Research papers are the most common English academic papers, including complete introduction, methods, results and discussions, and the number of words is generally around 6000-9000 words. The research paper focuses on the research content, involving model/framework construction or testing, data analysis, market research, empirical research, clinical research and so on.
How to write a good research paper? Teacher Hans gave the following steps:
Step 1: Choose a theme.
Ask yourself some important questions. Although you may be limited by the definition of a particular class or job, choosing your topic is the first and most important step in the research report. Whether your topic is what you want or there are some hard requirements, you should keep in mind the following questions: Is the research on this topic sufficient? Is the theme novel and unique enough for me to provide a new perspective? Is it suitable for my course/career?
Pick what you like. If possible, choose a topic that interests you. Writing what you like will be reflected in the end, which is a kind of enjoyment in the writing process and you will be more likely to succeed.
Keep it original. If a classmate is preparing a research report, consider other classmates' topics. Is it possible for others to write a topic similar to yours? If everyone writes the same topic, how do you keep your article unique and interesting?
Get advice. If it is difficult for you to think of a topic that feels "just right", you can ask your professor or colleagues/classmates for advice. They may have some good ideas. Even if their ideas are not topics you can choose, they can inspire you with new ideas. It seems terrible to ask professors for help, but if they are capable professors, they will hope that you can successfully complete the project and will try their best to help you achieve this.
Don't be afraid to change your topic. If you choose a topic and start research, but for some reason you realize that this topic is not the right choice, don't worry! Although it takes more time, you still have the ability to change the topic even if you have started to learn other topics.
Step 2: Research
Start your research. A theme has been selected, and the next step is to start research. Research involves various forms, including browsing the web, consulting periodicals, books, encyclopedias, interviews and blogs. Take time to find professional resources, which can provide effective research and a deep understanding of your topic. Use at least five resources to change information, not just 1-2 data sources.
Looking for empirical research. If possible, you can check the empirical research written by your peers. These articles and books were written by some experts in your field of interest, and their works have been reviewed and recognized by other experts in the same field. These articles can be found in scientific journals or through online search.
Go to the library. Go to the local library or university library. Although it looks a little outdated, the library is full of useful research materials, from books to newspapers and magazines. Don't be afraid to ask the librarian for help. They are well-trained in search research and know where your subject information is stored.
Look up information on the Internet. Using a search engine and choosing the first three results is not necessarily the best way to investigate; Read each source carefully with critical thinking to determine whether it is reasonable. Websites, blogs and online forums may not publish all the facts, so make sure that the information you find is credible.
Generally speaking, websites are based on. edu。 Gov or. Org contains information that can be used safely. This is because these websites belong to schools, governments or organizations related to your topic.
Try to change your search keywords so that you can find different search results on this topic. If nothing appears, your search keywords may not match the titles of most articles on related topics.
Use academic databases. There are many special search engines and academic databases that can search thousands of peer-reviewed or published journals, magazines and books. Although many members need to pay to use it, if you are a student at school, you can log in for free through a university member account.
Find a database that only covers your topic. PsycINFO, for example, is an academic database composed of works done by authors in the fields of psychology and sociology. This will help you get more targeted results than general search.
Most academic databases list multiple search query boxes and file classifications that only contain a single type of resources (such as magazine articles or newspapers), so that very specific information can be found. You can use this function to search for specific information through as many query boxes as possible.
Visit the school library and ask the librarian for a detailed list of academic databases subscribed by the library and the password of each database.
Make your research innovative. If you find a book or magazine that really suits your topic completely, try to check the quotation/bibliography/bibliography at the back of the book. This should include more books and magazines about your topic.
Step 3: List the outline.
Annotate your research. Once you have collected all the research materials, print them out (if they are online resources), and then you can take notes in the books/magazines you use. This step is very important: read through your research, take notes where you think it is important, and highlight key facts and phrases. Write directly on the copy you made, or use a note clip on the page to mark important places.
Do your work notes carefully so that you can write an outline and a final paper. Please mark the places that you think may be important or can be used in your paper.
Mark important parts of the research, add your own comments and notes, and mark which ones can be used in your paper. Write down your thoughts at that time, which is convenient for you to write your paper and provide reference material for you when you go back.
Organize your notes. It may take a lot of time to add notes to the research report, but in order to make the overview step clearer, it is necessary to further organize the notes. Organize your notes according to the theme by collecting all the marked sentences and ideas. For example, you are writing an article analyzing literary masterpieces. You can record your research according to the list of characters, organize it according to the reference list of plot points, and list the signs presented by the author.
Try to write each quotation or entry you mark on a separate note card. In this way, you can rearrange the cards in the way you want.
Colour the notes. Write down all the notes you get from various sources, and then highlight each type of information in different colors. For example: record the notes in a book or magazine on a piece of paper for note merging, all relevant characters are highlighted in green, all relevant plots are indicated in orange, and so on.
Build a preliminary bibliography/citation page. When you browse your notes, write down the author, page number, title and publication information of each resource. This will come in handy when you list the bibliography and citation pages.
Determine the purpose of this report. Generally speaking, there are two types of research papers: discussion research papers or analysis research papers. Each one needs a slightly different focus and writing style, which should be determined before starting to write a draft.
Argumentative writing takes a stand on a controversial issue and discusses a point of view. This problem is discussed through logical defense.
The analytical research report provides a new perspective for important issues. The theme may not be controversial, but you must try to convince your audience that your idea is valuable. This is not a repetition of a simple idea, but a unique idea based on your research.
Identify your audience. Who will read this article and will it be published? Although you want to write to your professor or other leaders, the tone and focus of your paper should reflect the audience of this article. If your readers are academic peers, then the information you contain should reflect the information you already know; You don't need to explain basic ideas or theories. On the other hand, if you write to readers who don't know your topic, it is very important to explain the basic ideas and theories related to your research.
Expand your argument. An argument statement is a sentence or two stating the main goal or argument of the article pointed out at the beginning of your article. Although you can change the wording of the argument statement in the final draft, the main goal of the article must be determined at the beginning. All the main paragraphs and information in your article will revolve around your paper, so please make sure you know what your argument is.
A simple way to develop your argument is to turn it into a question that your article will answer. What are the main problems or assumptions to prove in your article? For example, the question of your thesis may be "How does cultural acceptance change the successful treatment of mental illness?" This can determine what your point of view is, and the answer to this question is the statement of the argument.
Your argument should express the main idea of the paper, and you don't need to list reasons or summarize the whole paper. This is a simple statement, and detailed supporting arguments need to be stated in the rest of the article.
Determine your main point of view. The main body of your article will revolve around what you think is the most important point. Browse your research and notes to determine which ideas are the most critical in your argument or information. What ideas can be written in the whole article? What point of view has enough exact facts and research to support your statement? Write down your main ideas on paper, and then organize relevant research for each idea.
When you outline the main points, it is also important to arrange them in a specific order. Please put your strongest opinions at the beginning and end of the article, and put your mediocre opinions in the middle or near the end of the article.
A single main point need not be confined to one paragraph, especially when you are writing a long research paper. When necessary, the main idea can be dispersed in many paragraphs.
Consider the format. Depending on the title, course or format guide of your paper, you may want to organize your document in a specific way. For example, when writing in APA format, the paper format must be organized by title, including introduction, method, result and discussion. These guidelines will change the way you write an outline and finalize it.
Determine the outline. In addition to the above tips, you need to organize your whole outline. Align the main points to the left, indent each paragraph, and indicate your research under the point of view. The outline should be an overview of the main points of the whole paper. Be sure to put the cited articles at the end of each argument, so that you don't have to look back at previous research often when writing the final draft.