Being a college student, writing a research paper before and after graduation is an enormous job and also a quite tedious task. However, many researchers get very little training regarding scientific and technical writing. Writing a research paper not only evaluates your writing skills but also your knowledge and skill of the topic you have chosen, the inclusion of a variety of sources for engagement and your unique contribution towards the research. The research procedure is very lengthy and requires immense hard work for years and the paper reflects it all, thus it’s very crucial to write it properly avoiding any major mistakes.
Choose a target journal
Choosing a journal before writing enables you to prepare to tailor your paper towards the specific target audience. After selecting, follow the guidelines for the author by the journal which includes instructions for covering the paper with the word limits and other processes for submission of the manuscript. Don’t try to submit your paper in more than one journal as it is considered unethical and unprofessional.
Thesis statement
The thesis statement is a statement that summarizes the main idea of research and helps the readers to preview your paper. Though it’s not a compulsion, it is better to write the statement in the beginning, to organize your research properly.
WRITING THE RESEARCH PAPER
Once, you conduct all your research after forming the outline and noting down the main points, you are all set to start with the major writing part and by then, you might be quite energized by your lab performance and the ideas pouring in.
Abstract
The Abstract is the backbone and pivot of every research paper as it decides whether the reader and the journal editors will move forward with reading your entire paper or not. It is a summary like a movie trailer highlighting the key points covered by you and forms the first impression by grabbing the attention in the first paragraph itself. It is generally of 200-250 words.
Introduction
This provides the background, context and purpose of writing it. Start with a catchy sentence and give the general information on your topic within 3-5 paragraphs. Narrow down the focus by answering the following questions-
- Why is your research significant?
- What isn’t known about your topic specifying the “gap” and what extra knowledge do you have about it?
- What are the aims of your research and the novelty of your paper?
- Why are you writing it when so many other papers are available for the same topic?
The body
It contains the majority portion where you mention the methods you used while conducting your research, the observation and the result of the same with the discussion about why it happened. This also accounts for the statistical analysis with proper tables, comparisons and figures consisting of relevant data of the same. Make sure that every detail completely provides the insight into the information you want to signify.
Conclusion
Wrap up your research by rewording your thesis and summarizing it, explaining each point and supporting it with a relevant cause making it conclusive and proving the thesis statement. Take a moment to justify your hard work and why you did it. Explain the hypothesis that you took into consideration, whether you are accepting or rejecting it with sufficient evidence and the application of your procedure for the future.
Citations and references
Citations can be added both in-text and at the end of your paper. It is applied when you mention content from some other’s work and have several styles to cite it; the most commonly used being the APA format (American Psychology Association).
Follow the basic steps, avoid silly errors and whoa!! Get your paper published!
