A research paper is a piece of academic content that is based on the authors’ originality in research on a certain topic, analysis and interpretation of the findings. There are eight steps of writing a research paper.

STEP 1. TOPIC SELECTION

In research paper writing, you need to choose a topic which is challenging to you and interesting. You need to get an interesting topic because the attitude towards the topic will determine the efforts you will put in your research. You also need to focus on a limited aspect and select a topic that you can manage.

STEP 2. FINDING INFORMATION

As a researcher you must need information from different sources in order to come up with ideas, and complete your research paper successfully. You can use search engines, general information online and encyclopedias online to source information. There are some domain extensions that you should pay attention to including the .edu (educational institutions), .gov (government) and .org (non-profit organizations). Other sources of information include magazines and newspapers, journals and government publications.

STEP 3. COME UP WITH A STRONG THESIS STATEMENT

A thesis statement is a main idea of the research and also act as the central point. It provides the guideline of the arguments and ideas which must be based on it. It is like a declaration of the researcher’s belief and it should be produced early in the paper before writing the arguments of the paper. A thesis statement should do the following:

• Answer the asked question
• Inform the readers of that they should expect in the paper
• Explain the interpretation of the research topic to the readers

STEP 4. MAKE AN OUTLINE OF THE RESEARCH PAPER

An outline of a research paper is limited to the following aspects:

1. Title page ( author’s name, university name, date of publication)
2. Abstract (brief summary of the paper)
3. Introduction ( background information of the topic)
4. Manuscript body:

• Materials and methods
• Results
• Discussion and conclusion

5. References
6. Tables, figures and appendix.

STEP 5. ORGANIZING NOTES

You need to organize the gathered information following the outline that was previously formulated. In this stage, the information is analyzed and synthesized appropriately as it is the most important stage. All information must be relevant to the topic. You must also be effective in communicating the ideas and thoughts on the research topic.

STEP 6. WRITE THE FIRST DRAFT

In writing the first draft, you need to consider the topic in the outline and read all the gathered notes form the information sources. In this stage, also, you need to summarize the notes on different pages and then combine them as outlined appropriately.

STEP 7. REVISE THE DRAFT

Read the paper for any errors whereby you will arrange the ideas according to the outline. Use grammar checkers such as grammarly to correct the grammar mistakes. You can consider using this checklist:

Checklist

1. Is my thesis clear and concise?
2. Did I follow the outline?
3. Are my arguments presents sequentially?
4. Have I cited all my sources appropriately?
5. Have I proved my thesis with strong arguments?
6. Have I made my intentions ion the paper clearly?

STEP 8. TYPE THE FINAL RESEARCH PAPER

The report must be typed appropriately and printed. You should re-read the assignment sheet to confirm if you have done the right thing.  Proofread the paper once again to check for simple mistakes and correct them.