In college, you will have to write dozens of research papers on various subjects. Just about every discipline requires some type of research project that can take away several weeks to complete. Students will master the necessary skills over the course of four to five years, but it’s important to learn the essentials of crafting a great research paper during the first year. Here are five tips from writemyessayz.com for writing a solid research paper on any subject:
Tip #1) Choose a Topic that You Can Manage and Conduct Preliminary Research
One of the biggest mistakes a student can make is choosing a difficult research paper topic. Most college students don’t have the time and resources available to them to conduct a comprehensive study. Brainstorm several ideas and conduct some preliminary research. Narrow your options to a research study you know you can complete before the deadline. If you are concerned about your research idea, then check with the professor for approval. Often times your professor will make suggestions to ensure your study fits the assignment’s requirements.
Tip #2) Write a Thesis Draft and the Start Your In-Depth Academic Research
Brainstorm a few thesis statements until you come up with one that is concise and clear. It doesn’t have to be perfect but it needs to be focused in order to guide your in-depth research. The difference between background and in-depth research is that you should rely on academic and government resources, particularly ones that have been published recently. The college library will have thousands of journal articles, books, essays, dissertations, and more resources you can find supporting evidence and examples in.
Tip #3) Organize Your Notes and Put All the Major Sections and Points into an Outline
After conducting your background and in-depth research you should have pages worth of material to reference in support of your argument. Arrange your topics into related ideas and then identify the strongest material to put into the research paper. Most disciplines require specific research paper formats with defined sections and structures. You can usually access a template outline from your department or can download one from the web. Now it’s just a matter of filling in each section and sub-section with the appropriate material.
Tip #4) When Writing the Research Paper Draft, Try to Get it Done in a Few Hours
The best way to write a college research paper draft is to do so as quickly as possible. Set a goal to finish the draft within a few hours. You will likely need to take breaks when writing a draft for an assignment of this length, but if you stick to a plan (either time-based or section-based) you should be able to get all of your best ideas down as they develop in your head.
Tip #5) Revise, Edit, and Proofread the Research Paper in Separate Phases
When you revise the research paper you should be critical of the overall strength of the argument and supporting points. Edit your assignment by cutting out useless phrases and choosing more effective and concise words to express ideas. Finally, when you proofread, make sure you check for all the mistakes you made to grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Do each of these in separate phases on printed paper rather than on your computer.
The more time you commit towards researching and writing, the more likely it will be you earn a high grade on your assignment. If you feel you need more assistance, we recommend you contact us to discuss your needs and we can point you to valuable resources or provide you with a list of available writing experts to help with your assignment one-on-one.