Research papers demonstrate the academic knowledge that a student possesses about a particular subject. The most common categories of a research paper are analytical – an analysis of information, expository – an explanation of information, and argumentative – an argument on a conclusion. You can find more information regarding this at writepaperfor.me.
1. Research the topic – Collect and review various resource materials. As you read and assess all the information that comes your way, remember to make notes. Notes could be informal but are nonetheless crucial as these are the ideas that you will expand on, as you start writing. Notes help in keeping track of reference materials for the bibliography later. It might be a good idea to have a neat spreadsheet with columns for title, author, reference link, etc. As you focus on the actual writing, this information quietly gets stored for you to access anytime you need to.
2. Keep a list of your sources – It is advised to keep a record of all the resources you are utilizing. This will help you cite references as well as credit them when you are concluding your research paper. Finishing your writing and then looking for all the sources will prove to be an extremely tedious task.
3. Develop a thesis statement -A good thesis statement at the start helps in organizing your writing. Though not obligatory, it helps put forward the central idea of your paper before advancing into the supporting arguments. A clear and concise thesis statement and a preview of the supporting points prepares the reader for the content and make it easy for them to comprehend the purpose of your writing and the flow of the writing piece. One point to keep in mind is, the statement of the thesis should be in line with the category that your research paper falls into, as stated by 123termpapers.com.
4. Organize ideas before writing – To write a focused and coherent paper, your thoughts, notes, and information must be organized into cohesive parts that come together seamlessly for the reader, as stated by mypaperdone.com. Build an outline – decide on the main points; these should be your sub-headings. The next step is to organize the information which you have collected under each sub-heading. A visual mapping of this outline is a helpful tool to fall back on if the focus appears to digress. It is crucial to keep the focus narrow and weed out any information that does not fit the framework or directly support the statement of the thesis, irrespective of the fact how attractive that bit of information is.
5. Consider a form of prewriting – Writing down ideas or short fragments of sentences can eventually formulate a more coherent and concise thesis. Some popular prewriting methods include writing note cards, mapping out ideas by designing a diagram or even discussing your thoughts with a trusted friend. These steps will help you assess the content’s depth and originality, which will eventually help you evade plagiarism if you are unsure of the central theme if the paper or the main issue it will be addressing, broadening your perspective may prove to be beneficial. Studying the broad categories may help you narrow down a specific topic that you are willing to elaborate on.
6. Know your style standards – It is essential to know beforehand which writing style you are using before starting your research paper. MLA and APA are two commonly used forms of writing. Various handbooks describe how to cite references within the text, how to style a page dealing with references, and how to write headings. It is interesting to note that the protocol to number the pages changes with different styles. Thus, it is good to update yourself on all these minute details before proceeding.
7. The first draft – After an outline has been designed, you can start working on your first draft. This allows you to write without inhibitions as the errors in the first draft can be corrected later on in the process. Writing the first draft also helps you establish the various topics you wish to deal with in your paper and to what extent are.
8. Write – If the earlier stages are done well, this stage becomes a lot easier. The ideas have crystalized, a central point and the supporting ideas have been identified and mapped, and there is a clear direction for the writing to follow as you have taken time out to do your research and organize the facts.
9. It is common knowledge that a good piece of writing is best divided into three parts – Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.
- Introduction – This needs to grab the reader’s attention. So create strong beginning sentences which will keep the readers hooked and motivate them to read on. More often than not, academic research papers tend to be dry and uninteresting, but it doesn’t have to be. Set the context generally explaining the main idea, state why the main idea is essential, and include your thesis statement at the end of the paragraph containing the introduction. The goal of the introduction is to convince the reader that they will read a clear and compelling essay.
- Body – This is the main thrust of the essay and is expected to contain the meaty parts. Hence, it is imperative to find a balance between staying focused and keeping the writing fluid for it to evolve. You might want to start with a strong point, move on to a more reliable point, and conclude with the strongest.
- Conclusion – Research papers tend to conclude with restating the thesis statement. In other words, reword the thesis briefly and then create a summary of the points made in the essay.
- Proofreading is the process of reading your final draft to check for errors and rectify them. Ensure that all the vital information is present in your first draft. It is also essential to check for grammatical errors, typographical errors, and spelling mistakes. It would help if you also ascertained that every source is included in the bibliography.
Writing a research paper requires a lot of research, hard work, dedication, and critical thinking. Following the above guidelines can help you achieve your desired results while writing your paper.
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