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Research Paper: How to Make a Research Paper Step-by-Step

If you are in college or university, most likely you are faced with writing a variety of papers. One of the important tasks is to prepare a research paper. This process can be quite tedious and time-consuming, especially if you do not have much experience.

Looking at an empty sheet of paper for a long time and can’t figure out how to start your text? Even if you are the best in the class because of your essay writing, this task can be extremely challenging for you.

Just for such students, we decided to prepare the most detailed and informative research paper guide. Here you will find useful recommendations, tips, and ideas.

What is a Research Paper?

What comes to your mind when you hear the phrase “research?” Many students associate this concept with a large number of sources with information. It can be not only articles and books but also works of art. But do not think that this is all limited. To conduct a good study, it is not enough just to analyze the literature and other sources. You need to take a certain position and look at it from different perspectives. Regardless of which type of research work you have been commissioned, your paper should present your own ideas, backed up by information from other people. Usually, they are experts in their field, professionals, outstanding scientists or practitioners.

We can provide you with a simple and understandable example to understand how to write a good research paper. A lawyer, wanting to win a case in court, seeks and analyzes information about similar cases in order to prove his case. Scientists also read various case studies to help put forward new theories. You can also write about some important events, studying various materials and communicating with people to look at a question from different points of view.

Types of Research Paper

The good news is that you don’t have to study different types of research papers, look for differences between them, compare and be afraid to make a mistake. To simplify, there are only two types. And here they are:

  1. Argumentative
  2. Analytical

The objective of the argumentative paper is to uncover a controversial issue and discuss the diversity of perspectives. But the analytical paper should provide a new point of view, offer the academic community a non-standard solution to some pressing problem. If you have any really interesting ideas, you will need courage and quick wit to convey their value to your audience.

Going further, it is also worth mentioning informative and compelling research work. Honestly, any of these types have the same process of how to write a research paper. You need to conduct the same research, think over a plan, draw a logical conclusion, etc. The main difference is essentially goals. Sometimes you need to provide as much information as possible, and sometimes you need to convince readers of some idea.

    What Should a Research Essay Include?

    Since different types of assignments have much in common, we offer a list of sections what to include in a research paper.

  1. Nice topic. This is what any paper is impossible without. You need to choose a current that matches your audience, at the same time catchy and informative;
  2. hypothesis. After you come up with a topic for your paper, be sure to form a hypothesis. This is an idea with which you will agree or disagree in the end. So, it will be easier for the reader to understand what idea you are upholding;
  3. source selection. Any good research paper should include a list of references, a working bibliography, a review of the literature. All your sources can be primary and secondary. The main ones are those that you receive personally by conducting interviews, organizing various experiments. Secondary sources are published information about those experiments and surveys that have already been conducted previously. You will need both;
  4. text citation. Regardless of style, you should quote the sources of your information. But the formatting will be different, so you will definitely need to study the appropriate guides to find the latest information for your format.

8 Steps in Writing a Research Paper

What are the steps in writing a research paper? Here is a detailed plan you can use for any similar assignment.

Step 1. Choose a Theme That You Like

Take some time to brainstorm to come up with some cool research paper topics. It is important that the topic really responds to you, is relevant to you. Then the writing process will seem much easier, you will feel the enthusiasm and desire to work further. If the topic is boring, you just want to give up your paper.

Step 2. Start Your Research

So, you made a list of topics and even found the best option. What is your next step? It’s time to start homework. At this point, you need to work with the sources. They can be any: websites, books, interviews, blogs, magazines. Use any sources from which you can get the necessary information. Do not limit yourself to just 1 or 2.

You can use not the Internet only but also the local library. No kidding! Some students find this method obsolete, but you are guaranteed to understand the library how to do a research paper! You can read other students’ papers, access books, and articles that are not submitted online.

Another good way to conduct quality research is to turn to scientific databases. Use the special search engine to find indexed articles and books. Many of these resources are paid, but they are definitely worth the money.

Surely your college or university has a student assistance center where you can get competent advice, access to a scientific base or mentor’s advice. At this stage, take advantage of any opportunities, since you never know what information will be useful to you in the future.

Step 3. Prepare a Draft Version

You need to start by preparing the annotation. Collect all the articles and other materials that you found during the study and analyze them. For your convenience, you can even print them. Use a color marker to highlight the most important information. This stage is necessary for you to determine what facts, ideas, assumptions you can use in your paper.

After that, it is important to come up with your list of references.  A good research paper should have it for sure. Create a separate document initially, where you will record information about each of the sources used. You will need the names of the authors, the publisher and the year of publication, the number of pages. And also, a specific page on which the information you need is located. Then you will be able to quote sources correctly and avoid accusations of plagiarism.

Step 4. Consider Your Goals and Audience

Who will read it? Will it be published? If you are writing research papers for a scientific journal, then there is no need to explain the basics and fundamentals – write about something new that you found. The opposite is also true – if your paper is intended for those who are not very well versed in the subject, then you should explain everything and everything, giving examples and comments.

Step 5. Identify the Main Issues of the Paper

Actually, while working on the research paper, you will need to give answers to the questions that you consider the most important (in the context of the topic under study, of course).

Step 6. Final Version Preparation

Now you can write the final version of your paper. Of course, the final text will have a certain research paper structure, but you will still write the introduction later. Remember how you sat on a blank sheet and did not know where to start the text because you had to write an introduction. Now you start simply with the essence, explaining your thesis and arguments. And after completion, you can prepare a really intriguing and interesting introduction.

Completing your research paper should be simple, straightforward, and concise. The reader should have a puzzle regarding your topic.

And only when your paper is completely ready, you can write an introduction. This is not the case when you can use hooks to attract an audience, but think about how you might be interested in it. For example, unusual statistics or a fact that no one knows about.

Step 7. Provide a List of References

When writing a paper, you definitely use various sources. They help you make the text more informative and reasoned. So that your work is not perceived as plagiarism, you need to take care of the list of sources and the correct quoting. If you don’t know which format to use, be sure to check this question with your professor.

Step 8. Proofread Your Paper

Carefully read your work, and even better – order it’s proofreading. Let professionals check grammar, spelling, and also consider the credibility of your article and how easy it is to read.

Tips for Writing a Research Paper

These tips will definitely help you to succeed:

  • Be original. All students received the same recommendations and topic options from the professor. But you do not want your paper to look like a dozen others? Think about how you can stand out;
  • follow the advice. If you find it difficult to choose a “suitable” topic, then ask your mentor or even other students for help with writing a research paper. They probably have an idea or two that you really like! Well, if you don’t like it, they can inspire you, give food for thought, which is also useful;
  • it is very important to critically evaluate sources. Do not rush to use the article as soon as you find it in a search engine. Read and analyze carefully before drawing any conclusions. Also use only trusted sources, not every website on the Internet has a good reputation;
  • make sure all your data is in order. You will spend a lot of time preparing and writing if there is chaos in your data. Try to make the process as organized as possible. Use a separate notebook and stickers for these purposes;
  • if you want to edit your paper yourself, do not rush. When you finish the text, just put the document aside and forget about it for a few days. And only when your brain rests, try to edit the text. Then you consider it with a fresh look, you will notice all the errors, lack of arguments and logical inconsistencies;
  • when conducting research, you need to think strategically. Do not spray your energy into several questions at once, but try to focus on one specific topic. It is better if your specialization is narrow but accurate;
  • be creative! Always think ahead! If you find an amazing article or book that inspired you, open the list of literature compiled by the author. This will help you find some insights and save time searching for literature;
  • do not wait for the last minute to get to work. If there is not enough time left or you feel insecure, it is better to use professional services, such as WuzzupEssay.com.

Research Paper Writing: Summarize

No student wants to spend an entire semester in a library trying to write a good research paper. If you understand that your knowledge and skills are not enough, or you simply do not have enough time to cope with this task, you can trust the professionals. Why procrastinate if you can spend this time on more enjoyable activities?

Using the WuzzupEssay, you will find a true friend and partner. Our professional authors guarantee you the best experience, a wealth of knowledge and expertise. This is what will help you make research paper really high-quality, free from plagiarism, relevant and informative. Just tell us: write my research paper, and we will do our best to make you happy.