How To Format A Research Paper?

Writing a research paper is not as difficult as people think. If the writer has a good enough amount of knowledge where to start and what to write, things will be easy for the writer. We know writing a research paper is challenging, but we have prepared this guide in order to make it convenient for you to understand. In this guide, you will get to know some of the useful tips on how to write a flawless research paper, what to include in certain sections, how to make an astonishing title for your research paper, and etc. Moreover, we will focus significantly on how to format a research paper to make it look more attractive and eye-catching. Understanding the structure of a research paper is as decisive as anything else, which is why we will let this know to all of our readers.

Academic writing is one of the most severe forms of writing that needs special attention. It’ll take time to learn the art of academic writing, so you can write a research paper on your own. You need to be patient. As the time progresses, you will be able to learn all the nitty-gritty of how to write a research paper and how to format it to sound more appealing and engaging. Once you write your research paper, make sure to spend good enough time on editing and proofreading, so there will be no mistake in your delivered work. Shall we kick off this guide for you?

What has to be the format of a research paper?

There is not much difference between normal essays and research papers as far as the format is concerned. It is significant to have a couple of sections in your research paper like the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Here, we are going to study all these chapters or sections in detail. We are explaining all this, so you will be able to write your research paper by following the format at the end of this blog.

Introduction

Undoubtedly, the introduction is one of the most difficult chapters to write. One has to be creative, and one needs to think outside the box in order to make an introduction classy. As far as the general words counts are concerned, your introduction must not exceed 10% of your entire research paper. In your introduction section, you are supposed to make an astounding outline, along with providing some critical background information on your topic. Making a thesis statement for a research paper is one of the essential most parts of any introduction. Make sure to give only one great argument in order to support your thesis. The purpose of writing an introduction is to engage the readers, so they can read your entire research paper without skipping anything. 

Body

This is the lengthiest chapter of any research paper, and it has to be written with the utmost care. This is a part of your research paper, where you should come up with facts to prove your point. Your facts should back your thesis statement in order to sound more authentic and credible. There will be lots f paragraphs in your research paper’s body, so make sure to cover one point in a single section. As far as the word counts for a paragraph is concerned, it should not exceed 200 words or three sentences. Adding the transition sentence at the end of your paragraphs will increase the truthfulness of your research paper. There is no limit to adding body paragraphs in your research paper, but make sure to stick to the point. It is suggested not to wander away from your main subject.

Conclusion

Writing the conclusion is as strenuous as writing an introduction for a research paper. This chapter of a research paper has to be very precise and to the point. It is a chapter where you need to summarize all of your research paper. You are not allowed to add new pieces of information in your conclusion. Neither you can include new facts nor some new citations. The purpose of writing your research paper’s conclusion is to let the world know how your facts have supported your thesis statement. A good conclusion can guarantee the success of your research paper on its own.

Functional tips of how to format a research paper

Either you are supposed to write a research paper for your college, or for your university, it will be one of the burdensome most tasks. You have to be very smart and attentive to write a research paper. Formatting a research paper is a thing that matters the most, and the art can be learned. Once you get to know how to format your research paper, the job will become a lot effortless for you. Here, we will make you learn the skills to format your research paper on your own.

As far as the format of any research paper is concerned, it depends largely on the type of research paper. If the paper is of a theoretical type or experimental type, the format will be different for both. Here, we are going to focus particularly on the experimental components of a research paper because they are mostly used in today’s world. We have so many types of formats available like MLA, ASA, APA, Chicago, etc. The formatting requirements of all of these formats are different from each other.

Some essential details

• Make sure to submit your research paper on a standard white paper having an 8.5 x 11-inch width
• If you are dealing with MLA and APA format, make sure to set 1-inch margins on all sides
• Either you need a title page, or not will depend on the type of format you are required to use. For example, a title page is not required in MLA format
• Double-space your research paper when dealing with MLA and APA formats
• Font style has to be Times New Roman and font size of 12 points
• At the top-right corner of your paper, make sure to add headers along with page numbers. If you don’t have instructions to number your paragraphs, don’t do that
• From the left margin, make sure to indent the first line of every paragraph, one-half-inch
• If your research paper is over 5-6 pages, make sure to have the table of contents in your research paper. It is also needed to make headings and subheadings for your research paper
• As far as APA format is concerned, make sure to write your abstract as well as conclusions on separate pages.

What are the main sections of a research paper?

Title page

As far as the title page of your research paper is concerned, it must have the topic of your research. Your personal information like your name, your institute, and date must also be there on your title page. Most of the students use Title page generator software for this purpose, but you can make it easily without any trouble.

Abstract

An abstract is like an overview of your research paper. It should range between 100-300 words (generally). You should write an abstract that the reader will be able to understand your entire research paper only by reading your abstracts. Short assignments don’t need to have any abstract.

Introduction

Here, introduce your topic entirely. You are supposed to make your thesis statements here, along with giving some background information on your topic. Make sure to explain why you have chosen the topic and why it is essential to study.  

Literature review

Previous researches and the work of some scientists will be there in your literature review chapter. Here, you will let your readers know what sort of work had been done in the past on the topic, so they can term your work innovative.  

Materials and methods

The research methodology you have used in your research must be there in this section of your research paper. You are supposed to tell your audience how you have collected your data and what sort of methods you have used in order to conduct your research. The credibility of your research paper depends enormously on your materials and methods.  

Results

The results you have obtained after your research must be there in this section. Whether the results are significant or not, make sure to write your results. Here, your audience will compare your work with the work of some other scientists to rank your research.  

Discussion/Conclusions

This is one of the most important sections of a research paper. Compare your obtained results with the results of some previous scientists to prove the creativity of your research paper. Here, comparison is the key to success.  

References

The references have to be arranged in alphabetical order. References are the proof that you have taken data from these sources are your research is authentic. Most of the students ignore to give importance to references. Your entire research paper can be rejected if there is a slight issue in your references. Make sure to give significance to this chapter of your research paper. 

How to Choose a Title, find Reliable Sources and Proofread your Research Paper chapter of your

The thesis statement is something that matters the most for a research paper. Once you make your thesis statement, it is time to give some supporting evidences as well. There are lots of instructions and guidelines you need to take care of while writing a research paper.

The first thing you need to watchful about is the title of your research paper. An attractive title can give a great impression to your reader, that can set the tone for you. Just by reading your title, your readers must be able to understand what you have for them in your research paper. Once you are done with your research paper, make sure to write the title then. This is suggested because you will be able to write it more effectively after completing your research paper. By doing this, you can not only save your time, but you will be able to write an ideal title for your research paper.

Citing the original and respectable sources is another thing you need to take care of. The sources which are available at Wikipedia and journals, avoid adding them in your research paper. If you have a complete reference section at the end of your research paper, it will leave a good impression.

At the end, proofreading is the key to success. If you have worked hard and you have written an amazing research paper, it will be a waste of time if you don’t proofread it entirely. There will be grammatical and spelling mistakes for sure, but you are the one who should proofread and edit it to remove all these mistakes. If you think your research paper does have some unwanted or jargon words, remove those.

How to write it flawlessly?

Before even start wiring your research paper, you are obliged to define your research subject. It is essential to deliver your message in a unique and different way, but make sure not to use a complicated structure. It is suggested not to use tricky structure, so all of your audience can understand your point. Brainstorming the existing literature is as necessary as anything else. You are going to require some sources for your research, so make sure to pick your reliable source. A thesis statement is of great importance. Make sure to write an incredible thesis statements, and they present such fats that can back your thesis statement.

When you are writing a research paper, it is compulsory to state the goals of your research, the objectives of your research, and the hypotheses of your research. After doing this, it is your responsibility to take care of the necessary evidences, materials and methodology, and conclusion of your research paper. Even if you skip a single section, your research paper will be considered poorly managed and poorly written. It is recommended to write the literature at the end of your research paper because it is the most extensive section of a research paper. Moreover, after writing all of your research paper, you will have a better idea of what to write in your literature and what not to write in your literature section.

When you are done with all this in academic assignment writing, it is of primary importance to make a rough draft of your research paper. You will not require much time to make a draft of your research paper. All you have to do is check the research paper before submitting it anywhere. Proofreading is paramount before sending the final version to your professor. You can remove all the mistakes and errors from your research paper by proofreading it and editing it. Make sure to cite your sources at the end of your research paper. When you are proofreading, make sure to check whether each of your research paper paragraph has a topic sentence or not. When you think you are all good and all set to submit your research paper, then write the final version of your research paper (error-free). Make sure that your material and the content is supporting your thesis statement. 

Tips for college students to write research papers

If we compare an academic paper with a research paper for college students, the later one is easy to write. Here are some of the useful tips for students of the college who are looking to write a research paper:

• Make sure to write the introduction of your research paper as brilliantly as possible. You must not start your essay too generically, and this is a common mistake almost all the students make. The goal of your introduction is to hook your readers and make them interested in reading your research paper.
• Every format has its own requirements. You will be asked to follow a certain format from your institute. Make sure to do right in-text citation keeping in mind the format. You can get assistance from online guidelines regarding the format of a research paper.
• If you want to get assistance from online guidelines, make sure to avoid domain name extensions as .com or .net. You can use sources from .gov (government), .edu (educational institutions), and .org (nonprofit organizations) websites.
• The sentences must be no more than 30 words. Otherwise, it’ll look bad to the eye.
• Make sure not to add too many linking words and phrases. If you can use them proficiently, they can increase the quality of your research paper. If you use them unnecessarily, they can increase the overall word count.

Summary

We know it is not easy to write a research paper flawlessly. It is a challenging as well as a rewarding task at the same moment. All you have to do is spend good enough time on this guide to learn how to write and how to format your research paper. We have made this guide step-wise, so you can plan your research paper accordingly. Get the ball rolling by defining your research paper’s topic, make an outline, edit some of the research paper, and that’s it. One thing you need to care about is the format of your research paper. You can ask any professional or read these sorts of guides to get an idea about everything you need to about a research paper. Proofreading is something you should not ignore. Remember one thing; if you are satisfied with your work, your audience will surely like your research paper. If you personally feel some issues, the audience will feel it too. If you are all good, you are all set to amaze the world with your research paper.