TRIO McNair Undergraduate Research Guide: Purpose of Guide

This guide is intended to help you organize and write a quality academic research paper. Also included are recommendations regarding how to manage specific course assignments. Note that if you have specific questions about how to write a research paper, you should always seek advice from your professor before you begin. Specific requirements stated by your professor will always supersede instructions provided in these general guidelines. 

Thanks to Dr. Robert V. Labaree of the Von KleinSmid Center Library for International and Public Affairs, University of Southern California Libraries, for sharing the content of their guide. 

The UW-Superior Writing Center 

The Writing Center – located in Swenson Hall 1024 - provides free assistance to any and all UW-Superior students with the writing you do for your classes, no matter the subject. Their peer consultants have been trained to assist with all stages of the writing process, from brainstorming topics to making final revisions. You can check their hours here and make an appointment here. 

The Jim Dan Hill Library 

UW-Superior's library contains a wealth of online and print resources, friendly staff to help you with your research, and many accommodating spaces to work on your paper. To get research help, click the Literature Review tab above or click here to schedule an appointment with a librarian. 

There are a tremendous number of books, articles, and commercial and non-commercial web sites that offer advice on how to write college-level research papers. In particular, the sources below were consulted while developing this research guide. To facilitate further access to information about writing scholarly research papers and related academic endeavors, most text boxes include a bibliography of these sites as well as other print and online resources. Suggestions for additional sources or modifications to the site are welcomed and can be sent to askref@uwsuper.edu. 

• Academic Skills Program, University of Canberra.
• Cornell Research Services, Cornell University.
• "Creating Effective Poster Presentations," North Carolina State University.
• "Guide to Creating Research Posters," The University of Texas at Austin School of Undergraduate Studies.
• Political Science/Law, Societies, and Justice/Jackson School of International Studies Writing Center, University of Washington.
• "How to Write a Paper in Scientific Journal Style and Format." Greg Anderson, Department of Biology, Bates College.
• The Institute for Writing and Rhetoric, Dartmouth College
• The OWL (Online Writing Lab). Purdue University.
• The Rockowitz Writing Center, Hunter College.
• Writer's Handbook. University of Wisconsin, Madison.
• Writing@CSU. Colorado State University.
• The Writing Center. University of Kansas.
• The Writing Center. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
• Writing Center Quick Guides, George Mason University.
• Writing Advice, The University of Toronto.
• Writing Tutorial Services, Indiana University