Research Paper Assessment and Writing Tips

Do you have a research paper due next week, but you have no idea where to start? These writing tips can come in handy for completing a flawless paper. But, many students have no idea what to expect and why it’s so hard to complete.

A research paper is an academic writing material where the author will focus on a specific subject and do detailed research, interpretation, and analysis of all their findings.

To write a perfect research paper, you need to understand the topic you are working on and go over all the instructions your instructor or professor has provided you with. But, without proper organization and time-management skills, you won’t finish this complex writing piece successfully.

That’s why we have decided to share some easy tips on writing a research paper that will help you build these skills quickly.  These tips fit all the guidelines for an adequate college research paper format. They will help impress your professors, so make sure to carefully read all the instructions to not miss out on anything.

5 Important Writing Tips for Writing a Research Paper Efficiently

While a research paper is much simpler than a dissertation or a term paper, you still have to do plenty of research before you can start writing anything at all. This paper is very important for a college degree, which is why the most common question that pops is “can I pay someone to write my research paper.” Asking for professional writers to research difficult projects, especially for a research paper, can come in handy. To pay for assistance means you want to save time and effort and focus it on other things that require attention.  However, there is a limit to how much assistance you can get by paying someone for essay writing services. Sometimes you have to learn to do the papers yourself.

Here are some helpful writing tips that can help you get the hang of it. Here we will focus on:

• How does the general outline for a research paper look like?
• How to start your research paper?
• Why you need a draft?
• How to manage your time?
• What to avoid when writing a research paper?

1. How Does a Good Research Paper Outline Look Like?

Every research paper needs an outline or a skeletal structure. The writing rules are straightforward and easy to follow. It has to be written according to the APA format strict guidelines with adequate paper components, which include a:

1. Title page
2. Abstract
3. Direct introduction
4. Statement section
5. Evaluation of results/findings
6. Discussion on the acquired findings
7. Conclusion
8. Bibliography

These main components are your sub-headings, which means you would have to organize your information and thoughts right under each one. If there is information you want to include that won’t support your thesis or doesn’t belong in any of these main points, then you shouldn’t include it.

Here are the main paper components explained in detail.

• Title Page: The title page is simple, attractive, and brief. Here, you include a title no longer than 10 to 12 words. Anything longer than that may seem too ambiguous and take all the attention away from the actual point of the research paper. The title is a summary that’s precise and right on point. To write it, you should avoid complicated noun-based phrases and use active verbs instead.
• Abstract: This is a straightforward, condensed, and short summary of the entire research paper. It’s a 150-250 words piece where you present the introduction, methods used to obtain information, and the results obtained from that information.
• Direct Introduction: This section is meant for stating your thesis and clearly pointing out its purpose. What inspired you to write about this particular subject and how you intend to approach your thesis? This section is too straightforward; you only have to briefly explain all the important points you will cover in the main body and why should readers be interested in that topic.
• Statement Section:In this part of the research paper, you need to present the arguments for your thesis. When you start writing a research paper, you need to start with a strong argument, then follow with a stronger one, and end with the strongest one. The idea is to leave an impression and captivate the reader.
• Evaluation of Results/Findings: Once you’ve presented your argument, you need to support it with actual research. You need to evaluate that research and use it alongside the argument to make a valid statement.
• Discussion of the Acquired Findings: What has this research showed? What does it have to do with your thesis? Every source you will use will have different points and statements. Each of these statements will have a different impact on your thesis. The idea in this section is to discuss these statements and what they have to do with your topic. The statements should have a claim that other people will want to dispute.
• Conclusion: This is a small section, around 3 to 6 sentences, where you should reword and restate your thesis. Use brief points to summarize all your statements and state what made you come to your conclusion. End your research paper with a concluding statement.
• Bibliography: At the end of your research paper, you must list all the references, links, books, or any sources you have used to acquire your research. They too, must be listed in APA format and must include only reliable sources. Anything that may seem not good enough, like a random website, for example, will not be considered as a reliable source, and the information you used from that website will have to be removed from your research paper.

That’s all you need to know about the general outline for a college research paper format. The good thing is, focusing on the format, it’s easy once you get the hang of it.

2. How to Start Writing a Paper Successfully?

Here are a few writing tips that can help you start your research paper. To help you get a general overview of how to start writing a paper, you need to think about a few different things. These are all important factors for writing a research paper.

• Know your thesis.
• Have a solid statement for what you want to focus on.
• Make sure to pick a thesis with enough scientific research to support your statement.

If you already have a topic you want to talk about, you need to observe that topic and think whether or not it has any meaning and if there is enough research to support it. For a successful research paper, you need sufficient sources. If you lack a scientific baseline, it’s not a good idea to write it.

3. Prepare a Draft Before You Start Writing

When you are in the process of writing a research paper, you can quickly get stuck in the middle of your statement. With complex work such as this one, it is easy to lose that ability to concentrate and follow directions. That’s why you need a proper draft.

You can use it to list all the content you want to write and provide a reference page for quick access to the scientific research you found to make this paper. To start your draft, focus on the introduction, main body, and conclusion, no need to write an abstract or a research discussion.

Here, you should only focus on the main points of your research paper. Write a paragraph for each idea you plan to implement. State your points about this idea and prove them with the research you found. Leave out some specific examples, and you can come back to them later in the final version of your research paper.

List your statements based on how strong they are and what kind of impact they will make. The idea is to arouse curiosity and debate for each statement you want to talk about. With a draft, it will be much easier to conclude what statement could be used first and last.

4. How to Manage Time and Write the Paper Efficiently?

Organizing your time is the most important thing. When you write a research paper, you need to focus on three important steps, and that is drafting the paper, writing the main version, and revising it. If, for example, you have one month to complete the assignment, you should divide that time into percentage and plan it accordingly. Here is how much time you should invest in all of these steps. Drafting should take 15%, writing the paper should take 70%, and revising the material should take 15% of your time.

5. What to Avoid When Writing a Research Paper?

A perfect research paper example will have a proper flow and structure. All the paragraphs and sentences will make sense. That’s why your claims should be developed and analyzed fully to be considered credible. But, there are some things you should definitely avoid when reviewing your college research paper format and they are:

• Incorrect comma use
• Contradicting statements
• Unfinished sentences
• Using words that can easily be confused (such as two, too, and to)
• Incorrect quotation marks use

Check your paper multiple times before you submit it. The more you read it, the more mistakes you will notice and fix them on time.

Conclusion

Writing a research paper is not the easiest thing to do. It is a time-consuming assignment not many students are confident with. It all comes down to how well you can plan that paper, formulate your idea, analyze it, and research it. Paying attention to the rules is important and tricky to get used to. Hopefully, you found some of these tips helpful for your next assignment.