With all the things you have to cope with as a student, writing a research paper can seem like a daunting assignment. A lot of students even decide to put off that task which leads to bad grades. This is easy to understand, since conceptualizing a paper, breaking it into parts, referring to various books in order to commit research is difficult, to say the least. However, it is really important, as the process of researching and writing develop such useful skills as creative and analytical thinking, critical mindset, ability to organize one’s thoughts and ideas.
That’s why the professional writers of Essaywriterforyou.net team decided to prepare a step-by-step guide on how you can write your top-notch research paper. Leverage it to get a good grade.
What is a Research Paper?
A research paper is a large scientific essay. Students of high schools, colleges and universities are assigned with it in order to show their knowledge and skills. The main purpose of this work is to set the main issue and offer new ways to solve it.
To write a research paper one needs to deal with several stages. The first one is to come up with a relevant topic. The next stage is to make a thesis statement to show the goals and objectives of your researching. Your work should include the experimental stage during which you will collect information, work with literature or even carry out experiments. The last stage is less stressful, as you already have all the necessary data and only need to present it appropriately. However, all the writing process may cause difficulties, as you need to know and follow essential principles of academic writing.
The Most Common Mistakes in a Research Paper
When preparing a research paper, you should be ready for some traps. They are pretty predictable, but a lot of students tend to fall into time and time again. So, take a look at some of the pitfalls:
- Lack of research. Sometimes students rush their writing process, which can surely save time, but affects the result. You need to do good research and find enough data in case to write a killer thesis statement and prepare a top-notch paper.
- Weak thesis statement. Once you come up with a topic, your next step is to create a strong statement. This element is considered to be crucial for a good paper. Make sure it is genuine, clear, expresses your main idea, attracts the reader to continue reading.
- Lack of data for statement support. It is important to back up all statements by relevant references. That’s why your research must be deep. It is not an essay where you can share your ideas and thoughts, it is a serious paper with a fundamental basis. Give proper credit for all data used, following the requirements from your instructor.
These and other mistakes may make all the process frustrating. That’s why a lot of students opt just to buy a research paper. You need to work hard in case you want to prepare a really good assignment.
What is good in writing a research paper is that its structure is simple and straightforward. You do not need to reinvent the wheel, just follow your tutor’s recommendations.
Essaywriterforyou team has prepared a simple structure that will help you navigate in this form of assignment:
- Title page with the subject of the paper, your data and other formal information;
- Abstract. Your first task during writing is to define your main issue and to set up several goals. The Abstract is a space for you to explain your choice. It is the best opportunity to grab your readers’ attention, so leverage it.
- Content. It is the list of headings to navigate with ease;
- Introduction. Here you can write down the reasons why is your research important and which issues are you going to solve;
- Body paragraphs. They depend on your subject and institutional requirements. Here you can describe your experiment, tell about tools and methods, add the practical part;
- Results. Do they meet your expectations or you have found out something quite different?
- Discussion. Now you can describe the importance of your findings and explain why do they meet or don’t meet your expectations;
- Conclusion. This is a necessary part of your paper, where you can imply your own interpretation of results received.
- Reference list. Don’t forget to list all the sources and literature you’ve used.
Research Paper Format
Consider there is a particular writing style that is used to be applied to your outline and references. This format includes:
- The title in the bottom;
- Headings in the upper corner;
- Times New Roman 14 pt.,
- Double-spaced;
- 1-inch margins;
- Black font;
- Each page numbering.
You can receive the guidelines from your tutor. Follow it relentlessly so you don’t have to redo your research paper later. It would be a great choice to open a good example to make sure everything is done appropriately. From this video you will learn how to write an outline for a research paper.
Best Way to Organize Time for Your Research Writing
Do you know what is the hardest part of writing? Ernest Hemingway said that it is “getting your ass in the chair”. And he was totally right. If you have enough time for your paper and can sit down, you’ve got almost 100% of the research behind you already. In fact, even successful people have issues with time management. But this is not a reason to despair. Check out our recommendations on how to manage your time:
- Make your time non-negotiable. Tell all your relatives and friends that from now you have a strict schedule, and no one should bother you during particular hours. Don’t make exceptions.
- Set your goals and be specific. When planning your time, make sure you have concrete goals to be completed. Otherwise, you will just drop the ball and procrastinate.
- Turn off alerts. Social networks and other notifications should not distract you from the writing process.
- Leverage support systems. Remember you’re not in a vacuum. You can get help from other students, your tutor or Essaywriterforyou.net consultants. Sometimes we all need someone who will look at our paper from the side.
How to Write a Good Research Paper Step by Step
Your first task is to choose a good topic. It should be interesting for you, then you will write a paper with inspiration. But don’t pick up the easiest one, it is better to opt for a topic which challenges you.
The next step is connected with Internet surfing. You can google information for your research paper, use different newspapers and journals, books, dictionaries, everything you need. If you work in a team with a tutor, they will provide you with essential sources. Organize them, according to their relevance and importance.
Now it is time for thesis and outline. Make your statement as short as possible. One sentence is totally enough. And give enough attention to the outlining, because all the parts of your paper should be organized logically.
How to Write Introduction for Research Paper
Write an introduction, showing your background, explaining the main point and determining your purposes of the research. You should also provide a plan for the paper.
Keep in mind that your introduction is the best place to grab your readers’ attention. If it is boring, they wouldn’t read further. So you can start with intriguing information, an unusual fact, joke, question. People do also like statistics, leverage it to your advantage.
Body of Research Paper
Write the body. Follow your outline during the process. But don’t think it is your final plan. You may be flexible. Revise an outline and make changes if needed. Just make sure you keep focus on your main issue.
Don’t forget about your own thoughts and ideas. It is important to make your research paper interesting. No one wants to read about boring facts. Show your work is special. Is it?
Research Paper Conclusion
Drawing conclusions, summarize all your work done and explain your arguments. Make sure they are clear for the reader. You can restart your thesis statement, but don’t repeat it word for word. A nice idea is to suggest some recommendations for further research or conclusions that are really helpful.
What to Do When the Paper is Finished: Editing and Proofreading
So your draft is ready. What is for now? Your last task is to make your research paper really perfect. You need to reread it one or more times to make sure that you have not made any mistakes. It may be grammar, spelling or punctuation mistakes, logical inaccuracies, etc. Some students may forget about the necessary paragraphs, you should know your weaknesses and work with them.
Make sure your paper meets all the requirements: world limit, uniqueness, writing style, and tone.
Professional writers on Essaywriterforyou can check your research paper or even write it for you. You can order various academic papers and be sure we will provide you with a great result. It will help you to save your time and to improve academic performance!
Patti Yates
Pati Yates holds a Ph.D. in Literature and Master's degree in History. He studied in University of Pennsylvania and also has been working as a professor there now. His extensive experience and time-management skills allows him to help students and even run several blogs on academic writing.
