Academic research writing is one of the most crucial parts of our student life. A major chunk of our success in the academic world hinges on how skillful we are when it comes to writing research papers. So, like it or not, if you want to survive in the competitive universe of academia, you have to be good at communicating your thoughts and concepts in the most effective way possible.
Although you can always go for a research paper writing service if you are too busy or entirely clueless about what needs to be done, you must always strive to acquire this skill set whenever you get a chance. After all, academic research writing is part of our curriculum for a reason, isn’t it?
Here are a few tips that will help you become a pro at academic research writing. Take a look and make sure to follow them to see your fate changing.
1. Invest Time in Reading
It comes as no surprise that the majority of great writers are well-read people. The more you read the more you learn, and it’ll also help you become a better grammar checker.
However, do not try to imitate someone else’s writing style and concentrate on developing your own style of communication.
2. Practice Makes Perfect
As they say, “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice,” so mere reading isn’t sufficient if you are not taking the initiative of writing. For starters, pick your topic and write 500 to 1000 words on a daily basis. Don’t worry about the mistakes you are going to make as they will only help you improve.
This daily exercise will make you at ease with the whole writing procedure. In time, you will see your skills dramatically improving and you will learn efficient ways to express your thoughts.
3. Be Clear and Concise
Now, when you actually start writing your research paper, make sure that it’s legible. Therefore, whatever you write must make proper sense and should be free of any grammatical mistakes. Instead of using prolonged sentences, state your ideas in a very brief and to the point way and avoid excessive verbosity.
Steer clear of making any typos and spelling mistakes as they leave a pretty bad impression. To avoid all of it from happening, vigilantly proofread your document both manually and through checking tools. If you are not comfortable proofreading it yourself, you can ask a friend or someone else to do it for you.
Fortunately, there are some free tools available online that can check for grammar and punctuation errors for you. Here are the seven best tools that you can use in 2018. If you want to work only with one, choose either Grammarly or Ginger, they are the best.
4. Do Not Drift Away From the Topic
A lot of students tend to lose the plot while carrying out the research. This, in turn, results in a paper that contains very little about the topic in question. In some other instances, students deliberately deviate from the topic in order to just fill it up.
That’s the point where your extensive reading and research can save you. So, make sure that you stay true to the subject and search for only the relevant information.
5. Use Authentic Data
Make sure the facts that you are stating in your text are authentic. You must back all facts with proper evidence. Do not make up stuff on your own for the sake of completing the word count.
Moreover, do not state things that you have no knowledge of. Not only will you ruin your paper but also your reputation as a writer.
6. Say No to Plagiarism
If you genuinely want to become a great writer, plagiarism is a no-go zone.
In addition to being ethically wrong, it is also considered to be one of the most serious felonies a student can commit. That doesn’t mean you cannot refer to other authors’ work. You can take as many references as you like, but you have to form your own opinion on the basis of all the research you conduct. Also, you must cite the source of all the ideas, words, and images you take from someone else’s work.
7. Do Not Over-Quote
Make sure to use the appropriate number of quotes throughout your paper as a lot of situations call for them, and they look good as well. However, be wary of going overboard with quoting because it would only make your hard work look like a pile of lent words. Better is to quote someone else without using the direct phrase.
Instead, you should write the same idea in your own words. But, that does not mean that you associate it with your own work. You still need to attribute it to its authentic source.
8. Summarize
The abundance of information makes it hard to fit your paper in the allocated word count. Therefore, make sure to summarize your content without losing its main essence.
9. Proofread and Eliminate Unnecessary Information
As mentioned above as well, proofreading is an essential part of writing a research paper. Always make sure to thoroughly proofread your content and make all the necessary adjustments. Remove all the repeated or unwanted information. You can also check it through online tools to catch every single flaw.
By sticking to the tips mentioned above, you can always write a quality academic research paper on your own. But keep in mind, research writing takes time. If you don’t have time, try the research writing services instead of writing a research paper in hurry and losing marks.
