How to Write a Research Paper Step by Step, writing a research essay.

Writing a research essay

  • Understand the flow of information and how your ideas are related

    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.

    1. Dangers presented by measles and its link to other diseases
    2. Illnesses that can result from the measles virus
    3. Fatal cases of other illnesses after patients contract measles

    What should you pay attention to when proofreading? The most obvious purpose of this step is to identify any grammatical mistakes in the text. However, there is much more to it than there seems. When proofreading your work, it is vital to check the logical flow of ideas and structure. Readability also matters. You should make sure that your thoughts are presented in a simple and understandable language. Finally, you need to check compliance with the given instructions, analyze the coherence and in-depth examinations in body paragraphs, and ensure that you have a valid conclusion.

    Document Information

    Writing a research essay

    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.

    Topic: Measles and the vaccination debate
    I. Introduction

    1. Definition of measles
    2. Rise in cases of recent years in places the disease was previously eliminated or had very low rates of infection
    3. Figures — the number of cases per year on average, and number in recent years. Relate to immunization

    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.

    Writing a research essay

    All these components must be saved in one document, not as separate documents.

    Visually, the hierarchy of information is organized as indicated in Table 13.1 “Section Headings”.

    1. Section headings use centered, boldface type. Headings use title case, with important words in the heading capitalized.
    2. Subsection headings use left-aligned, boldface type. Headings use title case.
    3. The third level uses left-aligned, indented, boldface type. Headings use a capital letter only for the first word, and they end in a period.
    4. The fourth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are boldfaced and italicized.
    5. The fifth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are italicized and not boldfaced.

    APA style uses section headings to organize information, making it easy for the reader to follow the writer’s train of thought and to know immediately what major topics are covered. Depending on the length and complexity of the paper, its major sections may also be divided into subsections, sub-subsections, and so on. These smaller sections, in turn, use different heading styles to indicate different levels of information. In essence, you are using headings to create a hierarchy of information.

    Title Page

    Writing a research essay

    Another variation is to introduce the author and the source title in your sentence and include the publication date and page number in parentheses within the sentence or at the end of the sentence. As long as you have included the essential information, you can choose the option that works best for that particular sentence and source.

    In-text citations must provide the name of the author or authors and the year the source was published. (When a given source does not list an individual author, you may provide the source title or the name of the organization that published the material instead.) When directly quoting a source, it is also required that you include the page number where the quote appears in your citation.

    1. Set the top, bottom, and side margins of your paper at 1 inch.
    2. Use double-spaced text throughout your paper.
    3. Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a legible size (10- to 12-point).
    4. Use continuous pagination throughout the paper, including the title page and the references section. Page numbers appear flush right within your header.
    5. Section headings and subsection headings within the body of your paper use different types of formatting depending on the level of information you are presenting. Additional details from Jorge’s paper are provided.

    Writing a research essay

    The steps below show you how to construct an effective conclusion for either type of research paper.

    Whatever the scope of your own research, there will always be room for further investigation of related topics, and you’ll often discover new questions and problems during the research process.

    Finish your paper on a forward-looking note by suggesting how you or other researchers might build on this topic in the future and address any limitations of the current paper.

    If your topic is more theoretical and unsuitable for a call for action, your closing statement should express the significance of your argument—for example, in proposing a new understanding of a topic or laying the groundwork for future research.

    Table of contents

    The conclusion of a research paper has several key elements you should make sure to include:

    Full examples of research paper conclusions are shown in the tabs below: one for an argumentative paper, the other for an empirical paper.

    For example, an argumentative paper advocating new measures to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture might restate its problem as follows:

    Writing a research essay

    For example, an argumentative paper advocating new measures to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture might restate its problem as follows:

    The content of the conclusion varies depending on whether your paper presents the results of original empirical research or constructs an argument through engagement with sources.

    The conclusion of a research paper is where you wrap up your ideas and leave the reader with a strong final impression. It has several key goals:

    While you are restating a problem you’ve already introduced, you should avoid phrasing it identically to how it appeared in the introduction. Ideally, you’ll find a novel way to circle back to the problem from the more detailed ideas discussed in the body.

    Step 1: Restate the problem

    • Restate the research problem addressed in the paper
    • Summarize your overall arguments or findings
    • Suggest the key takeaways from your paper

    Full examples of research paper conclusions are shown in the tabs below: one for an argumentative paper, the other for an empirical paper.

    The conclusion of a research paper has several key elements you should make sure to include:

    Writing a research essay

    In this chapter, you will learn how to use APA style , the documentation and formatting style followed by the American Psychological Association, as well as MLA style , from the Modern Language Association. There are a few major formatting styles used in academic texts, including AMA, Chicago, and Turabian:

    • Your title page
    • The abstract you created in Note 13.8 “Exercise 1”
    • Correct headers and page numbers for your title page and abstract

    Citing a book with a single author is usually a straightforward task. Of course, your research may require that you cite many other types of sources, such as books or articles with more than one author or sources with no individual author listed. You may also need to cite sources available in both print and online and nonprint sources, such as websites and personal interviews. Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting”, Section 13.2 “Citing and Referencing Techniques” and Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provide extensive guidelines for citing a variety of source types.

    Another variation is to introduce the author and the source title in your sentence and include the publication date and page number in parentheses within the sentence or at the end of the sentence. As long as you have included the essential information, you can choose the option that works best for that particular sentence and source.

    Learning Objectives

    Writing a research essay

    Here, the writer chose to mention the source title in the sentence (an optional piece of information to include) and followed the title with a parenthetical citation. Note that the parenthetical citation is placed before the comma that signals the end of the introductory phrase.

    1. Section headings use centered, boldface type. Headings use title case, with important words in the heading capitalized.
    2. Subsection headings use left-aligned, boldface type. Headings use title case.
    3. The third level uses left-aligned, indented, boldface type. Headings use a capital letter only for the first word, and they end in a period.
    4. The fourth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are boldfaced and italicized.
    5. The fifth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are italicized and not boldfaced.

    A college research paper may not use all the heading levels shown in Table 13.1 “Section Headings”, but you are likely to encounter them in academic journal articles that use APA style. For a brief paper, you may find that level 1 headings suffice. Longer or more complex papers may need level 2 headings or other lower-level headings to organize information clearly. Use your outline to craft your major section headings and determine whether any subtopics are substantial enough to require additional levels of headings.

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