Generate a thesis statement immediately after receiving the assignment. Ask your professor for feedback on the thesis to insure it addresses the assignment. Always keep a copy of the thesis handy to refer to when conducting related research.
Generate an outline that corresponds to the organization established by the thesis statement. Spend separate time devoted to each segment of the outline when conducting research. This will help in maintaining focus.
Use a library to isolate relevant sources. In addition to books at the library, search engines such as ProQuest and JSTOR can help isolate relevant journal, magazine and newspaper articles. Once you find an article that supports your thesis, use the article's bibliography to pinpoint additional sources that might be relevant.
Generate a bibliography while conducting research in the format required by your professor (APA, Chicago or MLA). Updating the document continually will provide a list of sources that can be converted to a "References Cited" page.
Write term paper and include references to support arguments. Whether paraphrasing or quoting someone's statements, a citation documenting the source of the information is needed.