How to Write the Research Paper for the MA Program at NES
Barry W. Hamilton, Ph.D.
*Organize the paper around a central research question or problem
*State the research question or problem at the end of the introduction.
*Make certain that you state the question or problem as clearly as possible.
*Give your readers an idea of the importance of the question or problem.
*Keep it short—no more than 3 or 4 pages for a paper of this length.
*Show how each resource is related to the central research question of your paper
*Do more than cite information—show how it’s related to the central question or
problem of your paper.
*For each resource, provide a footnote with full bibliographic citation, following
proper form and style.
*Try to include resources which bring several perspectives to your central
question or problem.
*Try to include print and online resources when available.
*Make certain that your resources are current and authoritative.
*Evaluate Internet resources carefully
*Organize the paper around your central question or problem
*Keep the paper moving toward a conclusion
*Use complete sentences rather than fragments
*Do not fill up the paper with unsupported opinion or exhortation
*Write the paper in fully-developed paragraphs.
*Proofread the entire paper for spelling and grammatical errors.
*Make this section the most clearly written part of the paper.
*Do not make any claims beyond the support of your evidence.
*Cite bibliographic information in proper form.
*Provide correct information.
*Proof bibliography carefully for spelling and punctuation errors.