how to write a research paper for master degree

How To Write A Research Paper

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Examples + FREE Template

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | March 2024

For many students, crafting a strong research paper from scratch can feel like a daunting task – and rightly so! In this post, we’ll unpack what a research paper is, what it needs to do , and how to write one – in three easy steps. 🙂

Overview: Writing A Research Paper

What (exactly) is a research paper.

How to write a research paper
Stage 1 : Topic & literature search
Stage 2 : Structure & outline
Stage 3 : Iterative writing
Key takeaways

Let’s start by asking the most important question, “ What is a research paper? ”.

Simply put, a research paper is a scholarly written work where the writer (that’s you!) answers a specific question (this is called a research question ) through evidence-based arguments . Evidence-based is the keyword here. In other words, a research paper is different from an essay or other writing assignments that draw from the writer’s personal opinions or experiences. With a research paper, it’s all about building your arguments based on evidence (we’ll talk more about that evidence a little later).

Now, it’s worth noting that there are many different types of research papers , including analytical papers (the type I just described), argumentative papers, and interpretative papers. Here, we’ll focus on analytical papers , as these are some of the most common – but if you’re keen to learn about other types of research papers, be sure to check out the rest of the blog .

With that basic foundation laid, let’s get down to business and look at how to write a research paper .

Overview: The 3-Stage Process

While there are, of course, many potential approaches you can take to write a research paper, there are typically three stages to the writing process. So, in this tutorial, we’ll present a straightforward three-step process that we use when working with students at Grad Coach.

These three steps are:

Finding a research topic and reviewing the existing literature
Developing a provisional structure and outline for your paper, and
Writing up your initial draft and then refining it iteratively

Let’s dig into each of these.

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how to write a research paper for master degree

Step 1: Find a topic and review the literature

As we mentioned earlier, in a research paper, you, as the researcher, will try to answer a question . More specifically, that’s called a research question , and it sets the direction of your entire paper. What’s important to understand though is that you’ll need to answer that research question with the help of high-quality sources – for example, journal articles, government reports, case studies, and so on. We’ll circle back to this in a minute.

The first stage of the research process is deciding on what your research question will be and then reviewing the existing literature (in other words, past studies and papers) to see what they say about that specific research question. In some cases, your professor may provide you with a predetermined research question (or set of questions). However, in many cases, you’ll need to find your own research question within a certain topic area.

Finding a strong research question hinges on identifying a meaningful research gap – in other words, an area that’s lacking in existing research. There’s a lot to unpack here, so if you wanna learn more, check out the plain-language explainer video below.

Once you’ve figured out which question (or questions) you’ll attempt to answer in your research paper, you’ll need to do a deep dive into the existing literature – this is called a “ literature search ”. Again, there are many ways to go about this, but your most likely starting point will be Google Scholar .

If you’re new to Google Scholar, think of it as Google for the academic world. You can start by simply entering a few different keywords that are relevant to your research question and it will then present a host of articles for you to review. What you want to pay close attention to here is the number of citations for each paper – the more citations a paper has, the more credible it is (generally speaking – there are some exceptions, of course).

Ideally, what you’re looking for are well-cited papers that are highly relevant to your topic. That said, keep in mind that citations are a cumulative metric , so older papers will often have more citations than newer papers – just because they’ve been around for longer. So, don’t fixate on this metric in isolation – relevance and recency are also very important.

Beyond Google Scholar, you’ll also definitely want to check out academic databases and aggregators such as Science Direct, PubMed, JStor and so on. These will often overlap with the results that you find in Google Scholar, but they can also reveal some hidden gems – so, be sure to check them out.

Once you’ve worked your way through all the literature, you’ll want to catalogue all this information in some sort of spreadsheet so that you can easily recall who said what, when and within what context. If you’d like, we’ve got a free literature spreadsheet that helps you do exactly that.

Don’t fixate on an article’s citation count in isolation - relevance (to your research question) and recency are also very important.

Step 2: Develop a structure and outline

With your research question pinned down and your literature digested and catalogued, it’s time to move on to planning your actual research paper .

It might sound obvious, but it’s really important to have some sort of rough outline in place before you start writing your paper. So often, we see students eagerly rushing into the writing phase, only to land up with a disjointed research paper that rambles on in multiple

Now, the secret here is to not get caught up in the fine details . Realistically, all you need at this stage is a bullet-point list that describes (in broad strokes) what you’ll discuss and in what order. It’s also useful to remember that you’re not glued to this outline – in all likelihood, you’ll chop and change some sections once you start writing, and that’s perfectly okay. What’s important is that you have some sort of roadmap in place from the start.

You need to have a rough outline in place before you start writing your paper - or you’ll end up with a disjointed research paper that rambles on.

At this stage you might be wondering, “ But how should I structure my research paper? ”. Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, but in general, a research paper will consist of a few relatively standardised components:

Introduction
Literature review
Methodology

Let’s take a look at each of these.

First up is the introduction section . As the name suggests, the purpose of the introduction is to set the scene for your research paper. There are usually (at least) four ingredients that go into this section – these are the background to the topic, the research problem and resultant research question , and the justification or rationale. If you’re interested, the video below unpacks the introduction section in more detail.

The next section of your research paper will typically be your literature review . Remember all that literature you worked through earlier? Well, this is where you’ll present your interpretation of all that content . You’ll do this by writing about recent trends, developments, and arguments within the literature – but more specifically, those that are relevant to your research question . The literature review can oftentimes seem a little daunting, even to seasoned researchers, so be sure to check out our extensive collection of literature review content here .

With the introduction and lit review out of the way, the next section of your paper is the research methodology . In a nutshell, the methodology section should describe to your reader what you did (beyond just reviewing the existing literature) to answer your research question. For example, what data did you collect, how did you collect that data, how did you analyse that data and so on? For each choice, you’ll also need to justify why you chose to do it that way, and what the strengths and weaknesses of your approach were.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that for some research papers, this aspect of the project may be a lot simpler . For example, you may only need to draw on secondary sources (in other words, existing data sets). In some cases, you may just be asked to draw your conclusions from the literature search itself (in other words, there may be no data analysis at all). But, if you are required to collect and analyse data, you’ll need to pay a lot of attention to the methodology section. The video below provides an example of what the methodology section might look like.

By this stage of your paper, you will have explained what your research question is, what the existing literature has to say about that question, and how you analysed additional data to try to answer your question. So, the natural next step is to present your analysis of that data . This section is usually called the “results” or “analysis” section and this is where you’ll showcase your findings.

Depending on your school’s requirements, you may need to present and interpret the data in one section – or you might split the presentation and the interpretation into two sections. In the latter case, your “results” section will just describe the data, and the “discussion” is where you’ll interpret that data and explicitly link your analysis back to your research question. If you’re not sure which approach to take, check in with your professor or take a look at past papers to see what the norms are for your programme.

Alright – once you’ve presented and discussed your results, it’s time to wrap it up . This usually takes the form of the “ conclusion ” section. In the conclusion, you’ll need to highlight the key takeaways from your study and close the loop by explicitly answering your research question. Again, the exact requirements here will vary depending on your programme (and you may not even need a conclusion section at all) – so be sure to check with your professor if you’re unsure.

Step 3: Write and refine

Finally, it’s time to get writing. All too often though, students hit a brick wall right about here… So, how do you avoid this happening to you?

Well, there’s a lot to be said when it comes to writing a research paper (or any sort of academic piece), but we’ll share three practical tips to help you get started.

First and foremost , it’s essential to approach your writing as an iterative process. In other words, you need to start with a really messy first draft and then polish it over multiple rounds of editing. Don’t waste your time trying to write a perfect research paper in one go. Instead, take the pressure off yourself by adopting an iterative approach.

Secondly , it’s important to always lean towards critical writing , rather than descriptive writing. What does this mean? Well, at the simplest level, descriptive writing focuses on the “ what ”, while critical writing digs into the “ so what ” – in other words, the implications. If you’re not familiar with these two types of writing, don’t worry! You can find a plain-language explanation here.

Last but not least, you’ll need to get your referencing right. Specifically, you’ll need to provide credible, correctly formatted citations for the statements you make. We see students making referencing mistakes all the time and it costs them dearly. The good news is that you can easily avoid this by using a simple reference manager . If you don’t have one, check out our video about Mendeley, an easy (and free) reference management tool that you can start using today.

Recap: Key Takeaways

We’ve covered a lot of ground here. To recap, the three steps to writing a high-quality research paper are:

To choose a research question and review the literature
To plan your paper structure and draft an outline
To take an iterative approach to writing, focusing on critical writing and strong referencing

Remember, this is just a b ig-picture overview of the research paper development process and there’s a lot more nuance to unpack. So, be sure to grab a copy of our free research paper template to learn more about how to write a research paper.

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Masters research paper guidelines

See the PDF version of the masters research paper guidelines .

The master’s research paper is worth 2 units of credit towards the MA or MES degree. The student will normally prepare a master’s research paper over three terms, in two stages

the research paper proposal, and
the completed research paper.

At University of Waterloo this paper is considered a “milestone” and at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) this paper is recorded as "GG 698".

I. The proposal

Each research paper MA/MES student will have a supervisor and a reader. The student will develop a research paper proposal for approval by her/his supervisor prior to the end of the first term.

Detailed guidelines for the preparation of the research paper proposal are attached.

II. The completed paper

Each research paper MA/MES student will have a supervisor and a reader. The student will develop a research paper proposal for approval by her/his supervisor prior to the end of the first term. A copy of the approved research paper proposal will be kept in the student’s file.

The research paper will normally be completed in the Spring (third) term. The paper should be approximately 8,000 - 12,000 words and be organized into clearly defined sections on problem statement, status of research, research procedure, findings, and conclusions. Student and supervisor together must agree on the organization of the paper into discrete chapters and on the necessity or suitability of maps, statistics or appendices.

Research papers can take a variety of forms such as a journal article format or a standard research paper. In principle, the research paper shall be of such quality that it is publishable in a refereed review journal relevant to the discipline in question.

The research paper must be evaluated by the student’s supervisor and one reader, who will review the paper independently, and then agree upon a final numerical grade.

Guidelines for the preparation of the research paper proposal

The title should be as short as possible with key words given prominent place.

Proposal format

Divide your proposal into 5 sections: the problem statement (1-2 pages), status of research (10 pages), research procedure including a time frame for each task (2-3 pages), references cited (1-2 pages), and a chapter outline for the research paper (1-2 pages). The text should be presented as a series of well integrated paragraphs. Some ideas on what to include in each section are provided below.

Section 1 - Problem statement (1-2 pages)

Ease your reader into the proposal. Identify current activity in your research area and indicate reasons for your interest in the area.
Clearly and succinctly state what you intend to do. In one sentence, identify your problem statement, either as a question, statement, or hypothesis.
Briefly indicate the scholarly and practical/social relevance of your project. Here you should state the contribution that your work will make, i.e. why bother?

Section 2 - Status of research (about 10 pages)

Place your research into context with previous work. The literature review should be presented in a way that justifies both your topic and your methodological approach. It is normal to go from the general to the specific. For example:

The first paragraph might describe the general area of human or physical geography that is involved and identify landmark works, key authors, and the main research emphasis. At this general level, much has been written and you will need to be selective in what you reference. The idea is to give a brief historical overview of the field.

The next paragraph(s) might focus on research that is similar to your own. Try to provide a brief overview of the different questions that have been asked and the most common methodologies that have been used. Include references to works that exemplify or illustrate these various questions and approaches. The purpose is to establish what already is known about the general problem, so it is clear how your study will contribute to further understanding.

Finally, you will want to provide more detailed comments on research studies that are very similar to your own, noting what questions have been answered, what questions are left unanswered, and what evidence and methodologies appear appropriate for research of this type. You may find only a few studies that fit into this category (or possibly none). Studies that fit into this last category can sometimes provide a blueprint for your own research.

Section 3 - Research procedure (about 2 or 3 pages)

This is where you state how you plan to operationalize the research problem, i.e. how will you accomplish your research goal? Consider the following:

What general approach or framework will you use? synthesis and critical evaluation of qualitative materials? survey work? statistical analysis of quantitative data? comparison of different cases/places? numerical modelling? reasoned logical argument? development/application of a technique for a specific type of problem? etc. The general approach largely determines both the information and techniques needed to answer your question and can usually be explained in one sentence.

What information/data is needed to answer your question? How much information will you need? What should it look like? Where and how will you get this information - from direct field measurements? questionnaires? secondary data (e.g. census or other government data)? air photos, maps, or archives? participant observation? published literature? etc. Check out as far and as early as possible the availability, reliability, comprehensiveness, costs, and format of data. Also be careful about logistics, such as the need for specialized computer support or training, language or distance barriers, and the need to have all research involving human subjects reviewed by the Office of Research Ethics.

- What techniques will you employ in the examination of your data? Be as specific as you can. Decide before you collect the data whether you want to make statements of inference as this will affect how the data must be collected. Decide how you would like to present the evidence (as statistics, graphs, tables, verbal argument). Determine what skills will be needed for data collection and data analysis, e.g. field techniques, survey design methods, library skills, techniques like content analysis, cost-benefit analysis, parametric and non-parametric statistics, GIS. Decide how you will develop your skills in these areas and make concrete plans to do so. Remember - the research paper is an opportunity to learn.

-Prepare a time frame that indicates when you will undertake the various tasks that are necessary for the completion of the project. Present this as a chart in the proposal.

Section 4 - References (about 1 or 2 pages, 20-40 references)

A reference list is not the same as a bibliography; a reference list includes only those materials that have been cited in the proposal. As a general rule, references are needed when the information is not general knowledge or when specific points are being made. An acceptable method must be used consistently. The author-date system is strongly recommended as it is the most widely used method in the social sciences. Remember that the page number is included in the reference only when you are using direct quotes or when you are reproducing tables or figures. Of course, page numbers for articles are given in the reference list.

Section 5 - Outline for the completed research paper

Most research papers are 40-60 pages long and contain 4-6 chapters. Usually you will have an introductory chapter, followed by a literature review or research context chapter, followed by a methodology chapter, followed by one or more results chapters, followed by a concluding chapter. Give your chapters appropriate titles and decide on the approximate length of each chapter. Then decide what is likely to be included in each chapter and organize these themes into chapter subsections. Give these subsections titles and once again indicate the approximate length of each.

Writing style

Model your writing style after a refereed academic journal. Expect to rewrite and rewrite and rewrite. Reorganizing paragraphs, polishing sentences and searching for the best word are all part of the revision process. Identify your weaknesses (spelling, grammar, adjective use, useless phrases, etc.) and work on them. Don't treat what you have written as sacred. If necessary, scrap part of your text entirely and start with a fresh piece of paper or a blank computer screen.

Referencing guidelines

For detailed guidelines on the appropriate formatting of references consult a reference relevant to the discipline in question, such as:

Northey, M. & Knight, D. (1992). Making Sense in Geography and Environmental Studies: a student’s guide to research writing and style. Toronto: Oxford University Press.

Graphical, tabular and photographic illustrations

Graphs, maps and tables all provide information and so they can be used in any report, including a proposal. Never include filler, however, such as graphs that are not referred to in the text or tables that contain too much detail. Always think about how information can be best communicated to the reader. Be careful so as not to over describe a graph or table; just make the points which are central to your argument.

How to Write a Research Paper?

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Introduction

What is a Research Paper

Difference between a research paper and thesis, expert tips to write a research paper easily.

Additional Resources

Written By - Derick de Souza

A research paper is a prevalent form of academic writing, requiring students and scholars to delve into a chosen topic, take a stance, and substantiate their position through well-organized evidence. This type of paper may also encompass scholarly articles presenting original research findings or evaluating others’ research, often subject to peer review for publication in academic journals.

Writing a research paper is standardized, yet specific writing guidelines can vary among academic institutions and individual professors. It’s crucial to be attentive to the provided handouts and explore your university’s writing lab for additional resources.

This article comprehensively addresses the intricacies of writing a research paper.

Table Of Contents

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A research paper is an investigative written assignment that goes beyond personal opinion, focusing on factual information. It involves forming a viewpoint, extensive research to gain expert knowledge, and supporting opinions with evidence. The goal is to synthesize diverse perspectives, evidence, and facts about a topic from various sources, presenting the information in the writer’s interpretation.

A well-crafted research paper demonstrates the writer’s understanding of a subject and integrates the collective knowledge of others. The length is guided by teacher instructions, emphasizing the importance of considering the teacher as the audience during the writing process.

The critical distinction between a research paper and a thesis lies in their approach. A research paper synthesizes existing facts, while a thesis begins with a scholarly question, leading to original research and discoveries. In an educational context, a research paper is typically part of a class requirement, contributing to a subject, and not treated as a separate entity.

Conversely, a thesis is considered a standalone module, necessitating supervision by a professor or academic and receiving a separate grading. The critical difference is that a thesis demands original work and findings in a specific field, whereas a research paper can be completed through extensive existing research.

In this section, we’ll delve into the process of conducting research, exploring it from the initial idea to its finalization. Throughout this exploration, we’ll highlight the three primary stages involved in crafting a research paper, including

While prewriting is the starting point for most individuals, the three stages of the writing process interconnect. Writing is not a linear process that requires completing one step before moving on to the next. Your task is to ensure clarity for the reader, necessitating a fluid back-and-forth between the prewriting, writing, and revising stages before finalizing and submitting the paper.

The further sections delve into these components to help write a research paper quickly.

Prewriting is the initial phase where the writer explores and generates ideas before formally drafting the paper. It involves activities that help brainstorm, organize thoughts, and lay the groundwork for the writing process. Prewriting activities may include:

Choosing a Topic
Begin by contemplating potential research paper topics.
Opt for an exciting subject that appeals to you and your teacher.
Ensure the topic is manageable and has ample research material.
Discuss ideas with your teacher and explore various sources for inspiration.
Narrowing Down
Reflect on your chosen topic and start reading for insights.
Formulate a concise thesis statement reflecting your opinion.
Pose essential questions for thesis development.
Use techniques like jot lists, outlines, and concept maps.
Discuss your topic with friends to gain diverse perspectives.
Organizing Information
Revise your thesis after thinking, reading, and note-taking.
Employ brainstorming to consolidate your knowledge on paper.
Evaluate and revise the thesis if necessary.
Review and adjust preliminary maps or outlines.
Create a clear outline or concept map aligning with your thesis.
Ensure each section supports your thesis, revising as needed.

A research paper adheres to a typical essay format, comprising a title, introduction, body, and conclusion. Approaches to initiating research papers vary; some prefer starting with a title and introduction, while others develop these elements after commencing the body.

Helpful techniques for writing your paper include:

Initiate with the Thesis Statement Start your paper by crafting a clear and concise thesis statement.
Utilize Free Writing Employ a free writing technique to generate ideas and overcome writer’s block.
Follow the Outline or Map Structure your paper by adhering to the outlined plan or concept map.
Write as if Communicating with a Friend Imagine writing a letter to a friend, conveying what you know about your topic.
Refer to Topic Notecards Consult notecards related to your topic for guidance and inspiration.
Review Brainstorming Notes If you face challenges deciding what to write, revisit your initial brainstorming session notes.

The final and crucial step is the revision process. During this phase, carefully review your paper and address weaknesses. Key areas to examine for errors include content (ensuring an appropriate level of detail), organization/structure, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, word choice, and citations.

Revision Guidelines

Ensure clarity for the audience.
Confirm sentences are clear and complete.
Verify that all paragraphs align with the thesis.
Clarify the purpose of each paragraph.
Avoid repeating large blocks of information across paragraphs.
Verify the accuracy of the information presented.
Seek feedback from a friend or classmate for suggestions.

Once content and structure satisfaction is achieved, shift focus to common errors such as grammar, spelling, sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, typos, and word choice.

FAQs about writing a Research Paper

Frequently asked questions, how to write an effective abstract for a research paper.

An abstract is a summary of your (published or unpublished) research paper, usually about a paragraph long. Therefore, a well-written abstract should serve multiple purposes, including

Concise Work A condensed yet comprehensive summary of your research, be it published or in progress, typically spanning a paragraph.
Decision-Making Guide it should function as a quick guide, offering readers a snapshot of your paper or article, aiding in their decision to delve into the entire content.
Navigator for In-Depth Exploration Acts as a precursor, guiding readers for deeper exploration by hinting at the detailed information, analyses, and arguments in the complete paper.
Memory-Jogging Abstract It serves as a post-read memory aid, helping readers retain and recall critical points from your research for future reference.

How to write a good research proposal?

Start by clearly stating the research problem and its significance in your research proposal. Provide a concise literature review to showcase your understanding of existing scholarship. Define specific research objectives and outline your methodology. Emphasize the potential contributions of your study and address its feasibility. Present a realistic timeline, ethical considerations, and, if applicable, a detailed budget. Conclude with a strong summary, reinforcing the importance of your proposed research.

How to write a problem statement for the research paper?

Creating a problem statement for a research paper involves some steps:

Describe How Things Should Work Explain how you wish the process or system could work ideally.
Talk About the Problem Clearly describe the problem you’ve identified and why it’s essential.
Show the Costs Explain the financial costs related to the problem to highlight its impact.
Back-Up Your Points Support what you’re saying with evidence, data, or examples.
Offer a Solution Suggest a practical solution to solve the identified problem.
Explain the Benefits of the Solution Describe the positive outcomes and advantages of your proposed solution.
Wrap It Up Summarize the problem and your solution to leave a strong impression.

How to structure the outline of the research paper?

To create an outline of a research paper, one can

Position their thesis statement at the outset, setting the foundation for your paper.
Enumerate the primary points substantiating your thesis, employing Roman Numerals (I, II, III, etc.) as labels.
Unveil supporting ideas or arguments for each central point, delineating them with capital letters (A, B, C, etc.).
Should the need arise, subdivide each supporting idea for a detailed and comprehensive outline. Utilize numerical (1, 2, 3, etc.) and then alphabetical (a, b, c, etc.) labels for clarity.

How to Write an Introduction for a Research Paper

In a research paper, one takes three significant steps to write the introduction

Introduce the Topic Open your research paper by presenting and introducing the chosen topic.
Review the Literature Provide a concise overview of existing literature related to your research topic.
State Hypotheses or Research Questions Clearly articulate the hypotheses or research questions guiding your study.

How to write a thesis statement for a Research Paper?

A thesis statement is a declarative sentence that asserts the position a paper will be taking. This statement should be both specific and arguable. Generally, the thesis statement will be placed at the end of the first paragraph of your paper. The remainder of your paper will support this thesis.

How to write a literature review for a Research Paper?

Writing a Literature Review for your research paper includes three main components

Introduction Incorporation Integrate an introduction or background information section, laying the foundation for your literature review.
Body – Source Discussion Dedicate the main body of your review to a comprehensive discussion of your sources. Delve into the insights, arguments, and findings presented by various authors.
Conclusion and Recommendations Inclusion: Conclude your literature review with a summary of key findings and potential recommendations. Address the significance of the discussed sources about your research paper’s objectives.

How to write the methods section of a Research Paper?

The methods section structure should describe the materials used in the study, explain how the materials were prepared for the study, describe the research protocol, and explain how measurements were made. Calculations were performed, and state which statistical tests were done to analyze the data.

How can one conclude the research paper?

There are a few steps that one can follow to conclude a research paper, including

Reiterate the Research Topic Begin your conclusion by restating the core research topic.
Restate the Thesis Reinforce the thesis statement to remind readers of your main argument.
Summarize Key Points Summarize the essential points discussed in the body of your research paper.
Highlight Why Results are Significant Emphasize the importance of your findings and their broader implications.
Conclude Your Thoughts Close the conclusion by presenting final reflections and concluding remarks.

How long does it take to write a Research Paper?

Writing 15 pages will take about 3.1 hours for the average writer typing on a keyboard and 6.3 hours for handwriting. However, if the content needs to include in-depth research, links, citations, or graphics, such as for a blog article or high school essay, the length can grow to 25 hours.

How to write a research paper fast?

Efficiently composing a research paper quickly involves strategic planning and focused execution. Start by clearly defining your topic and developing a well-structured outline. Concentrate on targeted and reputable sources during your research, utilizing effective keywords.

When writing, maintain conciseness by sticking to the main points and avoiding unnecessary details. Streamline the editing process by carefully proofreading for errors and ensuring clarity and coherence in your arguments.

Effective time management is crucial; allocate specific time blocks and prioritize tasks accordingly. Additionally, leverage available resources, such as writing tools and feedback from peers, to enhance the quality of your paper while meeting tight deadlines.

How to write references for a research paper?

To properly reference a research paper using APA author-date format, follow these two steps:

In-Text Citation Include a citation within the main body of your paper, indicating the author and the publication date.
Bibliographic Entry Create a comprehensive entry with all the necessary details about the source in the references section at the end of your paper.

How to write a bibliography for a Research paper?

When compiling a bibliography for a research paper, ensure it comprises:

Authors’ Names List the names of the authors involved in the sources.
Titles of Works Include the titles of the works you referenced.
Publishers’ Information Specify the names and locations of the companies that published the sources.
Publication Dates Provide the dates when your copies of the sources were published.
Page Numbers If applicable, include page numbers for sources that are part of multi-source volumes.

Additional Resources for Writing a Research Paper

In this section, we focus on the critical aspects of setting up an ideal writing space and effective tactics to sidestep procrastination in the context of research paper composition. From choosing the right environment to practical tips on overcoming delays, discover additional resources to enhance your research paper writing experience.

Find a Good Writing Environment

Before sitting down to get started on your last-minute task, set up an environment conducive to getting your work done. Things you want to consider:

Find a Distraction-Free Environment Choose a quiet, distraction-free space to maintain focus during the writing process. Opt for a comfortable setting that allows you to work for extended periods.
Ensure Good Lighting Alongside comfort, ensure adequate lighting in your workspace to facilitate reading and writing without straining your eyes.
Select a Studious Setting Consider working in an academic environment such as a library or study lounge. These settings can enhance concentration and productivity.
Limit Supplies to Essentials Set up your workspace with only the necessary supplies, even working from home. It includes a computer, tablet, pens, paper, highlighters, relevant books, and sticky notes. Remember to stay hydrated with water.

Tips to Combat Procrastination

Writing a last-minute paper, particularly one involving research, can be stressful. To avoid such situations, consider the following tips:

Start Early Begin contemplating your topic as soon as you receive the prompt. Jot down initial ideas and explore supporting research for each point.
Outline and Take Breaks Initiate the outlining process early for a substantial foundation when you begin writing. Starting ahead also allows for breaks, providing a fresh perspective when revisiting your argument.
Seek Assistance if Needed Starting early provides the luxury of time, allowing you to seek help from various sources. Consult friends, peers, professors, teacher assistants, or online communities. Additionally, having ample time permits you to request feedback and edits from others before finalizing your paper.

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December 1, 2022
Academic Advice

How To Write a Research Paper: The Ultimate Guide

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Regardless of the degree or program, you enroll in, writing research papers is inevitable. The process can seem daunting due to the time and effort it takes. But with the proper approach, you’ll make it.

This article will guide you on how to write a research paper perfectly, including how to write a thesis statement for a research paper, how to write a conclusion for a research paper, etc. More specifically, there are nine steps you need to follow to pave the way to a successfully written research paper.

But before that, let’s learn what a research paper is.

What Is a Research Paper?

A research paper can be considered an extended version of an essay . The research paper aims to present your interpretation, argument, or evaluation. In contrast to essays, research papers are more complex and require deep research on a particular matter. Research papers are characterized by the inclusivity of the presentation of other scientists’ opinions.

A research paper is more than a summary, collection of other sources, or literature review. At its core, the research paper analyzes and argues your point of view, further backed up by other studies.

Completing a research paper is a challenging task. But, with our help, you can start and build your way to a good end. Let’s get started!

How To Write a Research Paper

Writing a research paper sounds easy; you pick the topic, develop your argument, research what other studies have said, and conclude it. Those are the general rules. But writing a successful research paper requires you to be more attentive, consistent, and detailed.

The following steps will guide you through a more detailed process of writing a research paper.

Get familiar with the assignment

Writing a research paper takes more than just listening to the instruction while your professor explains. Because many students are not cautious enough to carefully listen and analyze every given step, they end up with a poorly graded assignment or, in the worst case, even fail.

Spend some time reading every instruction, and when in doubt, ask questions! Professors are always open to answering any questions you might have.

Choose a topic for your research paper

Deciding on a topic is usually time-consuming since there are so many topics available. If you need help deciding on a topic, think about what you are passionate about, but always remember to stay within the lines of the instructions. When choosing a topic, keep the following in mind:

Choose a topic relevant to the length of the paper: If your professor has instructed a longer paper than usual, keep your topic broad, for example, “Internships.” On the other hand, if it’s shorter, try to narrow your topic to something more specific such as “Internship’s impact on interpersonal skills.”
Consider topics that allow you to discuss or analyze rather than summarize: If you’re writing anything literature related, focus on how, for example, a particular scene leads to a specific theme. Avoid choosing a topic that plainly describes scenes or characters.
Find a topic with many previous studies available: Since research papers mainly focus on your research, you must ensure plenty of studies can support your arguments.

Do the research and take notes

Now it’s time to research what different scholars have written about the topic. Since this step requires a lot of reading and comprehension, it’s crucial to know how to read scholarly articles effectively and efficiently. The pieces you will go through will be lengthy, and sometimes only a few parts within those papers will be helpful. That’s why it is essential to skim and scan.

Secondly, find reliable sources. Visit sites such as Google Scholar, and focus on peer-reviewed articles since they contain information that has been reviewed and evaluated.

Next, keep track of what you have read so far. It’s vital to save everything you have read and consider influential in one place. Instead of going back and forth between different sites, you can have everything in one place. You can bookmark the sources or link those sources to a document. That will save you valuable time when you start writing.

And remember: always stay focused and within your topic area.

Formulate your thesis statement

Research until you reach your own opinion or argument on the topic, otherwise known as a thesis statement. A thesis statement is an introductory statement that puts forward your explanation or point within the paper. When formulating a thesis statement, remember the following:

Don’t be vague.
Make a strong statement.
Make it arguable.

Checking in with your professor after you have developed a clear, persuasive thesis statement can be helpful. Ask them whether they agree your thesis statement is the right one. And if you get a positive answer, you’re ready for the next step.

Create an outline for your research paper

Even if it’s not required by your instructor, creating an outline will help you greatly in the long run. A structure will simplify the writing process, regardless of length or complexity. It should contain detailed information for the arrangement of each paragraph and identify the smaller components per each paragraph in order, such as the introductory sentence and the supporting evidence.

The outline will create a visual board and help you define what to include and where. And most importantly, in this part, you can identify possible mistakes and not have them in your drafts.

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Write your first draft

And now you’ve made it to the real deal. The work you’ve done till this point matters a lot. If you succeed in having a good topic, a strong thesis with backup evidence, and an already structured paper, half of the job is already done—you just have to fill in the blanks at this point.

As you first start writing, remember that this is the first draft. Trust your memory and avoid going between sources and your paper. This way, you can prevent plagiarism and be original instead. Start with the introduction and the body, and work through a conclusion.

Introduction

Introductions to research papers are always unique. It is the part where you set up the topic and hook your reader. Additionally, you must provide background to the existing research, position your approach, and put forward the thesis statement. Furthermore, you need to explain why your topic deserves immediate attention.

An introduction highlights all you’ve gathered from your research. While it may seem fine to write the introduction first, we suggest you focus on the body of the paper first. Then you’ll find it simple to build a clear summary.

This is the longest part of the research paper. You are required to support your thesis and build the argument, followed by citations and analysis.

Place the paragraphs in a logical arrangement so each key point flows naturally to the next one. Similarly, organize the sentences in each paragraph in an organic structure. If you have carefully arranged your notes and created an outline, your thoughts will automatically fall into place when you write your draft.

After introducing your topic and arguing your points, the conclusion will bring everything together. Focus on developing a stimulating and informative conclusion. Make it possible for readers to understand it independently from the rest of the paper.

These are some of the suggestions that will lead to a well-written conclusion:

Provide a clear summary
Emphasize issues raised and possible solutions

Write your second draft

Usually, the first draft is followed by a second one. However, before proceeding with the process, highlight the errors and points you would prefer to avoid including in the final draft. With the help of a second draft, you will be able to notice mistakes and create a definitive outline for the final draft. Furthermore, you can communicate your ideas more clearly and effectively by creating multiple drafts.

Cite sources and prepare a bibliography

Citations are what characterize the research paper. The importance of citations lies in reliability: citing sources will make your writing more reliable. But how do you cite correctly? The problem is that there is more than just a set of rules. If your professor has set no rules, you can ask them. After being given the right instructions on what citation style to use, do plenty of research and make sure to cite correctly.

Edit, edit, and edit some more

Now it’s time to strive for perfection. Start editing with a fresh perspective. Firstly, focus on the content. It would be beneficial to create a checklist you can follow. You can produce a list that follows the instructions of your professor. If everything checks right, you can submit it. Otherwise, you’ll need to work toward perfecting the paper. Here are some things you need to check:

Are you within the lines of the assignment?
Have you achieved the right length?
Do sentences communicate your ideas?
Is the supporting evidence conducted correctly?

It is also crucial to edit for grammar. Plenty of online tools, such as Grammarly and Hemingway Editor, can help you during the process. You can also ask your peers to check it after you’ve done your part. Their fresh perspective will pick up on many things you might have missed.

The Bottom Line

Writing a research paper is one of the essential parts of academics. The process might seem straightforward, but there are many steps you should carefully follow. And remember: always stay on track with your progress; otherwise, you will get lost in tasks.

We hope by the time you have read this guide, you’ve been able to pick up the essential parts. But if you haven’t, you can go through it again.

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Guide to writing your thesis/dissertation, definition of dissertation and thesis.

The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master’s degrees. The dissertation is a requirement of the Ph.D. degree.

Formatting Requirement and Standards

The Graduate School sets the minimum format for your thesis or dissertation, while you, your special committee, and your advisor/chair decide upon the content and length. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and other mechanical issues are your sole responsibility. Generally, the thesis and dissertation should conform to the standards of leading academic journals in your field. The Graduate School does not monitor the thesis or dissertation for mechanics, content, or style.

“Papers Option” Dissertation or Thesis

A “papers option” is available only to students in certain fields, which are listed on the Fields Permitting the Use of Papers Option page , or by approved petition. If you choose the papers option, your dissertation or thesis is organized as a series of relatively independent chapters or papers that you have submitted or will be submitting to journals in the field. You must be the only author or the first author of the papers to be used in the dissertation. The papers-option dissertation or thesis must meet all format and submission requirements, and a singular referencing convention must be used throughout.

ProQuest Electronic Submissions

The dissertation and thesis become permanent records of your original research, and in the case of doctoral research, the Graduate School requires publication of the dissertation and abstract in its original form. All Cornell master’s theses and doctoral dissertations require an electronic submission through ProQuest, which fills orders for paper or digital copies of the thesis and dissertation and makes a digital version available online via their subscription database, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses . For master’s theses, only the abstract is available. ProQuest provides worldwide distribution of your work from the master copy. You retain control over your dissertation and are free to grant publishing rights as you see fit. The formatting requirements contained in this guide meet all ProQuest specifications.

Copies of Dissertation and Thesis

Copies of Ph.D. dissertations and master’s theses are also uploaded in PDF format to the Cornell Library Repository, eCommons . A print copy of each master’s thesis and doctoral dissertation is submitted to Cornell University Library by ProQuest.

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APA Writing Guide: Formatting for Graduate Students

Formatting for Undergraduates
Formatting for Graduate Students
In-text Citations
Books and Ebooks
Journal Articles
Misc.Citations

Writing Center

The Liberty University Writing Center is available to provide writing coaching to students. Residential students should contact the On-Campus Writing Center for assistance. Online students should contact the Online Writing Center for assistance.

General Rules

Liberty University has determined that graduate students will use APA 7’s formatting guidelines for professional papers. To assist you, Liberty University's Writing Center provides a template paper and a sample paper .

For professional papers, the following four sections are required:

Title Page with Running Head
Abstract with Keywords
Reference List

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you format your paper:

Fonts - LU recommends that papers be typed in 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri fonts.
Use only one space at the end of each sentence in the body of your paper.
In general, APA papers should be double spaced throughout. A list of exceptions can be found here.
To make sure that your paper is double spaced throughout, select the text , right click , select ' Paragraph ,' and look under the section ' Line Spacing ' as shown below:

Margins/Alignment - Your paper should use 1-inch margins on standard-sized paper (8.5' X 11'). Make sure that you use Align Left (CTRL + L) on the paper, except for the title page.
Indentation – The first sentence in each new paragraph in the body of the paper should be indented a half inch. The abstract, however, should not be indented. References use hanging indentation .
Headings: Please note that all headings are in title case. Level 1 headings should be centered (and in bold), and Level 2 and 3 headings should be left-aligned (and in bold or bold italic, respectively). Level 4 and 5 headings are indented like regular paragraphs. An example of formatting headings in a paper is available here

Title Page: When setting up the professional title page, please note the following elements should be present on the page:

There is no limit to the number of words in the title.
Add an extra blank double-spaced line between the title and author’s name.
Name of each author (centered)
Name of department and institution/affiliation (centered)
Place the author note in the bottom half of the title page. Center and bold the label “Author Note.” Align the paragraphs of the author note to the left. For an example, see the LU Writing Center template for graduate students here .
Page number in top right corner of the header, starting with page 1 on the title page
The running head is an abbreviated version of the title of your paper (or the full title if the title is already short).
Type the running head in all-capital letters.
Ensure the running head is no more than 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation.
The running head appears in the same format on every page, including the first page.
Do not use the label “Running head:” before the running head.
Align the running head to the left margin of the page header, across from the right-aligned page number.

Abstract Page: The abstract page includes the abstract and related keywords.

The abstract is a brief but comprehensive summary of your paper. Here are guidelines for formatting the abstract:

It should be the second page of a professional (graduate level) paper.
The first line should say “Abstract” centered and in bold.
The abstract should start one line below the section label.
It should be a single paragraph and should not be indented.
It should not exceed 250 words.

Keywords are used for indexing in databases and as search terms. Your keywords should capture the most important aspects of your paper in three to five words, phrases, or acronyms. Here are formatting guidelines:

Label “ Keywords ” one line below the abstract, indented and in italics (not bolded).
The keywords should be written on the same line as and one space after the label “ Keywords ”.
The keywords should be lowercase (but capitalize proper nouns) and not italic or bold.
Each keyword should be separated by a comma and a space and followed by a colon.
There should be no ending punctuation.
<< Previous: Formatting for Undergraduates
Next: In-text Citations >>
Last Updated: Aug 29, 2023 11:29 AM
URL: https://libguides.liberty.edu/APAguide

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How to Write Excellent Graduate-Level Papers

“How to Write Excellent Graduate-Level Papers” brought to you by the Student Academic Success Center (SASC) at UNE.

Becoming a better writer – the process

Breaking a writing project down into phases helps with motivation as well as managing your time and workload effectively. The phases of the process – prewriting, drafting, revision, and editing – are described below. Each step allows you to focus your energy in a particular way, with it all adding up to a more thoughtful, clear piece of writing.

The phases don’t have to be done in a set, linear order, if that’s not effective for you. If you like to write some rough draft paragraphs first, then go back and do a post-draft outline or revise those paragraphs before continuing, that’s fine. The key is to make sure each part of the process is done thoroughly before you consider your paper finished.

Let’s start with using prewriting to get the process rolling:

Using various prewriting strategies can help you avoid procrastinating and start a draft on the right track. You aren’t under pressure to develop a paper yet – this is about unlocking the flow of ideas. Play around with some of these strategies to find ones that work best for you:

Tap into your curiosity

When you’re faced with an assignment, spend some time simply wondering about the topic. What intrigues you? Why should you and others in your profession care about it? Come up with a couple of relevant questions that you want to explore. Then consider which questions are most meaningful to you personally and professionally—and why? This can be done on paper, in conversation with someone else, or internally.

Relate the assignment to your profession

Think about why the assignment is important to your field of study and work as a health professional, a social worker, an educator, etc. Making your assignment as personally and professionally relevant as possible helps with generating the motivation to start writing and keeping the momentum through the process. View this as an opportunity to learn useful information.

Use the assignment itself as an outline

Copy the assignment and paste it into a new document. Break it apart visually by adding line spaces and/or tabs. This will help you more easily identify key concepts which need to be explained and verbs that indicate critical thinking is required (e.g., analyze, compare, evaluate). Create a rough outline using parts of the assignment as headings for different sections of the paper.

Similarly, you could annotate the assignment by marking up the key words and concepts and making little notes in the margins about what to add or how sections or ideas might tie together.

Leverage what you already know, and then research with a purpose

Another very helpful strategy is to identify key concepts in the assignment description, then brainstorm what you already know about them based on the class readings or videos. Next, make a list of questions you still have about the concepts and overall topic. These will help drive the additional research needed to fill in your gaps of knowledge and locate credible evidence to support your explanations.

Having those questions makes researching more efficient because you have a purpose for reading: you’re looking for pieces of information rather than simply reading articles.

Read more: Faculty Spotlight: Lori Rand, Writing Specialist at SASC

The drafting phase involves determining your focus and starting to develop paragraph ideas within a structure. Keep a copy of the assignment on your draft as you write. Clarify the point of your paper – what is the main question that the assignment asking you to answer?

Think of a draft as packaging ideas into paragraphs that all relate to the paper’s main focus, as summed up in the thesis statement. For clarity, try to keep each paragraph focused on one idea at a time. However, because this phase is about getting thoughts down, and thoughts often jump around, drafting tends to be messy. That’s okay! The next step, revision, is where you really improve the writing.

In this phase, you can work on improving how you are guiding your reader through your thinking. Your reader will understand your ideas more easily if they are clearly focused, well-developed with specific evidence (correctly cited), and nicely organized.

Two strategies to guide you through revision include SASC’s Revision Checklist and Post-draft Outline, found here under Writing Resources. A writing appointment is also a great way to learn about and practice revision skills.

Editing is the final, polishing phase; it involves correcting sentence-level issues and technical aspects, such as word choice and grammar. Readers pick up these issues quickly because they can be the most obvious. Carelessness with grammar or word choice can lead to misunderstandings and make your writing seem unprofessional.

Trust the process

As mentioned earlier, the writing process is not necessarily a linear, step-by-step approach; it’s recursive, so it’s highly likely you’ll move back and forth between phases as you figure out your focus and organization of ideas.

Using this process gets easier with practice, and it works well in any writing situations, not just for graduate school assignments and scholarly papers.

Once you develop the most efficient method for your learning style, not only will you get faster, you will produce better academic papers.

Book an appointment

The SASC can help with all phases of the writing process via an Online Writing Support Appointment. Visit the Online Student page for more details about writing support and resources.

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Communication
Graduate Level Writing Tips

Graduate-Level Writing Tips: Definitions, Do’s and Don’ts

Debra Davenport, PhD

In your communication master’s program, you will be expected to demonstrate well-honed writing skills in your essays. Your courses will require proficiency in real-world business communications, as well as scholarly writing and the use of APA formatting.

Real-world written business communications may include:

Executive summaries
News releases
Media advisories
Company fact sheets
Business reports

Academic papers are those you will write in your courses that:

Review and discuss the scholarly literature
Synthesize theories, models and course readings
Present critical analysis, research and scholarly insight in an objective manner
Are formatted according to APA standards
Are written in the scholarly voice

What Is the Scholarly Voice?

Essentially, the scholarly voice is unbiased, high-level and evidence-based writing that reflects the epitome of good grammar, syntax and tone. Follow the do’s and don’ts below to excel at this format in your graduate school essays.

Scholarly Resources:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/683/1/
http://blog.apastyle.org/
http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice
http://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/scholarlyvoice/tone

The “Do’s” of Scholarly Writing

1. Use proper syntax. Syntax is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “the arrangement of words and phrases to create well-formed sentences in a language.” Syntax is an important aspect of writing that helps to ensure clarity. Incorrect syntax often results in sentences and paragraphs that do not make sense, and this can pose serious perceptual issues for professional communicators. See this article for a number of examples.

2. Follow the rules of punctuation. Common errors include incorrect placement of quotation marks and erroneous use of the semicolon. As an example, note that quotation marks follow periods and commas, (“The sky is blue.”)

3. Include references, citations and /or footnotes, no matter what kind of document you’re writing. Taking the time to locate sources that substantiate your statements demonstrate your proficiency as a scholar-practitioner and your commitment to excellence. Citations are required in your academic papers, but clients also appreciate this attention to detail. When pitching a project or campaign, the inclusion of reputable sources will support your recommendations and boost your own credibility.

4. Proofread and edit your work. Many errors are missed during the first proofread; be prepared to review your work multiple times.

The “Don’ts” in Scholarly Writing

1. Don’t write in the second person narrative. The second person voice is typically used in articles like this one, where the writer is intending to inform and instruct. According to WritingCommons.org , “writing from the second person point of view can weaken the effectiveness of the writing in research and argument papers. Using second person can make the work sound as if the writer is giving directions or offering advice to his or her readers, rather than informing [them].”

Here is a comparison of second and third person perspectives from WritingCommons.org:

Weak: You should read the statistics about the number of suicides that happen to your average victim of bullying! (2nd person)
Stronger: The statistics from a variety of research reports indicate that the suicide rate is high among victims of bullying; they are under so much psychological pressure that they may resort to taking their own lives. (3rd person)

2. Don’t rely on software to correct your writing. Certainly, tools such as spell check, grammar check and grammarly have some benefit, but they cannot replace firsthand knowledge and mastery of proper writing. I recall one particular paper I received several years ago that was, quite literally, gibberish. When I inquired about the content of the student’s paper, she replied, “Well, I used grammar check!”

Don’t hesitate to seek writing coaching if you have questions or concerns about any aspect of good writing. As graduate students in a masters-level communication program, writing excellence should be a top priority.

By taking an informed and proactive approach to your writing, you will strengthen your academic performance, hone your professional and communication skills and enhance your career.

Dr. Debra Davenport is an online faculty member for Purdue’s online Master of Science in Communication degree program. The program can be completed in just 20 months and covers numerous topics critical for advancement in the communication industry, including crisis communication, social media engagement, focus group planning and implementation, survey design and survey analysis, public relations theory, professional writing, and communication ethics.

Find out more about what you can do with a MS in Communication from Purdue University. Call us today at 877-497-5851 to speak to an admissions advisor, or request more information .

*The views and opinions expressed are of the author and do not represent the Brian Lamb School of Communication.

About the Author

Health Sciences
Student Advice

Department of Anthropology

Writing a successful master's research paper in anthropology.

By Janet McIntosh, Department of Anthropology, Brandeis University

As a reminder, here is what the Graduate Handbook says about the Master's Research Paper: The Master's research paper must involve substantial research by the student and should be 25 to 40 pages long, not including references. The paper may have been written previously for a Brandeis course; normally students will undertake substantial revisions on the paper as part of the rewriting process.

The paper must be approved by two faculty members, at least one of whom is a member of the anthropology department. Master's paper deadlines are generally as follows: a first full draft of the master's paper is due approximately one month before the semester ends; one or both readers will provide feedback within two weeks; the final revised paper is due to both readers two weeks later.

View the specific deadlines .

Working Independently

The master's paper is an opportunity to undertake a "capstone" project that takes your independent research in anthropology to a new level. Completing this paper requires a great deal of self-motivated work. You should expect to put into the project at least the level of work you would put into a one-semester seminar course. It is up to you to determine your project and collect your own data and to present your reader (or readers), in a timely fashion, the updates and drafts that will help them to help you. Please don't wait to be contacted by your advisor about meeting deadlines; you should be proactive about this schedule.

How to Begin

Get started as early as you can in formulating your project and seeking a potential advisor (or "first reader")..

Students make their way through the master's degree in anthropology at different paces; most finish the degree in two to four semesters. Some students complete their master's paper during a semester when they are taking courses; others do so in the summer after their first or second year of coursework.

Many master's papers emerge as further developments of a course term paper; some do not. Regardless, it is in your interest to conceive of a master's paper topic/question well in advance of the period when you will be writing it. This will give you time to seek out a potential "first reader" (see below) for the paper, and precious time to plan fieldwork toward the paper (often conducted in the summer after your first year), should you decide to write a paper based on such data.

If you wish to use human subjects-based data in your master's research paper for a future dissertation, publication or public presentation, apply for IRB permission before conducting fieldwork.

A master's paper does not count as a "public document," so technically the research described in it need not be approved by the IRB (Institutional Review Board). However, if you anticipate revising your master's paper for publication, or using your data in a future public document or presentation such as a doctoral dissertation or conference paper, AND if your data collection involves research with human subjects (such as interviewing or participant observation), then you need to apply for and receive IRB permission in advance of conducting the research.

It is not possible to get IRB approval retrospectively.

You should submit your application as soon as possible since it can take one to two months to complete the process and the board not infrequently asks students for revisions. You can find detailed IRB information and instructions Human Subjects Research Information page . One of our faculty members, Jonathan Anjaria , has served on the Brandeis' IRB board, and he welcomes questions from our graduate students about the process and their proposals. Feel free also to contact the IRB administrator with queries.

If you opt to conduct original fieldwork toward your paper, you can apply for fieldwork/travel funding.

Possible funding sources include anthropology department grants, GSAS master's research grants, GSA travel grants, Jane's Travel Grants, and funds from Women and Gender Studies. Within the Anthropology department, there are two rounds of application deadlines for department-internal "GTR" funds; one in fall semester (typically, to support research over winter break) and one in spring (typically, to support research over the summer).

Master's students sometimes apply for these funds to support their fieldwork, and we try to support as many well-conceived projects as we can, to the best of our abilities (contingent upon our budget in any given semester).

Finding Readers

Your first reader for the master's paper assumes the role of primary advisor for this project. The best first reader is usually the professor best intellectually matched to the project, all other things being equal (e.g., equitable distribution of master's paper advisees across professors). This may or may not be your primary academic advisor in the department; often it is a professor who has taught you in the class that most closely inspires your master's paper.

Ultimately, the master's paper needs to be approved by a first and a second reader. Second readers can be drawn from faculty outside of the anthropology department. Sometimes a student may have a second reader in mind; if not, they can work with their first reader to generate ideas for a second reader. The student should certainly approach the second reader about the possibility of their reading a draft or drafts according to the standard timelines listed above, but the second reader is under no obligation to accept that responsibility (some will be very keen to give early feedback; others may simply not have the time).

Finding Your Data, Motivating Your Thesis, Crafting a Well-Written Paper

Your master's research paper can be based upon your original research in the field, upon data gathered from other sources (say, videotaped footage; political speeches; Internet chatrooms; archival or museum material), and/or upon existing theoretical and ethnographic literature. A fieldwork-based master's paper has certain advantages. Fieldwork is of course the foundation of anthropology, so conducting original fieldwork gives you a chance to flex these muscles, and (if need be) to test the waters to determine whether you think a future in anthropology is for you.

It is also wonderful to have a fieldwork-based writing sample when applying for doctoral programs, or, minimally, to be able to summarize one's fieldwork-based project in one's applications. However, fieldwork is not a must for an MA paper, and plenty of strong papers have been grounded in other material instead.

No matter where your data comes from, your master's paper must emerge from questions that are motivated; questions that feel like they need to be asked. Ideally, your introduction will set up your thesis statement (that is, your statement of your central argument) with a context that shows how your thesis stems from a tension, question, or puzzle in your data or the anthropological literature or both.

Rather than simply stating "I'm interested in X and Y," you must set up the problematic from which your (clearly stated) argument emerges. It is sometimes helpful to formulate a "why" question that your thesis will attempt to answer, or at least illuminate. For example, "Why does a critical mass of finance executives abandon their comfortable lives for a week every year to participate in the Burning Man Festival?", "Why, in the society under consideration, are young women much more likely than older ones to be accused of practicing witchcraft?", "Why did empire X collapse under this particular set of conditions, while empire Y, seemingly under the same conditions, flourished?"

"How" questions can also be fruitful. For instance: "How do Hawaiians sustain the notion that certain culinary and ritual practices are 'traditional' even when they are actively engaged in the process of altering them?", "How do members of society X — who have historically tended to espouse context-dependent models of the person — react to, assimilate, and question the essentialist models of the person in Facebook personality quizzes?" or "How do the power dynamics between coaches and players manifest themselves even in seemingly casual and friendly conversations?" Your motivating queries may, of course, be more detailed and nuanced than these. Regardless, having an interesting question or puzzle — a "motive" — built into your introduction helps you and your reader feel the urgency or importance of your argument.

If you wonder what kinds of argumentative gambits are available to you more generally, A Student's Guide to Reading and Writing in Social Anthropology (PDF) from the Department of Anthropology at Harvard University and Harvard College has a useful summary of common types of arguments in anthropological papers (see page 25).

The same guide is also richly laden with suggestions about how to engage with anthropological literature/sources. We recommend as well reading the annotated student essay at the end.

Engaging With Anthropological Literature and Ideas

Since this is a master's program in anthropology (or in anthropology and women's and gender studies), your master's paper must engage meaningfully with the anthropological literature on the subject matter and demonstrate proficiency in that literature. Drawing on the insights of other disciplines can enrich the work, but the paper must be anthropological at its core.

Thoroughly review the salient anthropological and scholarly literature on your topic, in consultation with faculty members and library staff. Be sure to search through the various databases, including AnthroSource, Anthropological Abstracts, Anthropology Plus, JSTOR, Academic Search Premier, and so forth. It doesn't hurt to run relevant terms through Google Scholar (the "cited by" function, which displays other works that have cited a given article or book, can be particularly useful). We encourage you as well to attend library workshops on research and on citation software.

Your master's paper should show signs that certain core lessons of anthropology have been internalized. A sociocultural anthropology master's paper should, for instance, reflect your understanding that the normally taken-for-granted conceptual categories of modern western societies are themselves subject to critical examination, and that anthropologists tend to try to understand the internal logic of cultural practices. An archaeology paper should also reflect such approaches, and should be about the people behind the potsherds, buildings, and other objects. It should question the how and why of patterns of material culture, striving to understand the cultural contexts and natural processes that produced the archaeological data.

Whether or not your paper directly addresses a non-western case, it may be strengthened by the comparative, cross-cultural perspective associated with anthropology. For example, a master's paper concerned with modern American conceptions of pets might benefit from thoughtful engagement with anthropological work on totemism and animal symbolism in a range of non-western societies. A paper on archaic states might benefit from a comparative review of the role of kinship in segmentary and unitary forms of socio-political organization. That said, while the comparative literature should inform the paper, it might not need to be written about at length. This depends on your project, and should be discussed with your reader(s).

Writing About Methodology

A successful paper should have a (brief) methodology section that not only explains the methods used, but also justifies them. If, for example, your data comes from written surveys rather than ethnography, this choice requires some explanation. If your fieldwork was constrained by logistical or social considerations, these should be explained. If you chose to focus on a particular subgroup, this choice requires some background.

You should also indicate your awareness of the potential pitfalls and limitations of your chosen methods. Your methodology section often appears in your introductory section, but in some instances, methodological issues may be addressed in an appendix.

If you used surveys or an interview guide, for instance, those usually are placed in an appendix. Depending on how well this serves your argumentative purposes, you may also wish to include a reflexive section, clarifying your own relationship to the topic in question. Are you studying a tradition or community that you count yourself a part of? Did you begin this project with a strong draw towards, or anxiety about, the social group in question? Why?

Titling the Paper

Even your paper draft(s) should have a working title, to organize the sense of argument for yourself and your readers. Your title should be precise; rather than merely gesturing at a topic ("Gender among Boston Construction Workers," or "Globalization and Childbirth in Tibet"), it should give the reader a more precise hint of your argument or your theoretical focus (e.g., "Rebuilding Gender: Practices of Self-Fashioning among Boston Construction Workers," "Cutting Cords: Global Anxieties and Contested Midwifery in Cosmopolitan Tibet"). In the case of a sociocultural paper, it is at times helpful for the first part of the title to incorporate an especially evocative quote by one of your informants — a quote that foreshadows the central concerns of the thesis.

Final Tips on Writing Well

Consider opening your paper with a detail — a vignette or a quotation, for example — that encapsulates some of the key issues or puzzles that you will dig into in the paper. This helps to hook your reader's attention more than broad generalizations do.
Remember that the introductory paragraphs must motivate your argument, provide a sufficiently detailed thesis statement (this can be two sentences or longer, if need be), and offer the necessary context to situate your argument.
Your paper must have enough summary of the relevant literature, and explicit definition of key concepts, that a well-educated generalist would be able to follow it. Do not assume that your reader is highly familiar with anthropological literature.
When you do summarize, be sure the summary is clearly articulated and signposted in service of your argument. In other words, you should control the summary for your purposes rather than being controlled by and getting lost in your sources.
Use the beginnings of paragraphs to transition from one point to another, placing a stitch between the preceding paragraph and the point to come. Often the start of a paragraph is also a good place to signpost back to the thesis, so as to re-orient the reader, and to make explicit how the logic of your argument is unfolding. (This gambit can help to avoid the "laundry list" paper structure, where points seem to arrive in no particular order.)
Use the ends of paragraphs to hammer home the central point of the paragraph if it is not already obvious. As you re-read your draft, make sure every paragraph has a clear center of gravity.
Assume a fairly inattentive reader, who requires frequent signposting to the key terms/key concepts in the thesis so as to be reminded of where the writer is taking the reader, and why.
Assume a fairly impatient reader, who will be irritated and distracted by grammatical solecisms and spelling errors. Have someone — or even two people — proofread your paper.
Please cite sources and format references competently and professionally — see below for helpful websites.
Read your paper out loud to yourself to catch run-on sentences and awkward constructions.
Paginate your drafts and final version before submitting to your reader(s).

Helpful Links

Brandeis Writing Center Services for Graduate Students — Graduate-level consultants can work with you on a variety of needs.
American Anthropological Association's (AAA) Style Guide
Chicago Manual of Style (used by the AAA)

Nuts and Bolts of Submission and Approval

One month before the registrar's deadline to file an application for your graduate degree for the semester in which you seek to graduate, please fill out the "Master's Paper Plans" form available from Laurel Carpenter's office. This form requires that you list a provisional title, four or five lines describing your likely topic/argument, and the names of your first and second readers. Your first reader will need to sign this form before it is submitted to Laurel Carpenter.

Check in with your second reader about whether they will have time to offer feedback on a draft of your paper. As noted above, such feedback can be helpful, but it is not strictly required from second readers.
Check in with your readers about the medium they prefer for draft and final paper submission. Some may be happy with email submissions; others may require printed copies in their mailbox. Be sure you know what they want in advance so that you are able to get printed versions to readers who require them in a timely fashion.
If you are hoping to finish your master's paper over the summer, it is especially important to check in with your readers well in advance about availability.
When both readers have approved the paper, they will let you and Laurel Carpenter know, most typically by email. The readers then fill out and sign a form that goes into your record to indicate your master's paper has been approved. You do not need to procure or sign this form, unless you are a joint WGS and Anthropology student (WGS has its own administrative process). Email signatures can be accepted in lieu of paper signatures. A copy of the approved version of your master's paper must be submitted to the department.
If your readers find that your final version of the master's paper does not yet meet the requirements, you will be asked to make further revisions, and may need to delay your graduation date.
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Master's Capstone Writing: Master's Capstone Writing

Introduction.

Many—although not all—master’s students complete their program with a capstone course. These capstone courses look different depending on the program and program learning outcomes. However, there are some common characteristics in these capstone courses, one of which is that it usually requires intensive writing throughout the course. Students need to use all of the skills they have learned thus far in this culmination of their degree, often writing and developing one final capstone throughout the entire capstone course.

With this in mind, we have collected Writing Center resources that will be particularly useful for master’s students writing their capstone. We also have listed resources that will be helpful for students in particular programs. Additionally, if you are looking for help on something specific that you don’t see here, be sure to reach out and ask. Questions can be directed to Ask OASIS .

If you’re a master’s student and you’re not sure you are in the right place, note that master’s program capstones can be called by many different names—capstone project, master’s project, capstone, final project, scholarly project, case study, treatise, and research project—although the resources we’ve identified here should be useful for all master’s capstones, no matter what they are called.

Getting Started

You will most likely be writing, developing, and revising your capstone from week to week throughout the entire capstone course. Thorough preparation is essential to set a foundation for the writing you’ll be doing. To help you take notes, organize your thoughts, and research, use these resources:

Our Goal Setting pages offer suggestions about how to set and achieve your writing goals as you work on longer projects, like the master’s capstone.
Our Prewriting pages include tips for critical reading, taking notes, organizing ideas, and outlining.
The Prewriting Techniques: Taking the First Steps recorded webinar will also give you examples of how to lay the foundation for your writing.
Episode 34, Taking Care of Yourself with Mindful Writing , and the follow-up Episode 35 will help you learn how to fit writing your capstone in with the rest of your life via mindful writing.
Watch the recorded webinar Walden Assignment Prompts: Learn the Requirements to ensure you fully understand the expectations for your capstone, which will be outlined in the grading rubric, prompt, and other information in your course. Even if the final rubric for your capstone is posted in the last week of the course’s resources, we suggest you download it now to ensure you’re fulfilling the final expectations for your capstone as you develop it each week.

Also note that you may be asked to write one of the following kinds of documents as part of your capstone.

Presentations webpages
Annotated Bibliographies webpages ; Annotated Bibliographies recorded webinar
Literature Reviews pages ; Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography Basics recorded webinar
Executive Summaries webpages

Of course, don’t forget to use the Library for help researching too!

Writing your first draft may seem overwhelming, but many capstone courses break down the process across multiple weeks in the capstone course. Remember to take it one step at a time and know that you will have time to revise once you’ve written a first draft. To help you with your writing, use these resources:

Developing Your Capstone

Our Drafting pages will help you with essential components of your capstone, like an introduction, conclusion, and thesis statement.
Our Paragraphs pages will show you how to develop your ideas into academic paragraphs, and you can see even more examples in the recorded webinar Using the MEAL Plan to Write and Revise Academic Paragraphs .
Episode 26 of our WriteCast podcast, Wrestling with Writer’s Block , will help you overcome any writer’s block you’re experiencing.
Our Paper Review service offers you the opportunity to receive individualized feedback throughout the drafting process on your writing progress and goals.

Using Sources in Your Capstone

Our Paraphrase pages and the recorded webinar Paraphrasing Source Information will help you paraphrase sources successfully, since paraphrasing evidence is often preferred in master’s capstones.
Our Synthesis pages can help show you how to synthesize in your capstone, since at this point in your program you’ll also be expected to synthesize rather than summarize sources.
Our Citing Sources Properly pages will ensure you are citing your sources, including just the right amount of citations throughout your writing.

Because you’ll be working on your capstone over multiple weeks, you’ll be expected and have ample opportunity to revise. Revision helps clarify and strengthen your writing, so you’ll be spending just as much if not more time revising than you spent writing your first draft. Use the following resources to help you with revision strategies:

Use our Revising pages to make sure that you revise both at the paragraph level and for overall organization and clarity. This might be a longer paper than you’ve written in the past, so you have to be careful that it is organized clearly and effectively.
The 5 Rs of Revision , WriteCast podcast episode 14, will help you learn about revision strategies.
The Improving Your Writing: Strategies for Revising, Proofing, and Using Feedback recorded webinar will demonstrate revision strategies for you and give you tips on using instructor feedback to revise.

Proofreading and Editing

Once you’re near the end of your course, you’ll need to polish, proof, and edit your capstone to ensure you are not only following APA and grammar rules but also don’t have any typos or unclear phrasing. Use the following resources and strategies to help you proof and edit your capstone:

Our Proofreading pages outline a few proofing strategies, like reading aloud, printing a hardcopy, using spell checkers, etc.
Speaking of spell checkers, try using Grammarly to catch typos and spelling errors.
Use our Common Reference List Entries page , comparing each of your reference entries to the corresponding example so you can make adjustments.

Use our Citation Variations page , comparing each of your citations to the corresponding example so you can make adjustments.

Paper Review Appointments

Keep in mind that you don’t have to set out drafting and revising your master’s capstone project alone. We are here to support your writing progress and overall skill development. In fact, students who make three or more paper review appointments per term are statistically more likely to see progress in academic success. We encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity and to make multiple paper review appointments with our writing instructors. If you are interested, be sure to check our resources our paper review appointments and how to incorporate multiple appointments within your schedule .

Program-Specific Capstone Tips

There are some other common tips and resources we can provide for master’s students’ capstones based on their program. If your program is in any of the following colleges, be sure to note these tips and resources too.

Capstones for College of Education and Human Sciences

Major assessments: For some students, portions of their capstone and capstone course may also be a major assessment. Our tips above apply in these cases too, but you may also find the recorded webinar Writing for the MAT, MSEd, EdD, & EdS Major Assessments helpful.

Capstones for College of Health Sciences and Public Policy

Literature reviews : Note that many programs in this college ask students to write a literature review . Sometimes these literature reviews focus more on summary or annotating sources than the synthesis -focused literature reviews we talk about in the Writing Center. In those cases, be sure to follow your instructor’s directions and preferences, as well as the expectations set in the capstone rubric.

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Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

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M.S. Qualifying Research Paper Writing Guidelines

An important part of your master’s education is the writing of your final master’s qualifying research paper (also called a master’s thesis). To aid you in this process we have assembled the following guidelines.

Qualifying research papers fall into two categories, those based on laboratory research and those based on literature research. Both types are mentored by a faculty member or principal investigator of a research laboratory sought by the student. For laboratory research, the student will write the paper based on original experimental results obtained in the laboratory of the mentor. For a literature-based thesis, after selection of a suitable topic by the student and mentor, the student will research the topic by reading and analyzing original literature on the subject, and then prepare a substantive analysis that will constitute the paper. All qualifying papers are graded "Pass", "Pass with Distinction" or "Fail". Further information can be found at the M.S. in Biology website .

STYLE INFORMATION

Qualifying papers in the Department of Biology should follow the structure of the types of papers that appear in the journal Cell. Laboratory research based papers should be modeled after a Cell research style articles and library research based papers should be modeled after Cell review style articles. Example articles with links are listed in the notes below.

IMPORTANT NOTES

Plagiarism is an act or instance of using or closely imitating the language and thoughts of another author without authorization and the representation of that author's work as one's own, as by not crediting the original author: This means that you cannot copy lines of text from another source without noting that it is a quote (“put quotes around the text”) and citing the reference. In general avoid direct quotes from other sources unless the quote makes a strong point. General facts do not need to be referenced, but more specific facts and ideas must be referenced, even if they have been rewritten in your own words
Litertaure Review: Lopez-Otin et al., 2023. Hallmarks of Aging: An Expanding Universe. Cell 186(2), 243-278 .
Research Research: Lyons et al., 2023. Functional partitioning of transcriptional regulators by patterned charge blocks. Cell 186(2), 327-345 .
Seek a thesis mentor and decide on a topic to study.
After beginning your literature research, provide a list of references you are reading to your mentor.
Proceed to write a brief outline of the paper with subsection ideas, then a more detailed outline with subsection descriptions, and share with mentor for comment.
Proceed to write a first draft of paper, which the mentor will read and provide suggestions/questions for comment.
Revise accordingly and submit the final version of your paper (~ 25 pages double spaced and reference list). Use citation format (Jones et al., 2023) and reference list as done in Cell papers (see above links). All figures taken from articles must be cited in the legend.

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How to write master and PhD research papers: a guide by a research assistant with 15 years of experience

Jan 29, 2021
Research paper

Writing master and phd level research papers

I am a ghostwriter with 15 years of experience in the field of custom academic writing . This is a brief outline of my process of writing longer research papers that involve extensive research and references. These assignments typically have longer deadlines and require the writer to acquire some detailed/in-depth understanding of the topic . This process has helped me deal successfully with many academic assignments of master and post-graduate levels.

1. Read the textbook, class notes, or other background material

When I get an order, first I do extensive reading on the subject. The first step is to get a textbook – ideally, the client sends the textbook that is used in the course. Often we have textbooks available in our library at https://personal-writer.com/. A textbook is the first source of important background information , it provides a broad overview of the subject. I read the textbook to make sure I have the same understanding of the discipline as the client.

2. Note down important information in a special file

While I am looking through the textbook, I make notes in my Notes word document (Actually, it’s a Pages document, but one can certainly do it with Word). Sometimes I copy the entire paragraphs that are relevant to my assignment and paste it into my notes. I also write down the resource and page number of each passage for easier referencing later. I do not worry about copyright because this is my private document and I am using it only to gather the most relevant information in one place. I also note down why the paragraph in question is relevant for my paper. If the textbook cannot be copied, I just briefly write the main idea of the passage and note down the page in the textbook to get back to later if this information will be needed for my final paper. I often use highlights to visually mark the most interesting parts of the text.

While I am working with the textbook, I also notice the references to particular studies or other books that are applicable to my assignment. The textbook can point to the sources of quality information that can be investigated further. For example, it discusses the authors of some theories, the research studies on some subjects, etc. Some of these sources could be found online and investigated in more detail.

3. Read other books and articles relevant to your topic

After reading the textbook I have a general idea of what I am dealing with. The next step is to read some other books pertaining to the topic of the assignment . I can get the ideas of the relevant books from the class textbook or from a simple google search. Just like with the textbook, I note down everything interesting in my Notes file: I write down the author or authors, the title and publication year (it’s convenient for making correct in-text citations while writing the final paper), and after each pasted or noted paragraph, I write down the page number.

4. Find research studies pertaining to your topic on Google Scholar

After the books, I proceed to Google Scholar and look for relevant research articles that relate to my topic. When I mention the latest studies in the paper, the teacher will appreciate the depth of the research that went into the work. If my assignment includes coming up with a topic for the research (like in thesis assignments), studying these research papers helps me to identify gaps in the current research that can become my topic.

For assignments that include coming up with research topics, like thesis proposal, studying the latest research reports on Google Scholar helps me identify gaps in current research in my field.

It’s very convenient that Google Scholar shows the sources that are available in full text. In this way, I open preferentially these pages as I am interested in being able to access the entire study . I look through the study and take notes in a very similar way as I do when reading textbooks and books. If I find a recent study that is closely related to my research topic, I pay particular attention not only to the results of the study but to literature review as well: the authors have already done great research on selecting the most relevant previous sources, and I can incorporate the studies that they refer to in my paper too. I can find these sources using the bibliographical information on the reference page.

The literature review sections in the latest research reports on your topic are very helpful as they already contain synthesis of previous research and references to earlier sources and findings.

5. Identify sub-themes that came up in your research

When I am done with background reading, I re-read my Notes file. Sometimes it contains more than 100 pages of notes and copy-pasted paragraphs from different sources. I read through the notes and color-code the passages that correspond to particular sub-themes of my topic . Thus I start working with the structure of my paper.

6. Create a draft: decide on the structure of the paper and main arguments

Based on this review of the notes, I start composing a draft for my paper in the new Pages file. First I write down the structure of the paper. I do not spend time on the intro and conclusion as most often they are the last sections to write. First of all, I am interested in identifying sub-themes of my topic or coming up with a distinctive set of arguments or evidence for my thesis . I usually spend several days on this process, allowing the information from my literature study to sink in and the ideas to be assimilated in my subconscious mind. Then interesting perspectives or insights will pop up randomly as I am doing other activities, and I write them down on my phone or a piece of paper that I have for my desk for this project. Slowly this set of considerations is turned into a structure for the paper. I write down the sections that I identified, and then start to fill these sections with the information from my Notes file. I again copy-paste the info from the Notes file to the Draft file. I do it second time because in the Notes file, the information is presented in the order that I noted it as I read the literature. In the Draft file, I want the relevant info to be laid down right in the section where I need it.

In each section, I also write my own ideas, summaries, or observations and mark them with special color so that I know that this is my own text.

Create a draft by first writing headers for each section of your paper. These sections represent distinct arguments or positions pertaining to your topic or thesis. Then fill these sections with information you have in your Notes file, adding your own ideas, observations, or summaries.

7. Start writing your paper

Finally, I create another document, and this will be a final paper. Here, I do not copy-paste anything. All the text will be written from scratch. I will look at my Draft file and I will see what arguments I need to write about, and I have all the references, including the page numbers, available. Usually, I have at least 20-page draft file for a 7-8 page paper. This means that I will not be “paraphrasing” the text from the draft. I will be condensing it into my own narrative. I like when my text looks more like an analysis of the literature rather than a rewrite. It will sound like this: “This author believes that the main effects of the [studied phenomenon] are A,B, and C, based on this experiment conducted [somewhere] that showed [this and that] (in-text citation- author, year, page). However, [another researcher] challenges this view noting that the effects B can be due to [another factor] rather than the [studied phenomenon] (reference). The latest experimental study conducted by the [third author] (reference) confirms the second author’s observations".

Write your paper completely from scratch consulting the Draft document for information on each section. Do not just "paraphrase" what you have in the draft. Condense and analyze the information, draw your own comparisons, arguments, and conclusions.

8. Write introduction and conclusion

When I have written the body of the paper, I write the introduction and the conclusion. I take specific care to spell out the paper thesis in the intro and to go over the presented arguments in the conclusions . Then I will evaluate if the thesis can be confirmed or not taking into account the arguments and evidence. For me, it’s very important that the paper contains elements of my own analysis and presents my observations or recommendations regarding the topic . I do not simply retell what some researchers have written before me, unless that assignment asks specifically for that.

9. References, citations, proofreading, and rounding up.

After I’m done with the text, I do the References (or Works Cited) page, check all my in-text citations, and proof-read the paper one or two times. I use Grammarly to help me spot some awkward sentences or errors.

This is pretty much it, and depending on the client, the process may include more steps to ensure that the client approves the topic, selected evidence, structure and direction of the paper, etc.

The variety of topics always keeps me engaged and focused, and I get feedback from clients and their teachers, which means that I improve my analytical, research, and writing skills with every completed paper.

Having said all that, my main advice to students who needs to write academic papers is this: do not be intimidated by the seeming difficulty of research paper writing . When you understand enough about the topic itself, the writing will happen almost automatically. Therefore, spend some time on reading and understanding the topic, reflect on what you want to say. Even if your writing itself os not perfect, your sincere efort of understanding and exploring the subject will definitely be noted.

And if for some reason your find yourself in circumstances when you cannot write your paper, our service is here to help you. We guarantee personalized approach and 100% papers written by experienced writers.

Check our very democratic prices and contact us for a more personalized quote.

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Properly Write Your Degree

The correct way to communicate your degree to employers and others is by using the following formats:

Degree - This is the academic degree you are receiving. Your major is in addition to the degree; it can be added to the phrase or written separately. Include the full name of your degree, major(s), minor(s), emphases, and certificates on your resume.

Double Majors - You will not be receiving two bachelor's degrees if you double major. Your primary major determines the degree (Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science). If you're not fully sure which of your majors is primary, check CheckMarq or call the registrar's office.

Example: Primary Major: Psychology ; Secondary Major: Marketing

Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology & Marketing

Primary Major: Marketing ; Secondary Major: Psychology

Bachelor of Science Degree in Marketing & Psychology

In a letter, you may shorten your degree by writing it this way:

In May 20XX, I will graduate with my Bachelor's degree in International Affairs.
In December 20XX, I will graduate with my Master's degree in Counseling Education.

Not sure which degree you are graduating with? Here is a list of Undergraduate Majors and corresponding degrees:

College of Arts & Sciences
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How To Write A Research Paper (FREE Template
We've covered a lot of ground here. To recap, the three steps to writing a high-quality research paper are: To choose a research question and review the literature. To plan your paper structure and draft an outline. To take an iterative approach to writing, focusing on critical writing and strong referencing.
How to Write a Research Paper
Choose a research paper topic. Conduct preliminary research. Develop a thesis statement. Create a research paper outline. Write a first draft of the research paper. Write the introduction. Write a compelling body of text. Write the conclusion. The second draft.
What Is a Thesis?
A thesis is a type of research paper based on your original research. It is usually submitted as the final step of a master's program or a capstone to a bachelor's degree. Writing a thesis can be a daunting experience. Other than a dissertation, it is one of the longest pieces of writing students typically complete.
Masters research paper guidelines
The master's research paper is worth 2 units of credit towards the MA or MES degree. The student will normally prepare a master's research paper over three terms, in two stages. the completed research paper. At University of Waterloo this paper is considered a "milestone" and at Wilfrid Laurier University (WLU) this paper is recorded as ...
A Guide to Writing a Research Paper
Creating Writing Strategies including clustering ideas, drawing diagrams, and planning a "road map" will help you visualize the stages that you need to map out to build a strong paper. Research papers always start with disparate ideas, indiscriminate notions, and false starts. This process is necessary to think through your strategy.
How to Write a Research Paper?
Start your paper by crafting a clear and concise thesis statement. Utilize Free Writing. Employ a free writing technique to generate ideas and overcome writer's block. Follow the Outline or Map. Structure your paper by adhering to the outlined plan or concept map. Write as if Communicating with a Friend.
How To Write a Research Paper: The Ultimate Guide
Regardless of the degree or program, you enroll in, writing research papers is inevitable. The process can seem daunting due to the time and effort it takes. But with the proper approach, you'll make it. This article will guide you on how to write a research paper perfectly, including how to write a thesis statement for a research paper, how to write a conclusion for a research paper, etc ...
Guide to Writing Your Thesis/Dissertation : Graduate School
Definition of Dissertation and Thesis. The dissertation or thesis is a scholarly treatise that substantiates a specific point of view as a result of original research that is conducted by students during their graduate study. At Cornell, the thesis is a requirement for the receipt of the M.A. and M.S. degrees and some professional master's ...
APA Writing Guide: Formatting for Graduate Students
Add an extra blank double-spaced line between the title and author's name. Place the author note in the bottom half of the title page. Center and bold the label "Author Note.". Align the paragraphs of the author note to the left. For an example, see the LU Writing Center template for graduate students here.
How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline
Example: BODY PARAGRAPH 1. First point. Sub-point. Sub-point of sub-point 1. Essentially the same as the alphanumeric outline, but with the text written in full sentences rather than short points. Example: First body paragraph of the research paper. First point of evidence to support the main argument.
How to Write Excellent Graduate-Level Papers
Use the assignment itself as an outline. Copy the assignment and paste it into a new document. Break it apart visually by adding line spaces and/or tabs. This will help you more easily identify key concepts which need to be explained and verbs that indicate critical thinking is required (e.g., analyze, compare, evaluate).
Graduate-Level Writing Tips: Definitions, Do's And Don'ts
1. Don't write in the second person narrative. The second person voice is typically used in articles like this one, where the writer is intending to inform and instruct. According to WritingCommons.org, "writing from the second person point of view can weaken the effectiveness of the writing in research and argument papers. Using second ...
Writing a Successful Master's Research Paper in Anthropology
Your master's research paper can be based upon your original research in the field, upon data gathered from other sources (say, videotaped footage; political speeches; Internet chatrooms; archival or museum material), and/or upon existing theoretical and ethnographic literature. A fieldwork-based master's paper has certain advantages.
PDF Graduate School Writing Samples
argument or paper actually goes depends on the details, and you can't work out the details without actually trying to write the paper. Once you've spent a lot of time writing the paper, you'll be in a position to outline. (See also the section on Workflow below.) 3
HOW TO WRITE YOUR MASTER THESIS: THE EASY HANDBOOK
minimum of ten days for all members of the thesis committee to review the thesis. Step 1: Prepare the content of your presentation. The content of your presentation is the mirror of your thesis ...
Master's Capstone Writing
Our Goal Setting pages offer suggestions about how to set and achieve your writing goals as you work on longer projects, like the master's capstone. Our Prewriting pages include tips for critical reading, taking notes, organizing ideas, and outlining. The Prewriting Techniques: Taking the First Steps recorded webinar will also give you ...
10 Tips for Graduate Level Writing for Academic Papers
Graduate Level Writing Tip #5: Avoid using casual language and cliches. Keep your writer's "voice" professional, academic in tone, and cliche-free. Use simple, straight-forward, and thoughtful words and sentences. Many people mistake "academic tone" for big words, vague ideas, and heady data. An academic tone is conscious, intentional ...
M.S. Qualifying Research Paper Writing Guidelines
An important part of your master's education is the writing of your final master's qualifying research paper (also called a master's thesis). To aid you in this process we have assembled the following guidelines. Qualifying research papers fall into two categories, those based on laboratory research and those based on literature research.
PDF Sample APA Paper: Professional Format for Graduate/Doctoral Students
SAMPLE APA-7 PAPER FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS 7 paper; same on all pages), an author's note, and an abstract. Note that the first "paragraph" under the author's note on the title page is ...
How to Write a Research Proposal
A master's is a 1- or 2-year graduate degree that can prepare you for a variety of careers. All master's involve graduate-level coursework. Some are research-intensive and intend to prepare students for further study in a PhD; these usually require their students to write a master's thesis. Others focus on professional training for a ...
How to Write a Thesis: A Guide for Master's Students
Tip #2: Begin Work on the Thesis Statement and Break Up the Thesis into Manageable Sections. After selecting an appropriate topic and developing a central research question for the thesis statement, it is then necessary to apply the research and writing skills you have learned throughout your degree program.
How to write master and PhD research papers: a guide by a research
I am a ghostwriter with 15 years of experience in the field of custom academic writing. This is a brief outline of my process of writing longer research papers that involve extensive research and references. These assignments typically have longer deadlines and require the writer to acquire some detailed/in-depth understanding of the topic.This process has helped me deal successfully with many ...
What Is the Difference Between a Thesis and a Dissertation?
With a dissertation, you are expected to use the research of others only to guide you in your own research to come up with a completely new hypothesis. Another way in which the thesis and dissertation differ are in length. A masters degree thesis is typically over 100 pages. However, the dissertation is usually at least double and sometimes ...
Properly Write Your Degree
The correct way to communicate your degree to employers and others is by using the following formats: Degree - This is the academic degree you are receiving. Your major is in addition to the degree; it can be added to the phrase or written separately. Include the full name of your degree, major (s), minor (s), emphases, and certificates on your ...