Things to remember while writing a research paper

An academic paper is written with a general intention of conveying or expressing some ideas. The research paper also works in the same manner except that they provide in-depth knowledge and information about the topic of research. It is marked as a piece of academic writing that carries the author’s original ideas and beliefs regarding the point of investigation.

The findings for research paper are usually presented in the form of illustrations, examples, and other forms of valid evidence. This type of work is usually submitted to the educational institution for academic assessment or for publication in journals, or as a book by an academic publisher.

Usually, longer than the essay in length, they provide in-depth knowledge about the topic through different sections like literature review, methodology, data analysis and discussion, summary, and the conclusion part. The style of the paper presentation differs, depending upon the area of research. Under this, you can say that the paper written by a humanities scholar differs from that of the science one.

The most popular styles used for the research paper are MLA (Modern Language Association), APA (American Psychological Association), and Chicago manual style.

Before we move on to the part that mentions about the methods of research, we first need to familiarize ourselves with a few technical terms such as scholar, blind peer reviewing, honor code, and plagiarism. 

Scholar

A person who writes and presents his ideas about a topic in a paper is called a scholar. This person could be a student or some professor looking for options for further studies.

Blind peer reviewing

When we submit our research paper for publication, it usually undergoes a check by some authority or personnel, which verifies whether the paper submitted is worth publishing or not. They may not know about the author and his work, but they are always expected to present an unbiased check for paper. This process is often termed as blind peer reviewing because the person who verifies the research paper does not know about you or your work.

Honor code

An honor code is said to be an oath of sorts that is to be taken by a student who enters the academic world of a university. This is taken to ensure the authenticity of their work and them being plagiarism-free. It’s a type of agreement that is signed by the student and is mandatory for almost every university present in the United States.

Plagiarism

The practice of copying or stealing another person’s ideas or words is called plagiarism. It includes the use of another person’s content and words and not acknowledging it to a proper source. It is also marked as a breach of academic integrity.

How to attempt a research paper?

Select your topic: Pick a topic that is quite challenging for you and sounds interesting for the teachers assessing it. You can even take help from your teachers and professors regarding the suggestion that needs to be investigated.

Collect information: Hit the internet and valuable books. Look for possible sources to obtain great ideas about your topic. You need to make sure that the content taken is from a reliable source, or else it would be of no use to you. Public libraries and newspapers are also some of the best reliable sources that can provide you accurate information.

Make your thesis statement: A thesis statement(s) is included in the research paper to mark the central theme of the paper with the help of some sentences. There are no such fixed rules regarding the use of a thesis statement in the paper, but many prefer to present their thesis in the form of paragraphs.

Make an outline: The simplest layout of a research paper includes a title, abstract, introduction, body part, references, appendix, and a proper conclusion. Further changes can be made in this simple outline as per the guidelines provided to the student — the main purpose behind an outline is to present your paper in a logical sequence.

Organize your content: Next comes the part where you need to organize your content with some adequate information. Each of the topics can have various sub-heads to it, which will serve the purpose of providing in-depth information. Make sure that you do not include any irrelevant information that is misleading for the audience.

Write your draft: Quote or paraphrase the ideas that you need to include in your paper. In this part, you need to segment the information according to the outline and give words to your ideas and beliefs.

Revise your content: You need to check the content written in your paper before submitting the final draft to your teacher. Check your spellings, grammar, and vocabulary carefully. It is always better that you give a final check to your paper before submission. Cross-check the mentioned facts and figures again.

Type the final paper: Write down your content and print it out for further submission. Proofread the whole paper and remove all the necessary details from your research.

Here we have mentioned a few things for a person who is going to write a research paper for his academics. You always need to remember these points for a better-written research paper-

Plagiarism is out of scope: Plagiarizing your content is next to some offense, so always write down your own thoughts and ideas in the paper.

Idealize your paper: You always need to carry an idea about your paper and how would it look after completion. Develop a flow of ideas and words, then give it an expression through your writings.

Pick the right audience: Audience plays an important role in a research paper if you want to target a particular group of people. Make sure that the topic chosen for your research is presented to the right audience group.

Importance of logic: A clear and precise logic sounds fundamental for a good research study. All the details and information need to be included in a logical sequence to produce a more effective appeal.

Completion is mandatory: Completion should be the ultimate aim of the writer when he writes a research study. The hypothesis should be written in a detailed format with precise information.

Concision matters: Simplicity is the best way to capture the minds of your readers. There is nothing that can be replaced by simple words and articles in your sentence.

Bring out your artistic skills: Your content should be as enjoyable as possible for the audience to grab their attention. Concentrate on the use of vocabulary and grammar in your content and present it more appealingly.

Be your own critic: Make sure that you critically analyze and evaluate the points that need to be included in your research paper as per their relevance.

Use another person’s time and opinion: An external factor is always said to add more perfection to your content. So you can either take help from your friends or relatives for their critics on your document.