Your Teacher or Professor
It is crucial to take a step back and consider why your teacher or professor asked you to write this essay when you are composing a research paper for them. They are probably offering you a chance to learn something from them. Trial-and-error, making errors, and asking lots of questions are common learning processes. Ask your instructor as many questions as you want without being shy about doing so! But keep in mind to be considerate of them, their time, and their labour. It is crucial that you adhere to any instructions given by your teacher or professor, take ownership of your work rather than expecting them to complete it for you, and pay attention to any advice they may offer. When it comes to writing research papers, working with your teacher and asking for assistance are two essential but frequently misused resources. Utilize this assistance; it will improve your paper tremendously.
Academic Librarians
The research librarian is an additional resource that is frequently disregarded. Did you know that college and university libraries frequently include staff members whose job it is to help answer your inquiries in addition to the abundance of books and internet resources? It may sound simple, but take a moment to become enthusiastic about how much this could help you and your research paper. Research librarians are experts in research. These librarians typically have areas of expertise, so you can get focused assistance that is relevant to your subject. They can lead your research and writing in a certain direction or assist you find resources and experts in the area you’re researching.
Centers for writing
In addition to research librarians, writing centres are frequently found in college and university libraries. The professionals at the writing centre can assist you in actually writing your research paper, even though research librarians can offer more assistance with your research. Typically, you can arrange a face-to-face or online consultation with a tutor or teacher who will guide you through any stage of the writing process. If you need help coming up with how to discuss one of your main ideas in the middle of writing your paper, turning in your paper, or making sure it’s in nearly-perfect condition before it travels to your professor for a grade, you might want to stop by a writing centre. Many academics even give you extra credit for taking advantage of writing center services. Win-win!.
Wikipedia
As was already indicated in this book, you can conduct basic research using Wikipedia. However, your professor is unlikely to approve of you mentioning Wikipedia as a source for your research paper because its articles are open to editing by anybody and are not therefore entirely reliable. Therefore, avoid citing Wikipedia as a main source in your research work. The references section of a Wikipedia page is one of your best allies when it comes to creating research papers. Wikipedia articles link to their original sources, just like you should at the end of your research paper. The list of references can be used to locate books, journals, and other content that can assist you in finding trustworthy, pertinent primary sources for use in your research.
Academic Databases
You could be required by your teacher to use some or all scholarly papers that have undergone peer review as sources for your research report. You may have access to a variety of academic databases as a college student that you might utilise to find scholarly papers. Ask your lecturer or a research librarian for assistance if you’re unsure how to conduct a search for papers in an academic database. You will find it useful to have this ability, and you will quickly become adept at discovering reliable, engaging sources.
Grammarly
Grammarly is similar to a spell checker with superpowers. You can use this free Chrome plugin to modify your writing. You can put your essay into the Grammarly editor to receive simple-to-implement spelling and punctuation recommendations. Check out Grammarly Premium or Grammarly for Microsoft Office if you need more assistance or want to use the programme without leaving Microsoft Office. However, it’s crucial to keep in mind that this software is a machine and thus doesn’t always grasp your writing while using it (or any spelling or grammar checker!). To ensure that the software is correcting errors or enhancing sentences, you must carefully review each suggestion it makes and make sure it does not change what you intended to say. Having said that, Grammarly is excellent at spotting errors and offers clear explanations of spelling and grammar corrections so you may edit your research paper with confidence.
The Elements of Style — William Strunk Jr. and E.B. White
It’s possible that most people no longer use style guidelines. Although you have probably used a spell checker or Googled the appropriate place for a comma, you might not have ever opened a style manual. The Elements of Style, on the other hand, contains useful tips and knowledge regarding writing. Getting a copy of this book could be just what you need if you need advice on how to revise your paper. The book is divided into various sections, some of which provide detailed grammar and writing definitions, while others just offer basic writing guidance. Even if you don’t study The Elements of Style, Rule #17—”Omit superfluous words”—is still important to know. This will help you write a research paper that your professor will like reading (and marking, if necessary) if you keep it in mind while you revise it.
Style Guides (MLA, APA, Chicago, etc.)
The reason we keep repeating this is because it’s important: understand the requirements of your research paper assignment. When it comes to formatting your paper, this is particularly critical. There are numerous formatting options, and each one has unique requirements. The top three are Chicago, APA, and MLA. You were probably given instructions on which style to employ by your instructor, but if not, you can inquire as to their preference. Each style has its own requirements for headers, page numbers, and the list of sources you attach at the conclusion of your work. If you don’t follow the instructions for your research paper’s style, many teachers will deduct points from your mark; other teachers might not accept the work at all. Whatever style you are using, you can learn more about it via a style guide or the Purdue OWL.
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