell Google what you want to know, and then you will need to find reliable sources from which to draw information.
But how do you know if a source is reliable? First, consider whether a source is an authority on the subject. Sometimes it is obvious. A veterinarian who published their data in a scientific journal about animal science is probably an authority on the subject. Someone who writes comics about cats is not an authority. Sometimes it is less obvious, which is why it is best to use as many primary or secondary sources as possible.
What’s the difference? A primary source was there when the information came about. A secondary source has read about and analyzed primary sources. George Washington’s letters are a primary source. A biography written by someone who has studied George Washington, but never met him, is a secondary source.
APA (American Psychological Association) Style Guide
You may be required to use a different guide, such as MLA. But for a paper written within the humanities (subjects about humans, like languages and social studies) APA is a common style guide to use. What is a style guide? It guides you in how to write in a certain way that is standard in a subject. Most importantly, for the purposes of a research paper, it tells you how to cite your sources.
Citing Sources
Anytime you use someone else’s words or ideas, you need to give them credit. If you do not, this is plagiarism. There is a specific way to give a person credit or cite them. You will need to put each source at the end of your paper on a references page, and you will need to cite them in the text, where you are using their information.
In-Text
For APA, you will cite sources in-text like this:
McKamie (2020) said, “Stormy was a cat” (p. 205).
Notice the year is in parentheses, and the page number is noted with a “p.” in parentheses at the end of the quote. The quotation marks are before the parentheses. This is all part of the APA style guide, so every part is important. Sometimes, you will not want the author’s name to appear in your sentence. That’s okay. There is a way to cite that in text too.
“Stormy was a cat” (McKamie, 2020, p. 205).
There, the author’s last name, the year, and the page number are all in parentheses. Sometimes you do not want to use a direct quote. In that case, you do not need to say what page the info is on:
I once read a novel where the cat’s name was Stormy (McKamie, 2020).
The period always goes outside the parentheses so that you can tell what sentence is being quoted.
References Page
At the end of your paper, you will have a new page with a centered, bolded heading that is titled references. Like this (or like at the end of this blog):
References
After that, you will document your sources using APA style. This will vary, depending on the type of source you are citing. They will appear in alphabetic order by author last name. But it will always have a “hanging” indent, and it will generally look like this:
McKamie, R. (2020). The Foolish Things. Settings Christian Publishing, LLC.
This is the way a book with one author is cited. Look in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA style manual) to help you cite other things such as journal articles, websites, and reference books.
Taking Notes
Taking good notes is the most important skill when it comes to research. Here is a good strategy:
1. When you find a source, write out the citation at the top of a page in your notebook.
2. If you find information you may want to use in your paper, write it down on the page for that source. If it is a direct quote, be sure to write it word for word and put it in quotation marks with the page number beside it.
3. If you find a new source, skip a few pages in case you will need to write down more information for the first one.
So, a notes page will look like this:
Please Note: You do not need to read the whole book or other source. Use the table of contents, index, glossary, and even headings to help you navigate to the information you are looking for.
3. Prewriting
Outlining
Because a paper needs to be organized, it is best to start with an outline. Since you will probably move stuff around, do this in a word processor. It should have main points and subpoints to guide you as you write, and make sure each level has at least two points; Otherwise you probably have too many levels.
Be kind to the person writing this paper tomorrow (that’s you!). Do not write an outline to write an outline. Make it work for you. You can use key words if you think that is all you need, or you can write in complete sentences, or perhaps in transitional phrases, if that will help you write. Be sure to write out your entire theme in any case. It will keep you focused.
I. Introduction:
Theme: A cat’s eyes do not glow in the dark. A cat’s eyes reflect the light just like a construction vest
II. What we used to think about a cat’s eyes.
1. Stories
a. The story I found about a person who thought a cat was a devil.
b. The story about the guy who shined the flashlight in the cat’s eyes.
2. And that’s why we know it wasn’t true…
III. Science tells us a different story….
"Sketching"
Let's fill in that outline a little bit. Take the notes and quotes from your notes pages and put them in the outline where they belong, proper in-text citations attached. This will make writing so much easier!
At the top of your outline, fill in the theme/purpose to keep you focused.
Theme/Purpose
Your theme is not the same thing as your research question. A research question gives you a direction to go to find out new information. The theme is what you found out when you did research. It must be clearly stated as soon as possible in your paper. So how do we decide what a theme is?
It is not enough to simply do research and discover an answer to your research question, which will include a combination of who, what, why, where, when, and how. A paper should never just be an information dump. As the writer, it is your job to give the information purpose (the "so what?"). Often, this theme will emerge on its own as you are researching. It may even show that your question made some incorrect assumptions.
For example: A cat’s eyes do not glow in the dark. A cat’s eyes reflect the light just like a construction vest. This is true because. . .or this means. . .
In other words, allow the research to guide you to a theme, even if it means you were wrong. And persuade your audience to that purpose using your research. Again, your theme needs to be stated early and proven throughout.
4. Writing and Revising
Audience
Perhaps the most important thing to remember with writing is that we never write in a vacuum, or out into the abyss. We always write to someone. For a research paper, your primary audience will generally be your instructor, but also consider a secondary audience: the academic community of whatever your topic is. Think of your paper as one commentary in a big academic conversation.
Now, you are not literally writing to a person, as if in a letter. But you are constantly keeping them in mind. Sometimes you will have to make a decision about the direction of your research or even a sentence. Often, your audience will help determine the answers.
Formal Writing
A research paper is not a text message, email, blog, or comment on a video. It is a formal academic paper.
· Use proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation as well as complete, thoughtful sentences.
· Avoid slang or overly conversational language.
· Do not write like you talk unless you talk like a professor.
· Use appropriate word choice to make your meaning clear.
· But don’t use words so big you don’t understand them yourself.
Remember, you are trying to persuade your audience to see your topic in a new way. Write so that you can be understood.
Draft
1. Open a word document, and format it for APA. Check the manual if you don’t know how to do that.
2. Print a copy of your outline.
3. Write your paper, using your outline as a guide.
4. Make sure you have a header and page numbers, and the following sections:
a. Title page
b. Body
c. Reference page
Polishing the Draft
If you can, get a peer (maybe a sibling, parent or grandparent) to give you some suggestions about your paper. After you receive your feedback from your peer, revisit and revise your paper for anything you think is incorrect or could use other changes. Take your time. Often the best writing actually happens during the revision phase.
I hope you are less overwhelmed, and that you are proud of the product! Print it out and turn it in!
What did you learn? What other tips do you have for high school researchers?
References
American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association 7th ed.). American Psychological Association.
Krakenimages.com. (n.d.) Stressed teen boy studying with papers at desk indoors
[Image]. Adobe Stock.
McKamie, R. (2020). The Foolish Things. Settings Christian Publishing, LLC.