How to Make a Good Research Paper: A Student’s Handy Guide
Jul 10, 20247 min read
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Table of contents
- How to Write a Research Paper of Top Quality
- How to Organize a Research Paper
- What to Write a Research Paper On
- What to Include in a Research Paper
- What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic
- How to Do a Research Paper: A Step-By-Step Guide
- How Do You Write a Research Paper: General Tips
- How to Set Up a Research Paper Introduction
- How to Organize the Results Section of Your Paper
- Professional Help Writing a Research Paper: An Easy Path to Success
- Frequently asked questions
A research paper is a piece of academic writing based on the findings of independent research. It provides analysis, assessment, and interpretation of a selected subject matter, supported by comprehensive statistical and factual data, as well as empirical evidence, resulting from research.
Research papers are among the most popular and effective ways of sharing information in a scientific medium. Hence, this kind of work is commonly assigned in high schools, colleges, and universities.
The primary purpose of the task is to teach students how to research a topic, critically assess information, manipulate and interpret raw data, form data-driven opinions, and support their ideas with evidence. Additionally, this kind of work is used to measure the knowledge and skills students gain within the course of study.
Due to heavy research, large volume, and the fairly complicated nature of this task, handling it can be quite challenging. But we have you covered! In this guide, we are going to tell you what makes a good research paper and how to write one yourself.
How to Write a Research Paper of Top Quality
A good research paper is characterized by the following features:
- Innovation;
- In-depth literature review;
- Smart objectives;
- Methodological rigor;
- Logical structure;
- Critical thinking;
- Comprehensive evidence;
- Clarity;
- Contribution to the field.
To write a paper that meets all these criteria, you need to take a holistic and structured approach to the process. And it begins with some preparatory steps.
Before jumping to research, you need to take enough time to read and understand the task requirements. Identify the key components of the assignment, including the required word count (or the number of pages), formatting (i.e., font, spacing, margins, etc.), citation style, and deadline. Keeping these things in mind will help you ensure that you fully meet the demands of your professor and don’t lose points.
If any requirements are unclear or unspecified, be sure to contact your educator and clarify them.
While reading and assessing the task requirements, pay special attention to the prompts or research questions suggested by your professor. This is not a rule. However, sometimes, educators may give you a general direction for your research, and if this is the case, they will likely expect you to follow it in your paper.
Once done with preparation, you can move on to writing.
How to Organize a Research Paper
The formal research paper structure contains the following sections:
- Introduction. The opening section presents the topic, primary problem, and research question to the reader. It also specifies the purpose and focus of your work and gives a clear thesis statement that represents an overview of an author’s position or primary argument on the topic.
- Literature review. This section provides an outlook on the existing literature and research on the given topic.
- Methodology. This section provides a comprehensive look at the methodologies used in your research.
- Results. This section represents the findings of your research and supporting evidence. It can be presented in the form of quantitative (numbers) and qualitative information (descriptions and explanations). Additionally, you may want to use tables, charts, and graphs to visualize your data.
- Discussion. This section synthesizes everything you’ve found throughout your research, interprets findings, and explains the meanings or consequences of these findings. It’s recommended to avoid providing new ideas in this part.
- Conclusion and recommendations. The final section should wrap up all primary ideas, present a logical outcome of your research, and possibly make some recommendations on further research or state some implications and consequences of your findings.
The length of the complete research paper typically varies from 15 to 25 pages. Additional structural elements may include a title page, abstract, and references, though such comprehensive formatting may not be required for research papers written for lower academic levels, such as middle school. Be sure to check the specific organizational requirements with the task details provided by your educator.
What to Write a Research Paper On
As you already know, sometimes, educators may give you specific prompts, research questions, or even a list of suggested topics to elaborate on in your paper. In this case, you should follow the recommendations and align your research work to your professor’s requirements.
However, if you were not given any clues on what to write your paper on, you will have to decide on a topic yourself.
The choice of a research paper topic for college is a big and responsible step. In a way, it’s going to predetermine the smoothness of the process and the success of your paper. Hence, it’s important to approach it with due care.
Before selecting a topic, it’s recommended to do some early research on your subject matter. This will help you determine a topic that gives you enough scope for research and is not too broad or too narrow.
You need to pick a topic that interests you and aligns with the general area of study. At the same time, you want to ensure the originality of your research. Thus, while conducting preliminary research, pay attention to existing knowledge in your subject to detect gaps and come up with novel ideas that can contribute to your field.
What to Include in a Research Paper
After determining the topic, you can move on to your primary research and collect data for your paper.
What should research paper include sources-wise, you may wonder? Here’s a brief overview of the three core types of sources:
- Primary sources. First-hand, raw data collected from original studies and observations and original sources of information before an analysis. Examples: interviews, experiment results, scientific articles, etc.
- Secondary sources. Sources that don’t offer new evidence but interpret or analyze primary sources. Examples: textbooks, biographies, literary criticism, etc.
- Tertiary sources. Sources that present compilations of large volumes of data on a given topic. Examples: abstracts, encyclopedias, databases, etc.
To add sufficient depth to your research, you may want to include all three kinds of sources in your work. While researching your topic, assess every source of information to determine its type and note them down to be able to easily get back to your sources during the writing process.
What Makes a Good Research Paper Topic
One of the key answers to the question “How to do a good research paper?” is “by finding a good research topic.” A broad or narrow, uninteresting, or irrelevant topic can greatly complicate further research and writing processes. Hence, it’s pivotal to know what makes a good research topic.
The general rule of thumb for selecting a good topic is to ensure that it’s “FINER”:
- Feasible. You should have all research sources, equipment, and subjects available at the moment of research. You must also possess the needed knowledge and practical experience.
- Interesting. You should be genuinely interested in the topic.
- Novel. The topic should offer something new and unique to your field.
- Ethical. The topic should not conflict with different religious beliefs, laws, cultural values, and other ethical matters.
- Relevant. The topic should not contradict your field of study. It should help advance existing subject knowledge and support further research.
How to Select a Research Topic for Kids
While the topic for a college or university-level research paper should be rather deep and meet the aforementioned criteria of relevance, feasibility, and others, a topic for a school-level paper might be less complicated and comprehensive.
If you were assigned to write a research paper in middle school or high school, it’s important to understand that your target audience would be other teens like you. Hence, you need to select a clear and easy-to-understand topic that matches your current level of knowledge and skills.
When choosing a topic, follow the general rules:
- Identify your areas of interest;
- Check the availability and sufficiency of data sources;
- Confirm the relevance and timeliness of a potential topic;
- Consider your limitations (in terms of subject knowledge, research skills, practical experience, etc.);
- Evaluate your personal resources. For example, consider the amount of time you have to complete your work: if you have to submit it in a day, a topic that is too complex and broad can pose additional stress and limitations. Also, keep in mind any financial resources or special equipment you might need.
How to Write a Short Research Paper: Topic Choice Recommendations
On average, research papers are around 4,000–6,000 words long. In some cases, these papers can even go beyond 10,000 words. But sometimes, you might be limited to only 1,000-2,000 words, which leaves too little space for elaborating on your topic.
If this is your case, the choice of a topic should be even more careful. The best way to approach the topic choice in this instance is to start by brainstorming general ideas that align with your subject field and then narrow them down.
For example, if you’re writing for the Literature class, you can first select a specific genre of literature that you already studied, let’s say, romantic poetry. Then, make it even more specific, for example, explore the specific themes represented in romantic poetry.
By narrowing your topic down like that, you can ensure that you’ll be able to fully disclose it in a short research paper.
How to Do a Research Paper: A Step-By-Step Guide
Writing a research paper is a lengthy process that consists of many stages.
Here’s how to tackle this task step by step:
- Study the task. Read the assignment from your teacher multiple times to ensure that you understand it and highlight the most important requirements.
- Do preliminary research. Explore existing literature and sources in your field to inform the topic selection.
- Pick a topic. Follow the tips we shared earlier to select a good topic that will make the writing process simple and enjoyable.
- Form a thesis. Based on your topic and preliminary research, define your primary stance and formulate a clear and concise thesis.
- Collect data. Deepen your research to collect lots of supporting data for your claims. Use tools like the Internet Public Library and Google Scholar to explore valid, peer-reviewed sources of information.
- Make an outline. Write a detailed outline for your future research paper, following the required structure.
- Write the first draft. Follow your outline to create the draft of your paper.
- Proofread and edit. Give your paper several rounds of proofreading and editing to refine it and ensure the best quality. Don’t be afraid to use auxiliary tools like Grammarly, Hemingway App, and similar to streamline the editing process. But don’t rely on these tools blindly.
How Do You Write a Research Paper: General Tips
Before you start writing your paper, here are a few handy tips that can set you up for success:
- Set goals and small milestones with deadlines to make the research and writing process structured and productive.
- Identify your target audience and keep it in mind to adjust your writing style and language accordingly.
- Study other students’ works before writing to draw inspiration and understand what is expected of you (you can find free research papers in PDF format in places like the Educational Resources Information Center).
- In the methodology section, simply tell readers about the stages of your research in detail.
- Avoid cliches, repetitions, and vague expressions. Keep your paper to the point and concise.
- Prioritize your findings by importance and present them in the paper accordingly. Don’t be afraid to leave some less important findings in the appendices.
- Get back to your research question/thesis after writing the whole paper to refine it.
- Consider asking someone to proofread your paper and give their feedback.
- Keep originality in mind and always check the final draft for plagiarism before submitting it.
How to Set Up a Research Paper Introduction
The introduction section is the first thing readers pay attention to and the part that sets the tone for the entire paper. Hence, it has to be very clear and compelling.
The core goals of the introduction are to introduce the topic, provide some context for topic understanding, and state the problem your research addresses.
Here are some tips to craft a great intro:
- Open with a quote, statistical data, or another appropriate hook to make the right impression on a person who will be reading your paper and capture their attention.
- Give sufficient background information to help readers understand the topic and the problem you intend to solve.
- Emphasize the gap in existing literature to justify your research.
- Give a logical and clear thesis.
How to Organize the Results Section of Your Paper
The results section is the largest element of a research paper that communicates and interprets your findings. Hence, it’s important to know some tips that will help write an effective results section.
The core aim to keep in mind while writing this part of your paper is to make your findings sound as logical, accurate, and easy to understand as possible. The main tip – don’t attempt to handle this part quickly. Be very careful and meticulous instead.
Here are some things you want to include in this section:
- Control group data;
- Relevant statistical data;
- Visual illustrations of findings (e.g., figures, graphs, and tables).
And some things you shouldn’t include in results:
- Bias;
- Speculation or commentary about the results;
- References;
- Repeated information;
- Explanations, comparisons, or interpretations (unless you are required to combine the results and discussion sections into one).
Professional Help Writing a Research Paper: An Easy Path to Success
A research paper is a large and labor-intensive work that requires lots of attention to detail. Without solid prior knowledge of the subject matter or strong writing skills, handling this task on your own can turn into a real challenge.
Not to mention a wealth of other obstacles that may get in your way, such as:
- A complicated topic;
- Unclear or complex paper requirements;
- Tight deadline;
- Lack of time due to intensive academic load or work;
- And many others.
If you are facing these or other obstacles, completing your research paper on time and making it look good can seem nearly impossible. But there is one simple solution that can help!
If you are struggling with research paper writing, the team of WriteAPaper is here for you! Our service was designed to help students overcome their challenges and achieve greater academic success with less effort. With us, you can hire qualified writers with degrees from BA to Ph.D. in nearly all academic disciplines.
So, if you are still not sure how to craft an A-level research paper, let us give you a helping hand. All it takes is a few simple clicks to place an order, and we will take care of the hard work for you!
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Frequently asked questions
A research paper is a common type of academic writing that might be assigned to students in school, college, and university. This kind of task can be assigned in different subject areas, too, so it’s nearly impossible to get through your education without writing at least a couple of research papers.
To do this, you need to understand the key features of a good research paper. These include originality and innovation, in-depth literature review, meticulous methodology, logical structure, smart goals, critical thinking, evidence clarity, and much more. Most importantly, writing a good paper requires making a real contribution to the field.
The length of the paper depends on a number of factors, including your academic level and field of study. The average length is between 4,000 and 6,000 words. However, in some cases, a research paper can reach 10,000 words or more or, on the contrary, be rather short.
Typically, a research paper consists of the following sections:
- Introduction;
- Literature review;
- Methodology;
- Results;
- Discussion;
- Conclusion;
- References.
Sometimes, you might be asked to combine the results and discussion sections into one. Also, depending on your teacher’s requirements, you might need to add additional elements to your paper, such as a title page or abstract.
Research paper writing is a complex process that spans a variety of steps. To get started with this task, you need to analyze the assignment requirements and do preliminary research first. Then, you need to pick a topic, formulate a thesis, collect evidence, and write an outline. Finally, you can draft your paper and then proofread and edit it.
Writing an A-level research paper is quite time-consuming. So, if you lack the knowledge, skills, time, or motivation to handle the task, it can be a challenge. Luckily, there is an opportunity to delegate this task to professional writers who will help you overcome the obstacles and ensure the best results.