Writing a research paper can be a very stressful time. Not knowing where to start, or what course to take is confusing and time-consuming. First, you need to distinguish writing essays from research papers. Essays are shorter forms of writing where the emphasis is on your writing skills, while research papers are generally longer and more detailed analyses that require a broad knowledge of the topic on hand. Research thesis takes more time and a lot of verified information that will back up your claims and conclusions. Just throwing in data without explanations and investigation will not be considered a complete work.
Although it might seem like an impossible task at first, the truth is, with a comprehensive plan this can turn out to be one of the most interesting things you have ever done. Without further ado, let’s get down to work and see what it is you need to write an A+ research paper.
Understand the topic
Research articles have predetermined topics that are relevant to your field of studies, so you should be familiar with the essence of what is expected of you. In case you’re not sure about it consult with your professor or teacher. The main subject needs to be perfectly clear before you can even start thinking about writing. You can also enroll some friends who have more experience on the subject to help you out. If you’re still stuck, try reaching out for professional help online like CustomEssayMeister that can deliver texts written by experts.
This being said, sometimes you will get a broad subject where you need to focus on one particular event or choose one certain form. For example, you could get some guidelines like “World economies after World War II”, which covers a very wide range of topics and you are required to pick something that is more specific. In this case, you can pick something like “The post-war resurgence of the French economy” to make it original and more focused. Narrow down to what most interests you while maintaining originality. If you lack inspiration, try reading other papers on similar topics, whether online or from your colleagues and friends to find something that will grab your attention.
Make a plan
Once you understand fully what you need to write about, the next step is to make a plan as detailed as possible. You need to identify the length of the article, goals, step by step guidelines while fitting into a required deadline. Watch out for the time you have available to complete the task, and if you get stuck with some parts, just move on to the next and go back later to finish it. Making a bulletin will help you have a clear picture of chronology. For every key point write a few main sentences that are going to be the highlight of that paragraph. This will be your outline that will hold a key argument and evidence of the points you’re trying to make. Even though it will take you some time, it’s well worth it since it can be a great deal of help down the line.
Research
By now you already know the main topic and have the list of the necessary points to make. It’s time to get down to the core of the paper – research. For this phase, possibilities are endless. Find every book, paper, news articles, and any other source that tackles the topic in hand. You don’t need to read every single word, but try to focus on crucial sentences and make notes.
Talking to people that are closely connected to the field you’re researching could be inspirational and it might give you some new guidelines that you overlooked. Also, search if there have been any heated discussions on the subject, or any recent developments and include that in your outline. Taking notes is important since it would be very difficult to go back and find some statements later. Talk to your friends and family about it, maybe you’ll find some interesting opinions that you can possibly use. If you have your own personal intake, write it down so it doesn’t slip your mind later. Adding a unique view on the topic could make a positive impact and leave readers, namely professors and colleagues, intrigued.
The main theory
Write a sentence that will be the main key, the culmination point of the whole paper. If your title is a question, this should answer it naming every key point. It should be a clear and coherent sentence that will present the source for all your previous and following arguments. The main theories are often written and re-written many times during the course of writing, and this is perfectly normal as long as the crucial points stay the same.
Paragraphs
Paragraphs make the body of your thesis. Each one should be based on one main claim. When you establish the main key, then you can go into more depth with supporting evidence and relevant data. Every paragraph should be well structured, with an opening statement, the main focus, and the backup information that will endorse and explain it further. This is where you can implement all your research and present your ideas and opinions.
A first draft
It’s time to start writing the first draft which will be like a skeleton of your paper. Introduction – body – conclusion. If you can’t think of the intro, start wherever you feel the most comfortable. Avoid deleting large parts of the text even if you don’t like it; save it somewhere since they might come in handy later on. Stick to the main outline you made early on so that you don’t lose focus on certain sections. Follow the natural flow of the story, adding citations, examples, and information on the way. If you’re quoting someone make sure to write the source and the author to avoid plagiarism. The first draft is not going to be perfect, so don’t stress too much about it. Just write everything you came across as important and decide later if it fits your topic.
The final draft and editing
The second, and final draft should contain every idea, data, charts, information, conclusions, opinions, citations and everything else you worked on so far. Putting them together in a logical order, and substantiate every claim is the essence. If you find some unverified details, it’s better to skip them. Once you constructed the paper well, read it several times correcting sentence structure, grammar and other important details. Read, edit and re-write as much as you think is necessary to achieve the goal without pressure or rushing out to deliver the text. Take your time to format it right for submission.
