Suggested Timeline for Research Papers

The following is a suggested timeline for your research papers. It is recommended that you have the following steps completed by the date given. This suggested timeline will help you to complete the assignment with the least amount of stress possible, and to ensure completion by the due date. It will also guide you in seeking help from Mr. Hall as needed (for example, if you are not through the step by the suggested date, it may be because you are confused or having trouble with something. If such is the case, you need to see me as soon as possible so that I can help you to resolve the issue and perform well on the assignment).

1. Research Topic--Thursday, March 20th.
2. Preliminary Research--Friday, March 21st.
3. Revised Research Topic--Monday, March 24th.
4. Organizing Sources on Note Cards (or Computer Files)--Ongoing between Friday, March 21st and Wednesday, April 2nd (may continue after if need be, sometimes you find additional sources after your original finds that you may wish to use in your paper).
5. Reading Through Sources and Taking Notes--Ongoing between Friday, March 21st and Wednesday, April 9th (may continue after if need be, but the majority of your research should take place between these dates).
6. Complete Taking Notes from Sources--Wednesday, April 9th.
7. Complete Outline--Friday, April 11th.
8. Write First Draft of Paper--Wednesday, April 16th.
9. Revising Paper (and Works Cited)--Wednesday, April 23rd.
10. Editing Paper (and Works Cited)--Wednesday, April 30th.
11. Final Paper Submitted--Wednesday, May 7th.

*Note: The reason for allowing so much time between writing drafts, revising, editing, and submitting a final copy is two fold. First, it ensures that you have plenty of time to complete the writing (especially if other events are going on in your life or with other classes that require your time); second, by allowing your paper to sit for a couple of days and then returning to it, you are more likely to recognize errors in content, structure, and grammar. Just as in life, people are prone to not recognize mistakes immediately after they are made. It often takes a little time for people to be away from the situation (or in our case, the writing) to see it clearly, reflect upon it, and then recognize errors and the means by which to correct them.