Thousands of Iowa State students will write papers for finals week. Besides seeking help from an instructor or the library, students can now go to the Web for help.

Research paper.com from Infonautics, Inc. provides such assistance.

The site is the Web’s largest collection of topics, ideas and assistance for school-related research projects.

“Research paper.com’s aggregation of unique, thought-provoking ideas is an innovative vehicle that empowers students through information,” said Josh Koppelman, executive vice president and general manager of Infonautics, Inc., in the press release.

At Iowa State students have similar means of researching materials.

“For my classes I am writing a research paper on collaborative team projects and how they work. For my research I will look up related subjects on ICAT at the library, then I will use the Internet for more information,” Nicole Kyle, a senior in journalism and mass communication said.

Part of writing a research paper entails coming up with an initial concept and then researching the subject.

For many students, the first problem encountered may be finding a topic for the paper.

Under the Idea Directory that the site provides, a student can search for an idea under five broad subjects: history, science, art and literature, business and society.

The Parks Library is the general location of gathering resources for papers.

Crystal Peters, a freshman in human development and family services, said, “To research a paper I go to the library.”

But research is not always done in the library or at the computer.

“I had to do a paper for child psychology. I had to visit a five day care centers observing three different age groups. Then from observation I had to write a paper addressing the issue. It was time-consuming,” said Kim Fisher, a junior in engineering science.

Once a particular broad topic is chosen, the site actually offers ideas on papers.

For example, under society with religion chosen as the subject, there are several hot topics provided.

The Electric Library that the site provides looks up a multitude of articles related to the subject of interest. If students want to use a search engine on the web to look up information, the site offers a link to Infoseek.

The site provides assistance in writing the research paper as well. Using the Writing Center that the page provides, the student can learn or be reminded the step by step process needed to write good papers.

For those interested in helping their fellow classmates or getting tips from students who have trend on similar troubled waters, the Discussion Area offers an opportunity.

Students have the opportunity to help others by advising what topics get the best grades, what Web sites provide the best information, and horror stories that must not be repeated.

“It serves as a launching pad to stimulate students’ own ideas, and can help eliminate the last-minute panic so many students experience in selecting and developing topics for term papers, speeches and other projects,” Koppelman said in the press release.

The address of the site is http://www.research paper.com.