The very idea of writing a research paper, and submitting it on time, can suck all the energy out of your mind and make you feel tired. It is a rather daunting task, even for pros who have written a number of research papers. Selecting the right topic, a subject about which you possess ample knowledge, is the first step that will make writing that research paper easy. But even if you have the perfect topic, it’s not easy to sit in front of a blank screen and immediately start writing a research paper.

Things are easier when you divide them into parts, and writing your research paper will be a lot easier if you go about it methodically, one step at a time. The first and most important step is choosing the right topic. For instance, if you are mulling writing about rock music, you will need to narrow down your search to a particular aspect of rock music, zero in on a specific band and concentrate on a single album or song.

The next step is getting deeper in the subject: surf the internet, read books about your topic (if you have the time and inclination), discuss the topic with your teacher or guide, if need be. More likely than not, you will rely a lot on the internet for information, and it is essential that you take the information on the net with a pinch of salt. Try and find relevant information on sites with .org or .edu extensions: these sites are organizational or educational sites and are more trustworthy that sites with .com extensions (which are company sites, meant for propaganda).

Once you have accumulated all the information you need, it’s time to state your thesis. The thesis statement is a single line which expresses the idea or argument you intend to build through your research paper. Based on this thesis, prepare a rough outline of your research paper. In brief points, decide on the introductory remarks, the body of the article, and the conclusion. This will give you a base from you can leap into the writing process. In case, you change your ideas later, you can tweak this tentative outline.

After you are finished with the outline, you can use all the information you had gathered earlier. Analyze the information you have, and select the most reliable and fitting information to build your case. This is the most crucial aspect of the whole process of research paper writing: read the sources, assimilate the ideas, reflect on the topic and try to come up with insightful ideas.

Now you have all the ingredients right in front of you, and you are more than ready to start writing your first draft. It will help you a lot if you’ve marked the notes according to the outline; if you have, all you need to do is keep the specific notes handy and write your way to A+ grade! If you are in a real hurry, you will have to be satisfied with the first draft, just make sure that you proofread it twice to remove the most obvious errors. If you take the time to re-write your draft, you will be rewarded with new ideas, and you paper will read a lot better.