One of the most common forms of academic writing is a research paper which requires students to gather information on a topic, give a point of view on the same and provide support. Research paper writing is complicated and requires time and hard work.

Research paper writing help show the students’ knowledge, ideas, and thinking power. At the end of the year, students are primarily asked to write at least one research paper. Most students find this kind of assignment challenging and depressing.

So you are given the assignment to write a research paper and need help with the steps to write it. Don’t worry. I will walk you through the 12 easy steps to write an excellent research paper.

6 Steps on how to write a good research paper

This step-by-step guide takes you through the entire writing process, from understanding your assignment to the final draft.

Step 1: Understand the assignment

Take time and read through the instructions, thoroughly review the assignment and make short notes. Ensure you completely understand what exactly the assignment is asking for to be able to attain good grades.

Before you start drafting, make sure you:

• Carefully read through the task sheet so your instructor can clarify anything confusing.
• Identify the assignments goal, formatting, method of submission, and deadline
• Make a list of critical points, which you can cross while writing to be sure you’ve covered every detail

Step 2: Choose a research paper topic

After figuring out what your assignment is asking for, you need to develop an exciting topic. First, you need a couple of topics and do some superficial research to be sure you’ve got enough interesting information for your paper.

We learn several things when drafting a research paper, and in case you don’t have any idea about a topic, it means after writing about it, you will have to extend your knowledge and ideas. Therefore, select the topic that interests you from that broad subject area. Remember to only aim for concrete ideas.

Step 3: Conduct preliminary research

To be sure you’re getting everything glaring, you need to put a variety of sources in use, including books and reliable websites. Come up with an excellent issue that your paper can focus on.

You can come up with research questions that can help guide you and also focus on any other source that contradicts your point of view.

• Are there any recent developments built from previous research?
• Do you have any unique take on the topic you happen to discuss?
• What is it that people ignore most in the sources you research?
• Do you address any heated debates in your research?

Step 4: Develop a thesis statement

Usually, a thesis statement is a statement of your central argument. It plays the critical role of stating your paper’s purpose and position, but it has to be concise and coherent in just one or two sentences summarizing your argument.

 The statement answers the question just in case your paper started with a research question. It has to show evidence and reasoning used while supporting your answer. Having extended research refines your thesis statement. Each paragraph aims to support this central point.

Step 5: Create a research paper outline

An outline makes the process of writing more efficient. Therefore, it’s worth your time to have one. A research paper outline comprises the key topics and evidence to be included in your research. Usually, it has to be divided into sections to have an overview before you can come up with a draft.

Step 6: Write a first draft of the research paper

There’s no need for perfection at this stage. Always be free, to begin with, any section that’s easier for you. Then remember to use the outline as your guide; anything you need help finding fit, save it for a different document. 

Your priorities at this stage should be as follows:

• Clearly express your ideas, so you can clearly understand when it comes to refining the text.
• Put your paragraphs logically when it comes to organization. This gives you an easy time by the time you reach your second draft.
• Just do the writing, and perfection should come at a later stage.

Since they’re the building blocks for any given research paper, ensure each paragraph focuses on a single claim to accomplish the purpose of your paper.

To avoid accidental plagiarism, ensure your citations are kept on track. Note all your sources of information.

Write the introduction

The introduction for your research paper should:

• Be specific about the topic of the paper, defining the key terms and concepts.
• Provide answers to whatever insight you’re offering and any other important issue your essay defines.
• Let whoever reads your paper should expect from the rest of the paper, like what will be discussed in a specific chronological order with available elements.

Write a compelling body of text.

When writing, you must be flexible in presenting your information and arguments. It’s a challenging task when it comes to the organization of your paper. Remember to create smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. If two paragraphs discuss similar things, ensure they approach the topic differently.

 Ensure to keep track of the following:

• The similarities between topic sentences; 
• topic sentences against the thesis statement;
• The sentence against the topic sentence of that paragraph.

The conclusion

The research paper’s conclusion intents to give whoever reads your paper a sense of finality, it ensures the reader understands how you’ve settled the issues raised in the introduction. You can brief on the general consequences of the argument and give an outline for future students over the same.

Just ensure not to:

• Introduce stock phrases (e.g., “In conclusion”)
• Introduce new arguments
• Take more space 

Write your second draft.

Consider the following:

a) Identify and justify your assumptions or eliminate them. 

b) Ensure your paper still answers the assignment and aligns with what is in the first draft.

c) Cut off old and non-fitting ideas and introduce new ones which are well-suited ideas that occurred to you during the writing of the first draft

d) Organize your ideas.

The revision process

This ensures that you’ve completed all the necessary tasks and that your paper is well articulated. Just confirm that:

• Your paper has logic in its organization and flow of paragraphs.
• Your paper completes each task from the assignment sheet.
• You thoroughly check between the thesis statement and the introduction.

Make sure your paper is correctly formatted according to the rules of the applied citation style. Check for consistency in spelling, grammatical errors, transition words, and phrases. 

The content of your paragraph should:

• Ensure each sentence supports the topic sentence
• Identify all technical terms your audience doesn’t know
• Avoid any unnecessary information