A research paper tests your scholarly astuteness. It explains why writing a paper at any level is such an intense undertaking. It requires intense planning, research, writing, and rewriting. All these processes should be taken systematically to ensure a captivating paper.
The amount of work you put in a paper can be known by the results you produce. If you want good grades, consider such options as using writing apps and hiring a professional writer. Once you are done, hire an essay editor to clean your paper of syntax, grammatical, and typing errors, among other weaknesses that lower the quality of your paper.
Here are excellent tips for writing a paper for students.
Master the assignment
The first rule when writing any academic paper is to understand the rules. Know the expectations from your tutor because they count when the paper is evaluated for grading. How many pages or words should the paper be? Are you required to use specific reference materials? What is the formatting style to use?
A crucial requirement for any assignment is the topic. Some tutors issue a prompt with a specific topic while others have a specific topic. Master these instructions before you can begin writing any paper.
Instructions guide every step of your writing process. For instance, researching on the wrong perspective for an essay will result in the wrong paper. In case you have been asked to write a descriptive essay, you cannot write an analysis or synthesis essay. Such differences in outcomes demand that you must get the instructions right.
Use a sample or an outline to help you understand the instructions. You should also request help from your tutor in case the instructions are not clear. You can now confidently start writing your paper.
Research the general topic
Start looking at your topic from a general perspective before narrowing down to the specific. This is an especially important step when you are free to choose the topic. By researching the general area, you have a wider perspective and more ideas from where to pick your topic.
The most impressive academic work is also more extensive. As you read about the wider topic, you encounter ideas that you not have thought existed. It helps to shape your hypothesis on the topic, resulting in a more captivating paper.
Develop a hypothesis
In what direction is your research leading you? This is what a hypothesis means. Extract a topic from the materials you have gathered. It is a way of narrowing down your thoughts into a workable topic.
The topic should consider what other scholars, according to the materials you have read, have said about the subject. You can choose to agree with them and push the debate further or disagree and start a new perspective. The decision should be based on the findings you have made from your research.
Research a specific area
Having chosen a topic, you now have a specific area to focus your attention. Look for more materials among the recommended books, articles, and other academic materials. Special attention to a particular area helps you to go deeper, resulting in a more insightful paper.
Choose the best quality academic materials for your research. Such materials are available from the library. Your tutor will also recommend the best reference materials. These two sources are the most reliable when researching any academic topic. Create a database with the materials you have gathered to make referencing easier.
Develop an outline
Identify your main topics of discussion and line them up in the order you would like them to appear. At first, the outline is haphazard because you enter your points as you discover them during literature review. Having identified all the points, it is time to organize them so that your paper can have a greater impact.
The strongest points appear at the beginning so that you can convince your reader. You also close your discussion with the strongest points to leave a resounding statement in the mind of the reader. The outline helps you to ensure that all ideas are captured in a systematic manner in your essay.
An outline also helps you to identify the strength of your ideas. Since it captures the reference materials you intend to use, you can see whether the materials will support the idea adequately. If the materials are not enough, you may merge two or more weak ideas. You avoid making weak arguments that degrade your entire essay.
Back up your argument
It is time to justify all the assertions you are making in your paper. Support the ideas with the strongest reference materials available. Refer to books, academic articles, and credible materials from verifiable authors. The publisher will also give you an idea of what to expect in a book.
Your tutor will be looking at the strength of your arguments when grading the paper. Read diverse materials to understand multiple sides of the argument you will be making. The expansive knowledge of the subject ensures that your argument is balanced. It cannot be discounted or criticized as weak because it is adequately backed up.
The reader will be looking for the sources used in drawing conclusions to your argument. Citations and references must be accurate. At the same time, use the latest scholarly materials so that your ideas resonate with the prevailing academic discourse.
Say it in your own words
Research papers involve borrowing ideas from other writers. However, these ideas cannot be presented as your own. You must cite the source of every quotation you make. Since you will be borrowing numerous ideas, especially in your literature review, the ideas should be presented in your own words. Capturing the actual words is termed as plagiarism.
Plagiarism can be detected using plagiarism checkers. The apps indicate the source of copied materials to allow you refer and make amends. Use a plagiarism checker before submitting any work. The tools help you to submit an original and unique paper.
Plan your time efficiently
Writing a good academic paper goes beyond the reference materials used. Your state of body and mind when writing count to the quality of work you produce. Choose a time when the mind and body are relaxed enough to produce insightful ideas. Avoid distractions to allow you focus intensely on an idea and produce the best discussion.
Get help
While the grades will be entered in your name, you are allowed to get help writing your paper. The help may come from a professional writer online. They are available on writing websites. They take over the entire assignment or a part of it, helping you to save time, produce better quality work, or focus on other activities.
Online writing tools also help you to draft a better paper. The tools help with editing, proofreading, citations, and references, among other writing tasks. Some will also help you to draft using a microphone instead of typing the entire paper.
Edit and proofread
Edit and proofread the paper before submission. Countercheck whether the paper adheres to the instructions issued in the prompt. You may hire an editor or used friends and peers to polish your paper.
Tick all the above boxes when writing your paper to guarantee a captivating paper. You must allocate enough time to write and especially finish on time. Get all the help available to make writing your paper easier.