Your teacher really didn’t ask you to write a research paper just to
make your life miserable. Of all the things you’ll learn in school, the
skills you acquire as you produce your research paper will be among
the most valuable.
Five Fundamental Rules
Let’s start with the fundamental rules that need to be emblazoned on
your mind:
1.Always follow your teacher’s directions to the letter.
2.Always hand in your paper on time.
3.Always hand in a clean and clear copy of your paper.
4.Always keep at least one copy of every paper you write.
5.Never allow a single spelling or grammatical error in any paper
you write.How Long Should It Be?
Your teacher’s directions may include:
A general subject area from which topics should be chosen—
“some aspect of Herbert Hoover’s presidency,” “a Civil War battle,”
“one of Newton’s Laws,” or “a short story by a 20th-century Russian
writer.”
■ Specific requirements regarding format.
■ Suggested length.
■ Preferred methods for including footnotes and documenting
works consulted (or cited).
■ Other specific instructions.134 How to Study