1. Tips for Writing a Great
Research Paper
Mrs. Ligo SLMS, Bayshore Middle
School
2. Understanding your Assignment
• Understand the topic and your teacher’s
requirements
- Is this an explanatory or informational report ?
if so, focus on the facts
- Is this a persuasive report?
if so, include your own opinion to persuade
the reader
3. Understanding your Assignment
Understand the length and requirements given
by your teacher
How many pages or slides?
Does my report require video or images?
What format can I use (paper/multimedia)?
What freedom do I have in picking my topic?
Where can I find resources?
When is my deadline?
4. Choosing your Topic
• Choose a topic that interests you
• Conduct preliminary research to
make sure that you will have enough
resources to persuade or inform
your reader
5. Getting Organized
• Define your main idea
• Be a “detective” and conduct thorough
research
-include information from various sources:
books, videos, interviews, websites, maps
• Create an outline, mind map or K-W-L chart to
collect and organize your thoughts
6. Example of an Outline
Topic: Armadillo
I. Introduction
II. What do they look like?
A. Size
1. 14 -30 inches long
2. 9-66lbs
B. Armor
1. Hard outer shell
2. Can roll up in a ball for protection
III. Where do they live?
A. Region (North & South America)
B. Burrows
IV. Conclusion
7. Example of a Mind Map
Armadillo
Size
Food/Diet
Habitat
9-66Lbs
burrow
North & South
America
8. K-W-L
What I know already What I want to know What I have learned
I know they have hard
armor covering their
bodies
Why do they have
armor?
To protect them
against predators
such as: bears,
wolves and cougars.
They also have bad
eye sight which
makes them
vulnerable.
9. Tips for Writing
• Your report should have an introduction, body
and conclusion (beginning, middle end)
• Your introduction should include something to
keep your reader interested such as an
interesting statistic or descriptive word picture.
• Your conclusion should summarize what you
know. Think about what you want your reader to
remember.
10. Examples of Introductions
• The armadillo looks like a slow animal,
carrying its heavy armor but it isn’t. It can
travel up to speeds of 30mph.
• It is three and a half million square miles of
sand, rocks and mountains about the size of
the United States and covers parts of ten
countries. It is the Sahara, the world largest
desert.
11. More Tips for Writing
Building sentences and paragraphs
• a sentence contains a subject + a verb
• a sentence contains at least one thought
• start a new paragraph with each new idea
• each paragraph should contain a topic sentence,
several sentences that support evidence or
provide information, a concluding sentence
Don’t be boring! Include information to keep your
reader interested
12. Review your Work
• Reread your report. Sometimes reading aloud
helps you identify areas that do not flow.
• Make sure your spelling and grammar is
correct.
• Have someone else preview your work and
give you constructive comments.
• Give credit to all of your sources!
13. Bibliography
Gaines, Ann. Ace Your Research Paper. Berkeley
Heights, NJ: Enslow, 2009. Print.
Scholastic Writer's Desk Reference. New York:
Scholastic, 2000. Print.
