How to Write a Research Paper

There will come a time in most students' careers when they are assigned a research paper. Such an assignment often creates anxiety in the student, which may result in procrastination and a feeling of confusion and scantiness. This anxiety frequently arises from the fact that many students are unacquainted and raw with this genre of writing. Both of these feelings can be altered with practice. Writing a research paper is an indispensable facet of academics and should not be evaded on account of one's anxiety. In fact, the process of writing a research paper can be one of the more rewarding experiences, which boosts your learning.

 

A research paper is not an unpretentious summary of a topic by means of primary and secondary sources. It is neither a book report or an opinion piece nor an expository essay that interprets the text only, nor an overview of a certain topic. Instead, it is a genre that entails one to spend time probing and evaluating sources with the intent to offer elucidations of the texts, and not insentient regurgitations of such sources. The goal of a research paper is not to inform the reader about others opinion on the topic, but to draw on what others have to say about a topic and engage the sources in order to thoughtfully offer an exclusive viewpoint on the issue at hand. 

 

When starting to write a research paper always choose a topic that interests you. That will keep your enthusiasm high throughout the process. The general style of writing paper includes the use of 12 point standard font such as Times, Geneva or Helvetica. The text should be double-spaced and pages should be properly numbered. Start on a new page for every section and adhere to the page limit mentioned in the instructions.

 

A very common mistake made by the writers is placing the heading at the bottom of a page while the text follows on the next page. While using any kind of tables make sure to confine them on the single page. The use of simple articles is good for your research paper. Remaining focused on your topic must also be the priority of a writer.

 

The use of paragraphs is extremely important to separate the key points in your research. However, while writing an abstract, you are not required to use them. The use of present tense for well-established facts such as ‘sun rises in the east’ will make your writing more readable. Generally the abstract must be around 200 words but you can increase or decrease as per instructions. Next, comes your introduction and the main body. The purpose of the introduction is to acquit reader with the purpose of your research that will further lead on to the main body and conclusion of your research paper.