What's the secret to getting started on a high school research paper?

What's the secret to getting started on a high school research paper?

Shelbi Wilson (Teacher, Lincoln High School, Riverside, CA) gives expert video advice on: What's the secret to getting started on a high school research paper?; How can I find great sources for my research paper? and more...

The first thing in starting a research paper is making sure you have a clear understanding of what the subject is. What is the subject? What is your teacher asking you to write on? If you're not clear, or you're looking and you say, "I don't know where to start," go back and ask your teacher, "Specifically, what do you want me to accomplish? What is the subject?" Once you clearly understand the subject, then that's when you have the ability to formulate your thesis: "What am I going to prove about this subject?"