Guide Introduction Writing a research paper is a complex process with a number of steps that must be completed. While there may be specific individual teacher requirements for any given research paper, many elements are standard. Every research paper needs a clear organizational plan, and content generated from outside sources.
Every research paper needs documentation to avoid plagiarizing other people s ideas.
Each source used and cited in the paper must be included in the Works Cited page, and bibliographic information must be presented in the correct format. A thesis is a single statement that directs your entire paper. If you are writing a paper on a work of literature, your thesis must say something about that work of literature, something that both you and authoritative sources see in that particular work. Your thesis could address the manner in which the work approaches courage, family, prejudice, heroism, individuality, revenge, friendship, society, or some other idea about human behavior. Your thesis could focus on the author s use or development of some element of fiction, such as characters, plot, or setting.