You cope with various types of papers like essays, term papers, case studies, and others during the study. All these papers require conducting research. Surprisingly, there is a distinct type of paper called a research paper. And today, we will share tips to write an A+ research paper for your class. Don’t forget that we can provide you any writing help with a research paper on our site.
We will guide you through all the steps you need to make to get an excellent paper on time and provide you with some tips and tricks you can use. And if you haven’t time to write
What is a research paper?
Research papers are aimed to demonstrate your knowledge of the subject. It is like an essay paper but aimed to share your familiarity with the area of study. In this paper, you share information from various sources like articles, books, and the website you have read. Additionally, you can share your ideas and opinions.
Steps to write a research paper from scratch
The research
As it comes from the paper name, the first and foremost important step in its writing is research. The research process is aimed to help you understand your subject, formulate ideas for your paper, develop a thesis statement, and speak about your topic with authority.
To get started, you need to collect the materials and start reviewing them.
Here are the sources you can use:
- Google Scholar – a global search of scholarly literature. It includes the search across many disciplines.
- Various online encyclopedias and databases.
- Books and periodicals from your institution library.
- Newspaper from the archive.
- Government guides, reports, and publications.
When you are reading the materials, you should always take notes. They will help you to write your paper after. If you would like to cite any of the sources, make sure you saved the information about the source so you can easily add it to your paper during writing.
Suppose your institution follows a definite formatting guide. In that case, it is better to save information about the cited source following the guide. It will save you a lot of time later when you will be formatting your paper. You can use any online tool to cite works properly.
Get Organized
Without preparing for paper writing, you will spend a lot of time on its revision and editing. The most crucial part of any paper is a thesis statement. If it’s not listed in your paper requirements, it’s better to have one.
The thesis statement is a single sentence aimed at summarizing the main point of your research paper. It is the central idea that will help you to develop your argument. It will guide your readers through the paper and will help you, as the author, to follow the same pattern during your writing.
Outline writing
A well-written outline is not a necessity provided by your educational institution. It is a feature you should use. The outline will help you to organize your thoughts before you start writing. It’s a plan for your research paper.
The main points in your outline are the subheading of your paper. If something you found doesn’t fit your plan, it’s better to get read of it. The primary purpose of an outline is to help you get rid of clutter, which seemed important when you conducted research.
So, that outline writing is a helpful step that is aimed to assist you with choosing the most relevant to your research information.
Research paper writing
Good news, you got prepared for the research paper writing. It is time to start the most crucial step. Now, you know what you will write, have all the sources near you, and a plan, or outline, to follow.
You might be wondering how long your research paper should be. Well, there is no definite answer. If it’s a research essay, it should be 3-4 pages. In case it’s another kind of paper, it might be 10 or even 15 pages long. It should be clarified with your teacher, professor, or any other person who assigned the task to you.
Yet, we are here to clarify some other moments. These are your research paper parts. Here are the elements of any research paper you should fill out:
- Introduction.
It is an opening passage for any academic paper. The primary purpose of the introduction is to drive your reader into the research. Explain your paper’s purpose, your research’s primary idea, and do not forget to include your thesis statement. - The body.
Get your outline in front of you since it is here to help you. Remember, each part of your paper’s body should support each other. Moreover, each passage should support the main idea of your writing. Otherwise, why do you write it? Follow the rule of three: present your strong point, then stronger, and at last the strongest. - The conclusion.
Get back to your thesis statement and re-write it. Briefly describe the points you covered before and summarize why they support your thesis. In case your research is inconclusive, provide the details why you think that it should be continued.
Editing and Proofreading of your research paper
We think the editing and proofreading process is the most time-consuming activity in academic writing. These steps are aimed to make sure your paper looks great and get rid of clutter, hot water, and mistakes. Yet, we have some tips for you to follow to make it faster and easier.
Our experience shows that these can be done with the help of two cool checklists we crafted.
Paper development
Answer these questions to make sure you covered all the needed aspects for your research:
- Is your research paper’s thesis statement concise and clear?
- Is your paper well-organized? Does it have logical transitions from the beginning till the end?
- Do your ideas follow the rational system in each part of it?
- Have you used facts and avoided generalizations?
- Do your arguments support the thesis?
- Have you cited sources correctly?
- Have you scanned your paper with plagiarism scanning software?
After you are all set here, you need to make sure that your paper is well-written, does not contain any grammar and spelling errors.
First, use word-processor to check if there are no spelling mistakes. Use grammar checking software to identify if there are no grammar mistakes. Read your paper aloud and make sure that it reads well. Ask your classmate, roommate, or relative to check the paper for you. And of course, if you have time, repeat the process the next day.
If all good, you should format the paper following the guide provided at your class and submit it once everything is ready.
Final thoughts of research paper writing
As you see, it is not complex to write a research paper, but it is a very time-consuming process since each step takes a lot of time. Yet, we would like to point out that when you create an outline and organize your notes, you should make sure that you eliminate clutter or so-called “hot water.” The excess detail might harm your paper content and influence your mark.
And finally, if you do not have time to write a research paper, it’s a good idea to hire a professional writer or order from a reliable writing company.
