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    14 Steps Guide to Writing a Research Paper

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      In this article, we are going to learn everything to know about writing research papers.places to visit in summer in india

      So, as you’re preparing a research paper, let me tell you first what a research paper is in two lines.

      What is a research paper?

      A research paper is a document that you prepare on a certain topic while researching the old facts and theories around it and presenting it with your point of view in a structured way.

      Now that we are clear about what a research paper is, let’s move on to the next concern, how to write one. 

      How to write a research paper?

      First, collect as much relevant information as possible, and write everything required as per the requirements of the research paper.

      Make an outline that will help you give information in a structured way. According to Explorable, a scientific format of a research paper is:

      On the first page, you write:

      1.1. Title
      1.2. Author, Work/School

      On page two, you write:

      2.1.  Abstract (a summary of the article)

      From page three onwards, you write:

      3.1. Introduction
      3.2. Current theories about the topic
      3.3. What is the hypothesis of the paper?

      Hypothesis means your point of view is made on the basis of reasoning, without any assumption of truth

      3.4. Methods you used for your research

      3.5. What results did you find?

      3.6. Any practical implications of your thesis?

      3.7. Conclusion

      You can compare the other relevant theories and tell your point of view on the topic that you researched.

      On the last page, you write:

      4.1. References – The sources of the information mentioned in the research paper.

      4.2. Giving tables/figures/appendix – Any questionnaire used in the research, detailed description of any complex structure explained in the document, etc.

      But, there is more to it than research papers, keep reading

      Understanding what you’re going to write in a research paper is important

      A research paper on a certain topic may seem difficult to the world but when you try it, you find it fascinating & easy.

      You enjoy it. So, the number one thing is to make it easy for you. Choose a topic that you’re curious about.

       Then, understand what is required from you. Deliver only what is asked.

      Tip: Prepare your notes while you sit down to write your research paper.

      Never rush in understanding. You can go as slow as you want or as fast as you want but do it at your own pace.

      Remember the format we discussed above:

      1. Introduction to the topic
      2. Current theories about the topic
      3. Hypothesis
      4. Methods used
      5. Results that obtained
      6. Discussions
      7. Conclusion

      While doing research on the topic, you should create mind maps for clarity. It will help you present that research in a clear & organized way. 

      Which topic should you choose for your research paper? Where to research it?

      If you’re given the freedom to choose the topic, then consider the below points:

      1. Make sure it is meeting the requirements that you are asked to write in the research paper.
      2. Choose a topic that you’re curious to research. It should be interesting.
      3. Information Availability – Remember your topic should have a good amount of information available. You don’t want to spend a considerable amount of time on a topic that doesn’t find much information available, right?
      4. Pick a specific topic – Your topic should be specific enough so that you can prepare a research paper on it. If it is too broad, then it will lose its relevancy and if it is too narrow, then it will be hard to collect any information about it.

      This answers which topic you should choose, now it’s time to tell you where to research it.

      Where to research it? Sources to search research papers

      1. Go to Library
      2. Search for Books on the topic
      3. Search Wikipedia

      It’s explained down,

      You need to find the thesis, reports, regulations files, experiments, arguments, discussions, history of concepts, and whatnot. You need to, also (depending on the topic):

      i.) Have to talk to the experts,
      ii.) listen to the interviews, and
      iii.) Search for e-books online.

      You also need to read newspapers and magazine articles.

      Pro tip: If you search online, then search for authority or government-type websites rather than blogs first. Gathering relevant information is the first step.

      Outline of a research paper (With an example of a Research Paper)

      After you have decided on the topic, keep a simple outline for your research paper. It should not be very fancy or too simple.

      Make a list of bullet points & sections with enough space to write content in it.

      Indeed have given many templates for a five-paragraph research paper. Picking one of the templates, let me show an example of how a research paper can look like:
      .
      (I have modified it for explanatory purposes.)

      Topic: Newton’s Laws

      1. Introduction
        A. About Newton’s Law
        B. Who is Newton?
        C. Brief about Newton’s Law
        D. Thesis

        2. Mentioning Newton’s Law Research, three laws thesis.

        3. Body Paragraph I
        A. First Law of Motion
        B. Analysis
        C. Discussions
        D. Argument

        4. Body Paragraph III

        A. Second Law of Motion
        B. Analysis
        C. Discussions
        D. Arguments

        5. Body Paragraph IV
        A. Third Law of Motion
        B. Analysis
        C. Discussions
        D. Arguments

        6. Conclusion
        A. My points on the thesis
        B. Favourable points
        C. Unfavourable points
        D. Final thoughts on Newton’s Law, writing what future research can be done or any additional information/complex questions to be discussed.

      Another outline you can follow Lara Hammock from Marble Bar Channel. I have modified it for explanatory purposes.

      Same topic: Newton’s Laws

      1. Introduction – Newton’s Laws

      1. Definition – About Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion
      2. Thesis3.1. Thesis 1
        3.2. Thesis 2
        3.3. Thesis 3
              3.3.1. How the laws play a Role in today’s Life
              3.3.2. Today’s Relevance or Challenges
              3.3.3. Relevance in Modern Science
              3.3.4. Opposing Concepts
              3.3.5. Comparing the law to XYZ Law
                  a.) Argument 1
                  b.) Argument 2
      1. Conclusion


      Let’s dive deep,

      How to do preliminary research?

      When doing preliminary research, more than reading information about the topic, it is necessary to write and take notes.

      Always remember that while doing preliminary research, your goal is to collect as much relevant information as possible, and write everything required as per the requirements of the research paper.

      More things to remember:

      1. You should make notes like important quotes, data, examples & results of your study as you read in a diary. Other alternatives are Google Docs and Google Spreadsheet.
      2. While researching, if you find it mostly pdf files, you can save it in Google Docs to save time. Another alternative is to download any pdf to word converter.
      3. You can create mind maps. Mind Maps are dumping all of your thoughts regarding the concepts in one place. You can do it in a diary to connect the dots and to find missing pieces.

      Pro Tips:

      1. See the index of books you’re reading, read only the relevant and specific information.
      2. According to NYIT, speed read the first three paragraphs and last three paragraphs of the web articles to gather the important stuff. If it seems promising, then read it fully.

      If you’re clear with preliminary research, let me tell you now about how to develop a thesis statement.

      Developing a thesis statement

      So, if you don’t remember, the thesis is your strong arguable interpretation of the topic which you write based on reasoning.

      And, a thesis statement is your specific, favourable and unfavourable points of the topic that you write in a research paper. 

      The purpose of your thesis statement, in a nutshell, is to tell all the main points of the document at once. You write a thesis statement after the introduction, with your evidence and other information you gathered.

      For example,

      1. I can write a thesis statement for Newton’s Law on how it contributed to science.
        2. I can also write how Newton’s Law, (in comparison to Xyz law, is not giving answers).
        3. I can also write how Newton’s Law contributed to the Medical Sector, with my theories and evidence to showcase.

      So, the direction of your research paper determines it. If you have been given the directions and purpose of a research paper, then the thesis statement may or may not come in handy.

      But, you got the point.

      According to WISC, you can structure your thesis statement, like this:

      1. Topic
      2. Evidence
      3. Possible Conclusions

      Pro Tip: Be clear with your questions, alternative examples and theories while writing a thesis statement.

      So far, we have discussed:

      1. What is a research paper?
      2. How to write a research paper?
      3. Understanding what you’re going to write in a research paper
      4. Which topic to choose and where to research it?
      5. Outline of a research paper
      6. Doing preliminary research
      7. Developing a thesis statement

      Formatting of a research paper

      These are the main concepts of a research paper that help you write, now we will dive in deep. The questions to ask now are:

      1. The first page of the research paper (Title & Author)
      2. Abstract of the research paper
      3. Introduction 
      4. Body, and
      5. Final Words

      Things to remember here:

      • The first page of the research paper (Title & Author)Your title comes first. It should be between 7 to 15 words. It may vary according to the instructions given to you.
        Proper capitalization is needed.You need to then write the author’s name who has written this research paper. There can be co-authors.

      If this step is not done right, your document may not get reviewed further.

      “The first impression is the last impression”

      • Abstract of the research paperAn abstract is the summary of your research paper. You need to take care:i.) There should be no references in it.
        ii.) Your abstract should be between 150 words to 300 words. It may vary if given instructions for the research paper.
        iii.) Your abstract should be concise and compact.
        iv.) Write the results you found in one or two lines.
        v.) Write any practical use case of your research you did.
      • Introduction
        As you have seen my example of Newton’s Law in the outline section, it should be evident what you’re writing at the start. In other words, you need to set up the context. (your main idea)Some questions should be cleared at the start only:i.) What is the purpose of this research paper?

        ii.) How clear are the thesis & arguments?So, the introduction may be short but should be clear and to the point.
      • BodyYou write all the research you have done in those long 8-10 hours of studying, reading & making notes.Deliver what you claim about the thesis, methods, results, arguments. Everything should be told simply.You can add statistics, quotes, data, findings to support your thesis.Thinking a lot about what to write, why to write & how to write creates confusion. Theories and materials that don’t support your arguments can come under exceptions if it is necessary.It is advised to stick to simplicity even in writing the body of lengthy research papers.
      • Final WordsNow, in the conclusion, recap all the points and show how it is coming together so the reader can make up the mind.You have given your evidence and theories, just mention it with your point of view and then let the reader take the call.

      How long should your research paper be?

      Anything between 8 pages to 15 pages will qualify as a good research paper.

      First Copy of the research paper

      Your research paper won’t be advanced or high-level on the first attempt. If you see an artist when drawing his sketch, there are a lot of mistakes to be made in the first attempt, then only he moves his way up and makes a beautiful sketch.

      Have a basic outline that you will follow. Don’t worry and prepare your research paper with your current knowledge & experience.

      Editing the research paper

      The Revision Process will come later but the first thing you need to do now is to see your research paper again.

      After making the first copy, you need to check that your document is still delivering the message that you wanted to give from the start.

      You can start reading the whole document and ask yourself two questions:

      1. Is the information enough?

      2. Or, does it require more data?

      If it is enough and you have backed up your research paper with enough data, you’re good with the editing part.

      Now, it’s time to check:

      1. Check grammatical mistakes & spelling errors. Little things like proper Capitalization play a good role. You can use Grammarly to check your grammatical mistakes. It is free and has a paid version.
      2. Sentence FormationYour sentences should make sense and should not be half-complete.

      Get feedback

      After this is done. 

      You can now give it to a friend, or colleague for a second opinion. 

      You may get good suggestions and some issues that you can address. You will also get to know that it is easy to understand. 

      “More than writing, you need to be strict with editing.”

      Your research paper should neither be too short nor too long. 

      If all this is checked, great. 

      Research Paper Checklist

      By this time, you have got all you need. Let me share a checklist with you.

      1. PurposeTell the purpose of your research, what are your contradictory views or thesis, how you have done the thesis, how it is going to impact the reader’s life.
      2. Proper ResearchShow that you have done proper research, and not just bluffing with the theories. You have gained knowledge, listening to the expert’s opinions and theories and, thereby, you conduct your thesis which is either in favour or against the old research. Showcase each material, every reference and evidence you can get to support your claims.
      3. TransitionsShow how things are connecting, there should be no confusion.Your research paper should be clear and easy to understand.
      4. CitationsEverything should be in format. Each quotation, reference to a book or any material.
      5. ConclusionYour final words should tell all about what you have given in the research paper. A beautiful summary of the points that support the thesis, results & methods you chose.
      6. AbbreviationEvery sentence should be written in full, but when doing its abbreviation, it should be mentioned.For example, e.g. is an abbreviation (for example).

      Revision of the research paper

      Now that you edited the article, you can revise your research paper.

      Check all the main points like:

      1. Arguments you made in the research paper
      2. Methods you used to research
      3. Results you got
      4. The purpose is met or not

      It’s an ongoing process that can be done one last time before submitting.

      Frequently Asked Questions

      How to write a research paper?

      • First, collect as much relevant information as possible, and write everything required as per the requirements of the research paper.Do follow an outline to write a research paper. According to Explorable, a scientific format of a research paper is:

        On the first page, you write:

        1. Title

        2.  Author, Work/School

        On page two, you write:

        2.1  Abstract (a summary of the article)

        From page three onwards, you write:

        3. Introduction

        3.2. Current theories about the topic

        3.3. What is the hypothesis of the paper?

        Hypothesis means your point of view made on basis of reasoning, without any assumption of truth

        3.4. Methods you used for your research

        3.5. What results did you find?

        3.6. Any practical implications of your thesis?

        3.7. Conclusion

        You can compare the other relevant theories and tell your point of view on the topic that you researched.

        On the last page, you write:

        4.1. References – The sources of the information mentioned in the research paper.

        4.2. Giving tables/figures/appendix – Any questionnaire used in the research, detailed description of any complex structure explained in the document, etc.

      How to start a research paper?

      Do some preliminary research on the topic, then start writing the first draft of the research paper.

      1.1. It should first include Title & Author. (Title should be 7 to 15 words).
      1.2. Then, the Abstract of the research paper (A summary)
      1.3.  Introduction (Highlights of the research paper)

      Then comes the body & conclusion.

      What is a research paper?

      A research paper is a document that you prepare on a certain topic while researching the old facts and theories around it and present it with your point of view in a structured way.

      How to write an abstract for a research paper?

      An abstract is the summary of your research paper.

      Things to remember while writing the abstract for a research paper:

      1. There should be no references in it.
      2. Your abstract should be between 150 words to 300 words. It may vary if given instructions for the research paper.
      3. Your abstract should be concise and compact.
      4. Write the results you found in one or two lines.
      5.  Write any practical use case of the research you did.

      How to write an introduction for a research paper?

      Tell the purpose of the research paper here. You need to set up the context. (your main idea) in the introduction.

      Some questions should be cleared at the start only:

      1. What is the purpose of this research paper?
      2.  How clear are the thesis & arguments?

      So, the introduction may be short but should be clear and to the point.

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