6 steps in preparing a research paper
In college, research papers are usually assigned to help students familiarize themselves with the work of experts in a given field of study. Writing a research paper requires good writing skills, but it also requires a great deal of thought and analysis. For many students, writing college research papers may seem like a daunting task. Although the research and writing processes may be overwhelming at times, sticking the following formula will help you make the grade. At the heart of the research paper is, of course, research. You will first need to find sources to include in your paper and to base your analyses and comparisons on.
How to Write a Research Paper
What is a research paper? Writing a research paper can be a little intimidating at times. Students, especially those new to the rigors of academia, often feel anxious about the process especially that the paper often gets assigned a big chunk of the final grade by a conscientious professor. This article provides a detailed guide on how to navigate the challenge of writing a reliable research paper.
It talks about recommended steps to be followed and elements to be covered in the paper. It offers tips on selecting a good topic and gathering the right information which can set research up for success. Finally, this article provides some guidelines on citation as well as on how to use free online tools, which can help deliver a sharp and clear final copy.
Get Help with Paper. Choose a research paper topic that interests and challenges you the most. Your attitude towards the topic may well determine amount of effort, enthusiasm you put into your research.
It will also help save time and effort. If you are uncertain as to what is expected of you in completing assignment or project, re-read your assignment sheet carefully or ask your teacher. Select a subject you can manage. Avoid subjects that are too technical, learned, or specialized. Avoid themes that have only a very narrow range of source materials.
Be responsible, devoted to paper you write — it is the main key to an excellent grade. The deadline is too short to read long manuals? It is essential for students to examine and write about a topic they like and know better. Students who are invested and involved in the subject pay attention to details in making sure that paper is as strong as it could be.
Achieving this goal means addressing requirements of each paper section such as research questions, methods, analysis, and discussion, among others. Surf the internet to get inspired by various research paper topics. One of the initial steps you should perform in making a paper stand out is doing a bit of initial exploring to see what is out there already, think about future outline, thesis or hypothesis.
Ask what has already been done about this particular issue in the past. Are there pathways that have not yet been explored, which student should shed light on? Indeed, one can make paper stand out by ensuring that some new or novel insights are explored, no matter how small.
After going through the necessary amount of information, data and literature available on your desired topic, it is time to narrow the research down. At this stage, you should explain the reasons why your research study is essential and describe in detail the significance of your research. For general or background information needed for an outline creation, check out useful URLs, general information online, using search engines , or encyclopedias online such as Britannica.
Use search engines or other search tools as a starting point. Pay attention to domain name extensions ,. These sites represent institutions and are more reliable, however, be aware of possible political bias on some government sites. Be selective of. Many of these sites are excellent; although, a large number of them contain advertisements for products and links to outer irrelevant sources. Network Solutions provides link where you can find out what some of the other extensions stand for. Be wary of millions of personal home pages on the Net.
Quality of these personal homepages varies greatly. Learning how to evaluate websites critically and search effectively on the Internet will help you eliminate irrelevant sites and waste less of your time.
The recent arrival of a variety of domain name extensions such as. Helena or. Many new extensions have no registration restrictions and are available to anyone who wishes to register a distinct domain name that has not already been taken. For instance, if Books. Check out public and university libraries, businesses, government agencies, as well as contact knowledgeable people in your community.
Read and evaluate, outline them. Bookmark your favorite Internet sites. Printout, photocopy or take notes of relevant information. As you gather your resources, note down full bibliographical information author, title, place of publication, publisher, date of publication, page numbers, URLs, creation or modification dates on Web pages, and your date of access on your worksheet, printout, or enter the information on your laptop or desktop computer for later retrieval.
If printing from the Internet, set up the browser to print the URL and date of access for every page. Remember that an article without bibliographical information is useless since you cannot cite it as a source.
Most research papers normally require a thesis, even on the step of outline creation. If you are not sure, ask your teacher whether your paper requires it and what they expect to see in your research paper thesis statement. In short, a thesis is the main idea, a central point of your research paper. The arguments you provide in your paper should be based on this central idea, that is why it is so important. Do some critical thinking, write your thesis statement down in one sentence.
Your research paper thesis statement is like a declaration of your belief. The main portion of your essay will consist of arguments for support and defend this belief. A thesis statement should be provided early in your paper — in the introduction part, or in the second paragraph if your paper is longer. It is impossible to create a thesis statement immediately when you have just started fulfilling your assignment. Before you write a thesis statement together with outline, you should collect, organize and analyze materials and your ideas.
You cannot make a finally formulated statement before you have completed your research paper. Stay away from generic, too fuzzy statements and arguments. Use a particular subject. The paper should present something new for audience, make it interesting and educative for your readers.
Avoid citing other authors in this section. Present your own ideas in your own words instead of simply copying from other writers. Make sure your thesis is strong. If you have time and opportunity, show it to your instructor, receive some revision comments, work on improvement of weak points. Otherwise, you may estimate it yourself. A well-prepared thesis means well-shaped ideas. It increases credibility of paper and makes a good impression of its author.
More helpful hints about Writing a Research Paper. A research paper outline might be formal or informal. An informal outline working outline is a tool helping authors put down and organize their ideas.
It is subject to revision, addition and canceling, without paying much attention to form. It helps authors make their key points clear and arrange them. Sometimes students are asked to submit formal outlines with their research papers. In a formal outline, numbers and letters are used to arrange topics and subtopics. The letters and numbers of the same kind should be placed directly under one another. The topics denoted by their headings and subheadings should be grouped in a logical order.
All points of a research paper outline must relate to the same major topic that you first mentioned in your capital Roman numeral. Researcher recommends that this study be expanded by using other method to measure perception of presidential tweets such as a random survey of undecided voters Purpose of an outline is to help you think through your topic carefully and organize it logically before you start writing.
A good outline is the most important step in writing an excellent paper. Check your outline to ensure that points covered flow logically from one to the other. Include in your outline an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. You may create the first outline as a draft and edit it while writing a research paper.
Introduction — State your thesis and purpose of your research paper clearly. What is the chief reason you are writing the paper? State also how you plan to approach your issue. Is this a factual report, a book review, a comparison, or an analysis of a problem? Body — This is where you present your arguments to support your thesis statement. Usually, the body comprises a literature review, methodology, analysis, results, and discussion.
Summarize your arguments. Explain why you have come to this particular conclusion. Why your research is valuable and how acquired results can be used for future researches. Still stuck with ideas on how to write an excellent outline? Let our writing partner help you. Order outline.
Organize materials you have gathered according to your outline. Critically analyze your research data. Using the best available sources, check for accuracy and verify that information is factual, up-to-date, and correct.
2: Do a preliminary search for information. 3: Locate materials.
If you are bored with the topic, you will probably bore your reader as well. Choose something that is new and exciting, not something overworked. Is information on this subject available in various forms i.
A research paper is any kind of academic writing based on original research which features analysis and interpretation from the author — and it can be a bit overwhelming to begin with!
There are two words that evoke instant anxiety in nearly every academic—research paper. A research paper is different from a research proposal also known as a prospectus , although the writing process is similar. A proposal is a persuasive piece meant to convince its audience of the value of a research project.
6 Steps for Writing a College Research Paper
Writing a literature review is often the most daunting part of writing an article, book, thesis, or dissertation. I have found it helpful to be as systematic as possible when completing this gargantuan task. Their system provides an excellent guide for getting through the massive amounts of literature for any purpose: in a dissertation, an M. Before you begin to search for articles or books, decide beforehand what areas you are going to research. Make sure that you only get articles and books in those areas, even if you come across fascinating books in other areas. A literature review I am currently working on, for example, explores barriers to higher education for undocumented students.
Writing a Literature Review: Six Steps to Get You from Start to Finish
Writing a good research paper can be daunting if you have never done it before. This guide walks you through everything you need to do to write an effective, impactful research paper. Here are the steps and resources you need to write a strong research paper, as well as a checklist to go over to be sure you wrote a good paper. Research writing can be a challenge, but with a little practice, it can become an important part of your academic and professional toolkit. The following steps will help you write a research paper, starting with nothing but an assignment or prompt and ending up with a well-crafted essay. The steps are:. Many students skip this step, and then wonder why they receive a low grade on a paper they worked hard on or were excited about. Spend time going over the assignment. Look at everything your instructor has provided you with. It might even be helpful to highlight and take notes on the assignment.
The library offers a range of helpful services.
Faster and secure way to pay. Are you staring at the blank page on your screen and have no idea how to approach your challenging research paper?
How to Write a Research Paper: 10 Steps + Resources
A Research Paper the Big 6 Method 1. This is just a general overview for writing a research paper using the Big 6 method. Always follow whatever directions your teacher has given you to complete your project. Task Definition. What you need to know:. What is the assignment? How is it going to be graded? What steps do I need to take to complete the project and receive a good grade? How long do I have to work on it? A research paper is a long, formal essay or report that presents information from a number of sources. Your purpose is to inform or explain. You are not telling a story. Informational — summarizes factual information from a variety of sources. Analytical — goes one step further, the writer analyzes the information and presents his or her own conclusion. Choose a workable topic that meets all of the following requirements.
Write a Literature Review
What is a research paper? Writing a research paper can be a little intimidating at times. Students, especially those new to the rigors of academia, often feel anxious about the process especially that the paper often gets assigned a big chunk of the final grade by a conscientious professor. This article provides a detailed guide on how to navigate the challenge of writing a reliable research paper. It talks about recommended steps to be followed and elements to be covered in the paper. It offers tips on selecting a good topic and gathering the right information which can set research up for success. Finally, this article provides some guidelines on citation as well as on how to use free online tools, which can help deliver a sharp and clear final copy. Get Help with Paper.
