If you’re a college student, you’ll almost certainly be required to write at least one college-level research paper before graduating. If you’ve never written a research paper before, it might be intimidating. We’re here to assist you.
This tutorial will lead you through every step of writing an effective, impacting research paper so you can earn the grade you want!
Research papers are comparable to academic essays, but they are generally longer and more thorough assignments that are used to evaluate not just your writing abilities, but also your scholarly research abilities.
A research paper demands you to exhibit a thorough understanding of your subject, engage with a range of sources, and contribute something unique to the discussion.
Here are the procedures and materials you’ll need to produce a solid research report, as well as a checklist to make sure you’ve done everything correctly. Writing research papers might be difficult, but with a little practice, it can become comparatively easy.
The Simple Steps are as Follows-
Step 1: Familiarize Yourself with the Assignment
This may seem self-evident, but understanding what your teacher or professor is looking for before you begin writing your research paper is critical. Many students miss this stage and then wonder why they received a low mark on a paper that they worked hard on and were enthusiastic about. It’s usually due to a failure to read the directions.
Spend some time reviewing the task. Examine everything your instructor has given you. Read the writing assignment, prompts, grading criteria, and any other materials you’ve been given very carefully. Highlighting and taking notes on the assignment may also be beneficial.
Step 2: Pick the Correct Topic
And if you’re unsure, just ask! Before you choose a topic, seek clarification from your teacher. You’ll know you’re on the correct track if you do it this way.
There are numerous methods to come up with a research paper topic, from brainstorming with a pen and paper to discussing it with a classmate or lecturer.
You can attempt free writing, which is deciding on a wide topic and writing constantly for two or three minutes to find anything related that might be fascinating.
Other research might also serve as a source of inspiration. Ideas for additional particular subjects that deserve further study are frequently included in the discussion or suggestions sections of research publications.
Once you have a wide subject area in mind, limit it down to a topic that interests you, fulfills your project’s requirements, and is researchable. Make an effort to come up with concepts that are both unique and specific.
Step 3: Research
The research phase is very flexible; different persons will conduct their research for a paper in various ways. However, it’s critical to remain concentrated and act swiftly. After all, you still have a research paper to write.
1. Skimming:
You don’t have to read everything that has ever been published on your topic in detail. You probably won’t be able to. Get used to skimming through information fast. Learn how to recognize essential ideas and arguments without becoming engrossed in reading every single word.
2. Depend on Reliable Sources:
You may utilize general sources like Wikipedia to familiarize yourself with a topic, uncover keywords that will help you deepen your study, and rapidly understand vast amounts of information.
However, you must locate credible sources for the material you utilize in your article. Dig further into what you’ve learnt via a Google search or a Wikipedia article.
Examine the article’s sources, use keywords from your internet search to search an academic database, or ask an expert whether what you discovered is true and, if so, where you can locate a trustworthy source that says the same thing. Do not make Wikipedia your primary source.
3. Consider all Viewpoints:
Work to understand all of the many points of view and schools of thought on your subject. This may be accomplished by reading a range of articles, reading a book or article that provides an overview of the issue and includes several points of view, or speaking with an expert who can explain the topic in greater depth.
Step 4: Organization
So now that you have all of this data, what do you do with it? The fourth step requires being organized. Varied people have different tastes in this area, just as they do in research. It may also be determined by the nature of your assignment.
Step 5: Strong Thesis Statement
A thesis statement outlines the aim and position of your work by stating your core point. The thesis statement should address the research question if you started with one.
The thesis statement should be brief, interesting, and well-organized. That is, it should explain your thesis in one or two sentences. The thesis statement will most likely be revised and polished as you conduct additional research, but it may act as a guide throughout the writing process.
You must know how to write a strong thesis statement.
Step 6: Create a Research Outline
A research paper outline is simply a list of the main topics, arguments, and evidence you want to include, split into parts with headers so you can get a general idea of how the paper will appear before you begin writing.
It’s worth devoting some time to creating a structural plan because it may make the writing process much more efficient.
Step 7: Note Down Anything that Comes to your Mind
You do not have to begin with the introduction. Start where it seems most natural for you – some people prefer to finish the toughest portions first, while others prefer to start with the easiest. Use your outline as a road map while you’re working.
Large chunks of text should not be deleted. If you don’t like anything you’ve written or it doesn’t seem to fit, transfer it to a separate document, but don’t delete it entirely; you never know when it could come in handy later.
Step 8: Edit Your Content
Begin with content editing. This includes, considering the structure, organization, language, and length of the document. When you made an outline, you meticulously arranged your paper. Is that arrangement still logical now that you’ve finished your paper? If that’s the case, great.
Take a close look at how you’ve structured your sentences. Did you get across what you wanted to say?
After you’ve made all of the modifications you believe are necessary, go over your work again to make sure it makes sense. It’s simple to leave or remove a word, sentence, or paragraph that you didn’t mean to, especially while working on a computer.
If you’re tired of staring at your research paper, hand it over to a friend, mentor, or instructor and ask them to read it and tell you what they think.
Step 9: Write a Good Conclusion
The purpose of the research paper conclusion is to guide the reader out of the article’s argument by providing a sense of closure.
Follow the flow of the paper, focusing on how it all comes together to establish your argument. Make sure the reader knows how you’ve resolved the concerns highlighted in the beginning to give the article a feeling of closure.
Step 10: Proofread, Edit and Submit
Consider sentence structure, grammatical problems, and formatting next. Make sure you’ve utilized the right transition words and phrases to illustrate how your thoughts are connected. Look for errors, remove unnecessary words, and double-check spellings and header formatting for uniformity.
Finally, double-check that your work is prepared appropriately according to the requirements of the citation style you’ve chosen. You might need to include an MLA heading or construct an APA title page.
Conclusion
This might seem a lot because honestly, it is. A smart thing would be to leave the proofreading and editing part to a professional. You already have too much on your plate and would not want few silly mistakes to ruin your efforts.
So, the best thing would be to rely on experts for the final and most vital step: editing and proofreading. They will make your research paper free of any mistakes and help you achieve your dream scores.
-Isabell S.
