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As you know, writing research papers is an integral part of pursuing higher studies. It holds immense importance in the academic realm. Every student has to go through writing a research paper at least once in their university life.
However, writing a research paper can be overwhelming. It is a tiresome and time-consuming task that needs a lot of effort. From drafting the research paper to giving the final touches, students have to tackle every single aspect of writing a research paper. However, as tough as it sounds, there are certainly many things associated with writing a good research paper. So, this blog is going to be your ultimate guide that covers every crucial aspect of how to write a research paper that will make you shine. The most effective research paper writing tips are furnished here to help you get your academic eminence. The blog is designed for academic beginners, such as undergraduate or postgraduate students. This blog will be the guiding light, especially for non-native English students as well. So, let’s discover what it takes to write a really good academic research paper for your university.
Writing a research paper requires you to understand what a research paper is and its purpose. So, get straight to the main points below.
A research paper is an academic writing that you need to submit in the final year at university. It is a formal document that presents a thorough research on a research topic. It is an important piece of writing that provides detailed analyses, arguments, findings, and interpretations, supported by factual evidence.
The academic purpose of a research paper is to demonstrate your knowledge of a topic or a particular field of study to your professors. It heavily contributes towards your academic credibility. This academic research paper is necessary to develop a pathway to your desired professional or academic career as well. Moreover, a good research paper proves that you are a fine researcher as per academic best practices.
As you want to know how to write a research paper, you must understand the differences between a research paper and a thesis, an essay or a dissertation.
Research Paper: A research paper is a detailed presentation of all the findings that you have acquired by independent experiments, specific data analysis and excavating the topic in depth.
Essay: On the contrary, an essay develops arguments based on the assignment requirements.
Thesis or Dissertation: A thesis or dissertation demonstrates significant contributions towards a particular field of study.
However, all of them exhibit one’s fine expertise.
To understand how to write a research paper, be sure that you know the importance of writing a research paper. It will help you concentrate more on the special aspects associated with writing a good research paper.
A research paper helps you achieve academic success by curating your depth of knowledge on a particular topic or subject. This profound knowledge further serves towards your academic growth as it helps you establish your position as a professional researcher. More importantly, writing a research paper help you become an essential part of the elite academic community.
Writing a research paper builds implicit skills such as critical thinking, efficient research, and skilful writing. It makes you proficient in these areas that are a crucial part of lifelong learning. Moreover, it enables you to make informed decisions and foster innovation at large.
Crafting an excellent research paper not only helps you secure higher grades but also helps you seize scholarship opportunities with ease. A well-developed research paper is essential for assessing the capability of students in advanced learning, which ensures smooth progress in the academic landscape. Moreover, a research paper is a valuable piece of documentation that is published by the university for knowledge sharing and impacting the quality of research in a positive way.
For further exploration of how to write a research paper, you need to learn all the types of research papers that can be written for academics. Explore the research paper types below.
In an analytical research paper, you need to crack and separate the concept or issue to analyse it thoroughly. An analytical research paper is appropriate for Business, Economics and scientific subjects.
Topic Example: The role of artificial intelligence in shaping professional dimensions and the future.
An argumentative research paper is a type of research paper that is built on solid argumentative points. It further demands debating, logical reasoning and critical thinking skills. An argumentative research paper is suitable for subjects like Political Science, History and English.
Topic Example: Should felons be allowed to regain the right to vote after serving their sentences?
One of the most essential types of research papers is an experimental research paper. In this, you need to examine and prospect a specific phenomenon through a hypothesis. An experimental research paper is generally written for subjects like Psychology, Biology, Medicine, Physics and Chemistry.
Topic Example: The role of music in combating insomnia: The mysteries of cognitive function.
A survey-based research paper mainly concentrates on the data collected from questionnaires or surveys. It typically deals with qualitative data, such as characteristics, beliefs, and behaviours of participants. A survey-based research paper is ideal for a number of subjects such as Marketing, Public Health and even Social Sciences.
Topic Example: Common perceptions of climate change and how serious the public is about it.
A comparative research paper is designed to find similarities and differences between different cases to gain a profound understanding of how they connect and what their underlying principles are. Here, theories and models are also tested in various contexts. This type of research paper is typically used in Law, Sociology, and Anthropology subjects.
Topic Example: American Revolution vs French Revolution: Excavating the causes.
The expository research paper presents different perspectives, relevant evidence, factual information, and clear reasoning on a particular concept or topic in a concise and organised manner. The expository research paper can be written for subjects like Journalism and various other professional and technical concepts.
Topic Example: The relationship between income inequality and excessive crime rate on a global scale.
To understand how to write a research paper, the most essential element of a research paper is its topic. Moreover, you need to make sure that the research topic is good enough to be worth exploring and reading. Learn how to decide on a good research topic below.
To choose a good research paper topic, you need to evaluate the relevance of the topic against the course and its outcome. Moreover, be sure that your topic is perfectly aligned with the current debatable topics or issues, so it becomes more relevant according to the real-world scenarios.
To choose the right research paper topic, you must be more practical and consider originality. You should be able to propose a new perspective or original thought through your research topic that is unique and innovative. Moreover, when selecting a topic, you need to be mindful about the feasibility of your research, such as funding, access to data and use of any special equipment. The most effective tip for research paper topic selection is to balance both factors in choosing the right one.
To further get to the point of how to write a research paper, make sure there is enough existing literature related to your research paper topic. Ensure that you are able to research and gather adequate data and information to support your research paper. Moreover, take time to determine the scope of research on your preferred topic. It will help you select a topic that is suitable for your research paper.
If you are bombarded with ideas and have a large subject area for research, then you need to strategically narrow it down to a central idea or topic. Find out how to narrow down a board topic below.
Rely on your area of interest and strength.
Find a niche that matches your areas of interest.
Eliminate vagueness in the topic area.
Choose a particular problem area and develop a problem statement.
Focus on the research aim and rationale.
To get to the depth of how to write a research paper, let’s define the speciality of writing a strong thesis statement for your research paper, below.
The research paper thesis statement must be defined in such a way that it conveys the central idea or main concept of your research. It must be written clearly and concisely that explain the core message coherently. Moreover, a special aspect of an effective thesis statement is that it needs to be arguable.
Understanding the differences between these two distinct types of thesis statements reflects an advanced research paper writing technique. Let’s have a look at how they are composed, which makes all the difference.
Strong Thesis Statement: Evaluating the effectiveness of the modern-day healthcare system in the United Kingdom to ensure improved outcomes, impacting overall healthcare services and combating chronic diseases.
Weak Thesis Statement: John Ketas has produced some of the finest English literature that makes a special contribution to the subject.
To align your thesis statement with the research paper objectives, you need to ensure that the thesis statement is crafted as per the main purpose or argument of the paper. Make your thesis statement focus on the specific and measurable steps that have been incorporated to prove the research. Moreover, make sure that your thesis statement is exactly about what you have explored in your research paper.
The next step to have a better idea of how to write a research paper is to understand the research paper outline. So, let's talk about the benefits, the common structure and outline template below.
Outlining the research paper provides the essential roadmap for how you can carry out your research in the right direction. It helps you keep focused and make your research paper topic-oriented, which is crucial for writing a good research paper.
The general structure of a research paper follows the IMRAD framework, which consists of Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion. Moreover, the whole research paper is built based on the traditional format of five paragraphs. This is a standard structure that must be followed in the research paper. Applying this structure appropriately will help you comprehend how to write a research paper more clearly.
Let’s check out the outline essentials -Let’s check out the outline essentials -
Compose your central idea in a well-defined manner.
Sketch out the major chapters or sections of your research paper.
Incorporate the right framework.
Leave a separate page for writing relevant and supporting evidence.
Revise and refine the draft.
If you are looking forward to conducting effective research for your research paper, get an idea of why research is crucial. The answer is that it helps you expand the breadth of your knowledge, analyse gaps and issues, and make informed decisions. However, without sources, no research is possible, let alone its effectiveness. So, for effective research, first find out what types of sources exist in academic research.
Primary Sources: The primary sources refer to the original data that is directly related to the original research done in a specific period. These sources can be identified as first-hand accounts based on original interviews or research. It is called raw information that allows you to form your personal opinions, interpretations or judgements.
Secondary Sources: As the name suggests, secondary sources are formed based on the information of primary sources. It can be a summary, analysis, interpretation, or new perspectives that broaden your understanding of the subject in an elaborate manner.
Peer-reviewed Papers: To further know how to write a research paper, you need to be sure which sources to rely on for your research. To explore existing literature and current knowledge, you can consult books, published academic papers, scholarly articles, and peer-reviewed journals. Moreover, you can also consider academic databases and websites for your information. Some of the widely recognised platforms for sources are Google Scholar and JSTOR.
Avoiding Unreliable Sources: However, you need to be careful about not using unreliable platforms as your research paper writing resources. Be aware of dubious websites that have false or exaggerated information that can impact the results, interpretation and outcomes of your research. Choose only valid and genuine sources for information that is accurate.
If you want to know how to write a research paper more profoundly, then you need to know about research methodologies. Research Methodology is a systematic approach to conducting research and analysing the results. It consists of a specific research design, various data collection methods, different techniques for data analysis and proper justification for choosing them.
There are three types of research methodologies based on the type of data that you are collecting. To further explore how to write a research paper, let’s understand the function and right application of these research methodologies.
This methodology deals with qualitative data in textual and verbal form. It involves focus groups, interviews and observations for processing qualitative data.
Application: It is the preferred method to examine and find the nature of human actions. This is why it is widely used in the psychology and sociology fields.
This research deals with numerical data for testing and measuring. To apply this methodology, you need to use tools like surveys, statistical analysis and experiments.
Application: It is suitable for testing a hypothesis for your research paper.
This methodology focuses on the combination of both qualitative and quantitative research methods.
Application: It is most appropriate for handling numerical and non-numerical data that need to be evaluated simultaneously to reach the result.
Let’s explore some effective research paper writing tips. Learn about all the basics that must be followed to write a good research design.
Clearly define the aim of the research so that you can choose a suitable methodology.
Understand the different types of methodologies thoroughly before choosing one.
Always choose a representative sample that can guide you.
Plan the data collection procedures according to your requirements.
Lastly, decide which data analysis strategies will best suit you to derive the most accurate results.
Ethical guidelines in academic research refer to the set of rules that re-establish the academic standard. They are heavily influenced by the principles of academic integrity. It defines and dictates what actions are morally right and what are wrong. These ethical guidelines further ensure and promote responsibility, honesty, and fairness in the academic field. Being accustomed to these guidelines will help you understand how to write a research paper more effectively.
The research ethics are specially designed for students to evidently eliminate the plagiarism issue, which is a serious academic misconduct. These ethics refrain students from committing heinous offences such as fabrication and falsification in academics.
As you are on the verge of knowing how to write a research paper, you must be able to cite all the sources properly in your research paper. You need to include all the sources that you have used in your research and writing. Moreover, you need to maintain the accuracy of information in references such as the correct name of the author, the title of the work, the date of publication, the page number, and the exact URL. You need to be extra cautious about stating all this information while citing the sources.
For ethical considerations, you need to obtain a consent form from all the participants who have helped you in your research paper. It requires you to provide comprehensive details about the nature of your research, such as its potential benefits, purpose and risks. The significance of such informed consent is protecting the individual's rights, maintaining confidentiality and anonymity.
Structuring your research paper is another important aspect of knowing how to write a research paper. For a smooth and productive research paper writing process, understanding the structure of your research paper is very important. It guides you on what to cover in your research paper and which elements you need to explain further. The structure serves as a logical order for writing a good research paper. So, let’s find out how to write a research paper structure and what the purpose of each element is.
Title Page: The title page of your research paper contains the most crucial information about you and your research paper, such as the title of the research paper, your student name, the name of your institution, course or degree, the due date and a running head to give necessary details.
Abstract: An abstract is part of the academic research paper format that provides a short overview or concise summary of your research paper. It is a well-put-together summary of the entire research paper. It gives your professor an idea about what your research paper is all about.
Table of Contents: A table of contents consists of all the important chapters, sections, headings and subheadings corresponding to the exact page numbers to assist your professor in finding the preferred information more easily. It also gives a preview of what the research paper exactly contains as per the research topic.
Introduction: An introduction, as the name suggests, helps you introduce your topic. It is the first chapter of your research paper that lets your professor start the journey of exploring the topic further. It must always be interesting and give the context of your topic.
Literature Review: The Literature review provides how much literature you have explored for your research and critically reviewed it for the needs of your current study. It helps in developing and refining your research by understanding the existing literature. Literature review is a way to understand the existing knowledge on a research topic more in depth.
Methodology: The methodology section helps you choose a systematic approach. It further justifies and explains the strategic approach you took in order to address the research questions and derive a result to meet the expected outcome. It serves as a validation of the findings.
Results: The purpose of the results section is to present all the data and information that you have gathered through your research, objectively. It provides an uninterpreted version of the findings. It also represents the unbiased nature of your research.
Discussion: The discussion section is to provide an interpretation and explanation of your research findings. It helps you address the research questions directly and answer them in the right context. It is a way to show your critical insights more prominently to your professor.
Conclusion: The purpose of this last section of the research paper is to reflect on your research paper. More precisely, it acts as a well-awaited closure to your research paper.
References: References serve as the crucial evidence of your research. It helps your professor verify the information in your research paper further. More importantly, it helps your professor connect your new research with the existing body of knowledge.
Appendices: The purpose of appendices is to provide supplementary information or material that is essential for the research. It helps you bring more clarity to your paper without disrupting the flow of ideas. It contains raw data that is crucial for comprehending the research fully.
For a more profound understanding of how to write a research paper, let’s explore how to write each section of your research paper effectively.
Introduction: According to the academic research paper format, to write an effective introduction section, you need to provide the necessary background information that will serve as a context for your research. You also need to write problem statements or your research questions here. Be sure that you state the relevance, significance and rationale of your research properly. More importantly, always include the thesis statement in the introduction to make it more effective.
Literature Review: To write the literature review effectively, you need to synthesise all scholarly sources that are relevant to your research topic. You need to provide a comprehensive summary of each literature and critically evaluate it, and compare all of them. A literature review requires you to find out the associated methods and theories of that literature and identify gaps. Be sure you remember to add all these to your literature review to make it apt.
Methodology: If you want to write a good methodology for your research paper, then explain your research approaches clearly by stating how the research has been conducted. More elaborately, you need to provide details of the research design, data collection methods, sampling strategy, data analysis methods, limitations and challenges of the whole research process.
Methodology: If you want to write a good methodology for your research paper, then explain your research approaches clearly by stating how the research has been conducted. More elaborately, you need to provide details of the research design, data collection methods, sampling strategy, data analysis methods, limitations and challenges of the whole research process.
Results: The results section of your research paper must contain all the analysed and gathered data. You need to objectively represent the data to maintain the originality of the findings. Remember to be unbiased while writing this section. You also need to include the secondary findings and statistical analysis that shaped your results. More importantly, be sure to include graphs, charts and tables to make your results section visually appealing.
Discussion: While writing an effective discussion section, ensure that you explain all the findings by interpreting them accurately. You need to demonstrate your proper understanding of the meanings of the findings. Then discuss the possible implications of the findings and further stretch them. Lastly, propose recommendations for future study or research in this section to make it more effective.
Conclusion: In this last chapter of your research paper, you need to wrap up your whole research more strategically. By saying that, restate your thesis, and highlight the purpose and importance of your research. Be sure that you avoid including any new information here. Moreover, add a thought-provoking clincher at the end to make a lasting impression.
References: When adding references, be sure that you always follow the correct citation format as per your university guidelines. The citation style for research paper includes Harvard, MLA, APA or Chicago. Be aware of the differences among them and write your references correctly, aligning with the exact referencing format.
For further understanding of how to write a research paper, let’s get a profound idea of the citation styles below.
Harvard - Bian, Y., Lu, Y. and Li, J., 2022. Research on an Artificial Intelligence‐Based Professional Ability Evaluation System from the Perspective of Industry‐Education Integration. Scientific Programming, 2022 (1), p.4478115.
APA - Bian, Y., Lu, Y., & Li, J. (2022). Research on an Artificial Intelligence‐Based Professional Ability Evaluation System from the Perspective of Industry‐Education Integration. Scientific Programming, 2022 (1), 4478115.
MLA - Bian, Yijie, Yanchi Lu, and Jingqi Li. "Research on an Artificial Intelligence‐Based Professional Ability Evaluation System from the Perspective of Industry‐Education Integration." Scientific Programming 2022.1 (2022): 4478115.
Chicago - Bian, Yijie, Yanchi Lu, and Jingqi Li. "Research on an Artificial Intelligence‐Based Professional Ability Evaluation System from the Perspective of Industry‐Education Integration." Scientific Programming 2022, no. 1 (2022): 4478115.
To use the referencing style, you need to be sure of what your university recommends. So, first, know what the preferred referencing style is for your research paper as per your department. You can check the university guidelines for using the right referencing style in the research paper. Moreover, you can talk to your professor or guide to get a clear idea of what referencing style should be incorporated in your research paper.
Some of the widely used free tools for correct referencing include Citation Machine, Cite This For Me, BibGuru, ZoteroBIB, and Scribbr. These tools will help you generate accurate citations as per any referencing style (Harvard, MLA, APA, or Chicago). Moreover, you can use Mendeley or Zotero as well for effective citation management.
To grasp everything about how to write a research paper, you must know about plagiarism and how effectively you can avoid it to maintain academic integrity.
Some of the most common types of pagirism are detailed here. Let’s find out about them below.
Global or Complete: This type of plagiarism claims that the entire work of someone else is yours.
Verbatim or Direct: This type of plagiarism occurs when you directly copy and paste a quote without a citation.
Paraphrasing: Here, you use someone else’s points of argument or ideas and explain them in your own words without properly citing them.
Self-Plagiarism: It happens when you use your own work without an acknowledgement.
Let's find out how to properly cite sources in the research paper below.
In-text citation: You can add in-text citations at the end of a sentence where any information from a scholarly work has been used. In-text citations go into the main text or the main body of research.
Reference List: Another proper way to cite is to add a reference list at the end of your research paper. This reference list should be on a separate page containing the vital information of all the sources that you have used in the research.
Some of the popular tools for checking plagiarism in academic papers are Grammarly, Turnitin, QueText, and CopyLeaks. These tools offer both free and paid versions, each with unique features that help you detect plagiarism with ease.
Now, you are almost near the end of knowing how to write a research paper. Let's uncover advanced editing, proofreading and revising techniques.
Some of the most crucial errors to detect and edit are grammatical, spelling and punctuation mistakes. Pay close attention to inconsistent spacing in the text. Look for typos. Check the use of capitalised letters in the wrong places.
Self-editing requires you to read the whole research paper aloud, section by section. It helps you detect the evident disruption in the flow. You can catch awkward phrases and edit them further to maintain the flow of writing. Moreover, you need to edit accordingly to maintain the exact word count that has been suggested for your research paper by the university.
To edit with more efficiency, you can use various tools to simplify the process. Some of the most common tools for editing and proofreading are ProWritingAid, Hemingway Editor and Grammarly. These tools have built-in features and a calculator to give details about the readability scores.
Some of the most effective professional proofreading tips are explained below.
Thoroughly read the research paper.
Focus on details.
Maintain the formal writing style.
Check the usage of proper academic terms and language.
Look for clarity and consistency.
The final step of knowing how to write a research paper requires you to follow the final submission checklist for an error-free submission. Read this checklist guide to writing a research paper up to the mark.
Format Review: Review the research paper format, whether the ideal font type, font size and alignment are incorporated correctly or not. Be sure to include borders on all sides of the pages of your research paper.
Referencing Accuracy: Recheck the accuracy of all the information in the references and in-text citations. Also, check whether your research paper has consistently followed the correct format for references.
Word Count and Page Limit: Check the overall word count of your research paper and whether you have maintained it or not. The suggested word count must be followed properly. Also, be sure you do not exceed the suggested page limit for your research paper.
File Type, Name, And Portal Submission: Now, it is time to make sure that your research paper has been transformed into the required file type for the submission portal. It can be a Docx or a PDF. Remember to name the file in the correct format by following the naming conventions.
If you want to get the full benefit of knowing how to write a research paper, then check out the tools and software below, which will help you write your research appear writing with ease.
Scrivener: It is one of the most powerful tools for research management that lets you organise your concepts, drafts, and notes.
EndNote: This is a research tool that helps you find relevant sources and store them properly. It also helps you generate footnotes.
Microsoft Word: It is a traditional writing tool with various formatting options. It also helps you navigate the progress of writing your research paper.
QuillBot: It is a paraphrasing tool that will help you paraphrase information from sources in no time.
Citavi: This tool offers comprehensive research management features, including efficient analysis, organisation, and citation of sources.
Now you know how to write your research paper, let’s have a look at the evident challenges that you can face while writing it and how effectively you can overcome them.
Writer’s Block: Students often face writer’s block while brainstorming ideas for their research paper. To mitigate this challenge, you can get inspired by reading different literature or books. It will help your thought flow smoothly without any difficulties.
Time Management Issues: Writing a research paper needs dedicated months of research and writing. Due to the hectic schedule, students struggle with managing time. So, you can follow a timeline or timetable, assigning all the necessary tasks of your research paper and setting priorities. It will help you complete your research paper on time.
Language Difficulties: For international students studying in the UK, it is often difficult to talk, write and even comprehend the English language. As knowing English profoundly is a major technique to write a good research paper, hone your English skills by taking English classes and practising your English more.
Overwhelming Feedback: Writing a research paper is tough due to the overwhelming feedback from the professor or guide. Moreover, incorporating the professor’s comments into the writing requires a great research paper writing technique. So, you can go to a good academic helper to write your research paper, aligning with the feedback. It will surely help you get good academic scores.
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As this blog is your perfect guide to writing a research paper, you can excel in academic writing with more prominence. Be excited that you will be writing your research paper to finally be in the elite club of fine researchers. Compose your research paper up to the mark with this guide, and you will surely exhibit your academic credentials to your professor.
However, if you are overwhelmed by your research paper, then you can get professional help with research paper writing from us, Quick Assignment Hub. We have the best PhD scholars who are experts in crafting top-quality research papers that will make you soar high in academics. Impress your professor and get higher marks by choosing our exclusive services.
Furthermore, give a quick read of the last additional tips on how to write a research paper.
Perform thorough research and immerse yourself in it to develop critical arguments.
Prepare a well-defined topic for writing your ultimate research paper.
Organize all your ideas and build a logical structure.
Take breaks between tasks and refresh yourself to boost your energy level.
Follow this guide from start to finish to produce the greatest research paper of all time.
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