How can I make an effective research paper ?(topic below)?

Question

It's about Martin Luther King Jr and that he's the most influencial civil rights leader in the 20th century. How could I make a strong statement in my stance?

Answer 1

I imagine that what you just explained is your thesis statement? You are going to prove that Martin Luther King, Jr. was the most influential civil rights leader in the 20th century.
First of all, in order to write a research paper, you need to do some research. You should be looking for ways in which MLK Jr. influences the civil rights movement in the 20th century. Because you're dealing with a historical topic, books are a good place to start, so I would hit the library. Use the index of the books you find to narrow your reading. Photocopy what's important, but also photocopy the title page, etc, so you can write your Works Cited later (you'll need the author, title, publisher, city and year of publication). In your library, you should also be able to access databases. These are paid for, so you usually can't get to them from home. They are also good sources and often more reliable than a website, which anyone can publish. Avoid Wikipedia at all costs; it is NOT a reputable source.
Read and highlight your sources.
You need to make an outline. Choose the most important ways he influenced the CRM, and make them the topics for your body paragraphs. Fill in your outline with your highlighted information. Include the author's last name and page number in parenthesis at the end of the entry. Be careful to avoid plagiarism in this step. Either quote directly: "Blah blah 54% of yadda yadda" (Smith 45).
Or paraphrase, avoiding any sentence structure whatsoever: 54% yad (Smith 45).
Use the outline when typing your paper, but remember: It is your job to prove your thesis. Explain the facts you have researched with your own ideas.
Your thesis statement should be the last sentence of your first paragraph. That paragraph should have some kind of hook. The thesis should also be rephrased in your conclusion. You should try to close using some intelligent final thoughts. Consider linking your paper to the present.
Remember:
no contractions or other informal language (including colloquialisms)
no first or second person
I've included a site that might help you.

Answer 2

Hey here's a good site that can detail how to write a good paper. Hope it helps!