1. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Writing the Research Paper - Student Hand-out
Based on UBC Library’s Assignment Calculator http://assignmentcalculator.library.ubc.ca/
Learning Outcomes
• Steps for writing a research paper
• Best practices to maintain academic integrity
• Tools to properly track and cite your sources
• Resources to get help
Step 1 - Understand your assignment
• Intro and format (i.e. margins, font, word count/# pages)
• Questions to address (Find out if you need to answer all/some/one of these)
• Note key verbs that indicate how to structure your writing
A research paper is not a summary of others’ work on your topic. You should consult other sources, but these are
used to support your statements and provide evidence for your analysis. The goal is table a unique perspective.
The 2 most common approaches are:
1. Argumentative research paper - A thesis statement that makes a claim supported with evidence (can be
controversial, debatable)
2. Analytical research paper - Often begins with a question and explores/evaluates/interprets the evidence.
More resources:
o Terms Frequently used in Writing Assignments- Queen’s University Writing Centre
http://www.queensu.ca/writingcentre/handouts/Terms.pdf
o Understanding Assignments - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Writing Centre
http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/readassign.html
Step 2 - Select and focus your topic
• Conduct preliminary research (initial sources for background info are not the ones used for works cited)
• Refine your topic
More resources:
o UBC research subject guides http://guides.library.ubc.ca/
o Internet Search Tools (beyond Google Scholar, and Wikipedia)
http://www.library.ubc.ca/home/isearch.html
for graduate student researchers:
o Finding the Right Information Sources For a Literature Review
http://toby.library.ubc.ca/webpage/webpage.cfm?id=502
o FAQ: Dissertations and Theses http://toby.library.ubc.ca/webpage/webpage.cfm?id=37
Step 3 - Write a working thesis
• What is your thesis statement? (argumentative)
• What question(s) are you trying to answer? (analytical)
Often, a more focused question/thesis yields better research and better writing.
More resources:
o UBC Writing Centre’s Thesis Statements: Beginnings
http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/workshop/tools/thesisst.htm

2. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA
Step 4 - Design a research strategy
The quality of information you use to support your arguments will contribute significantly to the quality of your work.
You need to learn about:
• effectively searching library resources
• using citation management tools
UBC Library homepage- Summon
Your research strategy just got a lot easier. Summon is a discovery-style search tool (i.e. like Google) that allows you
to search UBC’s catalogue, ebooks (to the chapter level), databases, ejournals, cIRcle (UBC’s repository including
theses and dissertations, etc.) all in one search.
Citation Management
More resources:
o UBC librarian Dean Giustini’s comparison of 3 citation tools:
Refworks, Zotero and Mendeley http://www.slideshare.net/giustinid/ref-works-mendeley-zotero
Plagiarism
Plagiarism may be accidental or unintentional, blatant or self (re-using your own work). Even accidental or
unintentional plagiarism is subject to disciple. Your are responsible for familiarizing yourself with UBC’s policies
http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/index.cfm?tree=3,286,0,0
How to avoid plagiarism
• Start early
• Take careful notes
• Acknowledge all sources (direct quotes as well as paraphrased or summarized material)
• Ask yourself:
- Is the idea or argument presented mine?
- Are the words my own?
- Can my work be clearly distinguished from the work of others?
Step 5 Find, review, and evaluate resources
More resources:
o UBC Librarians online (AskAway) http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/get-study-help/research-and-writing/chat-
with-a-librarian/
o UBC Subject librarians http://toby.library.ubc.ca/libstaff/subjectlibrarians.cfm
Step 6 Create an Outline
Creating a useful outline - brainstorm, organize, order, label
More resources:
o Text2Mindmap http://www.text2mindmap.com/
o Owl Purdue. How to create a useful outline. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/544/02
Step 7 Draft, revise and rewrite (conduct additional research as necessary)
Step 8 Put paper in final form
More resources:
• UBC Writing Centre http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/index.html
o Writer’s Toolbox http://www.writingcentre.ubc.ca/workshop/toolbox.htm
o Drop-in tutoring (free) http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/get-study-help/tutoring-and-learning-
support/#fragment-1-1

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• UBC Learning Commons – Research and Writing http://learningcommons.ubc.ca/get-study-help/research-and-
writing/
• Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) https://owl.english.purdue.edu/