The Ultimate Guide to Writing a Research Paper,What is your plagiarism score?
WebWriting an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument. Because essays are essentially linear—they offer one idea at a time—they must present WebOct 26, · A good research question is essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or thesis. All research questions should be: Focused on a single problem or WebMar 11, · A research essay defined as academic writing based on its writer’s research on a particular topic. It can be a term paper, master’s thesis. That is called a research essay. Research essay types: There Web11 rows · Oct 30, · The first question asks for a ready-made solution, and is not focused or researchable. The second question is a clearer comparative question, but WebResearch Essays Examples An Issue of Concussions in Sports. Introduction Throughout the years, concussions have become much more prevalent and Analysis of The ... read more
The thesis statement should be concise, contentious, and coherent. That means it should briefly summarize your argument in a sentence or two, make a claim that requires further evidence or analysis, and make a coherent point that relates to every part of the paper. You will probably revise and refine the thesis statement as you do more research, but it can serve as a guide throughout the writing process. Every paragraph should aim to support and develop this central claim. A research paper outline is essentially a list of the key topics, arguments, and evidence you want to include, divided into sections with headings so that you know roughly what the paper will look like before you start writing.
Your priorities at this stage are as follows:. You do not need to start by writing the introduction. Begin where it feels most natural for you — some prefer to finish the most difficult sections first, while others choose to start with the easiest part. If you created an outline, use it as a map while you work. Do not delete large sections of text. Paragraphs are the basic building blocks of research papers. Each one should focus on a single claim or idea that helps to establish the overall argument or purpose of the paper. Here is an example of a well-structured paragraph. Hover over the sentences to learn more. This impact is particularly obvious in light of the various critical review articles that have recently referenced the essay.
Each time you use a source, make sure to take note of where the information came from. You can use our free citation generators to automatically create citations and save your reference list as you go. APA Citation Generator MLA Citation Generator. The research paper introduction should address three questions: What, why, and how? Be specific about the topic of the paper, introduce the background, and define key terms or concepts. This is the most important, but also the most difficult, part of the introduction. Try to provide brief answers to the following questions: What new material or insight are you offering? What important issues does your essay help define or answer?
The major struggle faced by most writers is how to organize the information presented in the paper, which is one reason an outline is so useful. However, remember that the outline is only a guide and, when writing, you can be flexible with the order in which the information and arguments are presented. One way to stay on track is to use your thesis statement and topic sentences. Be aware of paragraphs that seem to cover the same things. If two paragraphs discuss something similar, they must approach that topic in different ways. Aim to create smooth transitions between sentences, paragraphs, and sections.
Trace the course of the paper, emphasizing how it all comes together to prove your thesis statement. The goal during the revision and proofreading process is to ensure you have completed all the necessary tasks and that the paper is as well-articulated as possible. Next, think about sentence structure , grammatical errors, and formatting. Check that you have correctly used transition words and phrases to show the connections between your ideas. Look for typos, cut unnecessary words, and check for consistency in aspects such as heading formatting and spellings. Finally, you need to make sure your paper is correctly formatted according to the rules of the citation style you are using.
For example, you might need to include an MLA heading or create an APA title page. Discover our paper editing service. I have followed all instructions in the assignment sheet. My introduction presents my topic in an engaging way and provides necessary background information. My paper is logically organized using paragraphs and if relevant section headings. Each paragraph is clearly focused on one central idea, expressed in a clear topic sentence. I have used appropriate transitions to clarify the connections between sections, paragraphs, and sentences. My conclusion provides a concise answer to the research question or emphasizes how the thesis has been supported. I have provided an in-text citation every time I refer to ideas or information from a source.
I have included a reference list at the end of my paper, consistently formatted according to a specific citation style. I have thoroughly revised my paper and addressed any feedback from my professor or supervisor. You've written a great paper. While online wikis can be very helpful, they sometimes contain unverified information that you should probably not rely upon as your primary resources. Expert interviews; if possible, interview an expert in the subject of your research. Experts can be professionals working in the field you are studying, professors with advanced degrees in the subject of interest, etc.
Take notes. When you are researching your topic, take notes on the information you find. It can be difficult to recall all you have read on the subject when it comes time to start writing, especially if you are unfamiliar with the topic; having notes will significantly help with this. Be sure to note where you found the information as you take notes so you can easily cite it as you write. If you are using books or physical copies of magazines or journals, use sticky tabs to mark pages or paragraphs where you found useful information.
You might even want to number these tabs to correspond with numbers on your note sheet for easy reference. By keeping your notes brief and simple, you can make them easier to understand and reference while writing. Don't make your notes so long and detailed that they essentially copy what's already written in your sources, as this won't be helpful to you. Develop an objective. Depending on the purpose of your research paper, you may find yourself needing to adopt a position or draw some conclusions about your topic. As you research the subject, ask yourself how the information you encounter fits in with the objective of your paper. For example, if you need to present two sides of an argument and then side with one, identify information that corresponds to the different viewpoints surrounding the topic and organize the sources accordingly in your notes.
If you have an objective in mind from the start, you can incorporate this into online searches about your topic in order to find the most relevant resources. For example, if your objective is to outline the environmental hazards of hydraulic fracturing practices, search for that exact phrase rather than just "hydraulic fracturing. Talk to your teacher. If you are researching for a class, ask your teacher or professor for advice or suggestions as to the direction you should take with your essay. He or she might be able to help you out by narrowing or broadening your focus or by pointing you toward useful resources.
This way, you will also be able to gauge whether your teacher approves of the topic you have in mind. Unless your topic was assigned to you in the first place, part of the assignment is for you to choose a topic relevant to the broader theme of the class or unit. By asking your teacher to do this for you, you risk admitting laziness or incompetence. If you have a few topics in mind but are not sure how to develop objectives for some of them, your teacher can help with this. Plan to discuss your options with your teacher and come to a decision yourself rather than having him or her choose the topic for you from several options. Part 2. Break up your essay into sub-topics. You will probably need to address several distinct aspects of your research topic in your essay. This is an important tactic for producing a well-organized research essay because it avoids 'stream of consciousness' writing, which typically lacks order.
What questions might the reader have right out of the gate? How do you want the reader to think about the topic? Answering these kinds of questions can help you figure out how to set up your argument. Match your paper sections to the objective s of your writing. For example, if you are trying to present two sides of a debate, create a section for each and then divide them up according to the aspects of each argument you want to address. Create an outline. One of the most helpful things you can do when writing a research paper is to outline the various sections and primary points of the essay.
Do this before you begin writing so you can visualize how each of the essay's parts will fit together. This will also allow you to rearrange components of the paper to make it flow logically. Some people like to include a few sentences under each heading in their outline to create a sort of "mini-essay" before they begin writing. Others find that a simple ordered list of topics is sufficient. Do whatever works best for you. If you have time, write your outline a day or two before you start writing and come back to it several times.
This will give you an opportunity to think about how the pieces of your essay will best fit together. Rearrange things in your outline as many times as you want until you have a structure you are happy with. Choose a format. Research papers, unlike creative writing pieces, usually adhere to a specific style guides governing the way sources must be cited and various other aspects of writing mechanics. If you are writing a research essay for a class, your teacher will probably specify which style the essay must conform to. Common examples include MLA Modern Language Association and APA American Psychological Association style formats, but specific fields also have their own style guides. Consult your teacher if you aren't sure what style to use. If you are assigned a specific format, you must take care to adhere to guidelines for text formatting and citations.
Some computer programs such as EndNote allow you to construct a library of resources which you can then set to a specific format type; then you can automatically insert in-text citations from your library and populate a references section at the end of the document. This is an easy way to make sure your citations match your assigned style format. Make a plan. You should set realistic writing goals for yourself so you can stay on task without feeling overburdened. It is a good idea to create a schedule and set aside blocks of time each day to work on specific parts of your essay. This way you aren't stuck writing nonstop for two days to meet your deadline and you can check things off your list as you complete them.
You may wish to start by simply assigning yourself a certain number of pages per day. Divide the number of pages you are required to write by the number of days you have to finish the essay; this is the number of pages minimum that you must complete each day in order to pace yourself evenly. If possible, leave a buffer of at least one day between finishing your paper and the due date. This will allow you to review your finished product and edit it for errors. This will also help in case something comes up that slows your writing progress. Part 3. Create an introduction. In this section, introduce your topic and establish the purpose for your essay.
If you intend to investigate a debated topic, state this in your introduction. You want the reader to have a good idea of what the essay is about and how it is constructed by reading your introduction. Save your opinions and any conclusions you've drawn for the rest of the essay. For most papers, one or two paragraphs will suffice. For really long essays, you may need to expand this. Don't assume your reader already knows the basics of the topic unless it truly is a matter of common knowledge. For example, you probably don't need to explain in your introduction what biology is, but you should define less general terms such as "eukaryote" or "polypeptide chain. Build the body of your essay. This is the meat of your paper, on which you should place the majority of your focus.
The length and detail of your essay will determine the form of its body, but at a minimum this should include any key arguments, any research methods used and results obtained in cases where you performed original research , and your main research findings. Alternatively, you can consider moving this to the introductory section, but only if your essay is short and only minimal background discussion is needed. This is the part of your paper where organization and structure are most important. Arrange sections within the body so that they flow logically and the reader is introduced to ideas and sub-topics before they are discussed further. Depending upon the length and detail of your paper, the end of the body might contain a discussion of findings.
This kind of section serves to wrap up your main findings but does not explicitly state your conclusions which should come in the final section of the essay. Avoid repetition in the essay body. Keep your writing concise, yet with sufficient detail to address your objective s or research question s. Cite your references properly. One of the biggest mistakes you can make when writing a research paper is to fail to properly cite your sources. Passing off someone else's ideas as your own, whether intentional or not, is plagiarism, and it could land you a failing grade or even expulsion from your school.
Take the time to ensure you are citing information the right way by following these guidelines: [11] X Trustworthy Source Purdue Online Writing Lab Trusted resource for writing and citation guidelines Go to source Always use quotation marks when using exact quotes from another source. If someone already said or wrote the words you are using, you must quote them this way! Place your in-text citation at the end of the quote. To include someone else's ideas in your essay without directly quoting them, you can restate the information in your own words; this is called paraphrasing. Although this does not require quotation marks, it should still be accompanied by an in-text citation.
State your conclusions. This section stands apart from the essay body in that it is devoted solely to stating the conclusions you have drawn from your research. Avoid discussing details of your research or presenting results in this section. You may wish to rephrase your study objective and state how your findings address that goal. You should aim for one or two paragraphs, if possible. Conclusions should directly correspond to research discussed in the essay body. In other words, make sure your conclusions logically connect to the rest of your essay and provide explanations when necessary. If your topic is complex and involves lots of details, you should consider including a brief summary of the main points of your research in your conclusion.
Revisit your thesis or objective. Once you've completed your first draft, you should go back to your introductory paragraph s and evaluate whether your essay accomplishes the stated goals you presented in the beginning. A good essay will thoroughly address any questions or unknowns posed in its introduction. If your conclusions do not logically follow the stated purpose or objective of your essay, then you will need to fix this. Doing this also prevents you from removing anything from the beginning of your essay that could accidentally make subsequent portions of your writing seem out of place. It is okay to revise your thesis once you've finished the first draft of your essay!
People's views often change once they've done research on a topic. Just make sure you don't end up straying too far from your assigned topic if you do this. You don't necessarily need to wait until you've finished your entire draft to do this step. In fact, it is a good idea to revisit your thesis regularly as you write. This can save you a lot of time in the end by helping you keep your essay content on track. Construct a "works cited" section. This is a critical element of any research paper, because this is where you give credit to all the sources from which you borrowed information to write your essay.
This is not something that should be left for the end of your writing; rather, you should build your works cited section as you write, adding citations as you reference them in your writing. You can create a reference library and link it to your document, adding in-text citations as you write; the program creates a formatted works cited section at the end of your document. Be aware of the formatting requirements of your chosen style guide for works cited sections and in-text citations. Reference library programs like EndNote have hundreds of pre-loaded formats to choose from.
Put finishing touches on your essay. After you have written your essay, there are some final things to take care of to turn your paper into a polished piece of work that your teacher will appreciate. While not all of these have to wait until the essay is fully written, it is a good idea to take care of the important stuff first -- which is the writing, of course! Final tasks include: Create a catchy title. Waiting until you have finished your essay before choosing a title ensures that it will closely match the content of your essay. Research papers don't always take on the shape we expect them to, and it's easier to match your title to your essay than vice-versa.
Read through your paper to identify and rework sentences or paragraphs that are confusing or unclear. Each section of your paper should have a clear focus and purpose; if any of yours seem not to meet these expectations, either rewrite or discard them. Review your works cited section at the end of your essay to ensure that it conforms to the standards of your chosen or assigned style format. You should at least make sure that the style is consistent throughout this section. Run a spell checker on your entire document to catch any spelling or grammar mistakes you may not have noticed during your read-through.
All modern word processing programs include this function. Revise your draft. The first draft of your paper should not be the version you turn in to your teacher unless you are really good at editing as you write. It is usually necessary to rewrite or at least reorganize and tidy up a research essay before it can be considered finished. Give yourself a day or so away from your first draft to get some distance from your project before going back to revise it. Revisions are done to make sure the content and substantive ideas are solid; editing is done to check for spelling and grammar errors. Revisions are arguably a more important part of writing a good paper.
You may want to have a friend, classmate, or family member read your first draft and give you feedback. This can be immensely helpful when trying to decide how to improve upon your first version of the essay. Except in extreme cases, avoid a complete rewrite of your first draft. This will most likely be counterproductive and will waste a lot of time. Your first draft is probably already pretty good -- it likely just needs some tweaking before it is ready to submit. Begin with either an attention-grabbing hook risky, but has larger payoff or a general statement that provides context for the paper less risky and more common.
Writing an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument. Because essays are essentially linear—they offer one idea at a time—they must present their ideas in the order that makes most sense to a reader. Successfully structuring an essay means attending to a reader's logic. The focus of such an essay predicts its structure. It dictates the information readers need to know and the order in which they need to receive it. Thus your essay's structure is necessarily unique to the main claim you're making. Although there are guidelines for constructing certain classic essay types e. Answering Questions: The Parts of an Essay. A typical essay contains many different kinds of information, often located in specialized parts or sections.
Even short essays perform several different operations: introducing the argument, analyzing data, raising counterarguments, concluding. Introductions and conclusions have fixed places, but other parts don't. Counterargument, for example, may appear within a paragraph, as a free-standing section, as part of the beginning, or before the ending. Background material historical context or biographical information, a summary of relevant theory or criticism, the definition of a key term often appears at the beginning of the essay, between the introduction and the first analytical section, but might also appear near the beginning of the specific section to which it's relevant. It's helpful to think of the different essay sections as answering a series of questions your reader might ask when encountering your thesis.
Readers should have questions. If they don't, your thesis is most likely simply an observation of fact, not an arguable claim. To answer the question you must examine your evidence, thus demonstrating the truth of your claim. This "what" or "demonstration" section comes early in the essay, often directly after the introduction. Since you're essentially reporting what you've observed, this is the part you might have most to say about when you first start writing. But be forewarned: it shouldn't take up much more than a third often much less of your finished essay. If it does, the essay will lack balance and may read as mere summary or description.
The corresponding question is "how": How does the thesis stand up to the challenge of a counterargument? How does the introduction of new material—a new way of looking at the evidence, another set of sources—affect the claims you're making? Typically, an essay will include at least one "how" section. Call it "complication" since you're responding to a reader's complicating questions. This section usually comes after the "what," but keep in mind that an essay may complicate its argument several times depending on its length, and that counterargument alone may appear just about anywhere in an essay.
This question addresses the larger implications of your thesis. It allows your readers to understand your essay within a larger context. In answering "why", your essay explains its own significance. Although you might gesture at this question in your introduction, the fullest answer to it properly belongs at your essay's end. If you leave it out, your readers will experience your essay as unfinished—or, worse, as pointless or insular. Mapping an Essay. Structuring your essay according to a reader's logic means examining your thesis and anticipating what a reader needs to know, and in what sequence, in order to grasp and be convinced by your argument as it unfolds.
The easiest way to do this is to map the essay's ideas via a written narrative. Such an account will give you a preliminary record of your ideas, and will allow you to remind yourself at every turn of the reader's needs in understanding your idea. Essay maps ask you to predict where your reader will expect background information, counterargument, close analysis of a primary source, or a turn to secondary source material. Essay maps are not concerned with paragraphs so much as with sections of an essay. They anticipate the major argumentative moves you expect your essay to make. Try making your map like this:. Your map should naturally take you through some preliminary answers to the basic questions of what, how, and why. It is not a contract, though—the order in which the ideas appear is not a rigid one.
Essay maps are flexible; they evolve with your ideas. Signs of Trouble. A common structural flaw in college essays is the "walk-through" also labeled "summary" or "description". Walk-through essays follow the structure of their sources rather than establishing their own. Such essays generally have a descriptive thesis rather than an argumentative one. Be wary of paragraph openers that lead off with "time" words "first," "next," "after," "then" or "listing" words "also," "another," "in addition". Although they don't always signal trouble, these paragraph openers often indicate that an essay's thesis and structure need work: they suggest that the essay simply reproduces the chronology of the source text in the case of time words: first this happens, then that, and afterwards another thing.
or simply lists example after example "In addition, the use of color indicates another way that the painting differentiates between good and evil". Copyright , Elizabeth Abrams, for the Writing Center at Harvard University. Skip to main content. Main Menu Utility Menu Search. Harvard College Writing Program HARVARD. FAQ Schedule an appointment Writing Resources Writing Resources Writing Advice: The Barker Underground Blog Meet the tutors! Contact Us Drop-in Hours. Answering Questions: The Parts of an Essay A typical essay contains many different kinds of information, often located in specialized parts or sections. Mapping an Essay Structuring your essay according to a reader's logic means examining your thesis and anticipating what a reader needs to know, and in what sequence, in order to grasp and be convinced by your argument as it unfolds.
Try making your map like this: State your thesis in a sentence or two, then write another sentence saying why it's important to make that claim. Indicate, in other words, what a reader might learn by exploring the claim with you. Here you're anticipating your answer to the "why" question that you'll eventually flesh out in your conclusion. Begin your next sentence like this: "To be convinced by my claim, the first thing a reader needs to know is. This will start you off on answering the "what" question. Alternately, you may find that the first thing your reader needs to know is some background information. Begin each of the following sentences like this: "The next thing my reader needs to know is.
Continue until you've mapped out your essay. Signs of Trouble A common structural flaw in college essays is the "walk-through" also labeled "summary" or "description". Writing Resources Strategies for Essay Writing How to Read an Assignment How to Do a Close Reading Developing A Thesis Outlining Summary Topic Sentences and Signposting Transitioning: Beware of Velcro How to Write a Comparative Analysis Ending the Essay: Conclusions Brief Guides to Writing in the Disciplines. Quick Links Schedule an Appointment Drop-in Hours English Grammar and Language Tutor Harvard Guide to Using Sources Writing Advice: The Harvard Writing Tutor Blog Departmental Writing Fellows Videos from the Three Minute Thesis Competition Follow HCWritingCenter.
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Web11 rows · Oct 30, · The first question asks for a ready-made solution, and is not focused or researchable. The second question is a clearer comparative question, but WebResearch Essays Examples An Issue of Concussions in Sports. Introduction Throughout the years, concussions have become much more prevalent and Analysis of The WebOct 26, · A good research question is essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or thesis. All research questions should be: Focused on a single problem or WebFeb 5, · This essay aims to develop a strategic plan for an in-depth study of the clinical problem of bedsores prevention using an evidence-based checklist as a guide for care. WebWriting an academic essay means fashioning a coherent set of ideas into an argument. Because essays are essentially linear—they offer one idea at a time—they must present WebMar 11, · A research essay defined as academic writing based on its writer’s research on a particular topic. It can be a term paper, master’s thesis. That is called a research essay. Research essay types: There ... read more
Citations may seem confusing at first with all their rules and specific information. Why is there a housing crisis in the Netherlands? Remember about formatting and style requirements in terms of indents and the spaces. Take notes as you research, and make sure you note which page and book you got your notes from. Lansing State Journal.
Essay maps are flexible; they evolve with your ideas, essay research. Has there been an increase in homelessness in San Francisco in the past ten years? I essay research a senior as in age 74and so much has changed. This research stage will assist you in determining whether there is a possible defect in your discussion. You should aim for one or two paragraphs, if possible. Paragraphs are the basic building blocks of research papers.
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