How To Start AResearch Paper: Step By Step Guide
Often I come across students who get petrified by the idea of writing a research paper. Research papers are a lengthier version of academic writing. They are not as burdensome as they sound. This step by step guide is to help students understand how easy it is to write a research paper and make sure that it all ends well for them.
So let’s begin!
Step 1: Understand the Assignment
Before starting to write, it is crucial to understand the requirements of your assignment. Make sure you are well aware of what is required. Make sure if you have any queries you immediately discuss them with your professor for your ease.
Note that after reading your requirements you should know the answer to these basic details
1. Do you have the freedom to select your topic?
2. What is the required word count for this assignment?
3. What type of citation will be required?
4. Any formatting details that need to be kept in mind.
5. Important deadlines for your paper.
Step 2: Choose a Topic
Your topic needs to be of your interest so that writing on it is not difficult for you. The chosen topic should also be easy to research on but at the same time unique enough to set you apart.
Step 3: Preliminary Research &Planning
In this stage you need to study your topic, here you can focus on finding a gap that your research will be fulfilling. You can use different sources to ensure you have all the information. Any information that you are planning to put in your paper should be verified and correctly sourced. You can also develop research questions at this point.
Step 4: Thesis Statement Formation
A thesis statement helps establish the purpose of your research it should be brief but must answer your research questions and provide analysis for further study.
Here are some examples of thesis statements:
1. “As the availability of cash and impulse buying is directly proportional therefore availability of cash can promote impulse buying behaviour in generation Y.”
2. “Factors relating to depression in students are high expectations, the burden of studies and
lack of communication.”3. “An analysis of mental health problems caused by repressing emotions indicates that support groups help as much as therapy.”
Step 5: Outline
In this section, you need to organize the information and draft a tentative outline for your research. The outline of your paper should be like the following:
I. Introduction
II. Paragraph #1
a. Supporting detail 1
b. Supporting detail 2III. Paragraph #2
a. Supporting detail 1
b. Supporting detail 2IV. Paragraph #3
a. Supporting detail 1
b. Supporting detail 2V. Conclusion
Step 6: First Draft
After forming an outline you need to start writing the first draft, all the organized information needs to be listed accordingly, you need to organize the information and add your ideas to the research paper. These ideas should be supported by authentic references that you have gathered.
Step 7: Final Draft
In your final draft, you need to recheck if your work aligns with the requirements stated. You need to check if your ideas and topics need rearranging to maintain a subtle flow of information. You need to organize your research according to the outline you have formatted and include requirements like a title page, proper citations, bibliography list etc. The final draft should be free of errors and should be original work.
Step 8: Proofread and Revise
Here you need to proofread and revise your paper to make sure it is error-free. You can use proofreading tools online or can ask a friend to do so for you.
Keep in mind that your research should not be
1. Plagiarized
What Is Plagiarism? You ask, Plagiarism is copying someone else’s work and presenting it as your own.2. Grammatically incorrect
3. Disorganized
4. Not cited properly
Funding for Research can be an issue for some students while writing a research paper, but there are funding bodies available to help ease that. I hope this guide makes writing a research paper easy for you. Don’t forget to share your feedback with me and if you still have trouble referring to Research Paper Writing Service Uk for help.
