Writing Hints For Your Research Paper: How To Start
The majority of students get stuck when the time comes to get their thoughts together, explore sources, and come up with the first draft. This being the case, it’s no wonder that you can experience some problems starting your research paper.
Writer’s block is usually so strong at this stage that you may be tempted to put the work aside with a soothing, yet false idea of having enough time to complete the assignment later. Unfortunately, time slips away too fast and you may be left with just a couple of days to do the paper. If you want to avoid the stress of creating something decent at the last moment, start right away.
How to Get Prepared for Research
- Understand the requirements.
- Prepare your writing tools.
- Develop a schedule.
Read the assignment details carefully. This is where your teacher will explain what criteria you should meet to get a high grade. Namely, you’ll be prompted how long your paper should be, what sources you should use, what topic you should cover, and what format you should follow.
Whether you prefer writing with a pen or typing on your laptop, make sure that you have all necessary tools on hand.
Planning is a must if you want to get everything done in time. Take into account all the aspects of the writing process. For example, you may decide to gather the sources on the first day, while the second day may be devoted to taking notes.
How to Conduct Research
- Look for the background information.
- Investigate both primary and secondary sources.
- Look in different places.
- Develop an outline.
You may start exploring the sources in depth if you are lucky to get a ready topic. However, it may happen that you should need to create the topic yourself. In such a situation, determine if your rough topic idea is manageable and narrow enough by looking through the background information.
Depending on your field of study, you may refer more to either primary or secondary resources. Whatever source you use, make sure to copy its details so that you can use this information later in the references.
Using the Internet is an easy and comfortable option. However, not everything can be found online, and lots of useful materials can be accessed in a library.
Creating an outline is a final step that will push you towards writing your project. Decide on your main arguments and organize the evidence around them. Completing a detailed outline is already half the battle, and you can start writing your research paper here and now.