How to Write a Research Paper on Music Piracy
- 1). Brainstorm general titles. Write down a list or flow chart of some potential topics. Write anything down that comes into your head, as one idea can lead to another and may give you an additional creative spark.
- 2). Pick a specific title. Once you have all your ideas jotted down, you need to decide on a more definite subject. A research paper will usually be fairly long, so it should be broad enough to write a substantial amount, but narrow enough to give it direction. Consider subjects such as piracy prevention, the future of music downloads and the ethics of piracy.
- 3). Find a range of sources. There are numerous types of sources, so try to utilize as many as possible. Take out books from the library, browse relevant websites, search for ejournals and look at newspaper archives.
- 4). Obtain relevant statistics and figures. For a paper on music piracy, consider getting in touch with record companies and digital download services, as well as torrent websites that share pirated music. Get some figures on music and download sales in a way that is relevant to the paper.
- 5). Conduct surveys and market research. This can be quite a significant part of a research paper and adds another dimension. Ask a cross section of people about relevant piracy issues. For example, you could find out where people they get the majority of their music. For example, do they still buy CDs or primarily download? Ask your interviewees for their pinions on the ethics of illegal downloads.
- 6). Write a first draft. While there is room for edits, the first draft should be close to what you want the final version to look like, as editing can be extremely time consuming. Proofread every section as you go along, and add references and citations whenever you quote from a source.
- 7). Redraft the paper. Ideally, this should just be tweaking and correcting small mistakes, but if you simply do not like the way it reads or you feel there are major aspects you have failed to include, more substantial edits may be required. Show it to a friend or tutor to get a second opinion.
- 8). Conduct one final proofread. Before you submit your research paper, it is a good idea to have one final, thorough check for spelling and grammar mistakes. Ask a friend or colleague to read your paper as well, in case there's anything you do not spot.
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