12 easy steps writing research paper
With all the things you have going on as a student, writing a paper can seem like a daunting task. Many students opt to put off that daunting task, which ultimately leads to bad grades on papers that would otherwise have been easy A's. On top of that, papers often make up a large portion of a student's overall grade in any class, which makes them even higher risk ventures. Here, we'll walk you through the most important aspects of making a paper, from beginning to end so you won't have to whip up a paper in an afternoon, plagiarize, or neglect to do the assignment. This image and list-based, step-by-step tutorial is the closest thing to writing a plug and chug paper you can get.
Ten Steps to Writing a Good Research Paper
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! Table of contents Understand the assignment Understand your audience Choose a research paper topic Conduct preliminary research Develop a thesis statement Create a research paper outline Paragraph structure Write a first draft of the research paper Write an research paper introduction Write a compelling body of text Write the research paper conclusion The second draft The revision process Checklist.
Part of completing a piece of assessment successfully means accomplishing the specific tasks set out for you. That entails properly and thoroughly understanding the assignment task sheet, which you can achieve by doing the following:. When asking yourself how to write a research paper, you need to consider your audience.
Their knowledge level influences your writing style, choice of words and how much detail you need in explanations of concepts. If you are writing an undergraduate paper, you can assume your audience is somewhere between generalist and expert.
There are many ways to generate an idea for a research paper, whether you prefer old-fashioned brainstorming by writing notes, or talking with a fellow student or professor to figure out how to approach a topic. You can try free writing, which involves taking a broad topic and writing continuously for two or three minutes to identify absolutely anything relevant that could be interesting. You can also gain inspiration from other research. The discussion or recommendations sections of research papers often include ideas for other specific topics to examine.
Remember that the idea is to be both original and specific. A paper following the chronology of World War II would not be original or specific enough. A paper on the experience of Danish citizens living close to the German border during World War II would be specific and could be original enough — that is where the next step comes into play.
Note any discussions that seem important to the topic, and try to find an issue that you can focus your paper around. Use several types of sources , including journals, books and reliable websites, to ensure you do not miss anything glaring. Do not only verify the ideas you have in mind, but look for sources that contradict your point of view, to avoid confirmation bias.
In this stage, you might find it helpful to formulate some research questions to help guide you. These are more commonly used in a thesis or dissertation rather than an essay. In addition, this stage will help you determine whether there is a possible flaw in your argument.
If you find there is a flaw, you can adjust your argument or topic at this stage. Most researchers do not conduct a great deal of research at this point — it is only to ensure the paper is on track and to get a sense of the literature. A thesis statement is a statement of your central argument — it establishes the purpose and position of your paper. If you started with a research question, the thesis statement should answer it.
The thesis statement should be concise, contentious, and coherent. That means it should briefly summarize your argument in a sentence or two; make a claim that requires further evidence or analysis; and make a coherent point that relates to every part of the paper. You will probably revise and refine the thesis statement as you do more research, but it can serve as a guide throughout the writing process. Every paragraph should aim to support and develop this central claim.
A research paper outline works as an effective guide to use during the writing process. It is essentially a list of the key topics, arguments and evidence you will include, divided into sections with headings so the paper is planned before you begin writing.
A research paper outline can help make the writing process much more efficient, so it is worth dedicating the time to create one. Read our article on creating a research paper outline. Paragraphs are the basic building blocks of research papers.
Each one should focus on a single claim or idea that helps to establish the overall argument or purpose of the paper. Here is what a paragraph should look like. Hover over the sentences to learn more. This impact is particularly obvious in light of the various critical review articles that have recently referenced the essay. Your first draft should not be the last, as you can polish later on. The main goal at this stage is to:.
You do not need to start your paper at the introduction. Start writing where it feels most natural for you — some prefer to finish the most difficult sections first, while others choose to start with the easiest part. If you created a research paper outline , use it as a map while you work.
Do not delete large sections of text. If you begin to dislike something you have written, move it to a different document, but do not lose it completely as you never know if it might come in useful later.
In a thesis or dissertation, the introduction has strict requirements of precisely what to include. Remember, the introduction in an essay should be concise and not make any arguments.
After finishing the introduction, the reader should know what the paper is about and why it is worth reading. Be specific about the topic of the paper, introduce the background and define key items such as terms, theories and historical details. If you are writing a longer essay with a literature review, you should give a sense of how your point fits with the extant research.
This is the most important, but also most difficult, part of the introduction. Try to provide brief answers to the following questions: What new material or insight are you offering?
What important issues does your essay help define or answer? The reader needs to know how the paper will proceed. The major struggle faced by most writers is how to organize the information presented in the paper, which is one reason a research paper outline is so useful. However, remember that the outline is only a guide and, when writing, you can be flexible with the order in which the information and arguments are presented.
One way to stay on track is to use your thesis statement and topic sentences. Check: topic sentences against the thesis statement; topic sentences against each other, for similarities and logical ordering; and each sentence against the topic sentence of that paragraph.
After completing the first draft, condense the paragraphs into only topic sentences and read them one at a time. Be aware of paragraphs that seem to cover the same things. If two paragraphs discuss something similar, they must approach that topic in different ways. Check for smooth transitions between paragraphs. Trace the course of the paper, emphasizing how it all comes together to prove your thesis statement. Give the paper a sense of finality by making sure the reader understands how the paper has settled the issues raised in the introduction.
Recap the what, why and how, and try to show how the key ideas mentioned in the introduction look now that your point is established.
The goal during the revision and proofreading process is to ensure you have completed all the necessary tasks and that the paper is as well-articulated as possible. Scribbr can help with this stage of your paper, with our award-winning proofreading , clarity check and structure check services. Next, think about sentence articulation, grammatical errors and formatting. Look for typos, cut unnecessary words and check for consistency with aspects such as heading formatting and spellings.
Finally, you need to make sure your paper is correctly formatted according to the rules of the citation style you are using. APA Style. I have provided an appropriately formatted in-text citation for every piece of information from another source. All of the key sub-arguments or claims are briefly pointed out or outlined in the introduction.
The relationship between each paragraph and the preceding paragraph or section is made clear by a good transition , in or before the topic sentence. The relationship between each paragraph and the thesis of the paper is clear. No paragraph is unreasonably short or long, being just long enough to explain or prove the point. The relationship between each sentence and the preceding sentence is made clear, either through continuity in the topic matter or an appropriate transitional word or phrase.
I have a conclusion that does not present any new argumentative support to the thesis, does not merely repeat the information given in the introduction, and does not leave the reader unsatisfied or confused. You have reached the end of the research paper writing process.
Now it's time to make sure your paper is perfect with the help of one of our editors! Have a language expert improve your writing. Check your paper for plagiarism in 10 minutes.
Generate your APA citations for free! Home Knowledge Base Research paper. How to write a research paper 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! Every paragraph is unified to convey one specific idea. Well done! Learn about our proofreading services.
Is this article helpful? Other students also liked. Research paper outline A research paper outline makes writing your paper more efficient. It organizes your thoughts and helps understand the flow of information. See the exa…. How to write topic sentences A topic sentence sums up the main point of each paragraph.
Use topic sentences to structure your ideas and keep your paragraphs focused. Choosing a dissertation topic Start with a broad area of interest, and then narrow down your ideas. Make sure to consider the relevance and plausibility of your topic.
How to write a paragraph How to write topic sentences Research paper outline. Avoid technical terms or, if you must use them, include definitions Avoid excessive, complex detail Use shorter, simpler sentences and shorter, simpler words Use slow and simple explanation to make your argument; show your logic Be informative Use examples to clarify key points.
Do not over-explain — e.
Organize notes and write a formal outline with topic sentences. _____8. _____ Complete a Writing a Research Paper in 15 Easy Steps. Check out these 12 powder-keg topics, each with the power to generate The following steps will help you write a research paper, starting with Step 5: Form a thesis; Step 6: Create an outline; Step 7: Write; Step 8: Edit for.
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.
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.
If you're anything like me, you always have good intentions at the beginning of the semester for giving yourself ample time to complete your research paper This situation has happened to me countless times - in fact, I can't remember ever starting a paper earlier than 2 days before the due date. I have had many years to perfect my procrastination methodology and I think I've got it down to a science.
12 Steps to Writing a Research Proposal
Successful research papers in 12 easy steps. Similar Items. Thus, for a barrier-free language centre offers courses in their participation and the parents for To be honest, every student has to know how to make a research paper and our task is to enlighten you on how to make a research paper. We will give you the description of the main logical steps in order to explain how to make research papers How to Write an Expository Essay.
How to Write a Research Paper . . . and Get an A+
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! Table of contents Understand the assignment Understand your audience Choose a research paper topic Conduct preliminary research Develop a thesis statement Create a research paper outline Paragraph structure Write a first draft of the research paper Write an research paper introduction Write a compelling body of text Write the research paper conclusion The second draft The revision process Checklist. Part of completing a piece of assessment successfully means accomplishing the specific tasks set out for you. That entails properly and thoroughly understanding the assignment task sheet, which you can achieve by doing the following:. When asking yourself how to write a research paper, you need to consider your audience. Their knowledge level influences your writing style, choice of words and how much detail you need in explanations of concepts. If you are writing an undergraduate paper, you can assume your audience is somewhere between generalist and expert. There are many ways to generate an idea for a research paper, whether you prefer old-fashioned brainstorming by writing notes, or talking with a fellow student or professor to figure out how to approach a topic. You can try free writing, which involves taking a broad topic and writing continuously for two or three minutes to identify absolutely anything relevant that could be interesting.
Research your topic, find reliable sources, and come up with a working thesis. Then create an outline and start drafting your paper.
To write a good research paper, you must be specific about your topic, know what you want to say, and say it effectively. Following these ten steps will help you write a good research paper. When choosing a topic, choose one in which you are interested, and for which there is enough information.
Ten Steps for Writing a Research Paper
A guideline on writing a research proposal. Follow 12 steps described in the article below to write a research proposal effectively. There is a number of useful tips that can be used for writing an effective thesis proposal. First, remember that a thesis proposal is generally written in a present or future tense. Below you will find the main steps that will show you how to write a research proposal. Want to know more about what a research proposal is? Below is the article explaining what a research proposal is:. Step 1: Make a great introduction. It is a good idea to write it last, that way it is more likely to become interesting and you will sound like you know what to do. Step 2: State the problem. Voice your research question. You might want to restate it in the form of the sentence so that your reader understands it better. Step 3: Provide background. Explain how the problem emerged. Give some background information on the issue you are going to research to substantiate the need for the problem resolution.
