A research paper is an academic paper that is either argumentative or analytical. The analytical version usually discusses studies and research done in a specific field, such as the impact of fat in a childhood obesity. An argumentative version would come out in support for one side, such as arguing that to eliminate childhood obesity means limiting the amount of fat in school lunches. Almost
. every student, especially those in college, is expected to write a research paper at some point in their academic career. The goal of the paper, whether analytical or argumentative, is to draw on both the writer's knowledge and other knowledge on the subject that is out there in the world. Writing a research paper is sometimes daunting for students who are new to the experience, or even those who have written them before but did not get a good grade. Studying examples of research papers can help improve a student's writing style and their overall paper. Many college departments maintain libraries of previous student work, including large research papers, which current students can examine. There are also several online sites that provide examples of these types of paper. Rice University, online at http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html, has some excellent tools to help students write thoughtful research papers. The site provides links to examples, along with advice on how to organize a paper, such as writing an abstract, bibliography and other key parts. There is also advice on how to do research for the paper and how to format it according to official guidelines. Dallas Telecollege also has several examples of sample research papers, which are located online at http://telecollege.dcccd.edu/library/module5/sample.htm. These papers show how to format the pages according to MLA guidelines. This formatting is mandatory for many research papers, although students should check with their instructors for formatting requirements. More Reference Links: http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html http://telecollege.dcccd.edu/library/module5/sample.htm
