Writing a research paper

Now, you have finished your thesis. The next is writing a research paper. A research paper is vital for academic writing, supplying in-depth analysis, comments, and in-depth discussion about your research.

Research papers are lengthier than academic essays, as they contain more detailed tasks devised to evaluate your writing skills, more importantly, your skills in academic research. Penning a research paper helps you illustrate a solid knowledge of your subject, interact with many sources, and contribute to the debate.

The entire writing process comprises many steps because you must understand your task before preparing your manuscript.

1. Comprehending the task

Successfully finishing a research paper implies that you have completed the specific tasks eloquently. However, you must thoroughly understand the task before beginning the process. The following tips might help you.

• Peruse the task meticulously, and assess anything that might confuse the readers; thus, consulting with your professor may be wise.

• Specify the objective, deadline, length specs, formatting, and submission scheme.

• Note critical points, reread them and mark completed items off as you continue penning the work.

Please do not forget that your timeframe and word limit is critical. If you are realistic and plan, your research will be safe and sound to write and edit.

2. Selecting a research paper topic

Many ways exist to form an idea for a research paper. They include discussing with a fellow student or professor, reviewing the literature, and checking with research priorities for a given year. If the paper is part of your thesis, the process is readier. 

Nothing is wrong with gaining inspiration from other research. Most of the time, other studies’ discussion or recommendations sections are significant assets because they often contain ideas for other specific topics needing further examination.

It would be best if you searched for original and specific subjects. If you have a broad subject area, narrow it down, select an engaging topic meeting the criteria of your assignment, and find doable research help. Here is an example.

• A study detailing the timeline of the Great Depression in the US might not be original or intriguing.

• A study covering the experiences of unemployed people in the State of California and the calamities in their lives during the Great Depression would be particular and original enough.

3. Executing preliminary research

It is recommended that you elaborate on relevant discussions on the topic and find a subject you can center your paper around. Utilizing many sources, such as journals, books, and reliable websites, helps ensure you do not miss anything necessary.

Please avoid researcher bias; that is, do not only confirm the ideas you theorize to be valid but search sources contrasting your point of view. The following tips might help.

• Do you think people may have neglected some issues in your investigative sources?

• How do you feel any hotly debated issues need to be addressed?

• Would you present your unique stand on your subject?

• Have you come across some recent developments confirming or refuting the extant research?

Exceedingly relevant is formulating your research question here. You may use expressions such as “I wish to know how/what/why…”

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4. Developing a thesis statement

The thesis statement is the statement depicting your primary argument and establishing the objective and scope of your paper. Suppose you began with a research question. In that case, the thesis statement should explicitly address it. It must also include what proof and cognitive thinking you have to uphold that address.

Extremely important is having a concise, argumentative, and lucid thesis statement. The bottom line is that it should support your argument in a nutshell; claim additional evidence or analysis; precisely articulate an intelligible point relating to every part of the paper.

5. Outlining a research paper

Outlining covers the critical topics, discussions, and proofs and has sections called headings to depict what the paper resembles before you begin penning. A structured outline implies a more effective writing process. Thus, devote some time before you devise one.

6. Writing the first draft

The first drafts are far from perfect. Therefore, do not be a perfectionist. Please ensure that you keep the momentum going, order paragraphs logically, and express your ideas explicitly. The second draft will be much easier to write if you do that.

You do not have to begin with the introduction. Start with what seems the easiest for you. However, be careful not to delete chunks of significant texts. If you do not like something that you have written, do not eliminate it. Please open a new word document, and send it there. You never know whether you may need it later.

6.1. Structuring paragraphs

Your essential building blocks are the paragraphs. Thus, each should have a single notion to help uphold the overall argument or objective of the paper. Suppose you have organized them neatly. In that case, you can easily pen your second or final draft.

6.2. Citing sources

You must keep track of citations at this stage because plagiarism can occur even before you know it. When you use a source, ensure that you have jotted it down for future reference.

6.3. Penning the introduction

It would help if you addressed the questions of what, why, and how. After the reader has finished reading the introduction, they should have a sound understanding of what the paper address, why one should read it, and how the arguments are structured. The “What” part addresses the subject and background of the paper and presents the critical terms and concepts. However, the “why” part, the most challenging item in the introduction, offers short addresses about what is novel in this research and which critical issues are covered. Finally, the “how” part tells the reader what they anticipate from the rest of the paper. Therefore, keeping a chronological order helps.

6.4. Composing an enthralling body of text

Most writers struggle with organizing the information disclosed in the paper, making an outline indispensable. Nonetheless, the outline is not beyond a guide, and when penning a work, flexible order in presenting the information and arguments is acceptable. You can always check the compliance between your thesis statement and topic sentences. Ensure that your paragraphs cover varied issues. However, their approaches must be different should the two paragraphs argue something similar. Ensure smooth transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections to keep your text readable.

6.5. Penning the conclusion

The conclusion section allows the readers to sense the finality of the work. Accentuate what you have done to support your thesis statement. Explain to the reader how you have addressed the issues presented in the introduction. You may also show the overall ramifications of the argument, explain what the paper has for future students of the subject, and suggest issues the paper’s argument advances but may not answer. You must avoid presenting new arguments, keeping the section unnecessarily long, and using stock phrases such as “in conclusion.”

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This article explains how to write a research paper based on your thesis or dissertation.  To give you an opportunity to practice proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.