Understand your assignment completely. Know what kind of resources you will need, the length of the final product, any steps you need to take before submitting the final product. Ask your instructor any questions you may have.
Before you settle on a topic, it's a good idea to do some background research. The library is a good place to find essential information on a topic.
Now, it's time to zero in on your topic. Remember the shorter your final paper, the narrower your topic should be.
After you've refined your topic, it's time to start searching for information. Do you need books, articles, data or something else. Ask a librarian for assistance if you have trouble finding sources on your topic.
It's always a good idea to assess sources before using them in your assignment. Do the sources your found match the assignment's requirements? Are the sources factual and unbiased? Is there anything murky about who authored the material and where they got their information?
Organize your sources. Tie the information from your sources with your own thoughts and analysis to a make a compelling argument.
Make sure you cite your sources as you write, and you include all your references using the standard required by your instructor. We cite and reference to shed a light on others' research and ideas, to make our work more credible, to connect readers with reputable information, and to protect ourselves from plagiarism.