Writing a Research Paper

Paper Summary:

This paper presents guidelines for writing a research paper. The paper contends that writing a research paper involves five simple yet important steps: focusing the topic, conducting thorough research, writing a first draft, revising the draft into a well-written composition, and creating a properly formatted final composition. The paper elaborates on each of these five steps.

From the Paper:

"Research papers will haunt all students during the course of their educational careers and beyond, depending on their career. Although writing a research paper is never easy, and demands hard work, time, and patience, the task need not be daunting. The process of writing a research paper entails five major steps. First, start with a narrow and focused topic in the area of interest. One of the main mistakes made by beginning writers is attempting to tackle a topic that is too broad. The best research papers have a clear focus and a thesis statement that summarizes it. Second, do all the requisite footwork such as locating bibliographic materials and conducting searches using the Internet and electronic databases. Ideally, all reference materials for the paper should be reputable if not peer-reviewed, from scholastic sources. Blogs might be good starting points for finding initial topics but do not constitute reliable source material. The third stage in the research paper writing process involves the composition of a primary draft. Getting thoughts down on paper without worrying about sounding erudite removes self-censorship and helps the writer overcome mental blocks."

More papers on Writing a Research Paper:

• Research Paper # 106133 : "Writing a Research Report"
• Admission Essay # 8176 : "How to Do a Research Paper"
• Creative Essay # 9858 : "Writing a Paper"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: