Research papers are similar to academic essays, but they are typically longer and more informative. They evaluate not only your writing skills but also your academic research abilities.
- show a thorough understanding of your topic
- interact with a range of sources on APA or MLA format
- contribute something unique to the discussion
From understanding your topic to proofreading your final draft, this step-by-step tutorial will walk you through the entire writing process.
Step 1: Understand your assignment
- Many students ignore this step and then ask why they received a poor grade on a paper they worked hard on. It’s usually because they don't follow instructions properly.
- Read the instructions. If any part confuses you, discuss it with your professor.
- Determine the assignment’s target, deadline, length requirements, formatting, and method of submission.
- Make a bullet list of the most important things and go back and mark them off as you write.
The difference between a research paper and a research proposal
Although the writing procedure is comparable, a research paper is not the same as a research proposal.
- Research papers aim to show a student’s academic knowledge of a subject.
- A proposal, however, is a convincing document that seeks to persuade the reader of the importance of a research idea.
- Consider the proposal to be the pitch and the paper to be the final result.
Pro tip
Evaluate the deadline and word count carefully: be practical and provide yourself time to read, write, and edit.Step 2: Choose your subject & research
Choosing a research paper topic
It’s time to figure out your subject in your research paper now that you know the general requirements. There are several ways to come up with a research paper subject:
- Try freewriting; that is, decide on a broad topic and write for two to three minutes to find something meaningful.
- Other papers may also serve as a source of inspiration. Ideas for other relevant subjects that need further investigation are often used in the discussion or recommendations pages of research papers.
- Use your professor’s instructions to help you choose a subject for your research paper.
Make sure that your topic keeps up with the guidelines of your professor. Once you have a broad subject in mind, narrow it down to a subject that:
- Concerns you
- Fits the requirements of the assignment
- Is researchable
Try to come up with topics that are both unique and specific:
- A subject that follows the timeline of World War II would be too generic and unoriginal.
- A subject about the experiences of Danish people living along the German border during WWII would be specific and original.
Research phase
This step may be individual as everybody does their research for a paper in various ways. However, it’s crucial to remain concentrated and not get distracted. After all, you do have a research paper to write.
You may benefit from research when:
- Comprehending the subject
- Generating ideas for your research paper
- Creating a thesis statement
- Speaking confidently about your subject
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Skim reading
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Find credible sources
This may go against what you’ve been taught, but you can do research for your paper on Wikipedia. However, you cannot depend on it as a final source.
You can use general sources like Wikipedia to:
- Familiarize yourself with the subject
- Find keywords that will help you further your analysis
- Easily comprehend large volumes of information
Important
However, you must find credible sources for the information you provide in your research paper. You can use Wikipedia as a starting point for your research, but you should not cite it as one of your sources.Here are a few useful and credible sources for research:
- Google Scholar, JSTOR, Oxford Academic, Microsoft Academic
- Newspapers
- Periodicals and books
- Publications, manuals, and analyses from the government
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Don’t neglect details
You can find an article that seems to say what you’re looking for. However, if you dig deeper, you might see that what they say is not actually accurate or valid.
- Just because one report claims that a fact is accurate does not mean that it is a known truth that you can use in your research paper.
Step 3: Organize findings & form the thesis statement
So now that you have all of this information, what do you do with it? This step is all about organizing them and forming the thesis statement.
Organize findings
- If your professor wants you to provide a bibliography for your research paper (remember step #1; you should already know what the task is!), make a bibliography that satisfies the assignment’s specifications.
- It could be helpful to save resources to your browser’s bookmarks or create a digital bibliography that helps you compile the resources you find.
Pro tip
You can also use a browser extension such as MyBib to automatically create citations in APA, MLA, and Harvard referencing styles and add websites to your bibliography.Forming the thesis statement
After completing the previous steps, you’re now able to express your own point of view, argument, or assertion with a thesis statement.
- Your research paper should have a thesis statement, even if you aren’t arguing for or against something.
- The thesis statement will most likely be revised and refined as you do further research, but it should act as a reference in the writing process. All paragraphs should try to back up and expand on the main idea.
The thesis statement should be brief, contentious, and well-organized. That is, it should:
- Outline the argument in a sentence or two
- Make an assertion that needs further proof or research
- Make a logical statement that connects all sections of the paper
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Thesis statement examples
- Alcohol intake at high levels has negative health consequences, including weight gain, heart failure, and liver problems.
- Reading helps children grow their minds by improving their comprehension abilities, expanding their vocabulary, and introducing them to unfamiliar words they would not otherwise see.
- Kidney donors should be financially rewarded for their generous act of self-sacrifice, including the exhausting surgery and lifelong changes they face.
Step 4: Create an outline & write your introduction
Creating an outline
Before you start writing, make an outline to help you structure your thoughts.
- Consider the key arguments you’ll need to present to endorse your thesis statement after you’ve formed it. Your headings and sub-headings are those key arguments.
- Now, under each sub-heading, arrange your thoughts and facts.
- No matter how fascinating, get rid of any details that do not fit within the context of your outline and do not support your thesis statement.
Research paper introduction
You may feel as though you should have begun writing earlier, but don’t worry: the work you’ve done so far is crucial. It will assist you in writing a research paper that is solid, straightforward, and interesting.
The background and description for the remainder of your research paper should be presented in the introduction paragraph.
- Create a good first sentence that will pique the reader’s interest. You don’t have to be bland and dull just because you’re writing an academic paper.
- Three questions should be addressed in the research paper introduction: what, when, and how.
- After reading the introduction, the reader should understand what the paper is about, why it is important to read, and how you will support your claims.
Research paper introduction example
Did you know that 2.3 million people are currently in jail in America? Hook: An interesting first sentence. Although it is commonly accepted that incarceration should be the deterrent for crimes, figures show that 77 percent of inmates who are released would re-offend. Context: Background information with reliable statistics. This indicates that incarceration is ineffective in reducing re-offending. My research paper attempts to show that incarceration does not act as a deterrent to crime and that other options, such as restorative justice and other community punishment, should be considered. Thesis statement:Your main argument for the subject and the paper.
Step 5: Write your body paragraphs
A strong body paragraph illustrates, confirms, and/or backs up your thesis statement. This is where your outline will be helpful.
- However, keep in mind that the outline is just a guide, and the order in which you address facts and arguments is up to you.
- Use the Rule of Three. Find supporting points for each point you make, and offer a strong point first, then a stronger one, and then the strongest point.
- Keep an eye out for paragraphs that seem to have similar topic sentences. If two paragraphs address the same subject, they must take different approaches to it.
- Attempt to make transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections (see transition words and phrases) as smooth as possible.
Step 6: Write your conclusion & revise your paper
A research paper conclusion aims to guide your reader out of the paper’s claim by providing a sense of closure.
- Follow the flow of the text, focusing on how it all comes together to prove the thesis statement.
- Make sure the reader knows how you’ve resolved the questions posed in the research paper introduction to give the article a feeling of closure.
In your conclusion, be careful with common mistakes:
- Make new claims or introduce important facts.
- Take up any more room than is absolutely required
- Begin with stock phrases that indicate the paper’s conclusion (e.g., “in conclusion”).
Revise, revise, revise!
Ensure that you have completed the required assignments and that the paper is as well-articulated as possible during the revision and proofreading phase.
- Consider the structure of the sentences, grammatical mistakes (passive voice, verb tenses, capitalization, etc.), and formatting.
- Be sure that you’ve used the right transition sentences, transition words and phrases to illustrate how your thoughts are linked.
- Look for typos, remove repetitive sentences, and double-check spellings and heading formatting for accuracy.
Pro tip
You can use an online tool such as Grammarly to help you during the revision process.Frequently Asked Questions
Thank you for reading. If you need further information, feel free to have a look at our essay samples or contact us at live chat.
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