research paper writing styles

research paper writing styles

Effective Writing Styles for Research Papers

1. Introduction

Choosing an effective writing style can be challenging. Therefore, it is necessary to begin with the research paper writing process. The first thing you need to do is to create an outline. An effective research paper outline will plan the introduction and organize all of the research that will be included in the paper. By doing this, the research and the writing is already serious. This is important because studies have shown that the amount of time focused on planning a paper is directly related to the quality of the paper itself. So, I always believe in researching and planning a good outline before starting writing.

Second, it is important to evaluate your resources. After having a preliminary research list, it is important to evaluate the amount and quality of the resources that are available. This will almost always help determine the type of writing style. Academic journals and well-respected research and authors are always a good choice of writing material. This is an important step because, often times, the resources that are put together for a research paper may have greatly influenced the style that is ultimately selected. As well, it is important to check for bias and credibility within the resources. It is important for research to be well-rounded and credible.

Finally, consider the writing task at hand. By identifying the research paper in some cases, we know what the writing task is going to be and that is what’s going to be expected in the writing. For instance, is the research paper going to be a straightforward informative paper with straight facts, or is it going to be a paper that is written in a more argumentative type style. Making these informed decisions will help make the writing process much faster and easier.

By carefully examining all of these resources and getting what is needed, this will create a guiding map in the research writing process. All of the hard work and efforts are close to fruition. What is last but not least is reviewing the quality of the actual research paper that is to be submitted. This is where the research paper outline will be beneficial. With the research paper outline, this step should be a piece of cake. Therefore, when the quality is high enough to submit and is well written, credible good resources used, then a good grade and a pat on the back for a job well done is expected.

2. Choosing the Right Writing Style

When writing any kind of paper, especially a research paper, the type of language that you will use will determine how informative or subjective the work will be. At times, the writer is required to use formal language, and it is important to make the right choice of words and the style of the paper in order to ensure that the works are easy to read. The choice of a single word can change the tone of a paragraph, even the whole paper for that matter, therefore, great caution should be observed when choosing the words and the writing style to be used. It is advisable to seek the guidance of the instructor or the person who assigned the work. This is because a research paper is usually long and the institutions require a specific writing style. It is in order to seek guidance because there are those that may be comfortable using a certain style, for instance, writing the whole paper and at the end changing the style used. This is wrong and can be declared as plagiarism because the writer will have failed to observe the work cited in the paper. However, in most cases, one is at liberty to decide the kind of style that he or she will use in writing the research paper. This is determined by a number of factors which may include: Descriptive or informative-use of formal language. – The research topic; the style should be able to inform the reader about the topic of the research. – The value of the writer’s work in the field of research. – Respect to the readers-informative work relates to the readers, therefore, it is advisable to use a language that will be easily understood.

3. Key Elements of a Persuasive Research Paper

One of the initial and the most crucial elements of a persuasive paper is a solid hypothesis. Hypothesis is the specific pointer to the writer to build up the argument securely. The data or the information that supports this hypothesis is gathered and analyzed by the author to show in the case. The presentation of a persuasive paper or paper must be noteworthy. Only a single chance to emerging and unprecedented presentation is the arrangement. Initial few sentences assemble the brilliant open consideration. The proposition explanation for a persuasive paper should progress and reflect the sort of inquiry the author is going to take part. Maintaining objectivity is the other critical element of a persuasive paper. This is significant as the reader sees the writer’s judgment depends on the evidence and counter-argument he has presented. The writer isn’t required to support or restrict the claim but he or she should demonstrate a valid and balanced analysis on the issue. In order to convince the reader, supporting materials should be incorporated in the essay. These materials can clearly support the claim and assist the writer in achieving his point. There are numerous ways of using effective persuasive techniques in a paper. A great method for a creative process is to address what you are writing to your reader. Focus is the act of focusing on only one or a limited number of ideas during a discussion or conversation. This will help make coherence in your paper. Every paragraph should have a topic sentence, offering the paragraph’s main idea and none should repeat. The words a writer chooses in describing evidence are vital in order to persuade the reader of the writer’s argument.

4. Tips for Improving Your Writing Style

Regardless of your current writing style, you can learn from it. No one becomes perfect in one night. Here’s how you can start improving on what you have done. First of all, using signposts is the most effective way to improve a poorly structured essay. Secondly, a tutor will guide you not only to write better but also to read in the right way. Thirdly, using diverse words can be very useful in pointing out the same arguments in a better way. For example, “in order to”, “the more”, “to” can be alternated by “for the purpose of”, “increasingly”, “in order to”. Last but not least, seek for critics. You can discuss your essay with your peers or friends, and discuss other ideas about an answer to a specific essay question. Critical comments will help you decide which way to improve your essay. When we finish writing, sometimes we wonder whether the essay is created for our tutor only, for general readers or for no one in particular. Remember you are developing your own ideas. It’s important to develop and to keep in mind your own writing style, of course, but if you’re going to write for a specific reader, so next time when you start writing, remember to move one step up to the level of writing more intelligently could pass your message much better than you are doing now.

5. Conclusion

It is evident from the content of this paper that research papers demand careful planning and thorough investigation. The selection of an appropriate writing style is crucial in achieving success in writing papers. One’s ability to write a perfect paper will depend on whether the paper is analytical, expository or argumentative. All these writing styles have different characteristics and the writer must be familiar with these differences in any paper he undertakes. The objective for which the paper is written should be met and the standards of writing an excellent paper upheld, which is only achievable by utilizing an effective writing style. A research paper has a specific format to maintain, the argument to be supported with sufficient evidence and finally comes the conclusion. The conclusion should be such that is so strong that it impacts the reader’s mind forcing him to change his opinion in favor of the argument’s conclusion. Keeping in view all the material studied and the analysis made, without partially favoring any monetary or subjective perspective, the key is to write conclusive. So what will differentiate any research paper’s style from any other writing paper style? The answer is the degree of critical analysis and close scrutiny of the sources and their validity, and the mannerism of writing the paper. One should not ignore narrowing down the research to focus on the most valid arguments which are able to prove and directly address the main keywords of the conclusion. It is important to note that success in research writing is not just in finding an original and innovative topic or argument, but also in utilizing and credit attributing from the valid and reliable sources, proper and effective writing style and high level of analytical engagement. The writer must be acquainted with various paths of locating and categorizing different sources of information and employ different writing and citing formats in the research paper as well. Every source of information used in the research to be included should be listed in the proper way in the references. Such is the importance of utilizing a standard and effective writing research style. It is not only a testament to the writer’s depth of analysis in the paper, but also the demonstration of his or her adherence to a higher and universally accepted writing standard.