How to Write a Research Paper
How To Write A Research Paper
This guide covers research papers, and provides advice on forming a title for your research paper, how to plan your paper before you start, and filtering material for your research paper.
What is a research paper?
The terms 'research paper' and 'term paper' are frequently used interchangeably. However, the terms do not mean the same thing. 'Term paper' was used in the past exclusively to refer to the project (indeed research based) that was due at the end of a term, semester or quarter whereas 'research paper' had a more specific meaning, i.e. a paper written as a summary of research. Hence 'research papers' may be written at any level (before, during and after attending university), they may be published works in a professional journal and they may represent the results of practical research, which would not ordinarily be conducted for a term paper. This is the context in which we will discuss the term 'research paper' herein.
A research paper is an academic written assignment that is the product of a research project. This may span days, months, weeks or even years. Typically, research papers will involve the examination of a particular issue, and discuss: * The background or history of that issue * Any outstanding questions relating to the issue (the research paper will commonly focus on one particular question and seek to establish evidence to answer this) * The current data and statistics relating to the issue * The problems relating to the issue as revealed by the data * The problems relating to the issue as revealed by practical primary research (i.e. carrying out interviews, tests etc) or secondary research (i.e. looking at other people's research) * Proposed solutions to the problems, and the strengths and weaknesses of these * Conclusions drawn from the data, research and evidence, as examined * Recommendations in relation to these conclusions.
We will look at each of these elements in turn, in order
This guide covers research papers, and provides advice on forming a title for your research paper, how to plan your paper before you start, and filtering material for your research paper.
What is a research paper?
The terms 'research paper' and 'term paper' are frequently used interchangeably. However, the terms do not mean the same thing. 'Term paper' was used in the past exclusively to refer to the project (indeed research based) that was due at the end of a term, semester or quarter whereas 'research paper' had a more specific meaning, i.e. a paper written as a summary of research. Hence 'research papers' may be written at any level (before, during and after attending university), they may be published works in a professional journal and they may represent the results of practical research, which would not ordinarily be conducted for a term paper. This is the context in which we will discuss the term 'research paper' herein.
A research paper is an academic written assignment that is the product of a research project. This may span days, months, weeks or even years. Typically, research papers will involve the examination of a particular issue, and discuss: * The background or history of that issue * Any outstanding questions relating to the issue (the research paper will commonly focus on one particular question and seek to establish evidence to answer this) * The current data and statistics relating to the issue * The problems relating to the issue as revealed by the data * The problems relating to the issue as revealed by practical primary research (i.e. carrying out interviews, tests etc) or secondary research (i.e. looking at other people's research) * Proposed solutions to the problems, and the strengths and weaknesses of these * Conclusions drawn from the data, research and evidence, as examined * Recommendations in relation to these conclusions.
We will look at each of these elements in turn, in order
References: are sources you actually cite in your work whereas the bibliography includes sources which you may have read, and may have influenced your writing, but you haven 't specifically cited.