Guest post: Tips for Writing an Effective Research Paper by Sandra Miller
If you aren’t familiar with what a research paper is, let me give you’re a rundown of the definition: a research paper is a form of academic writing that has theoretical and substantial information that has gone through the proper process of in-depth research. It could contain arguments based on a thesis with significant evidence from a variety of supporting and reliable sources. If you ask many individuals, they may say that writing a research paper is one challenging and meticulous task. But with enough practice throughout the years in school, it could be much easier once you get used to it. It definitely is meticulous because of the intensive research that comes with it, but if you really look at the big picture of it, a research paper just needs a few basic tips for it to be less challenging for individuals that are struggling. Before we start with the tips for writing an effective research paper, have the following materials:
- Note paper (make sure you have enough because you may be jotting down a lot of notes)
- Two or three different colored highlighters (for highlighting notes)
- Index cards
Organization is Key
Follow these substantial steps to be organized in writing a research paper:
- Select your topic carefully
- Choose sources that will be helpful and make sure they are reliable
- Index cards should be used to jot down helpful notes that you may need throughout the process or writing
- Your notes should be organized based on the topic it is under
- Have an outline that is well thought of
- Write a first draft so you have a skeleton of what your research paper
- Go through your first draft, read it thoroughly and re-write
- Edit when it is needed
Do the proper research
If you want to find helpful and reliable sources of information, the library is literally the best place to look around. There are numerous books, published articles, journals and etc. that you can choose from about your chosen topic. Choose a comfortable place in your local library where you are away from distractions and you can focus on the work that needs to be done. Try using the card catalog and computers available to make your search easier.
Choose your research topic carefully
If you have the freedom to choose what your research paper could be about, take advantage of the situation and choose a topic that you are interested in or a topic you are curious about. By doing this, it gives you motivation to do necessary research for it. Be specific when selecting a topic because most writers make a mistake in choosing a topic that is too general.
Jot down the proper notes
Like our first tip, be organized when it comes to writing down your notes. Take note of the information that will only be of help to you. Try color coding your notes by topic and you can use highlighters for marking the beneficial details so you can find that specific topic very easily. If you’re allowed, you can also photocopy an article or page from a book that you’ll need. This is best if there is too much to note down on paper. It will definitely save you time. Every time you note something down, make sure to write down the bibliographical information such as the author, the book title, page numbers used, volume number and publisher’s name and vital dates. For the following points -
Brainstorm an outline
Write a first draft
Proofread and write your final paper
From the article Tips for Writing an Effective Research Paper, please visit the article page on StudyUSA.com Sandra Miller is a freelance writer at professional editing service Help.Plagtracker.com. She was a social studies teacher. Loves writing, running and all things green. Interested in improving her learning through technology. Makes sure every post she's writing is as useful as possible.