While your joy is well deserved, do not slack off before completing your references section. Although little research is needed for this chapter, the references section bears much weight on your paper. If poorly done, you may face plagiarism claims, exposing you to harsh penalties. 

Read on for tips on writing a bibliography in a research paper and examples to familiarize you with various referencing methods. 

What is a bibliography in a research paper?

A bibliography is a list that accounts for all the sources you used in arguing various claims. This list guides a user to easily trace materials if they intend to pursue various ideas further or to confirm your evidence.

Any sources that are not cited within the bibliography count as plagiarized work since they fail to credit the sources used in their work. The bibliography usually comes after your conclusion and varies depending on the format recommended by your tutor. 

Types of bibliography in research papers

At times your tutor may recommend a certain type of bibliography to use in your work. What is the difference between annotated and analytical bibliographies? 

Analytical bibliographies explain the physical nature of a source including the number of pages, paper, and binding, and any issues that cropped up in material from manuscript to publishing. Conversely, an annotated bibliography includes details as to why you chose a specific source for your research paper. 

Enumerative bibliographies are common in academic writing and list your sources in a particular order, i.e., alphabetically. 

Format of bibliography in a research paper

Regardless of style, some general rules apply to bibliographies for research papers. When formatting your bibliography:

• Include a page header. Depending on the style recommended for your paper, the header might comprise the running head/ your last name and a page number. 
• Add a title. The title may range from ‘references’ to ‘Works Cited’ or ‘bibliographies’ depending on your formatting style.
• Sort the list according to the first word of the citation. This allows a reader to easily trace a bibliography for an in-text citation.
• Use a hanging indent with the first line of each entry flush left and the subsequent lines indented at 0.5”. 
• Begin your bibliographies on a new page of your paper.

How to make a bibliography in a research paper

As recommended earlier, you should record the details for each source used in your work as you develop your paper. Doing so allows you a smooth writing experience and also reduces the likelihood of omitting any bibliography. 

When writing bibliographies, start by collecting all the necessary information for your bibliographies. Next, format your references in the right style by consulting the guidelines for your referencing style. 

Here, will tackle an example of a bibliography in a research paper for various referencing styles.

Bibliographies in MLA

For books: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. City of Publication, Publisher, Publication Date.

For websites: Authors name, the title of the page (in quotations), website name in italics, publication date, URL without the HTTPS://

Bibliographies in APA

For books: Last name, Initials. (Year). Book title (Editor.) (Edition). Publisher.

For websites: Last name, Initials. (Year, Month, Day). Title of article. Publication Name. URL with the HTTPS://

How to cite a research paper in a bibliography

Research papers make for great evidence for your claims. These papers usually lend legitimacy to your claims as they are supported by practical evidence as opposed to claims in journals. 

When writing a bibliography for a published research paper: Last, First name. Thesis/Dissertation title. Year of Publication. Name of University, type of degree.

If it’s pending publishing: Author Surname, Initial. (Year of Production). Manuscript title [Unpublished manuscript]. Department, University Name.

Or 

Author Surname, Initial. (Year of Production). Manuscript title [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department, University Name.

How to include annotated bibliography in a research paper

An annotated bibliography often works students up as they struggle with determining what to include in the bibliography. These bibliographies should contain the key arguments in the source and show the validity of the arguments and selected methods. 

When writing the annotated bibliography, check the abstract of a paper and establish the key details to tackle in your bibliography. Ideally, you should highlight the key argument and the research approach that the author opted to take. 

Like other entries, the annotated bibliography should be double-spaced and feature a hanging indent. The first line of the entry should be left aligned with all subsequent lines featuring a half-inch indent. Also, the 50-200 word summary should be written in a single paragraph. 

If you are struggling with your analytical paper, this guide will highlight the process of writing an analysis paper and tips to make the process easy. We will also highlight various topics in analysis to inspire your topic selection. 

How to write an analytical paper

When writing an analysis paper, you are tasked with analysing the themes, arguments, research methods, and claims made in a paper. After this analysis, present your opinions on the quality of a paper and highlight your perceived weaknesses of a paper. 

To write an effective analytical research paper, the following steps ought to come in handy. 

1. Select a topic

Topic selection is a crucial determinant in your academic writing experience. Ideally, select a topic that evokes your interests to have ample impetus for in-depth research.

If a topic has not been provided by your tutor, you should find an interesting idea within the scope of your research question. Ideally, your topic should analyse specific aspects of the topic to ensure that you exhaust your analysis within the provided word count.

For instance, you could argue that the approach used in a paper was not legitimate and highlight various biases that discredit the results. Also, you could show how the results do not necessarily reflect on the conclusion and cite sources that have yielded contrary findings. 

2. Perform primary research

Before writing your essay, peruse multiple materials relating to the topic. These materials will give you a good grounding of the topic, helping you to better break down the object under study. 

The primary research should also include a study of the publication/ event you are studying. After familiarizing yourself with the field and getting a scope of the topic, you can objectively scrutinize a topic to make substantial queries on various aspects of the subject.

3. Choose a thesis

After familiarizing yourself with the knowledge in a field, select a statement that summarizes your argument. For instance, you may analyse the reasons behind alcohol addiction by college students. 

Your thesis should indicate the analytical paper topic, giving your reader a gist of your key argument. 

4. Conduct secondary research

After selecting your thesis, conduct extensive research on the field to establish the sources that support your standpoint. Also, take note of sources that oppose your argument as they can be of great help in your analysis.

Arguing against counterarguments allows you to highlight their weaknesses, improving the overall quality of your argument. When addressing your research, we suggest that you start by brainstorming ideas that could make up your argument.

Next, research these ideas and prune the arguments that are indirectly related to your thesis. 

5. Prepare an outline

After collecting all the information related to your topic, sort your arguments into paragraphs. The outline should highlight the ideas contained in each section, helping you gauge the flow of arguments in your paper.

The outline will allow you to gauge the completeness of your research paper analysis section, helping you revisit your sources before you start writing. 

6. Write your paper

After preparing your outline, write your first draft. Your draft should investigate your ideas in depth and include the necessary intext citations for evidence in your paper. 

After completing your first draft, run it through multiple rounds of editing to highlight any errors. You should consider engaging an expert editor for quality feedback and guidance to resolve various issues within your paper. 

Analysis paper topics

Concept analysis paper topics

1. What causes juvenile alcoholism?
2. What are the psychological and social causes of bullying?
3. How can we reduce inequity among people?
4. How and why do gender roles differ among cultures?
5. the primary factors of fast climate change
6. Why and exactly how to tackle the subject of sexual education
7. What are the available treatments for insomnia?
8. Is higher education associated with increased job security?

Data analysis topics

9. Big data confidentiality and security concerns
10. Machine learning techniques for massive data
11. Describe the significance of probabilistic categorization in data mining
12. Explain why density-based clustering is required.
13. What is the significance of data exploration in data analysis?
14. What exactly is data retention, and why is it so important?

Process analysis paper topics

15. How do you deal with test anxiety and stress?
16. How do you quit smoking?
17. What influence does gambling have on people’s mental health?
18. The advantages of meditation in the process of breaking unhealthy habits like smoking
19. How does a viral disease manifest itself in the body?
20. What is the greatest technique to boost your immune system?

Topics for Rhetorical Analysis

21. What’s the difference between Symbolism and Imagery?
22. Many high school students despise home-schooling
23. The effects of video games on pre-schoolers
24. The Influence of Horror Films on Middle and Pre-schoolers
25. The significance of symbolism in literature and art
26. How lack of access and poverty affect young Americans’ home-schooling