Research Paper Writing Tips

 

Use the following tips to help you in structuring and writing your research paper:

 

1.      Start your research with a question you want to answer.  Compile information related to this question, analyze it, and make note of the main points you want to write about.  See the following link for tips on this:  Tips on Writing a Thesis.

2.      When you have enough information, write a preliminary thesis (see link) for your paper which will guide your writing. 

3.      After writing your preliminary thesis, write an outline for your paper detailing the main points of your paper and relating them to the thesis.  An example of this is as follows:

I.                    Introduction

·        Background:  Scientists have shown that the global temperature has risen an average of 2 degrees Celsius each year since 1977.  The number of icebergs in the Arctic Ocean has decreased by 10% in the past ten years.  The salinity of the Arctic Ocean has decreased by 3 PPT in the last 5 years.

·        Thesis:  Global warming is predicted to be a major cause of climate fluctuations in the future because of its effects in de-stabilizing the density currents in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.  These climate fluctuations may alter the growing seasons around the world, causing worldwide food shortages.

·        Audience:  This paper is written to U.S. representatives to the House of Representatives in the next election, who will vote on laws regulating carbon dioxide emissions for the next decade.

II.                 Causes of Global Warming

·        Global warming is caused primarily by carbon dioxide emissions from automobiles.

·        The United States has an average of 2.1 automobiles per family.

·        43% of the automobiles in the U.S. have engines of more than 3 liters, which are not fuel efficient.

III.               Global Warming Effects on the Ocean Currents

·        Global warming is correlated to the melting of icebergs in the Arctic Ocean

·        The melting of icebergs causes the salinity of the ocean to decrease, since they are composed of freshwater

·        The desalination of the Arctic ocean adversely affects the density currents that drive the “global conveyor belt”- the currents that take cold water from the poles and move it toward the equator and move warm water from the equator to the poles.

·        If the “global conveyor belt” ceases to function, scientists believe that the global climate will experience massive, unpredictable fluctuations

IV.              Climate Fluctuations and Their Affects On Crops

·        If the climate fluctuates significantly and uncontrollably, farmers will not know which crops to plant from year to year

·        Thus, the crops they plant may not be suited to the climate from year to year and may not produce sufficient yields to feed the global population

·        This may cause global hunger or hunger for the poorest sections of the global population due to the increasing price of food.

V.                 Conclusion

·        Global warming is a serious issue that affects us all.  We should vote to cut down carbon dioxide emissions in the next election to reduce the effects of global warming in the future.

·        By reducing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, we may be able to slow down the effects of global warming on the “global conveyor belt” and thus ensure that our global food supply will be protected. 

 

*  Note:  The statistics used in this outline are fictitious.

 

4.      Write your paper, following your outline.  As you write, don’t worry about spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc. as if it was the final draft- just get your ideas on the page. 

5.      After writing your paper, REVISE IT!!!  Follow the tips in this link below to revise your paper:  Tips for Revising A Research Paper

 

 

Useful References for writing and revising research papers:

 

 

Booth, W., Colomb, G., & Williams, J. (2003).  The Craft of Research, Second Edition.        Chicago, IL:  The University of Chicago Press.

 

An excellent book on all aspects of research and writing.  Includes EXCELLENT information about theses, arguments, claims, and acknowledgements.

 

Strunk, W., White, E.B. (2000). The Elements of Style (4th Ed.). New York, NY.      Longman Publishers.

 

An excellent, concise book with great insight on what makes good writing great.

 

 

Hudson, C., Davis, C., Loomis, K. (Eds.) (2001). Publication Manual of the American         Psychological Association (5th Ed.).  Washington, D.C. American Psychological   Association.

 

APA style manual.  Lots of useful tips.

 

Editorial Staff of the University of Chicago Press. (1982).  The Chicago Manual of Style         (13th Ed.). Chicago, IL.  The University of Chicago Press.

 

 

Gibaldi, J. (1998).  MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing (2nd Ed.).  New   York, NY.  The Modern Language Association of America.

 

MLA style manual.  Lots of useful tips.