A research paper answers a question using what other people have found. In grades 11-12, you are expected to conduct short as well as more sustained research projects, to gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, and to assess the usefulness of each source for your task. You also integrate the information into your own text, avoid plagiarism, and follow a standard format for citation. That is a lot, so take it one skill at a time.
Begin with a focused question
A topic is too broad to research. A question tells you what to look for.
- Topic: urban trees.
- Too broad: "What do trees do for cities?"
- Focused: "How do street trees affect summer temperatures in residential neighborhoods?"
A focused question names the subject, the angle and the setting. It tells you which sources are relevant and when you have enough. Expect to refine it as you read. If every source says the same thing, the question may be too easy; if none address it, it may be too narrow.
Search with several routes
Use more than one kind of source: books, articles in journals or reputable news outlets, government and university sites, and databases your library provides. Vary your search words, use synonyms, and use the sources' own bibliographies to find more. Aim for multiple sources that confirm or challenge each other rather than one source repeated.
Judge each source
Not every source deserves the same weight. Ask these questions, and write the answers beside each source in your notes.
- Authority: who wrote it, and what qualifies them? Is the publisher an established organization?
- Purpose: is it trying to inform, sell or persuade? A company's page about its own product has a reason to be favorable.
- Evidence: does it cite data, name its methods and link to its own sources, or does it only assert?
- Currency: when was it written, and does the topic change quickly?
- Accuracy and balance: do other reliable sources agree? Does it acknowledge limits and other views?
Worked example 1. You find two sources for the street-tree question. Source A is a report by a university research group, with named authors, a methods section and a reference list. Source B is a blog post by a landscaping company, with no author and no data. Both mention that trees cool streets. Source A is more authoritative and more strongly supported, so you rely on it for your claim. Source B is useful, if at all, only as an example of how the public discusses the topic. The comparison is a judgment of usefulness for your task, not a verdict that B is false.
Take notes you can trust
As you read, record the source details immediately (author, title, publisher, date, link or page). For every note, mark whether it is a direct quotation, a paraphrase or your own comment. Losing track of which is which is how accidental plagiarism begins.
Quote, paraphrase, summarize
- Quote when the exact wording is important or memorable. Put it in quotation marks and cite it.
- Paraphrase to restate one idea in your own words and sentence structure, still with a citation.
- Summarize to condense a longer passage into a few sentences, also cited.
Worked example 2. Suppose the invented source says: "Surface temperatures on tree-lined blocks were consistently lower than on bare blocks during the afternoon."
- A bad paraphrase only swaps a few words: "Surface temperatures on blocks with trees were always lower than on blocks without them in the afternoon." The structure is copied, and it adds "always," which changes the meaning.
- A good paraphrase: "The study found that afternoon surface readings were cooler wherever trees lined the street (Rivera 4)."
- A short quotation: Rivera reports that surface temperatures on tree-lined blocks "were consistently lower" in the afternoon (4).
Citing is not only for quotations. Any idea, fact or figure that is not common knowledge, and not your own, needs a citation, even when the words are yours.
Cite in a standard format
Your teacher will name the style, commonly MLA or APA. Each style has two linked parts: a short in-text citation, and a full entry in a Works Cited or References page at the end. The entries share the same basic elements: author, title, container (the website or journal), publisher, date and location.
Worked example 3. Here is an invented entry, shaped like an MLA Works Cited entry:
Rivera, Ana. "How Urban Trees Cool Neighborhoods." Citywatch Journal, 4 Mar. 2024, www.example.org/trees.
An in-text citation in that style uses the author's name and page, if there is one: (Rivera 4). When there is no page, as on many websites, the name alone is enough. For APA, the in-text form uses the date: (Rivera, 2024). Always check the current guidelines for the exact details, and be consistent.
Integrate, don't just collect
A paper that strings quotations together is a collage, not an argument. Introduce each source with a signal phrase ("According to Rivera,"), state what the evidence shows, and tie it to your thesis. Where two sources disagree, say so and explain which you find stronger and why.
Common mistakes
- Trusting the first result. Ranking high in a search does not make a source reliable.
- Copying phrases without quotation marks, even a few words from your notes.
- Citing only direct quotes. Paraphrases and summaries need credit too.
- Incomplete records. A note without a source cannot be cited or checked.
- Relying on one source, or sources that all trace back to the same original.
Practice ELA Grades 11-12 questions with an explanation for every answer, or read the guide to California ELA Grades 11-12 practice.
Source: the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, W.11-12.7, W.11-12.8.