Helpful Pointers for Your Research Paper

The research paper is an assignment that students in high school and college should expect. It is a major project probably worth at least 15% of the semester’s grade in the subject. Because of this, many students search online for pointers about it to save on time and ensure a good grade.

There are many blogs online defining and discussing the different parts of the research paper. While nice, many students are already aware of the different sections. What they need are tips to make their paper better and do so quickly. If this is you, then read on to learn some helpful pointers for your research paper.

  • Pick a topic you like

It is very hard to create a 1000-word or more paper about something you dislike. So if you have a chance to choose, go for something interesting to you, not to the teacher.

  • Make sure you have enough resources

Unlike a book report where you just look at a single book, your research paper will require several sources - a minimum of five. Aside from impressing your teacher, you will need all of these sources to help you create content for your paper.

  • Apply the stylistic guide right away

Schools usually have a particular writing style guide that must be followed, such as APA or MLA. It is better to discover what it is and apply it right away than to revise your paper later.

  • Make an outline before you begin

Since it will take several days or even weeks to make your research, chances are that you will lose your train of thought, which may affect the organization and logic of your paper. To counter this, it helps to outline your paper before writing. This will serve as your guide so that you do not get lost.

  • Write formally

Your research paper is not a reaction or opinion paper. Thus, your language should be formal, written from a third-person point of view. Avoid colloquial language or slang.

  • Set aside time to write

Because of the length of your paper, you will need to commit to a schedule for writing. If not, you might find yourself running out of time.

  • Include data and facts in most of the major sections

Researchers regularly mention data and facts to show that their writing is factual, not merely an opinion piece. So make sure you do the same.

  • Proofread your work

Although the content of your work is very important, your paper will suffer if you have a lot of grammatical and spelling errors. Make sure you check your paper thoroughly before submitting it. If you don’t trust your skills, then have a proofreader look at it for you.

  • Don’t scrimp when you print

Because you spent so much time working on your research, ensure you print it well, using clean paper and the right printing speed. It will be a shame for your hard work not to look nice because you decided to scrimp when you printed. This advice, however, should only be ignored if your teacher asks for online submission or explicitly requests you to use scratch paper to save the trees.

Summary

Those were some quick tips to help you with your paper. Do take note of them so that your efforts are not wasted.

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