The research shows that. (here you can repeat the thesis statement)
When you identify themes in the research, you will also have an easier time coming up with your thesis statement.[A8]
Even if you structure your essay like a cause and effect or a compare and contrast paper, the research itself is what defines a research paper.
- Write down the full bibliographic data of the source. If you can, write it down now in the proper citation format you were asked to use (MLA, APA, etc.). Take note of:
- Author(s) name
- Date
- Title of article
- Title of journal or book
- Page numbers
- Cull facts and information from each source, entering it into each thematic category in your outline.
Outline Example
When writing a research paper, it is not enough just to say that you read something on the Internet.
To take notes by each source, go through one source at a time and do the following two things:
B. During the twentieth century, the oil and gas industry hindered the emergence of new electric car technologies.
The goal of a research paper is to find the truth about a subject and then writing about what you have learned.
- Start With Observing Your Interests.
The most challenging part of choosing a competitive research paper topic is finding an aspect that poses some importance for your course and the subject per se. While it may seem that it is sufficient to make a general statement, your argumentation should include a clear research question. Consider asking yourself why you have chosen a particular topic and how your research will make it clearer or provide innovative solutions.
Features that tend to characterize good research questions are as follows:
- descriptive – these employ careful and comprehensive observation of a phenomenon/ event, subject, trait, etc. in order to characterize it in detail and to potentially reveal important/ interesting/ undescribed aspects or patterns.
- causal – these investigate whether altering some variables leads to changes in other variables suggesting a causal relationship.
- comparative – these look into similarities and differences between two or more entities
How to Choose a Good Research Paper Topic?
While it may seem challenging to come up with a good research paper topic as you try your best to narrow things down, the trick is to choose something that influences you because you know it well and can support your arguments with relevant evidence. The subject should be well-structured and relevant to your thesis statement. Always take time to research the list of sources to compose your topic sentences as well to make them relate to your thesis part. Here are the steps to consider:
If you are confused with a variety of interesting topics for writing a creative essay, it’s better to decide what interests you the most. Don’t stick to easy research paper topics just to complete the task fast. If you are allowed to freely choose what to write an essay about, use the opportunity to create something unique. Write down the list of your interests and break down every idea into small certain topics. When you have a list in front of your eyes, it will be easier to make up your mind and start considering a particular issue.
- Come Up With an Argumentative Research Question.
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It is better to focus on finding as many valid primary sources as possible. A great starting point for this would be your school’s library, and official government websites. Also, you can use academic journals like Google Scholar to your benefit. Just like a library, academic journals will also help you to find reliable primary sources.
Finally, the complexity of the chosen subject also matters. It is important to make sure that you have enough knowledge and skills to manage it. Otherwise, you may get stuck and begin to feel unable to complete the assignment.
Before you can shape your own opinion on a specific topic, you have to study it thoroughly. A good tip to simplify your research is to use general sources like Wikipedia to get your research going. Yes, you won’t be able to use any information from there for your references—as wikipedia is not a credible source. However, it can give you a good starting point and help drive your research further.
What Is a Research Paper and How does It Differ from a Research Proposal??
When you have a clear understanding of your assignment and have a great topic in mind, it is the right time to start researching your subject. As a rule, the research process can be divided into several stages:
If you pick a topic you are not interested in, you will probably have a hard time finding the motivation for writing your paper. Besides, the enthusiasm and effort you put into your research will often reflect upon the quality of your paper—so, it can influence your grade as well. If a topic is too broad, it can be hard to manage. It is always easier to study and analyze a narrower topic.
Here is a good example of how a research paper outline should look:
Check out public and university libraries, businesses, government agencies, as well as contact knowledgeable people in your community. Read and evaluate, outline them. Bookmark your favorite Internet sites. Printout, photocopy or take notes of relevant information.
While it is suitable for convenience sake, findings from a focus group method, however, might not necessarily be generalizable to overall population, because participants were selected somewhat arbitrarily. A researcher can only make a valid conclusion or inference about their findings to the general population if everyone or every voter was given an equal chance to be chosen for the study in the form of random sampling.
After conducting a thorough lit review, you now have at least a comprehensive background information and understanding of various contours and nuances of your topic. Many of thesis questions that you may have already been answered, and you should have an idea as to where the gaps in knowledge are and what needs to be done to advance inquiry process and therefore contribute to the body on the topic that you have chosen.
Make sure your thesis is strong. If you have time and opportunity, show it to your instructor, receive some revision comments, work on improvement of weak points. Otherwise, you may estimate it yourself.
CHECK OUT OTHER PRINT MATERIALS AVAILABLE IN THE LIBRARY:
Research act in itself is a cumulative process. This means that one is expected to contribute something to the body of knowledge. And because of this expectation, this is where literature review process becomes so helpful in narrowing down and also providing background information about the topic. Engaging in a literature review helps determine what’s already known about problem that you are interested in exploring. No doubt doing a comprehensive literature review will save you time down the road by having clarity about the specific research questions that you want to explore.
Be selective of .com (commercial) sites. Many of these sites are excellent
For general or background information needed for an outline creation, check out useful URLs, general information online, using search engines, or encyclopedias online such as Britannica. Use search engines or other search tools as a starting point. Pay attention to domain name extensions, .edu (educational institution), .org (non-profit organization) or .gov (government). These sites represent institutions and are more reliable, however, be aware of possible political bias on some government sites.
To form a clear and relevant thesis, ask yourself: what is my paper about? The answer to this question is exactly what your thesis statement should be.
Now, let’s move on to the next stage. Writing an outline is what will help you begin to build your research paper and ensure a logical flow of ideas. In a nutshell, the key purpose of an outline is to structure your paper. It should include a detailed plan for each section of your paper. If done right, it will help you to:
It is better to focus on finding as many valid primary sources as possible. A great starting point for this would be your school’s library, and official government websites. Also, you can use academic journals like Google Scholar to your benefit. Just like a library, academic journals will also help you to find reliable primary sources.
Finally, the complexity of the chosen subject also matters. It is important to make sure that you have enough knowledge and skills to manage it. Otherwise, you may get stuck and begin to feel unable to complete the assignment.
Skim and Narrow Down Your List of Sources
A research paper is based heavily on in-depth research and analysis. It is used to evaluate a student’s research skills, as well as the ability to document information and provide original, useful insights on the research matter. The primary purpose of a research paper is to express your view on the research you found throughout the research process.
- A research paper is usually longer than other written assignments
This sentence reveals the main topic of your paper. However, if you make it your thesis statement just as it is, it will be weak, which in turn, will influence your grade. Therefore, you should only consider your answer as a starting point, and then evolve it to make a powerful, definitive statement. A good example of a thesis statement based on the topic mentioned above would be:
- Primary Sources – statistical data, interviews, surveys, and historical and legal documents
You should do the research before creating an outline because you must understand if there is enough information on your topic.
Research papers are usually time-consuming. You must research and document it correctly. This is why it is important to learn how to write a research paper fast. After that, you can fully concentrate on the research itself.
Additionally, instructors still prefer books or printed articles to online sources. Thus, try to use them. If you don’t have any hardcopy books on your topic, use Google to find available scans or electronic copies of them.
After you have done all your work, start checking for mistakes. If you do it in the morning the next day, your mind will be much clearer. This way, you can have a look at your paper from another perspective and find mistakes more productively. While proofreading, get rid of all extra sentences that don’t relate to the main topic, check for grammar and spelling mistakes, and check your citations’ format.
How To Write A Research Paper Fast - General Guidelines
To write a good conclusion, figure out what the most important facts are and restate them briefly using different words. The conclusion should contain the facts that should be memorable for your reader and emphasize the general idea of your text.
You can use research paper resources but don’t forget that every article you read should have an author. You must indicate the sources you have used. Sites like Wikipedia, despite all the advice not to use it, can help in creating an outline for your text. But do not copy and paste from Wikipedia. Professors usually check it first if they want to check for plagiarism.
While writing a thesis, you should not limit the things you are talking about but at the same time, you should make your thesis statement as specific as possible.
- Primary Sources – statistical data, interviews, surveys, and historical and legal documents