A research paper involves arguing and presenting a thesis, analyzing and persuading the reader of one's position using facts, details, examples and opinions. Choosing a good research topic is important - it should be interesting, researchable, based on facts rather than opinions, and narrow enough to be completed using available resources. Some ways to choose a topic include brainstorming, making idea webs or diagrams, and narrowing a general topic by adding more specific details. A supervisor can guide the research process but the student must work independently while receiving feedback and advice.

2. What is a Research Paper?
 Whatever type of information that you are looking for,
you will need to know how to gather, sort, and track
the facts and opinions available to you,
 That’s why you should know how to do a research
paper,
 It is a useful and efficient method for gathering and
presenting reliable information that each one is
frequently assigned in colleges and high schools,
 The research paper is characterized as:

3.  Arguing and presenting a thesis: the writer
presents and proposes his thesis/ point of view,
 Analytical and persuasive: the writer evaluates
his position,
 The writer tries to convince readers that his
argument is valid or at least deserves serious
consideration,
 The writer must be creative in using facts,
details, examples, and opinions to support a
point,
 The writer has to be original and inventive in
deciding which facts best support a the thesis
and which are superfluous,

4. Choosing Your Topic for Your Research Paper
Writing a research paper is a big job. However,
you can make it easier by breaking it into smaller
parts. The place to start is by answering the
question, “What’s it all about?”

5.  Choosing your research topic is probably the most
important single decision you have to make in doing
research,
 It is a critical step in the success of your research
project; It can be also one of the more difficult steps,
 The topic of your research paper indicates:
 The nature of research/ or investigation you are
conducting,
 The particular discipline you are working in,

6. How to Choose a Topic for Your Research Paper
 Each problem is solved within a set of constraints,
 These constraints include: resources, time, and
knowledge.,
 As such, I compare choosing your dissertation topic and
adviser to planning an engineering project.
 You choose, if you have a choice, your dissertation topic
and your adviser within constraints imposed by your
department, university, and field.
 Before becoming femiliar with writing your research paper,
you should selesct your topic,
 But, how your topic should look like? How should it be?
 Assignment: “Write a research paper on a topic related to
the American Revolution.”
 You are not expected to find out everything about the
American Revolution, of course.
 Rather, your teacher expects you to think about what
you’ve already learned about this large, general topic and
then focus on some specific part of it in your paper.

7.  The size of your topic:
 Think of choosing your research topic in terms
of the Goldilocks strategy: You want to select a
topic which is not too big, and not too small, but
just the right one.
 An important skill involving choosing a topic is to
be able to pick onf the right size: not too big, not
too small, but do-able within the time, space,
and resources available,

8. Average Expected Word Length for Papers
Paragraph 50 to 150 words
Short paper 150 to 350 words
Medium-sized paper 350 to 800 words
Dissertation 1,500 to 2,500 words
Thesis 3,000 words or more

9. Which Topics Work (and Which Ones Don’t):
 What Interests You:
 Choosing an easy topic may backfire, however, if the topic
does not interest you all that much.
 Remember: you will be living with this assignment for
several days, or even weeks.
 If you are stuck with a topic that makes your eyes glaze
over, try discussing the topic with others who may help you
find a more interesting angle.
 You also might try thinking about what makes this topic
interesting to other people.
 As you find out more, you may discover something there
that interests you after all.

10.  What You Can Handle:
 Some topics are hard to handle because they are too
large, or broad.
 “The American Revolution” is an example of such a topic.
Seasoned scholars have written volumes on this subject,
but no single person can cover every aspect of this major
event in just one paper.
 Instead, focus on narrowing down your topic to answer
favorite questions you may have about the topic, such as
“The Causes of the American Revolution” or “The Battle of
Lexington and Concord.”
 Another example of a topic that is too broad is “Plants.”
 The study of plants—also called botany—is a whole branch
of science in itself.
 Pick a narrower topic such as “Carnivorous Plants” or
“Plants of the Arctic.”

11.  Tackle the Topic:
 You cannot get ideas unless you know what to think about,
 In school, the "what to think about" is generally called the
topic,
 Topics do not contain verbs: They are nouns or groups of
nouns, sometimes interspersed with pronouns,
conjunctions, and prepositions.
 A topic can be very general:
• South Carolina
• Mars
• highways
• hydrocarbons
• Windows computer
• The word “I” in James Joyce’s Ulysses

12.  You can often create an aspect of a general topic merely
by adding another noun to it,
 Assignment: “Write about Massachusetts”
 Some acceptable topics:
• Massachusetts trees
• Massachusetts’ government
• volcanoes in Massachusetts
• books about Massachusetts
• inventors from Massachusetts
• Acceptable topic:
Massachusetts: From a British Colony to an American
Nation

13. Assignment: “Write about programs for the Windows computer”
Some acceptable topics:
• future programs for the Windows computer
• word processing programs for the Windows computer
• programs specifically designed for the Windows computer
Assignment: Write about the word “I” in James Joyce’s Ulysses
Some acceptable topics:
 the word “I” in the first chapter of Ulysses
 the word “I” as used by Molly Bloom in Ulysses

14.  What You Can Find Enough Information About:
 These may include, for example, a word processor or
computer, access to a typist and, perhaps most
importantly, a good library, and access to the Internet,
 Suppose you have identified a topic that you find
interesting,
 Before you say, “This is it!” ask yourself the question, “Can
I find enough information on this topic?”
 Even though that topic could be the basis of a great paper,
the only information available might be the article you read
and one highly technical report written by a group of space
scientists,
 Another pitfall is that you might choose a topic that’s
interesting to so few individuals that only a few experts
have written about it,
 Also, you need to set the resources you will probably need

15.  The time you have available:
 Similar considerations relate to the time you have available
for your research study,
 For a small-scale research study: a few hundred hours in
total,
 You need to make the best use of this time possible,
 You will also have to limit the extent of any data collection
you undertake:
 Therefore, many interviews or questionnaires you can get
completed, or, more importantly, usefully analyzed, within a
given amount of time.
 The limitations on your time highlight the importance of
planning ahead, scheduling and piloting your work.

16. What to do if you cannot think of a topic:
 It may be that you are to do a piece of research, but you
just can’t think of what to do,
 This is quite a common problem: It is associated with your
confidence, or lack of it, in undertaking a research project,
 Ask your supervisor, friends, or colleagues :
 You can usefully ask almost anybody for ideas; non-
specialists and those who aren’t involved, as well as
experts,
 Your supervisor may have a good deal of advice to offer,
and might welcome you researching a topic of interest to
them.
 Or, they may put you in touch with a colleague in a similar
position.
 Your friends and colleagues might have suggestions for
research which could help you in some way.
 Talking about your ideas to people who aren’t involved with

17.  Look at previous research work:
 This is another obvious suggestion,
 “I was desperate for an idea, any idea, so I began by
asking around. Surely someone out there in practice would
have an exciting question that they felt must be asked but not
the knowledge or resources to pursue? . . . When it became
obvious that no one was going to present a research question
to me on a plate I began my search in earnest. I read a lot
and went through back copies of journals. I particularly chose
the Journal of Advanced Nursing and the International
Journal of Nursing Studies to look through because these
were very general in their content, were academic in nature
and very often researchers would mention ‘implications for
further research’ at the end of their paper. After leafing
through several journals I came across an article about
creativity and nursing”. (Miles 1994: 18–19)

18.  There are almost certainly many examples of similar kinds
of research projects which you could look at,
 You might consider replicating one of these: using the
same methods to analyze the same problem, but in a
different area or institution.

19.  First check your class notes:
 Does one small side issue keep showing up?
 E. g., Are there several references in your economics notes to
clever illegal schemes?
 Make the topic of your paper on inflation "Clever Illegal
Schemes in Inflationary Times."
 Are there lots of notes in your modern poetry notebook that
refer to classical mythology?
 The teacher said these things because he was interested in
them and you may have taken the notes on these side issues
because they interested you, too.
 listen to the lectures:
 The same rule of thumb can be applied,

20.  Physics assignment: Write about quantum energy
 Your topic: The Discoverer of the Quantum Particle
 Does the French teacher talk a lot about French culture?
 French assignment: Write about the French Alps
 Your topic: Folk Songs in the French Alps

21. Narrowing Your Research Topic
 Avoid topics that are too broad,
 You need a few strategies for narrowing a general topic
down to size that you can manage,
 By following these steps for finding a topic, you will be able
to find one on which you can gather plenty of information,
that you find interesting, and that is neither too broad nor
too narrow,

22.  An Idea Web:
 You may have made an idea web before and referred to it as a
“cluster” or an “idea map”
 It is one kind of graphic organizer,
 An idea web can be an extremely efficient tool for finding a topic
that interests you,
 It works on the assumption that one idea leads to another,
 To make an idea web, you need a blank sheet of paper,
 Begin by drawing a circle in the middle of your paper,
 Then, in the circle, write the first topic you can think of, even if it
is not a topic you are actually considering,
 As other related topics come to your mind, write them in smaller
circles surrounding the original circle,
 Draw lines leading from the original circle to the smaller circles,
 The ideas in the small circles can lead to yet more ideas, which
you can write in even smaller circles,
 Eventually, you will write an idea in a little circle out near one of
the corners of your paper,

24.  Brainstorming:
 Sitting down with a group and talk until you have come up
with an idea for a project you are working on, whether it is
to plan a trip or organize a party: brainstorming,
 Brainstorming a topic for a research paper works the same
way,
 Except that you do it by yourself, and you use a pencil and
paper,
 Start by writing down the first topic that comes into your
head, then the second, the one after that,
 Try to free your mind and let the ideas come,
 It does not matter if some of your ideas are completely
ridiculous,
 There is an excellent chance that all the ideas that do not
work will eventually lead to, at least, one idea that does.

25.  Make a Pyramid Chart:
 A pyramid diagram is a graphic organizer that can help you
narrow a topic,
 Get a sheet of notebook paper, and in the center of the top line,
write
 down your general topic,
 To continue with the same example, write "Plants” at the center
of the top line,
 On the next line, beneath the general topic, write two topics that
are smaller than the general topic;
 leave a small amount of space between each topic,
 You might write “Desert Plants” and “Rain Forest Plants”,
 On the third line, write two even smaller topics beneath each of
the topics on the second line,
 Under “Desert Plants,” you might write “Cacti” and “Trees of the
Desert”,
 Beneath “Rain Forest Plants,” you might write “Plants That Live
in Trees” and “Plants of the Forest Floor.”

27.  Target Diagram:
 A target diagram is especially useful if you want to write
down more than just two ideas for each preceding idea,
 It allows your thoughts to flow a little more freely, and
gradually you can see the direction that interests you most,
 Draw a circle in the center of a sheet of paper,
 Around that circle, draw several larger circles so that your
blank diagram looks like a target,
 In the central circle, write your general topic,
 Then, in the outer circles, start writing narrower and
narrower topics until you reach one that seems just narrow
enough,

29. Choosing a Topic
 How does one choose a topic?
 Selecting a good research topic for your research paper is the first and
one of the important steps towards research paper writing.
 If you must choose from a list of topics, it is still important to choose one
that interests you,
 The success of your research paper and the degree its contribution to
your career development will depend on the goodness of your research
topic,
 Whatever topic you choose, it needs to be:
• INTERESTING: both to you and to your reader,
• RESEARCHABLE: it should be such a good idea that lots of people have
addressed this topic,
• Based on RESEARCH, not just OPINION: why Britney Spears is the best
singer ever is not an acceptable topic,
• IMPORTANT: not necessarily important enough to change the world, but
important in the sense that your reader should think the topic is worthy of
being,

30. The characteristics of a good thesis topic
resses to a defined gap in knowledge
nal, and relevant
defined, focused, and narrow
her very ambitious nor very simple
esting to student, supervisor, research community
suited to caliber/ commitment
be completed using available resources: time, subjects/ material, too

31. How to choose your supervisor
 The supervisory process is a complex pedagogical relationship,
 The role of your supervisor is to facilitate your academic development
and will change over time as you grow in expertise and confidence,
 Your relationship is more likely to succeed if you are clear about what you
expect from your supervisor,
 The relationship you develop with your supervisor will be decisive,
 He should, however, assist you in crafting your work and help you to plan,
providing input and ideas based on their experience.
 Your supervisor is there to guide you in producing your best research
paper,
 You should also ensure that your supervisor does not take over or show
little interest in your work,
 Agreeing aims and schedules at the beginning of the relationship and
maintaining regular, well-planned meetings can help avoid these pitfalls,

32. What is a supervisor?
 ‘Supervisor’ is the term most commonly used within universities
and colleges for academics who have personal responsibility for
overseeing the progress of individual students’ research
projects.
 Supervisors should have some knowledge of the specialist
areas in which their students are researching, plus a general
understanding of the research process and the various
strategies possible.
 They should have an inside knowledge of the rules and
regulations, both written and unwritten, affecting your research
project.
 They should have some skill in conducting the kind of in-depth
relationships required for successful supervision.
 And they should help to keep you focused on your research.

33. Finding a suitable supervisor
 First you need to locate an institution that you feel best
supports your area of research and then find a supervisor
in that area,
 Explore the research activities of potential supervisors,
taking time to read their published work to find out if you
are comfortable with their methodology,

34.  Regardless of the constraints you face in the assignment of
your adviser, you should think about the following questions
while considering an adviser and a dissertation topic:
 Does the adviser have expertise and interest in the
topic?
 Which theoretical/conceptual approaches or research
methods does the faculty member use?
 Is the adviser available?
 Does the adviser have a sense of humor (although not a
necessary trait, it will make your dissertation process a
little more enjoyable)?
 Will the adviser have funding to support you?

35. The Choosing a Topic and an Adviser Matrix
 Joann Moody;
 The Choosing a Topic and an Adviser Matrix;
 Your involvement in the topic;
 The involvement of a potential adviser;
 Involvement: motivation, knowledge of subject matter,
knowledge of theories and methodologies, interest, and
current research on the topic,
 Joann Moody develops a two-dimensional matrix and
included a host of criteria in the word involvement,

37. Quadrant I: The Mentoring Model
 The Mentoring Model: very desirable,
 Mentor: a wise and trusted counselor or teacher, an influential senior sponsor
or supporter,
 Mentoring: when the adviser is very involved in the topic and can inform you
on issues related to literature reviews, data or sources, theoretical/conceptual
approaches, methodologies, networking with others in the field, and
opportunities for presenting and publishing,
 Your adviser could play an active role in your scholarship or research,
 He probably is more invested in your research and will presumably be more
available to you,
 Your involvement in the topic is very high,
 For whatever reasons, this topic motivates and interests you,
 The Mentoring Model represents the best option you could ever conceive,
 If you find yourself in this situation, you should be grateful and consider
yourself very fortunate,


38. Quadrant II: The Coaching Model
 The Coaching Model: if your interest in a topic is more important to
you than is the involvement of your adviser,
 The adviser could coach you through the practices in your field and
assist you in navigating the requirements of your department,
 Your adviser could not speak to the latest developments in the field,
identify areas where the field needs contributions, or introduce you to
the network of scholars involved in the conversation,
 The Coaching Model is popular or advantageous if you are starting
your dissertation work with a considerable amount of research or
scholarship experience,
 You may find yourself choosing the Coaching Model if developing
expertise in a particular topic trumps developing research skills.
 In any of these situations, your level of knowledge and involvement
with the subject matter are probably greater than your adviser’s.
 You would rely on your adviser for direction while conducting the
research and writing the dissertation.

39. Quadrant III: The Apprenticeship Model
 The Apprenticeship Model: you seek out a dissertation adviser based on his
research expertise or reputation as an excellent dissertation adviser.
 You work on a project related to his program of research.
 You sacrifice your current interests in exchange for developing research
skills, scholarly experiences, and a strong network.
 After you have developed this expertise, you can pursue your topic of interest
later in your career.
 In this sense, you are apprenticing with a researcher and learning all the
skills and knowledge you can before you go off on your own.
 This option is advantageous if you plan on an academic or a research career.
 So very often, what started off as an apprenticeship relationship develops
into a mentoring relationship, such as occurred in my case.

40. Quadrant IV: The Unadvisable Option
 This is the quadrant where you have limited interest in the topic
and your adviser has little involvement,
 Do not even consider this option,
 You will spend long days and nights, caffeinated beverage in
hand, working on your dissertation,
 Sometimes your interest in your dissertation topic is the only
thing that will keep you going;
 Choose another quadrant,

41. What to look for in your supervisor
 Choosing an appropriate supervisor is just as important as
choosing an appropriate topic! Keep the following things in
mind when choosing your supervisor(s):
 Academic credibility
 Reputation
 Good research record
 Knowledge of the methodology you are going to employ
 Compatibility
 Availability
 Knowledge of the field you are investigating

42. Actors Involved, their Roles
and Relationships
 The roles of the participants in your project can be
characterized as follows:
● The student, who identifies, approaches and solves a
problem;
● The supervisor, who guides you in your work;
● The examiner, who critically assesses your work;
 But, how these three actors in the research paper are
related ?

44. The Student
 Without your initiative and commitment, the work will not
be progressing satisfactorily, and the project comes to a
halt;
 Supervisors have the right to expect a high level of
commitment from their students, who in turn should
respond positively to advice and guidance;
 In so doing, students develop an increasing level of
independence when it comes to solving complex
problems;
 Your supervisor is your best friend when doing a project;
 The supervisor is there to help you, pointing out both the
good aspects in your work and the less ones, in order to
help you improve;
 You are both involved in a project which may increase

45. The Responsibilities of the Student
 As a student you should:
● Plan and discuss with your supervisor the topic of the project
and the timetable, including a schedule of meetings where
appropriate feedback can be given;
● Maintain progress according to the agreed schedule, and
continuously report your progress to the supervisor;
● Keep systematic records of work completed;
● Make sure to submit written material to your supervisor in time
to allow for discussion and comments before proceeding to the
next stage of the project;
● Decide on a date, together with your supervisor, when the
project should be finished and the report submitted to the
department or university;

46. ● Write up and submit the report within the time
limit, and in accordance with local submission
guidelines;
● Address and respond to criticism, guidance,
and suggestions given by the supervisor, which
may include undertaking any study required by
the supervisor,
● Inform your supervisor of any problems or
difficulties, e.g. any personal circumstances
which prevent you from working on your project;

47. The Supervisor
 The supervisor is a person who is there to guide you, both in the
subject area and in scientific thinking;
 The supervisor is normally skilled in carrying out projects in the
particular subject area, and knowledgeable about the methods
relevant to and accepted in that subject area;
 Your supervisor should help you choose and define the
boundaries of the topic to be studied in the project;
 The supervisor helps you ensure that your project can be
completed successfully and on time; This includes setting the
project boundaries in such a way that it is of a reasonable size
with respect to the allocated time;
 The supervisor will help you ensure that there are appropriate
literature or data sources available in the area;

48. The Responsibilities of a Supervisor
 The supervisor should:
● Inform you of the instructions of your particular department or
university for carrying out a thesis project;
● Discuss dates when your work should be handed in, presented
or discussed;
● Provide guidelines for how to report the project;
● Give guidance concerning the nature of research, the standard
expected, relevant literature and sources in the area, and what
research methods are considered good practice in the area;
● Inform you of relevant regulations and issues, legal as well as
ethical, e.g. copyright issues, plagiarism;
● Explore your academic background to identify any areas in
which further training is required;

49. ● Help you ensure that your project can be completed,
including preparation of a report, within the allocated
project time;
● Meet you regularly and discuss the progress in the
project;
● Request that you hand in written reports within an
agreed time;
● Inform you of any inadequacy with respect to
progress or the quality of the work of failure to reach
an acceptable standard;