10 tips on how to write a research paper

College life is always associated with numerous research papers in all academic disciplines. Research paper writing takes much time and effort. It isn’t surprising that few students feel happy when they are assigned to complete a research project. Is it the first time you are going to craft a research paper? Stop asking yourself “Who can write my research paper?” Here is a collection of helpful guidelines that really work. Follow tips on how to write a research paper and you’ll gain all the necessary skills for high-quality research writing.

How to write a research paper step by step?

A research paper is a massive project that should contain much information on the topic. You are recommended to divide paper writing into small tasks to complete a great paper. You are likely to create a top-quality research paper if you write it step by step.

1. First, you need to choose the best topic for your research. You are recommended to make a list of topics and pick the one you feel passionate about. The author won’t be able to attract readers’ attention if he/she isn’t engaged himself/herself.
2. Look for credible sources of information. You should start the search early because this part of paper writing takes much time. Take into account that your research paper should be deep and insightful. That’s why it is a bad idea to use Wikipedia as the only source of information. Search for books, previous research, articles, WEB resources. Don’t forget to visit your college library. Process all pieces of information and make sure that they are new. You should use sources of information that aren’t older than 5 years old. Otherwise, you risk including the information that isn’t valid anymore.
3. Learn modern methodologies. You are recommended to check what methodologies researchers use now and apply them to your personal research. Include a methodology section in your paper.
4. Write a detailed research paper outline. It’s a vital step in the process of paper writing. Most students think that it’s a waste of time to create an outline but believe it, the outline will help you not to forget anything and not to lose the logical chain of thoughts.
5. Devote some time to interpret both primary and secondary sources. Decide which sources you would like to use.
6. Be curious and ask questions. Make notes when you find some new interesting facts on your research paper topic. Write a list with the issues that require further investigation.
7. Concentrate your attention on research paper writing. If you feel tired, you’d better make a 5-min break than continue writing, otherwise, you risk making a mistake.
8. Divide all the material into sections and organize your thoughts the right way. The structure of the research paper is similar to the structure of any other academic paper. It must consist of a brief introduction, the main body, and the conclusion. Besides, you need to include references, discussion, results, and a methodology section.
9. Pay special attention to paper formatting. It must contain a title page, contents, and all the necessary sections mentioned above formatted according to your teacher’s instructions.
10. Edit and proofread a research paper. The final step is editing. It’s the stage when you reread the paper and check whether there are logical connections between paper sections. Make sure that the paper doesn’t contain plagiarized ideas and grammar mistakes. For this, you are recommended to use advanced plagiarism and grammar checker tools available for free online. If you want to be sure that your research paper is flawless you can go to a professional editor and ask to polish your paper draft.

Guidelines on how to write a research paper: introduction, main body, and conclusion

Now you are aware of all the must-have steps for successful research paper writing. Let’s have a closer look at how to complete each part of the research paper so that it sounds great.

• How to start a research paper? It’s very important to write a hooking opening of the research paper. You can start with some interesting facts, an engaging question, or some background information on the topic issue. The main rule to follow: write a brief introduction that expresses a clear idea of the entire content. You should include a thesis statement in your introduction and make sure that it sounds powerful.
• What should you write in the main body? The research paper body should consist of several paragraphs each of which must start with a new idea or argument. Remember that this type of paper should include evidence to each of the writer’s thoughts. You shouldn’t be emotional when writing a research paper. Just give credible arguments and tell what other researchers have discovered when analyzing a similar topic.
• How to write a conclusion for a research paper? At the end of the research, it’s important to conclude all of the ideas so that the reader doesn’t have any more questions on the topic. Make it clear and concise. The volume of the conclusion shouldn’t be long. It must be the summary of all pieces of information given in the main body.

How to make a research paper hooking for your reader?

It isn’t enough just to conduct research and analysis and structure a research paper to attract your target audience. A valuable research paper must meet many criteria to be evaluated high. If you want to submit the paper and get an A-grade for it, you need to stand out. The very first thing you should do to hook the reader is to create a killer title.

• Make it intriguing and avoid complicated words and phrases. Your task is to engage the reader. Don’t think that the more terms you will use, the higher your grade will be. Use simple understandable language.
• Pick the topic that will be interesting for both your reader and you. That’s why you need to identify your target audience before making the final choice. Remember that readers feel when the author isn’t engaged when writing about something. The paper will be boring if you don’t feel passionate about the issue you review. You should be guided by the following rule when choosing the paper topic: pass by too technical topics and too broad general topics. You need to pick a specific topic that will be narrowed to a certain aspect.
• Make sure that the research paper contains the results of all existing recent research on a similar topic. Don’t use old sources of information which may include the facts that don’t have any value now.
• Give your reader some ideas that can be researched in the future. Some of them may sound unrealistic at the moment but you can give a forecast for the future. Tell what kind of technologies can help to realize all of your ideas and explain how mankind will benefit from your research.

Things to keep in mind to create a first-class research paper

Most students make the same mistake when writing a research paper. They don’t keep the main message clear. What message would you like your readers to get? Think about it and make sure that there won’t be any misunderstandings between you as the author and your reader. Have you got an assignment to write a research paper in a team? Then, you should discuss all the key ideas and results to present a clear message to your reader which can be a challenging task if there is more than one paper author.

A brilliant paper should contain some additional materials. Take care of the illustration of all the paper ideas. Everyone knows that examples and visualization help to have a clear picture of the topic discussed. That’s why you need to provide your target audience with the visual presentation of the information.

Make sure that your paper is free from abstract and unclear scientific terms. It’s a misconception that research papers should be dull and contain only factual information. Make your research project interesting and creative. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t base it on evidence. It is a must. But it doesn’t mean that you aren’t allowed to tell facts in your own voice. It is up to you to engage the reader and make it so that he/she feels impatient wondering what results you have achieved. A research paper must be readable. Include more active verbs and avoid too formal language that can make your reader bored. One more thing to keep in mind when completing a research paper is that you shouldn’t be over-confident. Make the conclusions that will be valuable for the further research and outline what aspects can be investigated in the researched area.

Hope now the word “research paper” doesn’t evoke anxiety in you. Follow the useful tips on how to write a college research paper listed above and you’ll complete a top-quality paper with brilliant content and well-organized structure.