English 102


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The Research Process

  1. Find and narrow a subject.
  2. Formulate a thesis (main idea) for your paper.
  3. Find the required number of sources that contain information that supports your thesis.
  4. Create a bibliography card (recommended 3 x 5 size cards) for each of your sources. Exact MLA style must be used on bibliography cards. See textbook for formats.
  5. Create note cards (recommended 4 x 6 size cards) using information you find about your topic. Instead of using note cards, you can type your notes in your word processor.
  6. Arrange note cards in a logical order for use in your paper. If you have typed your notes in your word processor, you can organize them by cutting and pasting them in order.
  7. Create an outline for your paper from your cards.
  8. Write an introductory paragraph.
  9. Complete a rough draft of your paper. You MUST document the sources from which you have taken quotations (any material copied word for word), paraphrased or summarized material, specific theories, facts, figures, statistics, charts, graphs, etc. You do not have to document information that is generally considered to be common knowledge. (Ex: Do not document the fact that George Washington was America's first president, even if you found this information in one of your sources.) All documentation in your paper MUST adhere EXACTLY to MLA style according to your textbook.
  10. Edit and revise your rough draft for sentence structure problems, spelling, punctuation, grammar, correct use of MLA style, etc.
  11. Complete the final draft of your paper which includes a Works Cited page at the end. See your textbook for format.
  12. Submit your final paper AND NOTES to your instructor by the due date.