A research paper is a report on a subject that is the result of searching through a variety of sources and thinking critically about these sources. This type of paper is usually driven or guided by a thesis (or opinion or argument or conclusion) which the student arrives at by a careful study of the literature and by interviewing experts in the field. Another way of defining a research paper is it is a report that you present to others about the conclusions you have reached after investigating a subject and carefully assessing the information you have gathered.

Research involves three categories of evidence that you uncover:

In order to fully comprehend what constitutes a research paper, it is important to understand what research is. Good research is both creative and personal. It starts with questions that you ask about your subject. These questions you ask will be your own and how you go about finding the answers will be a uniquely individual process. In this way you will bring yourself and your mind into the research process. Your paper will end up conveying your point of view, which will add creativity and passion to your subject. Giving your paper a "voice" will also help you to avoid plagiarism.

On a more technical level, research can be divided into two parts—searching and researching. Searching is what most of us think of as research. This part involves going to the library and collecting data and information. Just as important as searching is the researching component, which means going back over the information you have gathered, making sense of it, seeing how it all fits together and linking it with what you already know.

Other skills involved in the research process include the evaluation of sources for credibility and bias (very important in this day and age of information glut), focusing your subject into a topic, thesis construction, organizational techniques (such as outlining, working bibliographies, and timelines to give you confidence and a framework for your ideas), interviewing experts in the field, and learning the vocabulary of your chosen subject. All of the above skills will be discussed in different parts of this web site.

Since many of today’s sources come in electronic formats (ProQuest Direct, Britannica Online, NewsBank, the Internet and the online catalog), these new and exciting tools must be conquered. The ability to do electronic research is not only becoming vital for academic excellence, it is also imperative for the job market in the Information Age.
 

A search log is a weekly journal of your research effort. In it you should chronicle your successes and failures. You should also include your thoughts, musings and brainstorming. All of your notecards, timelines, working bibliographies and outlines have a place here. And, of course, you need to find room for homework assignments and handouts given to you in class.

Since this is a record to help you keep track of your progress, it should be in any format that makes sense to you: a three-ring binder, a computer file, an envelope, a color-coded card file, etc. A search log is a valuable tool, not only for your annotated bibliography, but for any future research paper or formal writing you may wish to pursue.
 

So, what is this thing we call an annotated bibliography? A bibliography is simply an alphabetical listing of sources in which all of the entries relate to the purpose of the paper. An annotation is usually a paragraph or two long and gives a short summary of the source, a statement of the author’s, publisher’s or source’s credentials and/or bias, and an evaluation of the item in light of your thesis. The annotated bibliography is preceded by a cover sheet that includes your thesis statement along with a small discussion about how and why you researched this particular topic. You should include both your successes and failures in your discussion.

Lots of time and critical thinking are involved in the preparation of annotated bibliographies—this is why they have become a popular research and writing assignment among instructors in four year colleges and universities.

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