A research paper should be a substantial academic paper you write to fulfill the academic requirements of performing independent research on a topic and write the descriptions within a specified format.

Your research paper should have a significant amount of data that you find after an in-depth research. The arguments you make are thesis based on vital evidence from various reliable sources. Every student wants to get the best grades. You can attain top grades in your class by following these steps to prepare your research paper.

Select a suitable topic

If your class instructors allow the freedom to choose the topic, it is helpful if you can choose a topic from something you have an interest in exploring. An issue that does not arouse your interest might not inspire you to conduct thorough research which is necessary for grades. Refrain from the mistake of choosing a very general subject as it is likely to have a wealth of resources that make it difficult to define the most authoritative. You should also avoid a topic with minimal resources as you will have a hard time to find enough evidence.

Perform in-depth research

As the name research paper implies, it requires you to explore widely. A library is a great place to dig for information. It has many possible references from countless books, journals, published articles, etc. Find the section of the library without distractions.

It is essential to familiarize yourself with available services and location of potential for quick research. You should ask librarians to help you identify the location of materials where you can find most productive resources. Library research is their specialty, and their insight will help you even during future research work. Most libraries also have free internet access hence you can find numerous online sources.

The Internet is a precious resource with many legitimate scholarly articles, but it is essential to cross-check facts by visiting alternative websites and reference books.

Write down proper notes

Go through the information you got carefully, identify the content that contributes most to your research and write it down. It prevents your research from having useless statistics and facts. You can color code the notes by topic highlighting essential details for you to find specific topics easily after that. Keep track of the information you uncover during research in notebook or index cards. You may also photocopy content on long articles and pages as jotting it down will take much time and highlight the sections you will use when writing the research paper. Remember to note down the bibliographical information as well when taking notes as you need to include it in your paper.

Prepare an excellent outline

At this point, you are ready to write an outline, the plan that guides you in organizing your thoughts and arguments.

After conducting in-depth research, it is necessary for you to go through your notes and determine where the topic and supporting information fit best. You do not have to fit the relating points into sentences as this is the brainstorming part hence. You should establish the statistics and facts that fit into the introduction, middle or the conclusion of the research paper. It might take time, but it is a crucial step in helping you to lay a foundation for the final paper. Arrange them into these sections:

• Paper title

• Thesis statement

• Main points and argument in Roman numerals (I, II, etc.)

• Support for major points in capital Arabic letters (A, B, C, etc.)

Write the first draft using clear, understandable statements

After finishing the outline, you can start writing your first draft. Unlike the outline which is in summary form, you can structure the content into sentences and paragraphs. Add more life to your writing for readers to better understand the points you are making. If you find that some information is lacking, carry out additional research to support the affected parts. You may take a break the meticulously go through the draft to determine the areas that require amendments. Rewrite the drafts until you feel that the paper is perfect.

Write and edit the final draft

When you feel that the draft is right with all the essential information and sources, start drafting the final paper. Before submitting it to your faculty, it is necessary to proofread it. Edit any typos, spelling and grammatical errors. You should also ensure that all sources are on the bibliography page. Read your final draft several times doing the final adjustments until you are sure that it meets the requirement of your professor.