research paper writing skills

research paper writing skills

The Importance of Research Paper Writing Skills

1. Introduction

Writing a research paper is a complex multi-step process. The key to writing a research paper is research, not shopping around and note-taking. The aim is not just to help me and my advisors decide whether a project is worth pursuing, but also to help me plan the project and carry it out over the next year. Basically, the aim of doing research is to gain a better understanding of a particular topic and the things that we are interested in. However, the things that we can learn through research are new knowledge, new ways of thinking, and the development of new critical thinking skills. Many professionals and students, including myself, use research skills in what we do. Doctors, pharmacists, social scientists, librarians, historians, and even computer researchers need to do research. Research can help us gain more knowledge and even develop new technology. However, research is a complex term. There are many definitions of research. For example, Harvey, L and Green, D (1993) define research as a “systematic and scientific search for pertinent information on a specific topic”. I’m interested in what Harvey and Green have said, as it is a way that research will answer the proposed questions. It truly is about gaining new knowledge. This expression is adapted from the introduction of the Biology Colloquium’s website at Northwestern University. This explains well the purposes of doing research. It is said that “Research is about answering questions, solving problems, and finding knowledge for knowledge’s sake”. This expression seems to be looking for answers and also requires steps to accomplish the end result. From what’s given, there are several factors involved in research. From the fact that research is about preliminary and original literature, it seems that the tasks are easier to pursue. Also, what’s important and most obvious, I believe, is the result, the product of research. The aim in doing research is to find out things that we have not known before. Also, research will lead us to develop new knowledge after we go through the research. From the end, research is not just about getting an answer, but it is a process of testing ideas, it is a challenge. It is an exploration that requires more focus and a way to carry out the research, not just getting the findings. And this so-called research needs to strictly follow the steps asked to do, like this Colloquium organizes and informs the participants. And finally, research ends in finding new things and knowledge. It is worth doing every time we get new findings. It is very challenging for those who do not have a very solid background in this area. However, with the correct way and method of research, because as what’s being said at the Colloquium, research has already become a system of “go and find out and expansion”.

2. Developing Effective Research Questions

It can seem counterintuitive to sit down and write a research question before doing any research, exploring, or thinking. However, it is important as it focuses the mind and helps the researcher to gather information. From a practical perspective, writing a research question provides something to aim for and focus on. The importance of a research question cannot be overstated as information may be difficult to find. So, before beginning, it is important to research what is already known around a topic. This means that the researcher can understand the current debates, discourses, and what research already exists before defining that area, in context, with their own question or questions. It can be all too easy to get carried away by a large initial research project. However, having a specified research question and a clear focus in mind helps to make decisions as the study goes on. This may be the case, for example, deciding that the initial question is too broad or that additional aspects to the study are, in fact, more relevant or interesting. Also, the researcher may determine tangents to the project – and this is not to be disregarded. Sometimes important and gripping areas of research can be opened up that were not initially planned.

3. Conducting Thorough Literature Reviews

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources that provides an overview of a statement or the study’s goals. There are various reasons for writing a review of literature – the main one, perhaps, is to describe work that has already been established in the field of your interest. In this case, are you aware of the sources? Secondly, writing the review of literature enables the personnel to locate the research on your specific research. What have they worked on already? Moreover, reviewing prior research helps to inform the reader about the study and enhance understanding. But it is important to make clear to the reader the focus of the review – that is to say, only include in the review what is necessary to describe your specific research. So there are different types of review of prior literature. In other words, every secondary source used leading up to the prior literature should lead to finding the research statement. It is important to remember that a clear understanding of your findings and their analysis, clearly supported by prior literature, is a crucial ingredient in the outcomes and contributions put forth in a research and then added to the larger related field of study. All the cited sources do not necessarily themselves constitute a literature review. And those things that have actually resulted in the findings of the study are usually not used. Every work contributed something and can be found in the review of prior research. It may be useful for the review of literature to provide evidence that is related to the research. If a particular study is substantiating work, then it is important to make sure the review has shown it in the survey.

4. Organizing and Structuring Your Research Paper

Composing a research paper is all about organizing and structuring the paper in the most effective way possible. There are many ways to achieve this, but if you are feeling a little bit stuck in terms of where to start, I have created a list for you to help you through the process. This may seem a little overwhelming at first but it is important to work through each of the steps outlined below in order to give yourself the best chance of success. First and foremost, take the time to select a topic that is suitable and interesting to you. It is important that you are genuinely interested in your topic and that is why this stage is so important. Do not ever make the mistake of selecting a research paper topic that is simply too complex for you to research. It is always easier to work with a topic that is familiar to you and which you have a genuine interest in. Well, I can also teach you how to find a topic. Often, the key to a really successful research paper is beginning with a great, accessible foundation. This is provided by your initial research environment. However this initial stage is also the stage where you should be most open to information; you may find something that you had not considered or a piece of useful information that will help you form your question. You should absolutely make the most of this in your research and use anything of use. It is important to remember to also consider such information’s sources. How reliable is the information you find; where has it come from. All of these are important questions to ask and a sign that you are not just repeating the same information without considering potential. I would advise that as you progress in your academic life, always considering different viewpoint because no question is ever fully settled and this is what tends to make research endlessly stimulating. Further, it helps you to develop a view of the world around you in a much more critical sense. Given this, it is also important to become familiar with the level of information available. This is particularly important in the digital age where literally millions of data from more or less reliable sources are available at your fingertips. Also, learning what is considered literature in your field; this is something that often comes with experience. For example, knowing the difference between an essay and a primary research article can be a bit of a challenge. However, a key step in writing a research paper is learning to discern what literature might be useful and what could be a potential research source. This enables you to approach literature in a particularly critical quality. It also has the added bonus of using good evidence of your literature searching skills as well. Researchgate.net has explained that one of the main steps in carrying out any kind of research is to be familiar with methods and tools, particularly those that are commonplace in your own field. This is of course very true and it is a good idea to get to grips with the idea of using these tools as quickly as possible. For example, as an undergraduate student, check to see if there are workshops that are run on campus or in your local area that can introduce you to particular piece or pieces of software. While you may always fall back on the tried and tested methods of paper and pen, learning to use some of the most up to date computer programs (especially analysis and modelling tools) will assist researchers in every field in the modern age.

5. Enhancing Writing Style and Citations

Not only does academic writing pose a challenge to content and style, but refining and enhancing one’s writing style can really help with improving language and better writing. Here, two or three of the given ideas in the previous section are put together in more detail. This is a chance for students to summarize and also synthesize things, focusing on explaining why each is important. One way of doing this is to delve into the literature and find some articles around one’s subject area which discuss certain things and talk about them. This lets students make a case for why the research they carry out is important, rather than just saying that it is. Each idea should incorporate a key author for that idea, explaining who they are taking ideas from and when. Also, using proper names and not being afraid to quote them helps to show an assessor that students have read and understood their work. This leads on to a common mistake students make when writing the literature review – simply describing what others have said and not analyzing it. This is also something which is bigger than just the dissertation. In the introduction to any piece of scientific research work, students are encouraged to express original thoughts and ideas. This links back to the importance of using critical thought as the basis for all of the academic writing and knowing when it is appropriate to use one’s own interpretation and when it is appropriate to include the views of others will be a focus of the work. Show how students will learn something from the research. Every stage of the dissertation process forces students to delve into new material, read their way around a specific topic, synthesize and think critically about the value of others’ work to their own. This is what can make the whole process of refining and enhancing one’s writing style so useful. Ultimately, this is an opportunity to really bring what students might gain from doing research into focus and show the rewards it can offer.