A research paper is one of the most common scientific papers students face in academia. It is not just a bigger essay, it is not just a smarter case study — it is a separate type of paper that requires a special approach. Here, we will share some tips on how to write a research paper fast and efficiently, without compromising on quality. Normally, a research paper counts for a substantial part of the academic year’s work, so you should try hard in order to do everything right and achieve the needed result.
Tips on Writing a Quality Research Paper
We bet you already know about the formatting and proofreading and similar rules. Here, we will talk about tips you probably won’t get from your textbook. Some of them are practical and suit all of our readers, some are suitable just for some peculiar situations. Don’t try to use all of them at once, pick the ones that are most relevant to your particular situation.
- Choose the topic that won’t limit you. You may want to choose some very specific topic that would sparkle your professor’s interest immediately. Unfortunately, this way you can get in trouble, as you won’t have enough research materials to work with. Try to focus on broader topics, so you don’t waste too much time on research.
- Add a twist to your topic if you are sure you can handle it. Of course, choosing a broader topic doesn’t mean choosing a boring topic that doesn’t show your personality, your knowledge, or your interest in the subject at all. Once you have chosen a broader topic and made sure you have enough research sources, add some theme twist.
- Come up with some “synonyms” to your topic. If you need your professor to confirm the topic you have chosen, it is a good idea to give him a selection of possible topics. Formulate one topic in several different ways, so the research material you already have doesn’t go to waste. Come up with some arguments to prove that the topic you want to cover is the best one.
- Don’t start with formulating a thesis. Let the thesis emerge from your research — it is the most natural way of all. Often, students get stuck with formulating a thesis, it takes too much time and provokes procrastination. A good option here is not to think about the thesis at all, just to research, analyze, collect information and later come up with an idea for a core thesis statement. This way, you won’t have any problem elaborating on it and confirming it with relevant academic sources.
- Use Mind-map technique to plan your research paper. It is the fastest and the most visually convenient way to plan research paper writing or any big paper writing like a term paper of dissertation. They say that mind mapping looks and works similar to some processes in our head, but it hasn’t been proven yet. It is for sure though that when you look at a well-created mind map, you understand what you need to do more completely.
- Make a writing plan and check on your Google calendar. When creating a writing plan, stop thinking about yourself as about a superhuman, because you are not. If you normally can write 2-3 hours a day, let your plan reflect it, don’t expect 6-8 hours productivity, or you will fail spectacularly.
- Use Pomodoro technique to write the first draft. Make brief pauses between writing sessions. The easiest way to plan and follow it is the Pomodoro technique. It offers you to write for 20-30 minutes and later to take a 5-10 minute break. Sounds simple, but it helps to keep your concentration at a needed level.
- Don’t make too big breaks when writing. You may think this way: “Today I was writing for 4 hours, tomorrow I will give a break, and later will spend 8 hours writing.” First, you cannot write for 8 hours, second, if you take big breaks (more than a day), it is very difficult to come back to writing.
- Use citation generators to save time. One of the most time-consuming processes related to research paper writing is dealing with citations. Use modern citation generators that have updated versions of APA and MLA manuals.
- Make reserve copies in clouds and on physical memory devices. More than one.
One Extra Advice on Writing a Research Paper on Time
Even when you know exactly how to write a research paper, how to do research, how to construct methodology and present your arguments, you may have problems with doing it all within the given time frame. It is true, research paper writing assignments don’t come unexpected – initially you have days, weeks, often months to work on them. However, it only happens this way in some perfect world. In a perfect world you start working on your research paper right after receiving the assignment. You create a realistic plan and move from one part of your outline to another. Unfortunately, we don’t live in a perfect world, we live in a world where everyday something can change or go wrong. If you encounter any trouble with your research paper writing, consider asking for help from some professional service. As one of our readers once wrote “I better pay to write my research paper to others when I don’t have time, than I waste time on doing something I won’t be able to do well in a given timeframe anyway.”
Choosing a reliable research paper writing service with professional academic writers to help you out, you make sure your educational path stays smooth and successful. Of course, it is better to write your papers yourself, but the world would not function if we only did what is 100% best. So, if you are not sure these or any other tips can help you in your research writing plan — pay for assistance and do it earlier than later — to save money and have more time to analyze the received paper.
