How To Make Your Research Paper Good: 5 Suggestions From An Expert

One thing most colleges and universities have in common is the professors’ love of extended writing assignments. That is usually not a major event in a student’s life, unless you’re the student that doesn’t know how to go about writing a formal paper. If that’s the case, you could be looking at a very big deal indeed.

Why research papers?

The bottom line answers this question: Why do I have to write a research paper? There is a purpose to it. Writing an academic paper is about learning how to teach yourself. Learning is a life-long undertaking, and writing individual papers hones your ability to focus on one topic and learn all you can about it. You have to ask questions, find sources from which to glean the answers, present your answers to others and stand behind your answers against critics. These are skills that help you succeed in any profession.

The process is not as difficult as it sounds. If you follow these five simple rules, your paper should be complete in no time.

  1. Identify a topic. First, do a little background reading to find out what topics in the subject area have already been done. Find a few articles or books on a topic that you find interesting. Don’t procrastinate; get this going as soon as the assignment is given.
  2. Formulate a clear research question. Once you’ve identified your topic, now you need to come up with a clear question. Think about the topic and what you wish you know about the topic. Write down the questions that come to mind.
  3. Do quality research. You’ll need to use primary resources, not just pull information from the Internet. Your goal is to collect enough evidence from the resources you use to support the point you’re making about your topic.
  4. Make an argument. A good research paper is not a glorified book report. Your paper should pull facts from your sources that support your question. You should take your information and weave it together to make a solid argument that answers your question.
  5. Write well. Your paper should present your argument in a clear and logical manner. You should be creative in the way your present your argument. Your grammar, spelling, sentence structure and the format of your paper should all be impeccable.

Not only should you learn something about the topic you’re studying, but you should also learn from the process of researching and writing your paper. Don’t rush it, don’t settle for less than your best, and know that the end result will be worth the effort.