Research WritingMarianne K. and Katie W., Writing Center tutors Please keep in mind that these are only general guidelines; always defer to your professor's specifications for a given assignment. If you have any questions about the content represented here, please contact the Writing Centers so that we can address them for you. Introduction Like other writing, research writing needs to be well-organized and should include a thesis, topic sentences, transitions, etc. Research papers should be free of grammatical and sentence-level errors, and they should follow the standards of citation required by the discipline. Most commonly used styles are APA, MLA or Chicago style (AKA Turabian). It is important to remember that the requirements for research papers vary according to disciplines. Research papers differ from reflective essays, editorials, memoirs, etc, in that research develops an argument based on evidence, not opinion or personal point of view. Standard Research In general, every research paper includes:
Other Research-based Writing
Avoiding Plagiarism It is important that you develop your own ideas in your research writing, even though your writing is based on the research of others. However, when you do use other’s ideas, it is important to correctly cite your sources.
Citation Styles Every research paper requires some form of citation. The following lists indicate the styles generally required according to discipline. Though most disciplines use a specific style guide, others are more flexible. Always check with your professors to see which style they prefer.
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