How to Write a Research Paper: 11 Helpful Tips

A research paper is a scientific character work related to scientific research, study management, experiments to expand existing knowledge and obtain new data. It aims to question scientific hypotheses, establish nature or society patterns, objective generalizations of project rationale.

A student writes an academic research paper after completing in-depth research and analyzing its results. If you have your heart in boots that a quality research paper requires sweat, tears, and blood, you will find the following 11 helpful tips especially useful. In case questions remain or you need more detailed information on how to write a research paper, do not hesitate and visit wr1ter.com for additional knowledge.

11 Helpful Tips for Writing a Research Paper

Tip 1 – Pin down the topic of your paper.

A famous baseball player Yogi Berra once said, “When one doesn’t know where he is going, he will end up coming to a wrong place.” It is also true concerning the process of research paper writing. If one doesn’t know what they are looking for, they might waste time researching exciting yet completely irrelevant facts. To avoid this, one needs to formulate a correct research paper question. First of all, pick a broad topic. Then do some superficial research that will help you ask a particular problem.

A correct research paper question is:

– well-defined

E.g., “Why is healthy eating important?” is the wrong choice. Instead, it is better to ask something like, “Is there a link between eating healthy and personal performance?”

– important

E.g., “Who was the most significant writer?” would not be enough. An example of a good question is, “How did Shakespeare’s works influence Herman Melville’s extended monologue usage in “Moby Dick”?”

– amenable to scientific research

E.g., “Why is a son much like his father?” is a terrible choice. A better option is “What are the consequences of an authoritative style of parenting on the children’s creativity and self-esteem?”

Tip 2 – If you are conducting research online, use academic search engines.

You may find these search engines useful:

– iSEEK Education

– Microsoft Academic Search

– RefSeek

Tip 3 – Keep data management in mind.

In the process of your research, you should try to avoid a “feeling perplexity” trap. If you find an article that you find especially useful, save the link, or else you might waste much time trying to look for it again. Different data management tools will help you conveniently keep and sort out all necessary information:

Consider using:

– Endnote Basic

– Qiqqa

– Mendeley

Tip 4 – Make your introduction compelling.

Catch the interest of your readers with shocking facts, interesting statistics, and notable quotable.

Tip 5 – Plan your word count.

A general rule of thumb says, “Spend no more than 10% of the total amount of words for the conclusion and introduction.” When you know the recommended quantity of words, you can make appropriate word count decisions to include in other sections.

Tip 6 – Take the goals of every section into account.

Be sure also to highlight the value of your research paper and also mention areas for further research.

Tip 7 – Review the literature.

It is a wrong technique to collect sources and then mention just a few words about each of them. At first, divide the chosen sources into groups by the positions of the authors. Make sure you choose conflicting opinions and highlight gaps in the existing literature. They will make the research paper complete.

Tip 8 – Use clichés for various parts of the work.

If using cliches, you will not have to worry about the choice of appropriate words.

Tip 9 – Cite the resources the right way.

Nowadays, there is no need to use style guides when referring to sources. Here are free online citation generators you might find useful:

– CitationMachine

– CiteFast

– KnightCite

– RefMe

– CiteThisforMe

– BibMe

Tip 10 – Use fluency.

Try to write fluently. Describe any gap as if you were explaining the key points to a friend. Doing it can improve the flow of thought in your work and logical reasoning.

Tip 11 – Write drunk, edit sober

After finishing your research paper, put your work aside for a while. Then return to it later with a clear mind and exclude any misprints, grammar, and stylistic mistakes.