Academic research paper
Undergraduate s & ics & ation, technology & t groups & ute forwriting and rhetoriccontact us(603) 646-9748contact & department is an academic paper? Old formulae, such as the five-paragraph theme, aren't sophisticated or flexible enough to provide a sound structure for a college paper. First thing that you'll need to understand is that writing in college is for the most part a particular kind of writing, called "academic writing. While academic writing might be defined in many ways, there are three concepts that you need to understand before you write your first academic paper. Academic writing is devoted to topics and questions that are of interest to the academic community. When you write an academic paper, you must first try to find a topic or a question that is relevant and appropriate - not only to you, but to the academic community of which you are now a part. This brings us to our final point: academic writing should present the reader with an informed argument. If your paper fails to inform, or if it fails to argue, then it will fail to meet the expectations of the academic ucting an informed you sit down to write an academic paper, you'll first want to consider what you know about your topic.
A short paper written in response to a viewing of alfred hitchcock's rear window, for example, may not require you to be familiar with hitchcock's other works. It may not even require you to have mastered the terms important to film criticism - though clearly any knowledge you bring to the film might help you to make a thoughtful response to r, if you are asked to write an academic paper on the film, then you will want to know more. Moreover, if you are watching this film in an upper-level film class, you will want to be aware of different critical perspectives on hitchcock's films and on films in general, so that you can "place" your argument within the larger ongoing you sit down to write an academic paper, ask yourself these questions:What do i know about my topic? After all, it's not enough to summarize in a paper what is already known and talked about. When you evaluate for an academic purpose, it is important to be able to clearly articulate and to support your own personal response. She is telling you what sort of paper will be many cases, however, the professor won't provide you with a prompt. For example, in a psychology course you might be asked to write a paper on any theory or theories of self. At the very least, you'll want to find out if the professor wants a report or a paper.
It will be up to you to narrow your topic and to make sure that it's appropriately academic. More advice on this matter, consult coming up with your topic elsewhere in this web g a rhetorical writing an academic paper, you must not only consider what you want to say, you must also consider to whom you are saying it. Is there any part of your response to the text that might cause your reader to discount your paper as biased or un-critical? On the other hand, you can't avoid taking a position on a subject: nothing is worse than reading a paper in which the writer has refused to take a stance. Moreover, it is impossible for you to replicate the "ideal paper" that exists in your professor's head. Others of you might have been told that the best structure for a paper is the hour-glass model, in which you begin with a general statement, make observations that are increasingly specific, and then conclude with a statement that is once again you are writing papers in college, you will require structures that will support ideas that are more complex than the ones you considered in high school. They might tell you to order your information chronologically or spatially, depending on whether you are writing a paper for a history class or a course in art history. For more detailed advice on various ways to structure your paper, see writing: considering structure and organization.
Even when your paper is not a research paper you will be expected to introduce your argument as if into a larger conversation. You were taught in high school that every paper must have a declared thesis, and that this sentence should appear at the end of the introduction. While this advice is sound, a thesis is sometimes implied rather than declared in a text, and it can appear almost anywhere - if the writer is r your thesis appears at the end of the introduction or the end of your paper, it must make an arguable claim - that is, it should declare something that is interesting and debatable. Because your thesis is arguably the most important sentence in your paper, you will want to read more about it in developing your e every thesis presents an arguable point, you as a writer are obligated to acknowledge in your paper the other side(s) of an argument. Topic sentence or claim is like a thesis sentence - except that instead of announcing the argument of the entire paper, it announces the argument of that particular paragraph. For more instruction on how to write a good conclusion, see introductions and appropriate tone and : you think you understand what's required of you in an academic paper. If the student didn't care to write the paper, the professor probably won't care to read it. The tone of an academic paper, then, must be inviting to the reader, even while it maintains an appropriate academic er: professors are human beings, capable of boredom, laughter, irritation, and awe.
Understand, too, that she is less delighted when you have inflated your prose, pumped up your page count, or tried to impress her by using terms that you didn't take the time to short, then, good academic writing follows the rules of good writing. If you'd like to know more about how to improve your academic style, please see attending to style, elsewhere in this web site. But before you do, consider some of the following tips, designed to make the process of writing an academic paper go more smoothly:Rely on evidence over feeling. Students often wonder if it's ok to use the pronouns "i" and "you" in a paper. For example, overusing the "i" might make the reader feel that your paper is overly subjective. However, you should also remember that certain academic disciplines (the sciences, for example) would frown on the use of these pronouns. Each of the academic disciplines has its own way of constructing knowledge, of organizing that knowledge, of using evidence, and of communicating within the field. You might also contact rwit for updated: december 5, departmentsafrican and african american studiesanthropologyart historyasian and middle eastern languages and literaturesasian and middle-eastern studiesbiological scienceschemistryclassicscognitive sciencecomparative literaturecomputer scienceearth scienceseconomicseducationengineering sciencesenglishenvironmental studiesfilm and media studiesfrench and italiangeographygerman studiesgovernmenthistoryhumanities 1 & 2institute for writing and rhetoricjewish studieslatin american, latino and caribbean studieslinguisticsmathematicsmedieval and renaissance studiesmusicnative american studiesphilosophyphysics and astronomypsychological and brain sciencesreligionrussiansociologyspanish and portuguesestudio arttheaterwomen’s and gender paperwrite to conduct ments with a research paper.
This page on your website:A guide on how to write academic guide aims to help you write a research article is a part of the guide:Select from one of the other courses available:Experimental ty and ical tion and psychology e projects for ophy of sance & tics beginners tical bution in er 44 more articles on this 't miss these related articles:1write a research paper. Guide contains an overview on writing academic papers such as the term paper, thesis, research paper or other academic essays written in the format of the research have tried to integrate thoughts from the apa-format and the students wonder about the writing process itself. The outline of the academic paper is very similar for most branches of ng an extended outline may help structure your thoughts, especially for longer papers. Here are a few samples outlines for research have also created a couple of articles with general tips and help on research writing a scientific paper, you will need to adjust to the academic format. The apa writing style is one example of an academic standard frequently the way, here is another great resources on how to write a research ing to write a research y, the purpose of a research paper is known before writing it. It can be formulated as a research paper question, a thesis statement or a hypothesis you do not know what to write about, you will have to look for ideas for research paper ure of a research structure of a research paper might seem quite stiff, but it serves a purpose: it will help find information you are looking for easily and also help structure your thoughts and is an example of a research paper. Here's another sample research empiric paper frequently follows this structure:Additional parts for some academic following parts may be acceptable to include in some scientific standards, but may be inappropriate for other of contents (usually placed right before or right after the abstract). Technical correcting papers, we have been surprised by the many students struggling with intext citations.
The most used standards for referencing in research papers are apa-standard and paper formats allow you to include footnotes in the text, while some do not allow s frequently want to include tables and figures in the mes the format or standard prohibits the authors from entering tables and figures directly into the text (where you want your table). Sometimes they have to be included after the main rds and observe that most scientific fields (and paper formats) have their own specific rules and standards of will have to check with your faculty or school to know exactly how to write the paper - the guide is meant as an overview of academic papers in ation of your article can be a very time-consuming writing the academic paper, the researchers submit it to a journal. Typically you start with the most regarded journal and then work yourself down the list, until a journal accepts the ific journals use peer review process, which is a panel of other researchers (most likely in the same field) who review the work, to ensure that the quality of the ation bias is a well known phenomenon, as the peer review process often rejects "null results". Take it with you wherever you research council of ibe to our rss blakstad on e of a research paper - how to write a g an abstract - how to write a to write an introduction - introducing the research ch paper outline title page - writing a research ign upprivacy policy. And ces for proposal ces for ng and writing research g and g annotated ng poster g a review of ific report lab g an effective blog g process and ing your writing r and references in your g a research page lists some of the stages involved in writing a library-based research gh this list suggests that there is a simple, linear process to writing such a paper, the actual process of writing a research paper is often a messy and recursive one, so please use this outline as a flexible ering, narrowing, and focusing a researchable g, selecting, and reading ng, sequencing, and documenting g an outline and a prospectus for g the g the ng the final ering, narrowing, and focusing a researchable to find a topic that truly interests writing your way to a with your course instructor and classmates about your your topic as a question to be answered or a problem to be g, selecting, and reading will need to look at the following types of sources:Library catalog, periodical indexes, bibliographies, suggestions from your y vs. The the introduction you will need to do the following things:Present relevant background or contextual terms or concepts when n the focus of the paper and your specific your plan of your outline and prospectus as flexible your essay around points you want to make (i. Your sources into your ize, analyze, explain, and evaluate published work rather than merely reporting up and down the "ladder of abstraction" from generalization to varying levels of detail back to g the the argument or point of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize the argument for your prior to your conclusion you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the end of your paper to add your points up, to explain their from a detailed to a general level of consideration that returns the topic to the context provided by the s suggest what about this topic needs further ng the final overall organization: logical flow of introduction, coherence and depth of discussion in body, effectiveness of aph level concerns: topic sentences, sequence of ideas within paragraphs, use of details to support generalizations, summary sentences where necessary, use of transitions within and between ce level concerns: sentence structure, word choices, punctuation, ntation: consistent use of one system, citation of all material not considered common knowledge, appropriate use of endnotes or footnotes, accuracy of list of works , august 25, ck, questions, or accessibility issues. 2017 board of regents of the university of wisconsin sity of southern zing your social sciences research ic writing zing your social sciences research paper: academic writing purpose of this guide is to provide advice on how to develop and organize a research paper in the social of research flaws to ndent and dependent ry of research terms.
Choosing a research ing a topic ning a topic ing the timeliness of a topic idea. An oral g with g someone else's to manage group of structured group project survival g a book le book review ing collected g a field informed g a policy g a research ic writing refers to a style of expression that researchers use to define the intellectual boundaries of their disciplines and their specific areas of expertise. Characteristics of academic writing include a formal tone, use of the third-person rather than first-person perspective (usually), a clear focus on the research problem under investigation, and precise word choice. Like specialist languages adopted in other professions, such as, law or medicine, academic writing is designed to convey agreed meaning about complex ideas or concepts for a group of scholarly ic writing. New york: routledge, ance of good academic gh the accepted form of academic writing in the social sciences can vary considerable depending on the methodological framework and the intended audience, most college-level research papers require careful attention to the following stylistic elements:Unlike fiction or journalistic writing, the overall structure of academic writing is formal and logical. The introduction should include a description of how the rest of the paper is overall tone refers to the attitude conveyed in a piece of writing. Throughout your paper, it is important that you present the arguments of others fairly and with an appropriate narrative tone. In academic writing, the author is expected to investigate the research problem from an authoritative point of view.
This is particularly true in academic writing because words and terminology can evolve a nuanced meaning that describes a particular idea, concept, or phenomenon derived from the epistemological culture of that discipline. If this cannot be done without confusing the reader, then you need to explain what you mean within the context how that word is used within a use of language is essential in academic writing. Academic sources in the body of your paper and providing a list of references as either footnotes or endnotes is a very important aspect of academic writing. It is essential to always acknowledge the source of any ideas, research findings, data, or quoted text that you have used in your paper as a defense against allegations of plagiarism. Evidence-based ments often ask you to express your own point of view about the research problem. However, what is valued in academic writing is that opinions are based on a sound understanding of the pertinent body of knowledge and academic debates that exist within, and increasing external to, your discipline. This is particularly important when proposing solutions to problems or recommended courses of ic writing is “thesis-driven,” meaning that the starting point is a particular perspective, idea, or “thesis” applied to the chosen research problem, such as, establishing, proving, or disproving solutions to the questions posed for the topic; simply describing a topic without the research questions does not qualify as academic . Complexity and higher-order of the main functions of academic writing is to describe complex ideas as clearly as possible.
Cambridge, ma: harvard university press, tanding academic writing and its very definition of jargon is language specific to a particular sub-group of people. For example, the idea of being rational may hold the same general meaning in both political science and psychology, but its application to understanding and explaining phenomena within the research domain of a discipline may have subtle differences based upon how scholars in that discipline apply the concept to the theories and practice of their this, it is important that specialist terminology [i. It is appropriate for you to use specialist language within your field of study, but avoid using such language when writing for non-academic or general ms with opaque ional academic writing can utilize needlessly complex syntax or jargon that is stated out of context or is not well-defined. Overuse of complex or obscure words or writing complicated sentence constructions gives readers the impression that your paper is more about style than substance; it leads the reader to question if you really know what you are talking about. Because you are dealing with the concepts, research, and data of your subject, you need to use the technical language appropriate to the discipline. Problems to addition to understanding the use of specialized language, there are other aspects of academic writing in the social sciences that you should be aware of. Using these words may be interpreted as being done only to avoid presenting empirical evidence about the research problem. While proofreading your paper, be sure to look for and edit any vague statements that lack ed lists and bulleted items.
However, in academic writing this must then be followed by detailed explanation and analysis of each item. Describing a research problem is an important means of contextualizing a study and, in fact, some description or background information may be needed because you can't assume the reader knows everything about the topic. However, the content of your paper should focus on methodology, the analysis and interpretation of findings, and their implications as they apply to the research problem and not background information and descriptions of tangential al experiences. Traveling abroad; caring for someone with alzheimer's disease] can be an effective way of engaging your readers in understanding the research problem. Use personal experience only as an example, though, because academic writing relies on evidence-based research. A quote should be inserted in the text of your paper exactly as it was stated. Improving academic improve your academic writing skills, you should focus your efforts on three key areas:1. Proper punctuation and good proofreading skills can significantly improve academic writing [see subtab for proofreading you paper].
Consistent adherence to a style of writing helps with the narrative flow of your paper and improves its readability. Useful approach for evaluating the quality of your academic writing is to consider the following issues from the perspective of the reader. While proofreading your final draft, critically assess the following elements in your is shaped around one clear research problem, and it explains what that problem is from the paper tells the reader why the problem is important and why people should know about have accurately and thoroughly informed the reader what has already been published about this problem or others related to it and noted important gaps in the have provided evidence to support your argument that the reader finds paper includes a description of how and why particular evidence was collected and analyzed, and why specific theoretical arguments or concepts were paper is made up of paragraphs, each containing only one controlling indicate how each section of the paper addresses the research have considered counter-arguments or counter-examples where they are nts, evidence, and their significance have been presented in the tions of your research have been explained as evidence of the potential need for further narrative flows in a clear, accurate, and well-organized oa, pietro, barbara arféb, and mara quarisaa. The center is located in taper hall, room ering the passive voice in academic the english language, we are able to construct sentences in the following way:1. When you want readers to focus on the person, place, or thing affected by the action, or the action itself, you can make the effect or the action the subject of the sentence by using the passive form of the in academic writing, scholars don't want to focus on who is doing an action, but on who is receiving or experiencing the consequences of that action. The passive voice is useful in academic writing because it allows writers to highlight the most important participants or events within sentences by placing them at the beginning of the the passive voice when:You want to focus on the person, place, or thing affected by the action, or the action itself;. Want to be impersonal or more the passive voice by:Turning the object of the active sentence into the subject of the passive ng the verb to a passive form by adding the appropriate form of the verb "to be" and the past participle of the main : consult with your professor about using the passive voice before submitting your research paper.