As we move into the second month of the semester, research paper due dates are approaching and as most research papers will make up a significant percentage of your final grade; you will want to attain a good grade on them. Here are some steps to take to help you get a better grade.
1. Read and research
This is the most important step. Without having knowledge on your papers topic, it will be almost impossible to earn a good grade. This step can be very tedious, but taking your time and reading your sources thoroughly will pay off in the end. Use highlighters or sticky notes to mark quotes that could possibly be used in your paper. Also while reading, try to recognize the reading’s themes and think of possible topics you may want to write about.
2. Make sure you understand the prompt and guidelines
Most teachers will give you guidelines and a prompt a few days before your paper is due. It is important to make sure you understand what they are asking for because if you don’t you can easily end up doing the wrong thing. Some things to watch for in the guidelines include: font preferences, format preferences, whether or not they want a works cited page, how many quotes and sources they want you to use and essay length.
3. Come up with a thesis
Find a theme or question that your research raises that you understand well. Once you have one in mind, form your opinion on that subject. Once you do this, create your thesis by clearly stating what your essay will be about and express your opinion on the subject. If your essay is on a book you read, it is a good idea to include the books name in the thesis. Once you are done, your audience should be able to tell from that single sentence what your essay will be about.
4. Write an introduction
To open your essay you need to transfer the audience’s attention from what they were previously thinking about to what your paper subject. One good approach to take is think about your topic in the bigger picture. Look at how your topic may relate to your reader or the rest of the world and use that to draw your reader in. Another good idea is to use an interesting fact that will grab the audience’s attention. Don’t forget to include your thesis in your introduction.
5. Write the body
In the body, explain why your thesis is true using supportive facts and quotes from your research. As a rule of thumb try to have at least one quote on each page, but if you can find places to use more it can improve your paper. Your body should be about half to two thirds your thoughts and one third to half examples and support from your research. Make sure you remember to use in-text citations using the format your teacher asked for as well.
6. Write the conclusion
In the conclusion sum up everything you just talked about in your essay. Reiterate why your topic is important and leave your readers with a better understanding of your topic and your point of view. One good idea is to somewhat reverse what you wrote in the introduction. Begin with a narrow summarization of your topic and widen your perspective to better understand why what you are saying is important. Answer this question: What can people take away from your essay?
7. Edit and improve
Once you finish writing, it’s time to revise. Read through your paper a couple of times, fix any grammatical mistakes or places with weird wording you can find. Another good idea is to improve your vocabulary. If you are using Microsoft Word you can right click on a word and find a list of synonyms that will both improve your vocabulary and help you avoid using the same words over and over.
Writing research papers can seem like an overwhelming process, but if you break it up into smaller steps you can take the pressure off of yourself. The best thing to do is start early, don’t procrastinate because you don’t want to screw up. The sooner you start, the more time you have to fix your mistakes.
If you feel as though you are still struggling, it may be a good idea to make an appointment with the Writing Center located in Franco. They can help you with editing, formatting and brainstorming.