How to Start Writing a Research Paper: An Ultimate Guide
The idea of writing a research paper is the most frequent reason why so many students immediately have a fit of anxiety. As a process that requires lots of effort to find relevant data and come up with your own research proposal, this makes an area of the unknown which makes it even scarier to start doing anything.
Still, every big research can be broken into parts. When you have at least an approximate plan of action, research doesn’t seem to be impossible anymore. So, the goal of this short guide is to present effective steps that students could use for starting to write their academic papers. With a good word of advice and a reliable team of expert helpers to whom you could always send a request to write my research paper, – no research paper is too difficult.
Make the Process Uncomplicated: Simple Plan to Jumpstart Research Paper Writing
Now, research papers for college students are in some ways resembling academic essays. In both types of tasks, you need to conduct scientific research, critically view the data and opinions that you have found, and come to a logical conclusion. While common essays and research papers greatly vary in size, their nature remains the same – to make you think and find the truth.
What do you need to start making this research and complete it successfully? See our step-by-step list to endure the whole writing process and come out a winner.
Step 1. Carefully read the assignment/topic.
Very often, a good half of success is hidden in understanding the task right. Read the given topic many times, make sure there are familiar concepts. If anything appears puzzling or ambivalent, discuss it with your research supervisor to clarify your route. The earlier – the better.
Step 2. Make sure you know what formal elements are required.
Get all possible info about the deadline, formatting style, demands for volume, and the way this paper will be passed and defended. Knowing what to expect will bring you so much peace and help you get going.
Step 3. Make preparatory research.
Even before writing a word in your first draft, you need to make a preliminary inquiry to focus on the central ideas of your paper, find worthy ideas in reliable sources, and get inspired. Find the exact issues that you can address in your academic writing. The issues that have already been discussed would also do – just be mindful and try to notice what aspects might have been left out of view, what recent innovations you could use to contribute to the scholarly discussion, etc. Keep all of your findings in order. At this stage (and further), it is crucial not to lose those pieces of data.
Step 4. Develop a good thesis statement.
When you define the aim of your study, the writing process goes faster. Determine the purpose that won’t be too wide and abstract. Be specific, cover only the areas that you are competent in, answer just a few particular research questions, and don’t try to reach anything lying out of the scope of your research topic. A thesis statement is clear, concise, and expresses your viewpoint or hypothesis which summarizes most of the arguments you will include in the paper.
Step 5. Create a paper plan and outline.
Take the volume that you are supposed to have in the result and divide it into chapters. See what ideas are most important to focus on, plan how many pages it will take, how you will logically sequence the parts, and what structure each chapter will have. Outline it all including the evidence that the paper is going to have. Ta-dam, this is the roadmap that will lead you in writing!
Step 6. Begin writing the body relying on the plan.
Although many sources advise students to write the paper starting from the introduction, this advice brings doubtful benefits. Especially if you’re inexperienced in academic writing and don’t exactly know what conclusion your research will lead you to, it’s wiser to write the body and then, having a specific result, create a powerful introduction. Besides, when you defend your paper, the introduction is the only part that gets attention from professors in the jury actually read. To make it really strong, write it when you’re confident.
Step 7. Write flexibly not perfectly.
On the one hand, a plan is an essential roadmap for you to reach the right destination; on the other hand, the writing process can sometimes be messy and it’s okay. As long as your arguments and examples make sense and help you reveal the topic, write them down. In the end, it’s your first draft that nobody will judge you for. When you’re done with collecting evidence and arguments, then you can sequence them in chapters, add smooth and pretty transitions, and polish the text till you like it.
Step 8. Draw a conclusion + make the second draft.
Having reached a certain result, check if it lines up with your aim and answers the assignment. See if all foundational ideas are clarified, justified, and explained enough. Be merciful to your mistakes but correct them (when if not now?). This is the perfect moment to rearrange ideas and change the paper’s structure if it improves the effect.
We are stone sure this guide will be extremely helpful for writing academic papers. Follow it, don’t be afraid to experiment, and the straight-A is guaranteed.