What to Include in the Introduction?

Here are some of the elements required in the intro:

1. Introduction to the topic
2. Context and background
3. Plan of the research
4. Rationale
5. Importance of the research
6. Hypothesis

Tips for Students

• Definition and Explanation of concepts

To hit this nail on the head, you must take your time to explain to the readers the concepts that seem complicated in your research for them to have a full understanding of the text. If you have any jargon words in your intro, it will be best if you spread them out and let your audience know before getting to your findings and analysis.

• Begin with a Quotation

You will have to catch the attention of the reader right from the start. If you have a hard time coming up with one, think of a quotation that will envelop the whole topic. It will go a long way into creating a picture of the subject in the reader’s head, and they will probably remember it while reading through your work.

• Explain your structure

Readers will be interested to know the reasons for you to research a given topic and also how you want to carry on with the research. In short, this means that the introduction should clearly state the structure that the article will follow. It will go a long to help a reader understand the text. Get organized as the readers need clarity in ot=rddr to understand your findings.

The topic is a critical part of your thesis. Outlining your subject in the introduction is the best way to keep the readers on their toes when reading through your work. You can begin with general information and focus down on the more complex ones. Do not exaggerate things in the beginning, as that will complicate the look of the paper.

When you want to come up with a statement in the body, you will have to find some literary=ure sources. These will help you find something to refer to while writing. If you think your idea is too subjective, you will back it up with citations from texts of scientists, philosophers, and authors to prove the point you want to get through. Make sure you are keen on this.

Scripting a good introduction

Jotting a great intro needs matching of the info that gets emulated in it with the rest of the paper. It should seep the readers smoothly to the topic and make them have an easy time reading the document.

How to write the introduction

If you have difficulty in writing the introduction, you should write it last after completing the document. After having the other sections in check, you will have an easy time deciding the content that would go hand in hand with the body of your paper.

1. Getting Familiar with the Work

Before you start writing anything, you have to know and understand what your professor requires from you. If you are a bright student, you already know that it is the first step to excellence. You cannot attain good grades when you skip this section. You can work harder on your work, but when you do not understand what the teacher needs, you will end up writing something different. Before you do anything, start by checking the instructions.

 Begin by reading everything first, internalize then afterward, you can think about other things. After reading everything, you can take note of the things that you are likely to forget so that you apply them in your work. Do not rush things; try to take as much time as you can so that you get them. If you come across anything new to you, do not hesitate to ask your teacher or fellow students. When you do that, you will have minimal chances of messing up.

2. Choose a Topic

Once you complete the first step, you come to the next, which is also vital. You have to come up with a topic that you will write on. It seems easy, but there is a lot that you need to consider in this part. If you settle for less, you will end up getting bad grades. It is perfect to go with a topic that interests you in various ways. If your instructor gives you any rules for choosing a subject, you can go with that. If you have to do it on your own, remember to take your time. Go for something that is unique but will not give you a hard time. Try something that people can relate to, not a topic that no one knows its meaning. Consider going with something that will give you strong points to make your work more effective.

3. Research

It is a part that requires a lot of time and hard work. For you to write a substantial paper, you need to do a lot of research. Do not try to copy anyone’s method of researching. Use your method. Remain focused and do not shift your attention to something else. You do not have to read everything when researching; try to skim so that you do not waste time. Do not waste time on resources that do not make sense. Make sure you deal with better ones. When you are researching, everything is vital, and you do not have to assume any point. Jot as many points as you can so that you do not forget about them.

We shall start by letting our readers know the types of conclusions that are available. You need to pick on a style and exploit it to the full to bring out something that will add full value to your work. 

Editorial conclusion

This is the type of conclusion that connects your thoughts with your research findings. 

This is an ideal way to conclude if you are working on a paper that presents opinions; controversial information or a paper that needs a humanistic approach. It will be pretty easy to get your opinions with your research findings.

Externalizing conclusion

There is a way to bring out new topics that are not included in your research work. The ideas presented in this type of conclusion are not directly related to what you have stated in your research. This category of the conclusion will get your readers thinking in a new direction. 

Summarizing conclusion 

This is the popular type of conclusion and the one that will be demanded by most tutors. The summarizing conclusion represents a summary of your thesis statement and what you had in the body of your paper. This should not be a repetition of what you have earlier written, but a format that is cleverly different from what you had earlier written. This is a confirmation of the major points that you have raised.  

The approach to writing your conclusion

When it is time to write your conclusion; the following tips will be of valuable help. Following the outline that you care about reading will be of help to achieve the results that will add value to your efforts.

• Your research topic: It is expected of every student to state their research topic again in the concluding part of your paper. 
• Your thesis statements: You are also expected to state your thesis statement after your research topic. You must try and reword the thesis here as a slight variation from what you wrote in the introduction. But they must convey the said meaning.
• Your main points: You are expected to give a summary of the major points in the body of your paper. This is not another repetition of what you had earlier written; it is an emphasis on the major ideas that you have raised in the body of your paper. 
• The significance of the points: Now that you have stated the highlights of your work as a recap; it is now time to tell your readers the value of what you of done to the realities of the moment. You are expected to sound very convincing here in a way that will make your readers buy into your idea.

Final thoughts

The same energy and attention that you gave to your introduction should be reproduced in your conclusion. If you began well; it is compulsory to end well.

So if you want to edit your work once you have completed the drafting process, what should you consider to get your editing spot on?

Guidelines to Effective Editing  

• Comprehend your professor’s prompt. In most cases, instructors issue students with prompts on how to go about their academic assignments. It can involve an essay, term paper, dissertation, or research paper. After finishing your academic paper’s draft, you need to crosscheck your instructor’s prompts to ensure your essay or paper has addressed the intended assignment.
• Brainstorm techniques. Writing often involves different techniques, and whenever used at cross-purpose, it can take the shine out of a paper. Therefore, consider brainstorming and identifying the different techniques used to write to ensure they have gotten deployed correctly.
• Outlining. It forms a crucial aspect of writing and editing as well. An outline will allow you to scheme through the document with ease. Similarly, when editing, you can quickly identify spots to improve and possible disconnects with the text. Because of this, you can readily make changes and make the paper compelling.
• Revising. Even the keenest eye can miss out on a crucial aspect of your work, especially when it comes to editing. Revise your work and ensure everything proves in place.
• Reverse outlining. It implies starting your editing process backward as you will read your outline backward. Key elements of your write-up should make sense when removed from the context of the paragraphs they exist. Such a strategy proves crucial in ensuring clarity of message when it comes to the academic paper.
• Organization maps also become instrumental when editing as it eases the process and makes it more fun.

Editing Checklist

Your editing process can prove a smooth and efficient process once you understand what to look for in correcting your paper. To do this, consider these questions and whether your paper fulfills all required elements critical to the paper’s success.

• Does the paper fulfill every requirement that the assignment demands?
• Can you identify a thesis statement in the paper? Can you classify the thesis as specific?
• Can you spot a topic sentence in each body paragraph, and is it at the beginning of the paragraph?
• Do you see the need to elongate or shorten some paragraphs?Do all the paragraphs seem of the same length?
• Have you examined the paper for excessive repetition? (Including phrases, words, sentence constructions, etc.)
• Do transitions exist between paragraphs in your paper?
• Do the transitions exist between sentences?
• Can you consider your conclusion as repeating your introduction or summarizing your argument? Have you extrapolated something useful? Have you explained to your audience why the paper proves crucial to them?
• Have they gotten seamlessly integrated within the body text after and before the targeted quote if you employed quotations?
• Have you formatted by use of indentation the quotes on three lines?
• Have you used the correct number and a diversity of sources?
• Have you documented quotations and paraphrases appropriately and using the ratified citation guide (APA, MLA, Harvard, etc.)?
• Does your paper have a meaningful and original title?
• Have you included the page numbers?
• Have you maintained a consistent verb tense use?
• Have you used powerful verbs?
• Have you correctly used passive or active voices?
• Have you read the whole paper aloud? Have you checked for errors and combing it word by word?
• Have you eliminated pointless words?
• Have you carefully proofread your paper for punctuation and spelling errors?
• Have you checked for different sentence structures besides length? You can accomplish this by reading the paper out loud and making slash marks at the tail end of every sentence read. You can then check the sentences for their lengths before mixing them up.
• Check for and ensure complete sentences.

Conclusion

Plenty goes into the editing process. Therefore if you have a document that you want to edit, consider the mentioned guidelines and get started.

Writing an APA Research paper

Read on to learn the steps you need to follow and write the best paper

• Picking the topic

There are moments when you have no option but to handle the topic given to you. You have no choice but to head on to figure out your paper’s structure in such instances. However, if you have options to choose from, take time. Do not just grab a topic because it is your favorite subject. Instead, you need to think outside the box. Figure out where you will get the content and ideas when writing the main body.

• The Thesis Statement

When you have a topic to write about, it is now time to write the thesis statement. The thesis forms a strong foundation for your paper because it guides you through your writing points. When creating a thesis statement, ensure it reflects on the main topic. The research paper can either be analytical (Analyzing some information), argumentative (involves arguments at the conclusion), or expository (Explaining the info)

Take time to understand the topic to create a strong thesis statement to help you throughout the writing process.

• Topic Research

At this point, you have the topic and the thesis statement to give you more directions. You need to get resources that will help you get content to support your points. You can read through several sources and highlight the relevant ones according to the topic. As you read through the sources, take some notes because you may want to re-visit the sources again. While going through the sources, take note of the citation style. Ensure it matches with the instructions from your professor.

• Create a good outline

At this point, you have a clear picture of how you need to present your paper. It is the right time to draft all the ideas in the first draft. Do not simply start writing without an outline. If you pass this step, then prepare for bad grades because your paper won’t have a clear flow of ideas, and it might end up confusing the professor. Include all the points you need to cover in your final draft in the outline.

Note: As you highlight the points, ensure they support your thesis statement. Also, include topics and sub-topics to give you an easy time. 

Again, when writing an outline, you should understand that a research paper has a standard structure. As a result, you need to include the title pages, an abstract, the introduction, methodology, findings, discussion, and finally, a conclusion.

• Write the first draft

Since you have all the materials required to start writing, you can set aside time and create the first draft following the professor’s instruction. Remember to include the title, citations, and the reference page.

Ensure you have a catchy title because it will determine the weight of your paper. The title gives the reader options either to read on or to quit. Ensure your title encourages the reader to read on.

• Proofread and edit your work

Do not assume that the work is perfect because you wrote it yourself. Some minimal errors will always pass the eye. Re-read your work carefully to spot such errors. Avoid relying too much on proofreading software because they may interpret some concepts in another way.

Conclusion

Writing any paper in the university or college requires a good strategy to succeed. As a student, you look forward to good grades. Research papers are part of the academic career. They enable tutors to understand the levels where the student is. Follow the above process, and you are good to go.  

How to format a research paper

Before you begin writing your paper, it is imperative to understand and know the style guide to employ. It will help you regulate the typography of your writing, the citation, grammar, and bibliography. Several fields apply different style guides.

The APA style gets majorly applied in social and behavioral science research that includes psychological and educational studies. Follow these tips for APA research paper formatting:

• The paper should have 1-inch margins at the top, sides, and bottom.
• The font to get used is 12 point, and the type is Times New Roman
• Double-space your lines
• Center align your cover pages
• Every page must have a left-aligned header that runs in the whole document bearing the title of the research
• Page numbers should appear right-aligned at the page’s top on every page, from the cover page to the last.
• The first word of each paragraph must get indented apart from the abstract.
• Do not bold the title, but bold the individual headings
• Citations include the name of the author and the publication of the year.

Research Paper Parts

Studies begin with a question that lingers in mind. A paper that details a study states the research question, the methods applied, the outcomes or findings of the article, and other information that gets considered relevant. The main sections of a research paper written in the APA style include:

1. Cover page
2. The abstract
3. Introduction to the paper
4. Background
5. Methods used
6. The results/outcome
7. The conclusion
8. Appendices

Title

The research paper needs a cover page that bears the title of the study. You can also include your names.

Abstract

An abstract is a summary of the research. It entails the overview of the text, the study’s significance, the research question, findings, and the methods of analysis. Avoid citations in the abstract.

Introduction

The intro states to the reader the problem your research is willing to solve. You can as well communicate the significance of the study in the opening. The research question should get highlighted in the form of a thesis statement

Background

This section allows you to infuse historical information and define the prior theories that also give your study its context. You can also consider your readers here.

Methodology

The readers need to know whether you used qualitative or quantitative research methods in your study. In this section, you can list all the manners and ways you employed to collect your data, including experiments, surveys, or field research. In scientific studies, this section gets referred to as Materials and Methods.

Results

What is the outcome of your study? In this section, state to the reader about your findings and ooze the data here. Remember to apply an objective point of view here and save the evaluation for your conclusion as the next section.

Conclusion

Explain to the readers why your outcomes are essential in the ending of your document. You will evaluate the results and developments in this section, and it will also help you reflect on the processes you have made. If the study requires additional research, mention it here too.

Appendices

If your paper has dense information that will need clarification, ensure it ends up in the appendix. The appendices come in handy when you want to list material that is considered supplementary but not that integral to the paper.

Now that you are in a position that you can structure your paper find the perfect question that needs an ideal answer.

There is no specific rule for writing this type of paper because it represents the opinion of the student. The professor will allow each student to develop a format of their own that they are comfortable with. There are three types of reflection papers and the tone that you are going to use will depend on your choice among the three papers. 

You are expected to read your articles very thoroughly and take down useful notes before you begin work on the reflection paper. Starting the write-up of your paper can as well begin with a summary of all what your paper is all about. The outline of the research paper consists of an introduction, body and conclusion of the paper. To get proper writing help, visit Ewritingservice.com and find out how to write best papers in English.

Step by step guide to writing a reflection paper

1. Your main theme

After settling on the topic that you wanted to write on, you are expected to begin with a summary of your experience with that topic in question. You have to be honest here by letting the readers know what you feel about the topic. It is likely that the readers will relate well with your opinion and it will help them to have a better understanding of your reflection.

2. Brainstorm your ideas

Write down all the specific quotes and everything that influenced you or all the memorable landmarks that you have seen and discovered. You have to be personal here by explaining all that you did to get the results that you are using in your reflection. Your explanations should be in simple easy to understand words.

3. Analyses

You have to go on and analyze everything about how the ideas that you have come across as well as the experience has affected your interpretation of the team of the work at hand. A perfect way to do this is to pick an idea or experience that you had in the last step and do everything to carry out an analysis of it. You are expected to narrate why you agree with the opinion. If you are in disagreement with the idea; you are also expected to state the reason why this is so.

4. The connections involved

You are expected to form a cohesive picture of your theme. Your ideas, as well as your insights, should be put together in an organized and cohesive way that will confer on your reflection real practical values. Break down your assumptions into bits and pieces for a clearer understanding of the process. You can go on to challenge this in the future. 

Writing tips

Make sure your writing is short and interesting. It used to be written in a clear language tone and you must go all the way to cite your sources. Go on to proofread your work before you submit it finally.

Final take

You are at liberty to follow your pattern of writing because your thoughts are expressed in this paper. The rules that will help bring out the best results have been stated above.

Structure of the Methodology Section

A scientific researcher would typically state their objectives in the introduction parts. The rest of the research will aim at those objectives. Usually, scientific research seeks to establish a cause and effect interaction among the variables.

The Methods part of your research should consist of three parts; the subjects, instruments and procedure. These three elements must be properly explained in the interest of full disclosure. When the subjects are human, we call them participants. 

In any research that involves human or animal subjects, you need to state clearly the procedures used to ensure that the subjects are treated ethically. Every discipline has a set of ethical practices regarding scientific research. Make sure you follow them to the letter and disclose the steps taken in your Methods section.

Research relevant literature

To have a standard Methods section, you should look through existing literature in related papers. It gives you useful information on the apparatus used and modes of presentation. This preliminary research is helpful if you write my college papers for first time or you’re venturing into a new field.

It would be best if you took examples only from the best research papers. This means you must know where to look. For medical and health-related research, PubMed and MEDLINE have trusted sources. Google Scholar is also an excellent place to start your search. 

When searching for literature, include essential words that are in your research objective. You may also add synonyms that other researchers may use in their topics.

Parts of the Methods segment of a Research

• Previous literature

After doing the needed research to choose your method, you need to reference those sources. It’s easy to overlook this because you didn’t use their research findings. However, it’s in the interest of best practice to reference their work.

• Research Subjects

You are required to provide full information about the subjects that participate in your research. In the case of non-human subjects, you must disclose your source, and the conditions used while doing the research. The food, shelter, age, sex and state of the animals must be disclosed. 

• Selection criteria

This section explains the process used in selecting the research subjects. Since you can only do your research with a fraction of the full population, you must state how you arrived at the sample.  

• Grouping

Every scientific study will involve at least two groups. In this section, you will clearly state the characteristics that you considered when grouping them. 

• Procedure

This section explains the apparatus, study design, and the manipulation of the subjects to test for the variables.  The length of each procedure should be properly outlined.