One of my students, Mary Cable, created this acronym:
Recover from the shock of the assignment
Eagerly embrace the task, confident of the process
Search for ideas and information from various reliable sources, taking careful notes
Establish a thesis and evaluate whether it is significant, important, relevant, or valuable
Arrange information and ideas effectively to support the thesis statement in a well-written properly documented essay
Revise the paper, refining or expanding details and correcting errors of fact or judgement
Check spelling, punctuation, grammar, documentation, and sentence forms
Hand in the completed research paper on time and have a celebration
