Have you ever struggled with research papers when even writing the first few sentences feels like a tough challenge? Even if you’ve had your experience with research papers, their size often feels so overwhelming that you don’t even know where to start. The good news? This is a normal thing for many students. A research paper is lots of hours of reading and writing, but you can make the process more pleasant. Here are some ideas to help you make those first steps.
Know your topic
This tip might seem obvious, but it’s still too important to ignore. Research papers usually focus on specific elements, not broad topics. For example, you are more likely to write about how social media affects our lives than explore the topic of social media itself. If your instructor only gave you a general topic, your task is to narrow it down and understand it. Ask leading questions and be curious: what interests you about this topic, and what would you like to know? You would be surprised just how specific one can get about the topic by asking questions.
Ask for help
When starting out with their papers, students often have many doubts that they would like to clear up. Some of them even turn to research paper writing services, such as FastEssay, to get instant expert advice on their academic papers. There are plenty of online resources that deal with all sorts of questions, from the beginner to the most complex problems. You can also try platforms and forums where students share their academic experiences if you feel like your question is too specific.
But most importantly, you shouldn’t be afraid to ask your instructor if you’re confused. They will appreciate your interest in the topic and set you on the right track by giving some food for thought. After all, it’s their job to offer guidance and clarify doubts! You might get some advice on where to find academic sources and how to organize your first research, or you can even engage in an interesting conversation that will motivate you to dive deeper into the topic.
Start with a thesis statement
“Thesis” is a scary word for many students because it summarizes hours of reading and writing into the most important sentence of your paper. Writers are often not sure what their topic should cover and what questions their research should answer. Then why start with a thesis statement before anything else? Because it drives your research and gives you something to work on. Here are a few steps:
- Form your position. When you have narrowed down the topic, find one or two basic sources that talk about your research questions. See what the authors say about your questions and pay special attention to the conclusions they make. Their answers will form the basis of your thesis statement and the personal view that you will support with further evidence.
- First draft of thesis statement. Now that you have some initial knowledge about the topic, try to write the first version of your thesis. Make sure that a clear argument is present in the statement, but don’t worry if it doesn’t sound persuasive: you’ll have the chance to refine it later.
- Feel free to edit the thesis. As you move forward with the research, you’ll notice that your thesis draft is now too narrow to cover some of the arguments in the findings. If some sources present opposing viewpoints, you can address them by adjusting the thesis statement.
- Be specific. Remember that the thesis statement is not only a guiding force of research but also a quick summary of the main points for readers. Your final thesis statement should be both concise and detailed since now you have enough knowledge and know your arguments.
Organize your references
This is a helpful tip for anyone who gets lost in countless sources and has trouble using them in research papers and essays. For example, excellent tools like Zotero and Mendeley help gather and visualize research articles and books in one place. Another piece of advice is to group the articles by the arguments they make or the aspects of the topic that they study. This way, you will be able to see the supporting evidence and add it to the right part of the paper.
Read and then read again
Yes, gathering and analyzing evidence for research papers is not a fast process. There is no simple solution to this step: you’ll have to be ready for hours of tedious reading if you want your paper to say something meaningful. The best thing you can do to make the process more efficient is skimming the sources.
The middle part of scholarly articles usually has a lot of technical details that you won’t need for your arguments. Instead, focus on the beginning and the end: the quick summary of the paper, the thesis, and the author’s conclusions. The writing style and vocabulary may seem daunting at first, but you’ll start focusing on the most important points with some practice. And you actually get to read some excellent thesis statements!
Plan your writing
Know your concepts. When you research a specific topic or question, some words and definitions may come up more often than others. Make sure that you understand those fundamental concepts before you start writing the paper. This way, you will avoid confusion and unnecessary re-writing.
Make an outline. You probably hear about outlines a lot, and for a good reason: they’re a great way to structure large papers. Having done your research, you already have some idea about what you want to say, but you may still feel overwhelmed by the size of the paper. An outline will categorize your findings and highlight the central arguments of each section.
Write what’s on your mind
Students often have a lot to say after doing their research but struggle to write a sentence because it doesn’t sound academic enough. Don’t fall into the perfectionist trap: it’s better to write a simpler sentence to keep your train of thought going. What’s more, clarity in your language is always better than complexity when writing research papers. Later on, a careful proofreading and editing process will polish the paper and fix any errors in your writing.
Wrap-up
If you’re struggling with your research paper today, these tips will help you get started. Always get familiar with your specific topic and its concepts to know the purpose of your paper beforehand. If you encounter any doubts, don’t hesitate to ask your instructor for some guidance. Focus on the first thesis statement to know where your research needs to go and what answers you should be looking for. Writing academic papers can be an exciting search for knowledge if you make the process efficient and understandable for you!
