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Doing Research in Music: 1. Getting Started

Step by Step guide to Writing a Research Paper in Music

Step 1: Getting Started

The three most important things to consider as you start a research project: 

1. What does the assignment ask you to do?

  • Look at all the instructions (not just the due date)
  • Determine how much time you'll need to be successful, and create a rough timeline for yourself

2. What do you want to find out? 

  • Your thesis statement (what you're ultimately hoping to expose in your paper) will come from a research question. 
  • Create a preliminary research question, and write it down!
  • Make sure your question is answerable within the parameters of the assignment guidelines.

3. What do you already know, and what do you need to learn? 

  • Think about what you expect to find
  • Create some supporting questions for your topic
  • Don't be afraid to ask questions. We love it when you ask questions!