Welcome to the LCC Library's Research Guide on Writing Research Papers. Click through the tabs to find information on the various stages of the research process. We have organized this guide to conform to the research process as we understand it:

Find a general topic Do some general background research Develop one or more research questions Find search terms to use with the Library catalog and databases Locate sources of information in books, periodical articles and on the Web Evaluate the information you find   Cite your sources

The stages above can be further organized into four general processes: posing real questions, finding resources, interpreting information and reporting findings. A writer would rarely just go from step 1 to 2 to 3 to 4 and that's it. Instead, you'll probably need to go forward, then backward before you go forward again. Your process might look like: 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 3, 1, 3, 2, 3, 4, 3, 4, or something like that.

LCC Academic and Tutoring Service
Get help with ANY writing project.

Purdue's OWL: Online Writing Resources
Links to information about the writing process, rhetoric, writing styles and citations.

Amherst College: Online Resources for Writers
Amherst College has created a long and useful list of online resources.