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The research paper is one academic requirement that college students will be doing for the rest of their stay in their respective universities. Thus, it is but appropriate that they acquaint themselves with the basics of research paper writing.

1. Topic Selection
The first step that students need to accomplish is to choose a topic that they are keen on working on. Their research paper topic should be something that they would enjoy examining and exploring, as they will have to toil on this subject matter for the rest of the semester. Research and writing are difficult enough as they are; students disliking their topics can make academic writing even worse.

2. Research
Scour the bookshelves, the journals, the archives, and the periodicals section of the library to gather relevant information about the research paper. The more diverse the information students are able to collect, the more extensive their scholastic paper will be. Research will help jog the students’ creative juices and enable them to form sound arguments based on factual data.

3. Note Taking
Note cards are great saviors in research paper writing as they can help the students to track where the information they will use on their paper is coming from, thereby avoiding plagiarism. Furthermore, by note taking, students are able to isolate the key ideas and arguments that they need from each reference material making it easier to formulate their stance.

4. Outline
Inasmuch as the army does not go to war without plan, students should also ensure that before setting out for a battle of wits in their research papers, they are fully prepared. Having an outline goes a long way in ensuring the logic, the organization, and the coherence of the paper.

5. Free Writing
The idea of free writing is for students to write earnestly, putting all their thoughts and opinions on the paper without regard for grammar. They simply need to express their thoughts in the best way that they know how.

This initial research paper writing that students will do is simply the first draft. Students should not make the mistake of passing off their first draft as the final paper because there is a great percentage that the paper will contain several errors.

6. Revise
After free writing, students will more or less capture the essence of what they want to impart to the readers. Hence, it is now time to edit and revise the work making sure that the research paper is of good quality.

In revising, students should consider the tone of the voice used and ensure that it is the formal language. Delete all emotional passages and make sure that the paper is objective. The research paper should also be well organized and constructed logically. Further, ensure that the research paper is able to achieve the purpose of its study as stated in the introduction.

7. Proofread
To be sure that there are no lingering errors in the research paper, students should also make it a point to proofread their work. This way, they can double check their papers for typographical errors or grammatical lapses.

8. Bibliography
After putting the paper together, it’s time to write the finishing touches. Student should then start referencing their paper properly in the bibliography pages. In doing so, they must ensure that there are errors and that they used the citation style the professor prefers.