Research papers are an essential part of any student’s life. Thus, it is one of the most frequent written assignments to submit. Conducting good research requires the adherence to several steps, such as outlining the paper, providing a strong thesis, and citing the sources. Here you can find some tips, which can help to make a writing process more simple and effective.
Have a Close Look at Instructions
Instructions provided by a professor are vital to follow, as far as it affects the final grade for the assignment. Before starting to write the research paper, look through the instructions attentively. Besides, highlight the key points to consider, including the word count, paper format, and a number of sources to use. Hence, the requirements will help you to clarify the central idea of the research paper.
Search for Credible Sources
The next step is to search for credible sources, which will become the background of the paper. Regarding the common misconceptions, students should start writing and then choose the appropriate book or article to cite. Nevertheless, the research paper requires to conduct an investigation itself and write about the results of the research in the form of the written assignment.
Read and Analyze the Found Information
After finding all the necessary information, it is a time to read and analyze it. It is important to highlight the most important facts and statistical data, which will be useful for argumentation. In case if you are searching for more helpful ideas for writing academic essays, visit essay-reviews.com for additional information. You can also make up the list with the central ideas discovered in the sources. Anyway, it will be useful for making an outline for the paper.
Outline the Paper
The academic paper should be well-structured. Do not forget to separate the whole essay into main parts:
- the introduction with the thesis at the end;
- main body involving several paragraphs;
- conclusion with key findings.
One more important thing is to outline the key idea for each of the paragraphs. As for the introductions, there should be an interesting hook at the beginning, and a strong thesis at the end. Finally, the conclusion should summarize the outcomes of the research and the main findings.
Persuasive Argument is a Key to Success
The next essential thing to consider is a thesis. Thus, a thesis involves one or two sentences at the end of the introduction, the main aim of which is to provide the persuasive argument for the research paper. Remember that a strong thesis consists of two parts, including the topic and controlling idea.
Avoid Overloading your Paper with Terms
Students often think that the more complicated words are used, the more academic paper will become. Otherwise, the primary feature of academic writing is clearly-defined thoughts, which are easy to read and comprehend. Of course, implementing terms is required for the research paper, but try not to overwhelm it with complicated phrases and terminology.
Make Each Paragraph Logical and Coherent
Undoubtedly, a research paper, as well as any other academic paper, should be structured logically. There should be transitions between the sentences and paragraphs for better comprehending of the text. The topic and concluding sentences also help to make the text coherent. Finally, linking devices and phrases are useful to provide a link between the sentences.
Do Not Overuse Citations
The next useful tip is not to overuse citations. Of course, applying the information from credible sources is vital for a good research paper. Nevertheless, students often forget that the original ideas should predominate in the written work and place citations almost in every sentence. Thus, remember that cited information should take not more than approximately 10% of the whole paper.
Write in an Academic Tone
The primary requirement of academic writing is to adhere to the formal style. Forget about using colloquial vocabulary, idioms, phrasal verbs, weak words, personal pronouns, contractions, and other examples of informal writing. Purdue OWL can help with providing useful advice about writing in an academic tone and also appropriate formatting of the paper. Hence, students should be careful with the style of writing, as far as it will definitely affect the final mark for the assignment.
Proofread Everything Before the Final Submission
Finally, proofreading is key to the perfect research paper. It is important to re-read the essay several times to avoid such unpleasant things as a typo or misspelling some words. What is more, proofreading is essential to understand whether the paper is coherent and easy for reading or not. Do not ignore this “boring” procedure, as far as it is as important as searching for credible sources or writing a strong thesis.
We hope that all these simple steps and useful tips will help you submit the research paper with flying colors. Hence, remember that appropriate structure, formal style, coherence, and credible sources are the roadmap to the essay, which deserves the highest grades.
