|
Writing the research paper
is not as overwhelming as some may initially think. The
research paper essentially is a search on work that has
previously been studied by usually an expert in the field.
The only task that is required of you is to unearth their
work.
Even
though this task may seem simple, many students encounter
problems organizing and writing the paper because they fail
to research the general topic before they decide on a thesis
statement; they fail to provide an appropriate thesis statement;
they fail to provide a connection between the thesis statement
and all of the topic sentences in the paper; they fail to
support the paper with adequate information that is relevant
only to the topic of the paper; or they fail to correctly
cite their sources.To begin, many students encounter problems
with the research paper because they do not fully review
all of the information available. As a result, the student
may choose a topic that is too general or too specific for
the number of pages that required. For example, the topic
of capital punishment maybe be appropriate for a 100-page
dissertation because there is a plenty of information available
on the topic, and the length of the paper permits for an
in depth discussion of the topic. However, the general topic
of capital punishment is too large for a 15-page paper.
The length of the paper does not allow for everything to
be covered.
After researching and narrowing down your topic, choosing
an appropriate thesis statement is necessary. Sometimes,
the instructor will assign a research topic, but there are
some instructors that will allow you to choose your own
topic. If you are allowed to choose your own topic, make
sure that it is appropriate to the assignment. When writing
an argumentative essay, the thesis statement should be a
statement that persuades the readers to change his/her mind
about a particular subject. An informative research paper
just informs the reader about a topic. To make sure your
topic is appropriate, clear it with the instructor.Another
issue that is problematic in writing the research paper
is connecting the main points of the paper to thesis statement.
This connection is important because the reader - your instructor
- has to be able to relate your main points or topic sentences
to the overall point of the paper or the thesis statement.
This can be accomplished by providing transitions between
paragraphs and by always reminding the reader why this point
is relevant to the discussion. Take care, though, to avoid
redundancy in writing.A related problem to connecting the
main points to the thesis statement is failing to provide
adequate and relevant support for the assertions made in
the custom research paper. First, especially in persuasive
research papers, it is necessary to substantiate all assertions
made so that the argument is strong. Combat this problem
with some of the research that you have already reviewed
while choosing your topic. Also remember just because there
is research that is interesting and is closely related to
your topic it does not mean that it necessarily belongs
in your paper. Choosing research that is appropriate to
the point you are making is just as important as providing
substantial information on the topic.Of all the mistakes
that students make when writing a research paper, properly
citing sources within the texts is a major one. When a paper
is incorrectly cited or fails to give credit altogether
to the person whose ideas they borrowed, the student has
committed plagiarism. Plagiarism can involve blatantly copying
ideas and passing them off as your own, or can be committed
unintentionally by not providing parenthetical citations
at the end of each statement that covers the material that
you borrowed. Whether you summarize, paraphrase or directly
quote a source, failing to provide adequate source citation
is plagiarism. Avoid plagiarism by investing in a style
guide that explains all three major methods of citation:
MLA, APA, and Chicago. Taking a chance on possibly committing
plagiarism cannot only earn you a failing grade for the
assignment and the course but also expulsion from the school.Ultimately,
completing a research paper takes time, effort, and proper
planning. In order to prevent major mistakes, you must give
yourself enough time to do research and write the paper,
choose an appropriate thesis statement, support your thesis
with adequate research and facts, and ensure your paper
is in the correct format, to include properly citing sources
within the paper and in the reference page.
|
