How to write a decent research paper
Students often write research papers of varied volume. A relatively small research of a dozen of pages may be a demanding piece of work and requires professional experience, in-depth knowledge of a subject and lots of other things. So, this small guide on how to carry out such a task without much toil and with a proper quality could be helpful.
At the initial stage - try not to postpone, as you may regret it making fuss and haste in the last day, which will affect both the paper’s quality and your nerves.
- It is best to start with studying books and web sources on the topic, beginning with the most general ones. Wikipedia often perfectly suits for this purpose, despite the widespread concept that it contains much trash. You just have to select the right page.
Besides brushing up your knowledge on the subject, your task at this stage includes compiling a quotation base for the further use. You start your search already at the most general level. And when you pass to more specific sources, you continue to collect material for citing. You make notes, use index cards or any other means so you can easily insert the quotations into your text.
If you feel that available books and web pages are insufficient, use the lists of references to look for additional sources. The longest references you may find in academic investigations on the subject.
- Before writing the paper itself, you may find helpful to make a short overview. Or you may start with formulating subtopics. All depends on the specificity of your research, on the character of collected material and certainly on your individuality.
Introduction may convey the general info about the person, a thing or an event (“introduce the topic”) that is more broadly addressed to the main part. Introduction may be regarded as the justification of the choice of your work topic. So, if some of your citations speak in favor of the urgency, importance and/or prospects of your research - use them in the introduction.
- In the main part, your task again greatly depends on the topic. If you write about a person, his or her major deeds should be highlighted. If you formulate a statement or hypothesis, it should be formulated and proved in the main part as well. It is here where you make all necessary calculations and comparisons. In the main part of a descriptive work about an event or thing (like a company or territory) you reveal the important aspects of, say, the company’s functioning. Certainly the main part should include most of your quotations.
- In the conclusion, you emphasize the value of your research. You make a short overview of the prospects of the results you have obtained. Thus, if you justify in your paper, the use of a technological technique, in the conclusion you may specify the areas of its prospective use. If you have investigated an ecological condition of a certain territory, you may provide an outlook of possible environmental hazards. In a paper devoted to a person, you may write about his or her legacy.
Certainly, during the education period or research activities, you may find your own keys to improve the process of writing research papers, which you will use and share with others. And for now good luck in your research efforts!