Research papers are an integral part of any student’s life. Throughout their stay at the institute, they have to produce research papers for various courses. Something of such immense importance is worth a deeper exploration.
In this blog, we shall see how to write great research papers and how to cite them properly.
What is a research paper?
As the name suggests, research papers are a method of learning whereby a topic is explored in detail. Professors and teachers used this tool to make students learn and understand a topic better.
Knowledge from several sources is reviewed and studied. Once the student gathers the necessary data for a subject, then they produce their learnings in the form of a research paper.
Producing a quality research paper isn’t easy. You need to properly back your knowledge via citations. Citations show that what a student claims is verified knowledge and not just made up in the air. We shall explore the importance and various forms of citations in-depth in this blog. Before that, let us see how to produce a solid research paper:
Choose the topic carefully
In some instances, your professor will probably assign you the topic. At other times, you’ll have to choose the topic for yourself. Having to choose the topic on your own gives you certain leverages to produce a good paper and score good marks.
Choosing the right topic is the key to a brilliant paper. The topic will set the right foundation for your literature. Avoid choosing topics that are either too general or too technical. Choosing a technical topic might work if you are really invested in the paper, but a general topic may serve no good.
Moreover, ensure that your research topic has enough material for you to produce a substantial research paper. Often it happens that students don’t have the necessary secondary data to back their research and may have to change their course altogether.
Clarify your stance
Formulating a working thesis statement is the next logical step after choosing the topic. Your thesis statement should clearly communicate your stance and be concise. There are three types of statements that you can use for your research paper.
- Argumentative or persuasive: This one is where you are trying to prove a point using academic shreds of evidence and other research.
- Expository: This is where you intend to elaborate upon a topic and wish to expand the knowledge of your readers.
- Analytical: This is where your aim is to dissect a topic and have a closer look at the subject matter.
Whatever your intent, make it clear via your statement.
Research Thoroughly
This is where you start concretizing your ideas. Make notes and search for all the relevant information that’ll help you build a solid research paper. Ensure that you secure the sources with you, as you’ll need to cite the research paper later.
Thoroughly Outline
Have a well-laid outline for your paper before you proceed to make the final draft. Many students begin to work without a proper direction and realize their mistakes midway. Once you are heavily invested in terms of time and effort, it becomes hard to make changes.
Research papers usually follow a safe research paper template, and if you don’t wish to be experimental and risk your grade, then you may safely follow it as well. Here’s the safe outline:
- Title page
- An abstract to give the readers an overview of your work
- Introduction
- What methodologies you used to produce the research paper
- Your derivations out of the research
- Conclusion
If your professors demand other details, then add them according to the demands; else, you can safely follow the above-mentioned template.
Now let’s jump to the importance of citations in a research paper
Research papers are different from other forms of assignments and essays. You can’t just give statements or opinions without backing up what you say. You’ll have to show that you built up the statements or arguments in your paper based on other research. This is done by citing the source.
Research paper citations can seem a little overwhelming at times. We’ll try to help you with that.
There are several ways of a citation for a research paper. APA, MLA, Chicago being the popular ones. Unless your professor asks you a specific method of citation, you can use anyone that you are comfortable with.
Let’s explore the above-mentioned styles in a little more depth.
APA
Known as (American Psychological Association) is a citation method commonly used for papers related to psychology and liberal arts. The standard setting for creating a standard APA paper is double spacing combined with a font size of 12.
The citation method is as follows:
You start with the name of the author, after which you mention the year of publication. Then you mention what’s the title, after which you mention the publisher’s city and state along with the publisher.
Example: Samuel, J. (1999). Exploring Nature. New York, NY: Bros and Sons.
MLA
Modern Language Association is another format that’s common with social sciences and liberal arts. The specs for a typical MLA paper are double spacing complemented with font size 12.
Here’s how to cite a reference in MLA:
Start with the last name of the author, followed by the first name. Then you mention the book/magazine/paper title and the publisher’s city. Then you mention the publisher name, year of publication, and the medium in which the literature was produced.
Example: Samantha, John. The Book of music. Pittsburgh: BibMe, 2020. Journal.
Chicago Style
Chicago sourcing is mentioned in the endnotes. Here’s how you cite in Chicago style:
Mention the last name followed by the first name. Then mention the title and the city of publication. Once this is done, you mention the city, publisher’s name, and the year of publication.
Example: Harry, Carl. The Code to success. Brussels: Scholastic, 2021.
Wrapping up
Writing a thorough research paper is essential for students to score good grades. If you need any help in understanding and producing better research papers, feel free to contact WriteMyEssay4Me.