Once you have determined both the topic and the purpose of your paper you are ready to begin researching your topic. Knowing how to research a topic is an invaluable skill that will effect the quality of your entire paper (not to mention help you in many other areas later on in life). There are a number of extremely useful resources at your disposal to help you conduct solid research and you should try to take advantage of as many of them as possible.

The following two videos will help teach you some extremely useful research techniques that will enable you to properly research your topic.

Featured Video: How to Research a Paper

How to Research a Paper

Points to Remember

Make the most of the library (and the librarian)

Make the most of the library. Consult with the librarian about how to find relevant sources for your topic. However, don’t just rely on the librarian - learn how to take full advantage of the card catalog and computer systems as well as any services that your library provides.

In addition to quality books on your subject, a good library will contain a number of other invaluable resources that will aid you in researching your paper, such as:

• Good bibliographies that you can use to find other books, articles, and papers
• Relevant journals and academic papers
• Videos and documentaries relating to your topic

Make sure to take full advantage of all of these resources.

Discuss your topic with other people

Your friends, colleagues, professors as well as any experts that you know can also help provide you with useful resources for you to research. What’s more, they may also have valuable information, insights and/or perspectives on your topic that they can share with you. You may even want to formerly interview them, particularly if they are a known expert in the field.

Search online for your topic

The internet is another resource that you will want to consult (although make sure to verify any information that you discover online - the internet is not always the most accurate of sources). Make a list of keywords relating to your topic and search sites such as Google.com and Del.icio.us as well as relevant forums and discussion groups. You may even want to ask people in relevant forums and discussion groups questions relating to your topic

Other points to remember

• Get more sources than you need and then pair down to the best sources
• Make sure your resources fit into the general theme and purpose of your paper
• Get a wide variety of sources which reflect different views on the topic
• Before you begin your more serious research, find some good overview articles, books and/or videos to help familiarize you with the topic and give you a general understanding of the issues and concerns relating to your subject

The 8 Steps to Writing a Great Research Paper

1. Pick a good, well-focused topic that you are interested in
2. Determine the goal and/or purpose of your paper
3. Gather together the best resources available on your topic
4. Study and take notes of your resources
5. Turn your notes into a well-organized outline
6. Write a rough draft
7. Revise (over and over again) your rough draft
8. Get feedback from friends, colleagues and experts (then rewrite again)

Coming Soon: How to Take Notes

All Tutorials in This Series

1. How to Write a Great College Research Paper
2. How to Choose a Topic for a Research Paper
3. How to Narrow the Focus of Your Paper Topic
4. How to Determine the Purpose of Your Paper
5. How to Research a Topic
6. How to Take Notes for Your Research Paper
7. How to Write an Outline
8. How to Write a Rough Draft
9. How to Revise a Rough Draft
10. Getting Feedback on Your College Paper
11. Make the Effort to Write a Great Paper