How to Write a Research Paper
Is it that time of year again, when your teacher or professor requires you to write a research paper in order to pass the class? If you need to pass a class, a high quality research paper can definitely help. The truth of the matter is that if you are organized and understand how to put together a research paper, the entire process is much easier and a lot less time consuming.
Research Paper Specs
The first step in writing a research paper is to obtain the specifications of the research paper you will need to write. For instance, a research paper on literary criticism will be much different from an experimental psychology research paper. Besides the styles (MLA for English type papers and AP for social science papers), other key information should be noted in order to plan effectively for your paper. Some key information you should request is:
research paperSpecific Topic– You will want to know what the research paper must be on. If this paper is required by your psychology professor, then obviously the topic will be in this field. Many professors leave the topic for research papers open ended. For instance, a psychology professor may give you the assignment to write a research paper on any area or person studied in the course this semester; others will give you very specific topics that give the student little leeway.
Style of Paper– Generally speaking, there are two main forms of writing research papers: MLA and AP. Your professor should state which style the paper should be written in. If not stated, then it is generally assumed that any social science papers are written in AP style, while English, art history or other art and humanity courses are written in MLA style.
The Length of the Paper– Size matters. The size of your paper will determine how in depth your research will be and how much time it will take to complete. Students should budget about 3 hours per page to write a research paper. So for a 10 page research paper, it will generally take about 30 hours to complete (factoring both research and writing).
Due Data & Administration– Some professors require you to hand in an outline of your paper in order for it to be green lighted by your professor before you start work. This is beneficial for both you and your professor. This reduces the prospect that you write a paper that is off topic and ensures that you understand the assignment. Even if your professor does not require you to hand in an outline, its always a good idea to ask questions if you are unsure of the assignment and ask for your professor’s approval on a topic before you start work.
Familiarize Yourself with the Topic that You Have Chosen
Before you start in depth research on your topic, you will want to grasp some basics regarding your topic before moving forward. This step can help you avoid wasting valuable time and make sure that the topic you have chosen works well for your assignment.
When familiarizing yourself with the topic, first off make sure you understand the assignment. You will want to recognize both the strengths and weaknesses of your choice. If you are writing a research paper on an unknown writer, you should be prepared to find little resources available. However, if you choose to write a research paper on Shakespeare, make sure you are creative on your approach or you will look as if you didn’t put enough thought into the project.
Preliminary Research
Before you start reading lots of essays on your topic or reading an author’s biography, you should first start out with preliminary research. Preliminary research is first researching the resources you will use. The choice of your resources will hold a lot of weight on your final paper, so make sure that you choose your resources wisely. In general, resources from many different areas can help you get a good overall picture of your topic. While the internet is an excellent resource, most professors still prefer traditional media such as books, articles, journals, essays, etc.
Narrow in Further on Your Topic
After you have chosen your resources and have thought about your paper, now is a good time to narrow in and focus on your topic of choice. Sometimes having too broad of a topic can make a research paper hard to manage. When you close in on your topic of choice, the end result usually is a tighter and more easily manageable research paper.
Create a Thesis or Question
What is the goal of your research paper? This is a question that must be asked. Many times it is spelled out to you by your professor in the assignment, but it also must be clear in your mind when you begin the process of bringing your thoughts, insights and curiosity into your research paper. Now that you are at the point to begin the hard work of writing your research paper, you should have a clear and focused thesis or question in mind.
In Depth Research
Before you actually write your paper, you must learn about your topic. Research is the best way to learn in depth details about your topic. Researching properly can help you save time and energy. Talk to your librarian or go online and learn tips and tricks about searching for information effectively. The good news is that with today’s technology, you might not even have to step inside a library. Many resources are online in printable form. If you are a university student, you might have access to books, journals, abstracts, articles, and so on all online.
Besides knowing how to find research materials, you will need to know how to survey the research materials you have collected. You don’t want to waste 8 hours reading a book that has little information regarding your topic. Learn to browse resources and focus in on documents that can help you with your primary thesis. It is important to be a good evaluator of the resources that you have collected.
Once you find good resources, you will want to record them so that you can later use them in your research paper. This might consist of printing them out in hard copy, saving them to your hard drive, recording catalog information for future reference, note taking, or taking out a few books from your local library.
The Outline
Once you understand your topic and have done a good deal of research, you should construct an outline. An outline is a template of your research paper. It details the various parts of your paper and helps you organize the paper so that you can manage it easily. You can start out with a broad draft, but inevitably, the more detailed your outline is, the better organized and more thorough your paper will be.
Your First Draft
Now that you know your topic, have researched it thoroughly and have a decent outline, you can start putting your thoughts down on paper in the form of a first draft. For many research papers, a few drafts will be necessary. A first draft will let you see your initial ideas on paper, show you which parts of your paper are strong and which are weak and require lots of tweaking. Don’t get too discouraged; writing a research paper can sometimes be a long and arduous process.
Tweaking Your Paper
Usually one draft is not enough. Many students write two or three drafts. Obviously, you don’t have to rewrite the entire research paper, but some parts of the paper will need more work than others. When tweaking your paper keep in mind the purpose of each part of your paper. This is the time to be organized and manage the construction of your paper responsibly. Many times students go off on tangents or leave a thought incomplete. Make sure that as you tweak your paper you find any loose ends and correct them.
Have Someone Else Proofread Your Paper
While we all proofread our own papers, it is a very good idea to have another set of eyeballs read your paper and critique it for you. Many times, we get caught up in our research paper that we no longer are the best judge of what works and what doesn’t. A fresh set of eyes will help you improve your paper. You may want to ask other students in your class or even a staff member at your school’s writing lab.
Adding Resources
Once you complete writing your research paper and are happy with the information that is included, you will need to add the many resources to your paper to make it complete. Resources can include a bibliography, cited sources within the text, footnotes, end notes, an index, a table of contents, statistical measurements, etc. Resources usually follow a set format, so make sure that you properly create and insert your resources into your research paper. If you need help, you can easily view an MLA or AP style guide or look at other papers in your genre to figure out how to use resources effectively. (Tips on how to write a bibliography)
Creating Your Finished Product
You generally just need to print out your research paper and hand it in. As with any item, presentation is the key. Make sure your final report is clean, neat and attractive looking. Spend a dollar or two and purchase a report cover. Many people print their papers on high quality paper. While quality white paper is a good idea, especially if you have graphics, you should be aware that most professors frown upon colored paper unless it serves a specific purpose. For more information regarding this article, read the Top 10 ways to make a difference using a pen.