- Published: September 17, 2022
- Updated: September 17, 2022
- University / College: Royal Holloway University of London
- Level: Masters
- Language: English
- Downloads: 46
English composition II unit 5Db English composition II unit 5Db A research paper requires some research or investigation on the topic by reading about it from, many various, sources, such as newspapers, magazines, internet and books. A research paper must have a structure, which acts as the purpose of the research, and makes it easy to research information. Besides, the structure enables the researcher to structure his or her thoughts and communication. The essay below is narrative, and it explains the process I used in writing and editing my research paper, as well as the key strategies I applied.
The first thing I did was to determine the goal of the research paper, by clearly understanding the difference between argumentative and analytical research paper. Mine was an analytical research paper, and so, I had to offer the academic community a fresh look at the essential issue I was researching. Besides, the subject was not controversial, and that is the reason why I had to persuade the audience on the importance of my ideas. Choosing a topic was my next step, and I also stated my working thesis statement inform of a question, since I was dealing with an analytical research paper.
Actual research followed, whereby, I had to look for various sources in order to get information. I discovered that primary sources are better than secondary sources, because they enable a researcher to get close to the source as possible (Experiment-Resources. com, 2009). Some of the primary sources I used included interviews, which are highly effective. On the other hand, I used secondary sources, such as newspapers, magazines, articles, journals, websites and books. I read over all the sources and took outstanding notes. In addition, I included page numbers and internet links on all essential information I came across.
The next thing was drafting an outline, which included the thesis statement, facts and main points, as well as evidence supporting the main points. I also supported my assertions with sources, both primary and secondary. I later wrote a rough draft, which contained three parts; introduction, body and conclusion.
The next step was extremely crucial since it involved revising and editing the research paper to get a final draft. I read through the paper five times and made sure all assertions were supported by sources. Besides, I ensured that there was a transition between the main points and no detail was left out. I checked grammar, spelling, punctuation and word choice errors. I focused on the general appearance of the text so as to do effective editing of the research paper. In fact, I rendered my paper consistent and free of typos. Moreover, I commissioned several other people to proofread my paper before I submitted it. One of the challenges I encountered while revising and editing my paper was that, I had taken so much time before I finished. Besides, it required a lot of concentration to identify areas that needed re-wording and clarification. I also incorporated a word program to check grammatical and structural problems.
From reading my classmates essays, I have noted that most of the students preferred primary sources due to their effectiveness, especially in obtaining first hand information. Most of them also encountered the same problems I had while revising and editing my paper. Lastly, I documented all sources from where I borrowed information. I used American psychological association style since the lecturer had specified the writing style.
In conclusion, my research paper included the title page in which I inserted my name, date of submitting the report, as well as an informative title. The next page contained an abstract that stated a brief summary of the research paper. The body had an introduction, methodology used, results obtained, discussion parts and the conclusion..
References
Experiment-Resources. com (2009). “ Research Paper Outline Examples”. Experimental
resources. Retrieved from