Are you staring at the blank page and you have no idea of approaching the challenging research paper? Research papers are quite complex, and assignments that consume time. These make up a large part of the grade of the students in all classes. It is not a secret that research paper is hard; however, written communication skills are essential for the success in graduate school, college, and in your future. This is why you need to work hard to master the crucial art of paper writing.
The very first step when starting to write is to choose an informative topic for the research. It should comprise of the following characteristics:
Unique
The problem that you choose to investigate needs to be broad enough for you to find advance theories and experiments which have been recently published.
Relevant to the subject
Research writing needs to correlate with the subject. Moreover, the primary step is to find the materials that are topic read.+
Interesting
The academic paper which you are writing need not be boring. Instead, it is crucial to find something that is engaging for you as well as your audience.
How to write a Research Paper?
- Choose a specific topic
At times, college students are assigned with the paper topics, however, if you are fortunate enough to have a particular option, choose the topic wisely. Firstly, choose a challenging topic which you are interested in. You would not be bored while doing the research, as you are sure to still discover something new while you will enjoy the writing process. Do not select topics which are too general or technical.
If your topic gets too broad, the research paper is unlikely to be successful as it will look like a general overview. Narrow down the topic to a specific aspect, idea, or concept while making it manageable and specific.
- Prepare working thesis statement
Prepare a working thesis prior to organizing the research as it will guide your investigation while helping you stay focused on the subject. The thesis statements need to be concise while reflecting the kind of paper you are writing. The research papers are divided into three distinct categories;
- Persuasive or argumentative if you are arguing the conclusion
- Expository while explaining information
- Analytical when you present the analysis of specific information
You need to devote the precious time to creating a good strong thesis statement so that the project contains a clear purpose. The thesis needs to be debatable while narrowing as the claims need to be supported by proper evidence. If the claim is broad, more evidence is required for convincing the readers that you are right.
- Do optimum research on your topic
Find enough primary and secondary credible sources on a subject of the paper and then search for relevant evidence that helps support your thesis. This is when you need to evaluate the sources, take ample notes, and also start documenting the sources in accordance with a citation style as specified by the instructor. Consult FreshEssays to research your topic thoroughly or even provide you with a research paper draft.
- Make a great outline
Now that your research has given you some great ideas, it is time for you to organize them and create an impressive presentation. Do not even think of skipping this vital step as otherwise your project will lack considerable focus and require more time to revise the draft, trying to make sense of the jumbled thoughts. This is why you need an outline. Finalize the thesis and also create a working outline which you need to cover, which will serve as being the roadmap.
- Revise, edit and also proofread
You need to make large-scale changes while checking the logic, transitions, flow, and making optimum changes in the structure and order of the photographs. Make sure that all the ideas are completely developed while all claims are supported by using credible evidence. You can add a few section headings as well.
The next step is editing, where you need to check and also eliminate filler phrases and words while improving word choice. Correct all mistakes in punctuation and grammar if there are any. Look for the following points:
- Incomplete sentences
- Dangling modifiers
- Spelling mistakes
- Quotation rules obeyed
- Words that are easily confused
- Comma use
- Eliminate the contractions
- Apostrophes for plurals and possessives
- Eliminate contractions
- Making the final draft
Post checking the overall organization and sentence structure; it is finally time to make the final draft. Now, design the final draft, and lastly, you are done with writing your research paper.
Conclusion
The ultimate guide to writing a research paper is here. The points mentioned above help you guide through writing the research paper in the most appropriate manner.