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How to Write a Research Paper

When it comes to writing a research paper, a lot of details have to be taken into consideration. To help you keep all these details in mind, and to prevent you from incomplete information, we decided to provide you with research paper writing guidelines that are reliable and complete. Our writers contributed to it by sharing their professional writing tips.

1. How to Write a Research Paper. Getting Started

Definition:

A research paper gives a thorough study of a specific topic, and reports information about this studying.

General guidelines:

  • any research paper begins with the sphere of your interests – dig into it, and you can come up with a good idea for writing;
  • state a research question – why, or how it happened;
  • try to identify either novel trends in a society, or the causes of a particular event;
  • use primary sources for your research paper writing;
  • now make an argument that will pull together all the obtained information;
  • take your audience into consideration;

Our tips on writing a research papers:

  • A topic may sound interesting, but you can face the lack of literature and previously done researches. This is especially a problem for a newbie. So, before deciding on a topic of your research paper, talk to your teacher/professor. He can help you.
  • Writing a research paper takes time. Don’t put for tomorrow what you can do today. Start as early, as possible.

2. How to Write a Research Paper. Types of Papers

Definition:

Depending on a type of a research paper, your strategy of assembling and stating the information may vary. There are analytical and argumentative research paper writings.

General guidelines:

  • Analytical papers:
  • analytical research papers break an investigated object into pieces to study every single part separately, and to become an expert in a particular field of knowledge;
  • go into the researching stage with a specific topic about which you have not made any kind of conclusions;
  • get acquainted with the information available on this topic, and evaluate it critically;
  • Argumentative papers:
  • this type of a research paper is persuasive;
  • persuading means having a certain position that you stand on; moreover, you will have to use facts and evidence to prove your point of view and make the readers accept it, too;

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • In analytical papers, previously made researches are only a trampoline for your own conclusions and arguments. Learn to think independently.
  • Argumentative papers state exactly what you believe in. Don’t be upset or puzzled if you find out that not all the people will support it. Truth is on your side as long as you have proofs.

3. How to Write a Research Paper. Writing a Thesis

Definition:

A thesis statement points toward the development or course of argument.

General guidelines:

  • a thesis statement is always placed in the Introduction;
  • it has to be arguable, meaning that there has to be an opposing side to it; however, you have to be able to prove the side personally you believe in;
  • don’t tell a reader about something; tell them what about something. Answer the questions “how?” or “why?”;
  • thesis has to be narrow enough and argue on one specific point

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • A thesis statement has to point an unusual side of the question. It will help to catch reader’s attention.

4. How to Write a Research Paper. The Title Page

Definition:

Title page is the first page of your research paper that contains basic information about you and your writing.

General guidelines:

  • write a title;
  • include the name and address of all authors;
  • include date submitted.

5. How to Write a Research Paper. The Abstract

Definition:

An abstract is a summary of work done.

General guidelines:

  • a summary is written last; by the time you are done with your research paper, you are able to state briefly what it is about;
  • brevity doesn’t mean abbreviations; therefore, use complete sentences to make an abstract readable;
  • summarize by stating the purpose, description of your experiment, results and conclusions;
  • keep an abstract to a single paragraph;
  • an abstract should stand on its own, and not refer to any other part of the paper.

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • Make it clear and concise. A reader has to understand what your research paper is about in order to make up his mind: should he read this, or it’s not in his sphere of interests.

6. How to Write a Research Paper. The Introduction

Definition:

Introduction gives your reader an image of what your research paper is going to be about.

General guidelines:

  • you can begin with a quotation, question, opposing opinion, short narrative, interesting fact, or an analogy;
  • give reasons why your research is important;
  • provide a rationale – your specific hypothesis or objective, and describe the reasoning that led you to select them;
  • very briefly describe the experimental design and how it will accomplish the stated objectives;
  • give a thesis.

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • An Introduction is a representation of your efforts. A good beginning will make your readers interested in the topic.

7. How to Write a Research Paper. Materials and Methods

Definition:

This part describes in detail the methodology used to collect data, make observations, etc.

General guidelines:

Materials:

  • include those supplies that are not available on the ordinary basis;
  • if you used special equipment, make sure to write about it;
  • materials may be reported in a separate paragraph or else they may be identified along with your procedures.

Methods:

  • the usual way of presenting methods is chronological;
  • give detailed descriptions;
  • generalize – report how procedures were done, not how they were specifically performed on a particular day.

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • Make this part detailed enough so that other people have no difficulties in following your guideline if they want to repeat an experiment.

8. How to Write a Research Paper. Results

Definition:

The results include data, analysis, statistics, graphs, pages with your raw collected data, etc.

General guidelines:

  • summarize your findings in text and illustrate them;
  • describe each of the results separately, showing the most significant sides;
  • don’t try to give explanations;
  • figures and tables have to be properly numbered;
  • figures and tables can be either included into the text, or attached to the back of the paper.

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • The results have to be short.

9. How to Write a Research Paper. Discussion

Definition:

In the discussion you should discuss the results.

General guidelines:

  • decide if each hypothesis is supported, rejected, or if you cannot make a decision with confidence;
  • explain your observations by focusing on the mechanism;
  • try to offer alternative explanations if reasonable alternatives exist;
  • include a summary of the work done.

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • It is useful to talk about possible errors, too.
  • If mistakes were made, tell about them.
  • Tell what you could’ve done to correct the mistakes.

10. How to Write a Research Paper. References

Definition:

This is a list of sources that you used during your research paper writing.

General guidelines:

  • properly document sources;
  • ask your tutor what citation style should be used in citing;
  • list sources in an alphabetical order;
  • some of your reports may not require references, and if that is the case simply state that “no references were consulted.

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • Keep track of used literature from the very beginning.

11. How to Write a Research Paper. Appendices

Definition:

Appendices contain information in greater detail than can be presented in the main body of the paper, but which may be of interest to a few people working specifically in your field.

General guidelines:

  • Appendices include:
  • list of tables;
  • list of figures;

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • Make sure to place the right numbers in order to grant quick access to the tables and figures within the text.

12. How to Write a Research Paper. Acknowledgements

Definition:

This is a thank you page for those who helped you with writing a research paper: tutor, librarians, etc.

Our tips on writing a research paper:

  • Don’t generalize. Here it is better to address each person separately.

Research paper is not the most difficult academic assignment; and still, it does take a lot of time!