Research Skills Writing Worksheets

How to Write a Research Paper

A research paper is a form of academic writing comprising of analysis, interpretation, and an argument. It outlines a researcher's in-depth research efforts. They are very much similar to research essays but are much longer than these essays. Excelling in research paper writing is a treasurable skill. If you wish to write a research paper, follow these simple tips, and things will fall into place. A research paper always starts with the development of a proper understanding of the assignment. The second step is to choose a research topic; the best option is to choose a topic you are interested in and have a strong base knowledge. After choosing a topic, carry out preliminary research. This includes using books, journals, and reliable online encyclopedias to gather your information. Work on your thesis statement and make sure it is strong. It should clearly state the purpose of your research paper. Do not begin writing your paper before creating a proper outline. It helps in the organization of your research and thoughts. Each paragraph needs to focus on a new theme or idea.

How to Choose Your Own Topic

The first step in writing a research paper is to choose a topic. It is very important that you choose a topic that you like. If you choose a topic that interests you, then you will enjoy working on the paper. Be sure that your topic is something that you find fun and interesting.

How to Narrow Down Your Topic

Now that you have chosen your topic, you will definitely need to narrow it down. Remember that there is a lot of information on a topic, so you can't be too general, otherwise your paper will go on forever! For example, let's say you decide to write on the topic of butterflies, but you only have a certain number of pages to use for your research report; you will have to narrow down the topic.

Where Do I Look?

Once you decide on your topic, you must remember to research sources. It is important to either go to the library or use the internet for your research topic. When you research, you should have a variety of sources to use in your bibliography such as books, encyclopedias, magazine articles, and the internet. Be sure to use more that one source.

My Very Own Outline!

This outline guides you through the entire research paper writing process.

My Very Own First Draft

We guide you through all the steps of composing your first draft.

My Very Own Bibliography

Remember that a bibliography is what makes a research paper. Without it, you could not call it a research paper. The bibliography lets the reader know that you have consulted sources regarding your topic. At this point in your paper, it is important that you use your note cards with your sources on them. The first step is to create an alphabetized list of your sources.

How to Proofread My Essay

Proofreading is a very important piece of writing an essay. After you revise an essay, you must then proofread it for mistakes in grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Although you may type an essay, the computer doesn't always catch every grammar and spelling mistake. It is your job to look over each sentence to make sure that it does not have any mistakes.

Revising My Draft

What does revise mean? The word revision means; to see again. When you revise your draft, you are looking at it again to make sure that: - your writing shows what you really wanted to say. - your writing includes points worth mentioning. - your reader understands what you are saying. There are certain steps when revising your draft.

My Very Own Revision Handout

Review the revision questions and answer the questions using your first draft of your research paper.

Index Card Format Worksheet

We show you how to prepare your follow up index cards.

Research Topics

Write and deliver a research report about the life of Christopher Columbus. Who was he before he discovered the Americas? What led him to explore America? What resulted from this exploration?


How to Research Animals

Animal research always based on research question. If the research refers to the mating behavior zebras or toads then, you will study specific animal. Perhaps, you may have to be careful for restrictions in this approach due to the danger related to the species of interest. Scientific animal research will only become successful when your work interest matches with other. For the best result, you will have to select right animal that relates to your desired field of interest of the research. As a scientist, if you are going to introduce a new medication method or scientific pathway in the market, they will always experiment it on animals so that any human will not suffer due to any side effect. They can use any animal for that. There are lots of scientific reasoning and multiple learning capacity related theories came in being due to the success of animal research. Usually, the use of mice, rats, and dogs are the animals that scientist choose for their research. But they will have to take care of rules and regulation in the selection of some animals such as Chimpanzees and cephalopods. In their matter, it is mandatory for scientists to explain the purpose of their research.

Dinosaur Research

You are tasked with learning all about these ancient creatures.






Rainforest Animals

Before you begin your research, complete the KWL Chart to find out what you already know about the animals. You will complete the first and second columns now. Complete the third column when you learn more about the animal.





Polar Bears

What do you know? What do you want to know? What have you learned?

Earth Day

Earth Day is celebrated on April 22. Air pollution is one of the problems of our environment. Find resources that will help you complete the chart.



Why Birds are Fascinating to Humans?

We see birds everywhere, don't we? It seems like they are the only species besides humans that you are guaranteed to see almost every day. Don't we get fascinated when we see birds? Let's figure out why. Birds are aerial creatures, which means that they fly. And that is the biggest reason why humans, to this day, are so fascinated by birds. The bodies of birds are built in a way to support them when they are in the air. Studying how birds are shaped, how their bones are hollow, human beings were able to create airplanes. Besides that, the melodious voice of birds is also one of the biggest contributors to the human's fascination with birds. Their voices seem magical to humans, and how beautiful in general they are is like a dream to human beings.

Flying Animals

We begin the research process on all types of different flying animals.







What Are Nocturnal Animals?

We all know that the animal kingdom is extremely big! There are so many types, classes, and order of animals. From birds, amphibians, reptiles, mammals to fish, there are so many subclasses and species of animals as well. Did you know that there are so many animals that are yet to be discovered as well? Yikes! Today, we are going to learn a new subclass of animals known as Nocturnal. The meaning of the word Nocturnal is defined as "belonging to the night." This means that animals that are active during the night and get their rest during the day are known as nocturnal animals. There are several examples of nocturnal animals, such as owls, bats, aardvarks, and aye-ayes.

Nocturnal Animals

We learn about these animals that are active all when the sun is down.







The Most Popular Water Creatures

Water creatures! They are one of nature's most wonderful creations. The idea that a living thing can live, eat, breathe and sleep under the water is just fascinating! Let's take a look at some of the most popular water creatures today! Jellyfish are so squishy! And here is something unbelievable, jellyfish can clone themselves! And because of their tentacles, they are known as the Medusa of the sea. Why is a starfish called a starfish is not even a question; they totally look like stars! But did you know that starfish have no brains? Yikes! Adorable creatures of the sea, the sea horse is named so because of the shape of its tiny head, because it looks like a horse. Here's something funny, the male of the sea horse carries the baby! These sea dragons are truly a beautiful sight to see and are named so because of their leafy appearance. They are found in the coasts of Australia. If the first thing that pops in your head after reading the name is that of Dumbo the elephant from Disney, then you are actually right! Not only can the Dumbo Octopus change color, but they can also grow over 5 feet long!

My Research about Ocean Animals

Before you begin your research complete this KWL chart to find out how much you know about your topic and what you want to learn and what you learned after your research.