How Do Research Work

Having doubts about a certain topic can cause many problems. For example, spreading wrong information, poorly performing a procedure, creating mistrust, etc.

From an early age, human beings seek answers to their questions. The first ones that arise are very simple, such as, Why is the sky blue? Why do the birds sing? Where is God?  Etc. Sometimes, the answer to these questions generates a new one: and why?

As man develops, his doubts develop along with him. The questions become more complex. Hence the need to investigate. Thanks to this process, the human being has been able to make great scientific discoveries, such as the law of gravity, electricity, knowing the shape of the earth, among others.

Given that research allows the acquisition of new knowledge, the educational system promotes this resource among students. Since, in this way, they will be able to exercise the planning, search, selection and organization of the investigation. As well as writing large-scale informative speeches.

In general, this type of work is assigned as a requirement to be promoted to a new school year or to finish a cycle of the same. If you find yourself in these circumstances, it is likely that you want to know how a research paper is carried out, since it is made up of several parts with specific characteristics each.

This article will help you write your own research papers. You will know the procedure that must be followed and the recommendations to take into account so that the result is a successful research work, which fulfills the purpose for which it was written. But, without further ado, let’s get down to business and start by talking about what you have to do.

Instructions for doing a research paper

1. In order for you to do a good research paper, you must start well. Therefore, the first step should be to understand the task so that you can meet its objectives. Before beginning, read the instructions that have been given to you in order to clarify any doubts that may arise. Then write a list of the elements that make up each part of the job. You will cross out one by one as you manage to reach them.
2. Keep in mind the audience to whom it is directed. The way in which the work is going to be written will depend on it. Your level of instruction will influence your writing style, your choice of words, and the amount of detail you include.
3. Select a theme. There are many ways to do it, one of them is through brainstorming, you can also talk with a partner or a teacher to find out what topic to cover. You can draw inspiration from previous research. Of course, make sure that the topic is interesting, original, specific, that it meets the parameters of the investigation and that it can be investigated.
4. Do some preliminary research. Take note of the important points that come up in discussions about the topic. Use different sources of information, such as magazines, books, web pages that are reliable, etc.
5. Formulate some questions that help you optimize the orientation of the topic. Another thing that will help you is to determine if there are any flaws in the arguments. If there is, this will be the time to make the necessary adjustments.
6. Formulate a thesis statement. It is simply a matter of stating the central argument. To achieve this, establish the purpose and position of the job. For example, if your research began with a question, your thesis statement should answer it. Likewise, it must show the evidence and reasoning that supports said answer. Try to make your statement concise and coherent. Although it may require revisions and corrections throughout the process, it can serve as a guide.
7. Make a sketch. You will be able to plan the work before you start writing, therefore it will make your writing much more efficient.
8. Build the paragraphs. Paragraphs are very important elements in any research project. Each of them should be oriented towards a single statement or idea that helps establish the general purpose of the work. A paragraph should include the idea to be explored, proof of the idea, specific examples, explanation of the relationship between the evidence just given and the topic statement, and a summary of the main point that has been made. raised.
9. Write a first draft. Of course, it does not mean that it will be the only one you do. A draft is intended to transform ideas into arguments that may be viable, include a large amount of detail, and have a clearer idea of ​​what the end result of the investigation will be.
10. Formulate a good introduction. To achieve this, it covers three questions: What? Why? And how? By the end of the introduction, the reader should be clear about what the work is about and what makes them want to read it. Therefore, during its writing, introduce the background and define what the key elements are, do it very briefly and in chronological order.
11. Start typing the text. At this point, the sketch you prepared previously will be very useful. However, please remember that this is just a guide. Therefore, when writing you can be flexible with the order in which you present information and arguments.
12. Make a conclusion. This is meant to help the reader wrap up the argument of the article and give it a sense of finality. You must emphasize how all the elements come together to prove the statement that was made in the thesis. Recap on the what, why and how to show what the introductory ideas look like at the point already established.
13. Submit the work to a review process, which will allow you to ensure that all necessary activities have been completed. Then check for sentence articulation, grammatical errors, formatting, and typos. Delete unnecessary words and check that the text is coherent.

Since you already know how to write a research paper, now you should know what you need to do it.

How to cite correctly?

According to APA standards, when citing within the text, the correct way to do it is as follows:

1. Put the name of the author and the date of the publication before you go to copy the quote.
2. If you don’t include the author’s last name in the text, you can place it next to the citation.
3. If you don’t have the name of the author, you can substitute the name of the organization that published it.
4. If you can’t find the name of the author or the organization that published it, you can use an abbreviated form of the title in quotation marks.
5. Place the year of publication, followed by the author’s name and separated by a comma.
6. If you don’t know the date, you can use the abbreviations “sf”.
7. Then, write the abbreviation “p” before placing the page number where the quote is found. In case you want to mark more than one, separate the number of pages with the help of a hyphen.
8. In case the pages are not numbered, you can use the abbreviation “parr” to indicate the paragraph number.

What other recommendations should you take into account when preparing your research paper? Let’s see it right now.

What do you need to do a research paper?

In order to get down to work and write your work, it is important that you know how it should be structured. Depending on its nature, a research paper can have some elements and do without others. However, some fixed sections are the following:

•  The cover: it must include the title of the work, the author’s name, the professor’s name and the delivery date. Regarding the title, try to make it understandable, precise and related to the content of the work.
•  The initial citations : you can choose the number of citations to include.
•  The index: this specifies each and every one of the parts of the work. Although it is advisable to do one from the beginning of the investigation, it will undergo modifications as it progresses.
•  The introduction: when writing the introduction you will expose the objective of your work, its scope and the limits of the investigation. On the other hand, it also contains a short exposition of the content of the chapters.
•  The development: as expected, it is the longest part, since it is the body of the work.  In order for it to have a coherent and logical order, it is best to organize it into chapters, sections, and subsections.
•  The conclusion: it must be presented in a clear and orderly manner, highlighting the positive and negative results of the investigation, as well as the issues that remained pending.
•  The references: it is also known by the name of bibliography. In this part, all the references that were taken into account should be grouped.
•  The annexes: these provide complementary information, but at the same time it is very useful to understand the content of the investigation. This part includes interviews, surveys and other similar resources.

Tips for doing a research paper

1. When writing, use reliable sources of information, such as specialized magazines, reports on the subject, expert forums, web pages, etc.
2. Set arguments that are flexible. This will allow you to change or remove the arguments, or parts of them, if necessary.
3. Quote appropriately. While it’s true that citations don’t necessarily have to be perfect when drafting, if you include the most important things from the very beginning, you can save yourself a lot of time. Remember that every citation must include the name of the author, the year in which the publication was made and the page number with all the information that pertains to him.
4. If your audience is the general public, avoid using terms that are too technical. If you are going to include them, it is best if you can define them. Also, avoid giving too much detail. Be informative by using short, simple sentences and words. In addition, it includes some examples to clarify important points.
5. If your audience is an expert, then do not explain too much, justify your allegations, show different nuances in your arguments, dominate the subject, otherwise those who listen to you will notice the deficiency in the exposition of the facts.
6. If you are going to work with a second draft, it is important that you avoid offering new arguments as well as essential information. On the other hand, try not to take up more space than necessary, as well as start with phrases that indicate that the work is about to end.
7. Finally, read aloud the final product purchased. In this way you will be forced to go more calmly and stop to look in more detail at each written word.

By applying these recommendations, you will have no doubt that your research work will be a success and that you will be promoted to the next level. It is unlikely that they will make large corrections to you, since you will have covered each of the necessary points.

In case they make any observations to you, do not be discouraged. Correct what needs to be corrected and move on. This could be the beginning of a long career as a researcher.