A research paper is a work of academic writing that requires the student/writer to think critically and analytically about some assigned or chosen subject. It involves the systematic study of a subject and a written presentation of your findings on that subject.

 

While a research paper does require the writer to document the sources of his/her information, contrary to popular misconception, a research paper is not simply a collection of paraphrased and quoted material on your subject documented with parenthetical citation and a works cited list.

 

Your research paper is your chance to express your ideas and insights on a subject. Integrated with your ideas should be material you have gathered to use in support of what you think. If your teachers wanted to read only what experts have to say on your subject, they could read those books themselves. Your teachers are interested in what you have to say on your subject. They want and expect you to be able to state your ideas and then back up your claims with the words and ideas of others.

 

Your assignment might require you to do one of several things: “explore an idea, probe an issue, solve a problem, or make an argument” (Gibaldi 2).

 

Your work will generally include a combination of primary research and secondary research.

 

Primary research involves your own personal investigation of the subject. It can include things such as an interview you conduct with an expert, your own analysis of a historical document or literary work, conducting a survey and interpreting your results or doing an experiment.

 

Secondary research involves reading and interpreting materials—such as books, articles, essays, and films on your subject—written by others, and incorporating that information into your paper.

 

Believe it or not, these are skills that you will use well beyond high school and college. “It is difficult to think of any profession that would not require you to consult sources of information about a specific subject, to combine this information with your ideas, and to present your thoughts, findings, and conclusions effectively” (Gibaldi 2).