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Academic Writing I: An Introduction to A Research Paper Definition In Basic College Research written by P. Berge and C. Saffioti, a research paper is defined as: a paper written to reflect a search that will present information to support a point of view on a particular topic. That is, a research paper is a presentation of a researcher’s investigation on a selected topic backed up by the ideas or information of others in the field. A research paper involves the survey of a specific sphere of knowledge with an aim of producing the best possible and most competent argument regarding that topic. Steps to developing a good research paper A good topic: choose a topic that you are interested in, and for which there is enough information or data. Make it neither too broad nor too narrow. A variety of reference sources: Use information from various authoritative sources, including encyclopedias, almanacs, scholarly journals, books, magazines, and newspapers. The sources in print form, on CD-ROMS, and on the Internet are all acceptable. The information will help you evaluate your topic and write the literature review section of the paper. Some software can be used to organize the various sources, for example, EndNote. An outline: Write an outline to organize your ideas, which will include topics, subtopics, details, and subdetails. This step will help develop a logically and scrupulously organized paper. Revision: Make any changes needed to make sure your ideas are clearly conveyed and the structure is logically organized. Check whether you have included all the necessary components. Details such as the accurate spelling, grammar and punctuation are also important. Bibliography: At the end of your paper, provide a list of all the sources you used to gather information for the paper. Documentation is crucial to a research paper which saves you from the danger of plagiarism. Format: Make sure that the format of your paper follows the requirements of the journal or other sourc