How to write a research paper?

Here is a complete guide for you to write a research paper from top to bottom. No matter if you are writing your research paper after a very long gap or you are already familiar with writing research paper, but you feel like first time whenever you write it or you completed your high school without writing any research paper you passed it just with your good looks and by your charm.

Choosing a Topic: Interest, Focus, and Information

You have to choose a topic for your research based on your interest. Choosing a topic of your interest can help you to be more focus towards the research, makes you feel more joyful and help you to be motivated. If you are provided with a general topic, then search for a method of research which matches your interest. The topic you choose should contain meaningful amount of information, to check it you can do a preliminary research on it. You can ask help from the librarians if you need any assistance. The readers guide from libraries reference section can help you with finding the periodical literature related to your research. If you have more amount of information then narrow down your research topic.

If you have decided the topic and if you are able to find adequate information then you can further move on to the research. Move on to find some other topic if you couldn’t gain enough information without wasting no time.

 Preliminary Reading & Recordkeeping

            Always keep any notebook or an index card with you whenever you are collecting information. Some may have their own choice of method for index card, which they use for their whole journey of research. This keeps them to be more organized and flexible and also keep them to stay updated on tracking sources and others use them to find facts or use it to colour code.

            You can note information like author name, name of the book or article or the information about publications on your notebook or index card. You can also note down information about the page number of a source from where you gathered a particular data. You can use any of the formats like APA or MLA styles as advised by your mentor for taking notes. To know more about the information on publications for sources, you can use the help of any writing guide like SF Writer. When you copy anything exactly from any of the source as it is, try to put it inside a quotation mark. So that you can find difference between the paraphrasing and the exact copy later in future. Remember keeping good records of information you collect which will help you in future to draft your research paper.

Organizing: Mind map or Outline

            Come up with a working outline or mind map after completing your preliminary research which can help you with starting your paper writing work. It can help you organize information by revising it and by adding or striking off any information at any convenient time. A mind map may be less linear and can also contain information about the problem you are going to address. The main motive of a mind map is to group similar ideas which are related logically.

Formulating a Paper: Focus and Craftsmanship

            Craft a research statement for your research paper with full focus. It should be a well-defined three to five points of statement. Make changes to it later on if required. Finally come up with one or two line of research statement, it will contribute to the development and direction of your paper.

Researching: Facts and Examples

            Try to do more research to collect as many examples and facts. To gather data use sources such as newspaper article, reference books, internet and electronic databases or any other source to balance it. Use a notebook or an index card to note down the information about publication of every source that will help you in citing sources and for creating bibliography. Use notebooks to mark any important details or any key points or to note examples. Whenever taking notes, don’t forget to differentiate between paraphrasing and direct quotes.

            Taking opinion from experts will help you more than taking a general opinion. Don’t copy from any of the internet source; try to avoid it because it is less reliable which vary from one another. If you want guidance for any particular topic, find it from any recent research than looking on to an older research, it will be valuable.

Rethinking: Matching Mind Map and Statement

            When you have collected enough amount of information then consider re-working on your outline or mind map. Balance your mind map by maintaining the key points. Expand it by adding extra explanations, examples and information. To make your paper better, re read your paper, collect extra information from library to expand the key points.

Drafting: Beginning in the Middle

            Start from the middle. Avoid drafting the introduction and conclusion part for now. Unless you are very familiar with writing research paper, don’t start with introduction and conclusion. To enhance the research statement, make use of the supporting details systematically and logically.

Revising: Organization and attribution

            Every paragraph you write in your paper should support your research statement. Ensure whether you have a well-organized ideas, revise and re check it. If any of the paragraphs you used in your research paper does not match your research statement, remove it. Re check whether you have paraphrased and quoted properly and also check source citing. Credits should be given to the particular owner if the idea did not come from your own knowledge.

Writing: Intro, Conclusion, and Citations

            In a research paper a research statement will appear in the introduction Para or in the last. In your final draft, make sure to use only one paragraph for introduction and conclusion. Check whether you have used correct format like APA or MLA styles for citing sources. The conclusion should validate your research.

If you want to know why you should do citation and not to face the consequences, follow the following:

• Citing is mandatory, it requires honesty.
• It helps the readers of your research work to reach out more by reading your sources.
• It shows how dedicated you are towards your research work, how much time you spent in library and about the sources you used for your research.

 Proofreading: Time and Objectivity

In between you finish drafting your paper and start making corrections, spend some time for proofreading. This will help you in making your paper more objective, critical and perceptive. Before submitting your paper, check for any punctuation or grammar mistakes. Check whether you have made correct structuring of sentence or you have made smooth transitions between paragraphs.