{"id":3038,"date":"2026-06-09T00:47:34","date_gmt":"2026-06-09T00:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/?p=3038"},"modified":"2026-06-09T09:47:47","modified_gmt":"2026-06-09T09:47:47","slug":"steps-in-writing-a-research-paper","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Research Paper: Steps, Tips, Examples (2026 Guide)"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_68 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title \" >Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Glossary_of_Key_Terms\" title=\"Glossary of Key Terms\">Glossary of Key Terms<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_1_Understand_Your_Assignment_and_Define_Your_Scope\" title=\"Step 1: Understand Your Assignment and Define Your Scope\">Step 1: Understand Your Assignment and Define Your Scope<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#What_to_check_before_you_start\" title=\"What to check before you start\">What to check before you start<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Scope_by_paper_length\" title=\"Scope by paper length\">Scope by paper length<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_2_Choose_Your_Topic\" title=\"Step 2: Choose Your Topic\">Step 2: Choose Your Topic<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Criteria_for_a_strong_research_topic\" title=\"Criteria for a strong research topic\">Criteria for a strong research topic<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Discipline-specific_examples_of_topic_narrowing\" title=\"Discipline-specific examples of topic narrowing\">Discipline-specific examples of topic narrowing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Techniques_for_generating_topic_ideas\" title=\"Techniques for generating topic ideas\">Techniques for generating topic ideas<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_3_Conduct_a_Literature_Review\" title=\"Step 3: Conduct a Literature Review\">Step 3: Conduct a Literature Review<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#What_a_literature_review_should_do\" title=\"What a literature review should do\">What a literature review should do<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-11\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Where_to_search_for_sources\" title=\"Where to search for sources\">Where to search for sources<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-12\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Primary_vs_secondary_sources\" title=\"Primary vs secondary sources\">Primary vs secondary sources<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-13\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Efficient_reading_strategy\" title=\"Efficient reading strategy\">Efficient reading strategy<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-14\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_4_Develop_a_Thesis_Statement\" title=\"Step 4: Develop a Thesis Statement\">Step 4: Develop a Thesis Statement<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-15\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Characteristics_of_a_strong_thesis_statement\" title=\"Characteristics of a strong thesis statement\">Characteristics of a strong thesis statement<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-16\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Formula\" title=\"Formula\">Formula<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-17\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Discipline-specific_thesis_examples\" title=\"Discipline-specific thesis examples\">Discipline-specific thesis examples<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-18\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_5_Build_a_Research_Paper_Outline\" title=\"Step 5: Build a Research Paper Outline\">Step 5: Build a Research Paper Outline<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-19\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Standard_IMRaD_structure\" title=\"Standard IMRaD structure\">Standard IMRaD structure<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-20\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Non-IMRaD_structure_humanities_and_social_sciences\" title=\"Non-IMRaD structure (humanities and social sciences)\">Non-IMRaD structure (humanities and social sciences)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-21\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#How_to_build_your_outline\" title=\"How to build your outline\">How to build your outline<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-22\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_6_Write_a_Compelling_Title\" title=\"Step 6: Write a Compelling Title\">Step 6: Write a Compelling Title<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-23\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Title_writing_principles\" title=\"Title writing principles\">Title writing principles<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-24\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Title_formats\" title=\"Title formats\">Title formats<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-25\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_7_Write_the_First_Draft\" title=\"Step 7: Write the First Draft\">Step 7: Write the First Draft<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-26\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Writing_the_introduction\" title=\"Writing the introduction\">Writing the introduction<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-27\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Writing_the_body\" title=\"Writing the body\">Writing the body<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-28\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Writing_the_conclusion\" title=\"Writing the conclusion\">Writing the conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-29\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_8_Follow_Journal_and_Formatting_Guidelines\" title=\"Step 8: Follow Journal and Formatting Guidelines\">Step 8: Follow Journal and Formatting Guidelines<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-30\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Pre-submission_checklist\" title=\"Pre-submission checklist\">Pre-submission checklist<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-31\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Common_citation_styles_at_a_glance\" title=\"Common citation styles at a glance\">Common citation styles at a glance<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-32\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_9_Edit_Revise_and_Proofread\" title=\"Step 9: Edit, Revise, and Proofread\">Step 9: Edit, Revise, and Proofread<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-33\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Two-pass_editing_strategy\" title=\"Two-pass editing strategy\">Two-pass editing strategy<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-4' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-34\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Pass_1_Structural_edit\" title=\"Pass 1: Structural edit:\">Pass 1: Structural edit:<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-4'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-35\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Pass_2_Line_edit\" title=\"Pass 2: Line edit:\">Pass 2: Line edit:<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-36\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Common_language_pitfalls\" title=\"Common language pitfalls\">Common language pitfalls<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-37\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Step_10_Check_for_Plagiarism\" title=\"Step 10: Check for Plagiarism\">Step 10: Check for Plagiarism<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-38\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Types_of_plagiarism\" title=\"Types of plagiarism\">Types of plagiarism<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-39\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Best_practice\" title=\"Best practice\">Best practice<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-40\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Frequently_Asked_Questions\" title=\"Frequently Asked Questions\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-41\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#How_long_should_a_research_paper_be\" title=\"How long should a research paper be?\">How long should a research paper be?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-42\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Can_I_write_the_introduction_last\" title=\"Can I write the introduction last?\">Can I write the introduction last?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-43\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#How_many_sources_do_I_need\" title=\"How many sources do I need?\">How many sources do I need?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-44\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#What_is_the_difference_between_a_research_paper_and_a_literature_review\" title=\"What is the difference between a research paper and a literature review?\">What is the difference between a research paper and a literature review?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-45\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Do_I_need_an_abstract_for_a_course_paper\" title=\"Do I need an abstract for a course paper?\">Do I need an abstract for a course paper?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-46\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#My_topic_has_been_%E2%80%9Cdone_before%E2%80%9D_is_it_still_worth_writing_about\" title=\"My topic has been &#8220;done before&#8221;; is it still worth writing about?\">My topic has been &#8220;done before&#8221;; is it still worth writing about?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-47\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#How_do_I_know_if_a_source_is_credible\" title=\"How do I know if a source is credible?\">How do I know if a source is credible?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-48\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Can_I_cite_Wikipedia_in_a_research_paper\" title=\"Can I cite Wikipedia in a research paper?\">Can I cite Wikipedia in a research paper?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-49\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#How_do_I_avoid_confirmation_bias_in_my_literature_search\" title=\"How do I avoid confirmation bias in my literature search?\">How do I avoid confirmation bias in my literature search?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-50\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#My_paper_was_desk-rejected_What_should_I_do\" title=\"My paper was desk-rejected. What should I do?\">My paper was desk-rejected. What should I do?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-51\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Can_I_use_AI_to_write_a_research_paper\" title=\"Can I use AI to write a research paper?\">Can I use AI to write a research paper?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-52\" href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/steps-in-writing-a-research-paper\/#Quick-Reference_Checklist\" title=\"Quick-Reference Checklist\">Quick-Reference Checklist<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Glossary_of_Key_Terms\"><\/span>Glossary of Key Terms<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Term<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Definition<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Abstract<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A concise summary (150\u2013300 words) of the paper&#8217;s purpose, methods, findings, and conclusions<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/the-thesis-statement-guide-how-to-write-a-thesis-statement-for-research-paper\">Thesis statement<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A single sentence stating the paper&#8217;s central argument or claim<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/what-is-literature-review-definition-types-and-examples\/\">Literature review<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A critical survey of existing research relevant to your topic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/tips-for-writing-the-perfect-imrad-manuscript\">IMRaD<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>The standard structure for scientific papers: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Primary source<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>First-hand data or original material (e.g., raw data, published experiments, interviews)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Secondary source<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Analysis or interpretation of primary sources (e.g., review articles, textbook chapters)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/understanding-the-peer-review-process-a-step-by-step-guide-for-researchers\">Peer review<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Evaluation of a manuscript by independent subject-matter experts before publication<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/what-is-citation-and-when-do-you-need-to-cite-your-sources\/\">Citation style<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>A standardised format for referencing sources: common styles include <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cheat-sheet-american-psychological-association-manual-of-style\">APA<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/mla-formatting-style-guide-for-research-papers\">MLA<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/chicago-citation-formatting-style-guide\">Chicago<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/types-of-plagiarism-in-research-papers-examples-of-academic-plagiarism\">Plagiarism<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Using another person&#8217;s ideas, words, or data without proper attribution<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Self-plagiarism<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Re-using your own previously published material without citing the original source<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/handling-desk-rejections\">Desk rejection<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>When an editor rejects a manuscript before sending it for peer review<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Keywords<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Terms that describe the paper&#8217;s content, used by databases to index and retrieve articles<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_1_Understand_Your_Assignment_and_Define_Your_Scope\"><\/span>Step 1: Understand Your Assignment and Define Your Scope<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The single most common mistake early researchers make is beginning to write before fully understanding what is expected of them.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_to_check_before_you_start\"><\/span>What to check before you start<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Type of paper<\/strong>: Is this an argumentative essay, an empirical study, a literature review, or a report?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Word limit<\/strong>: This determines how broad or narrow your topic can be<\/li>\n<li><strong>Formatting requirements<\/strong>: Font, spacing, heading style, margin size<\/li>\n<li><strong>Citation style<\/strong>: APA, MLA, Chicago, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/5-tips-to-get-vancouver-reference-format-right\">Vancouver<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/ieee-citation-style-references-to-different-works-in-ieee-format\">IEEE<\/a>, or Harvard?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Submission method<\/strong>: Institutional portal, journal submission system, or email?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Deadline<\/strong>: Work backward and assign time for research, drafting, editing, and plagiarism checking<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Scope_by_paper_length\"><\/span>Scope by paper length<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Word count<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Appropriate scope<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>2,000\u20133,000<\/td>\n<td>One specific aspect of a topic<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>4,000\u20136,000<\/td>\n<td>A focused research question with multiple supporting arguments<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>8,000\u201312,000<\/td>\n<td>A full study, including methodology and literature review<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>15,000+<\/td>\n<td>Thesis or dissertation chapter<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_2_Choose_Your_Topic\"><\/span>Step 2: Choose Your Topic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A good topic is the foundation of a good paper. It should be specific enough to allow deep coverage, broad enough to have sufficient source material, and ideally something that genuinely interests you.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Criteria_for_a_strong_research_topic\"><\/span>Criteria for a strong research topic<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Original<\/strong>: Does it add something new to existing knowledge or debate?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Feasible<\/strong>: Can you access the data, sources, or participants required?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Relevant<\/strong>: Does it align with your field and assignment brief?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Focused<\/strong>: Is it narrow enough to be covered within your word limit?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Discipline-specific_examples_of_topic_narrowing\"><\/span>Discipline-specific examples of topic narrowing<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Discipline<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Broad topic<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Focused research topic<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Medicine<\/td>\n<td>Cancer treatment<\/td>\n<td>Efficacy of immunotherapy in stage III non-small cell lung cancer<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Economics<\/td>\n<td>Inflation<\/td>\n<td>Impact of supply-chain disruptions on consumer price inflation in post-COVID India<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Literature<\/td>\n<td>Shakespeare<\/td>\n<td>Gender performativity in <em>Twelfth Night<\/em> as a precursor to modern queer theory<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Computer Science<\/td>\n<td>Machine learning<\/td>\n<td>Bias in facial recognition models trained on racially homogenous datasets<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Psychology<\/td>\n<td>Social media<\/td>\n<td>Association between passive Instagram consumption and depressive symptoms in adolescents<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>History<\/td>\n<td>World War II<\/td>\n<td>Civilian resistance networks in occupied Denmark, 1940\u20131945<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Techniques_for_generating_topic_ideas\"><\/span>Techniques for generating topic ideas<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Free writing<\/strong>: Write continuously for five minutes on a broad subject; patterns will emerge<\/li>\n<li><strong>Scan reference lists<\/strong>: Papers you admire often contain suggestions for future research in their Discussion or Conclusion sections<\/li>\n<li><strong>Check recent literature<\/strong>: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/dont-know-where-to-start-6-tips-on-identifying-research-gaps\">Gaps in current knowledge<\/a> are highly publishable<\/li>\n<li><strong>Talk to your supervisor or librarian<\/strong>: Both are underused resources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_3_Conduct_a_Literature_Review\"><\/span>Step 3: Conduct a Literature Review<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>A literature review is not simply a summary of what others have written. It is a critical evaluation of existing knowledge that establishes the context for your own contribution.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_a_literature_review_should_do\"><\/span>What a literature review should do<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Identify what is already known about your topic<\/li>\n<li>Highlight gaps, contradictions, or debates in the existing literature<\/li>\n<li>Justify why your paper is necessary<\/li>\n<li>Demonstrate that you have engaged with authoritative sources<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Where_to_search_for_sources\"><\/span>Where to search for sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Database<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Best for<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>PubMed \/ MEDLINE<\/td>\n<td>Medicine, biology, health sciences<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Scopus<\/td>\n<td>Cross-disciplinary; peer-reviewed only<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Web of Science<\/td>\n<td>High-impact scientific journals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>JSTOR<\/td>\n<td>Humanities, social sciences, arts<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Google Scholar<\/td>\n<td>General; broad coverage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>IEEE Xplore<\/td>\n<td>Engineering, computer science<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>SSRN<\/td>\n<td>Economics, law, social sciences (preprints included)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Primary_vs_secondary_sources\"><\/span>Primary vs secondary sources<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Source type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>What it is<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Primary<\/td>\n<td>Original research or first-hand account<\/td>\n<td>A randomised controlled trial published in NEJM<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Secondary<\/td>\n<td>Analysis or synthesis of primary sources<\/td>\n<td>A systematic review citing multiple RCTs<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Tertiary<\/td>\n<td>Compilations of secondary sources<\/td>\n<td>Textbooks, encyclopaedias<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>Annotated example (Medicine):<\/strong> Instead of simply citing a review article on antibiotic resistance, note what it contributes: <em>Smith et al. (2022) systematically reviewed 47 studies and found that overuse of broad-spectrum antibiotics in outpatient settings correlated with a 34% increase in resistance rates: a finding directly relevant to this paper&#8217;s focus on primary care prescribing behaviour.<\/em><\/p>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Efficient_reading_strategy\"><\/span>Efficient reading strategy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<p>Do not read every source in full during the initial survey. Instead, speed up your <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/from-library-shelves-to-ai-the-transformation-of-literature-search\">search of the literature<\/a> as follows:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Read the <strong>title and abstract<\/strong> to assess relevance<\/li>\n<li>Skim the <strong>introduction and conclusion<\/strong> for key claims<\/li>\n<li>Read <strong>methods and results<\/strong> in full only for the most relevant papers<\/li>\n<li>Keep a reference manager (Zotero, Mendeley, or EndNote) updated as you go<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_4_Develop_a_Thesis_Statement\"><\/span>Step 4: Develop a Thesis Statement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Your thesis statement is the spine of your paper. Everything you write should either support or develop it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Characteristics_of_a_strong_thesis_statement\"><\/span>Characteristics of a strong thesis statement<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Specific<\/strong>: Not &#8220;social media is harmful&#8221; but &#8220;daily Instagram use exceeding 90 minutes is associated with increased anxiety scores in adolescent girls aged 13\u201317&#8221;<\/li>\n<li><strong>Arguable<\/strong>: It makes a claim that requires evidence and can be challenged<\/li>\n<li><strong>Answerable<\/strong>: It responds directly to your research question<\/li>\n<li><strong>Concise<\/strong>: One or two sentences maximum<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Formula\"><\/span>Formula<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p><strong>[Subject]<\/strong> + <strong>[specific claim or finding]<\/strong> + <strong>[reason or method]<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Weak:<\/strong> This paper discusses the effects of climate change on agriculture.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Strong:<\/strong> Prolonged drought cycles resulting from climate change have reduced wheat yields in sub-Saharan Africa by an estimated 15\u201320% since 2000, disproportionately threatening food security in smallholder farming communities.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Discipline-specific_thesis_examples\"><\/span>Discipline-specific thesis examples<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Discipline<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Example thesis<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Sociology<\/td>\n<td>Gig economy employment models systematically undermine worker bargaining power by reclassifying employees as independent contractors, bypassing minimum wage and benefits legislation.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Environmental Science<\/td>\n<td>Microplastic concentrations in the Indian Ocean have increased threefold between 2010 and 2023, primarily driven by single-use packaging waste from South and Southeast Asian coastal cities.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>History<\/td>\n<td>The Meiji Restoration succeeded where previous reform attempts had failed because it co-opted existing elite power structures rather than dismantling them.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_5_Build_a_Research_Paper_Outline\"><\/span>Step 5: Build a Research Paper Outline<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>An outline is a planning tool, not a straitjacket. It saves enormous time during drafting and prevents structural problems that are costly to fix later.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Standard_IMRaD_structure\"><\/span>Standard IMRaD structure<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Section<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Purpose<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Typical length (% of paper)<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Title<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Communicate the subject; maximise discoverability<\/td>\n<td>\u00a05-15 words is conventional<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/a-10-step-guide-to-make-your-research-paper-abstract-more-effective\">Abstract<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Summarise problem, method, findings, implications<\/td>\n<td>3\u20135%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/4-step-approach-to-writing-the-introduction-section-of-a-research-paper\">Introduction<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Context, gap in knowledge, thesis, paper map<\/td>\n<td>10\u201315%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Literature Review<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Critical survey of existing work<\/td>\n<td>15\u201320%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-write-the-methods-section-of-a-research-paper\">Methods\/Materials and Methods<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>How the research was conducted<\/td>\n<td>15\u201320%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-write-the-results-section\">Results<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>What the data shows (without interpretation)<\/td>\n<td>15\u201320%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/six-steps-to-write-an-effective-discussion\">Discussion<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Interpretation, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/5-ways-you-can-highlight-the-implications-of-your-research\">implications<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/5-tips-for-discussing-your-research-limitations\">limitations<\/a><\/td>\n<td>20\u201325%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-write-the-conclusion-section-of-your-research-paper\">Conclusion<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Summary of findings, future directions<\/td>\n<td>5\u201310%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>References<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Full bibliographic details of all cited sources<\/td>\n<td>\u2014<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Non-IMRaD_structure_humanities_and_social_sciences\"><\/span>Non-IMRaD structure (humanities and social sciences)<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Introduction + thesis<\/li>\n<li>Thematic or chronological body sections<\/li>\n<li>Counterargument and rebuttal<\/li>\n<li>Conclusion<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_build_your_outline\"><\/span>How to build your outline<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ol>\n<li>List your main arguments or findings as Roman numerals (I, II, III\u2026)<\/li>\n<li>Under each, list supporting evidence or sub-points (A, B, C\u2026)<\/li>\n<li>Note the specific sources you plan to cite against each point<\/li>\n<li>Flag any sections where you need more research before writing<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_6_Write_a_Compelling_Title\"><\/span>Step 6: Write a Compelling Title<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Your title is the most-read part of your paper. It determines whether researchers find it in database searches and whether they click through to read it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Title_writing_principles\"><\/span>Title writing principles<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Principle<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Poor example<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Improved example<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Be specific<\/td>\n<td>A study on bacteria<\/td>\n<td>Antibiotic resistance in <em>E. coli<\/em> isolates from Malaysian hospital settings, 2019\u20132024<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Include keywords<\/td>\n<td>Research on memory<\/td>\n<td>Working memory deficits as predictors of academic underperformance in primary school children<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Declare findings where possible<\/td>\n<td>The role of diet in heart disease<\/td>\n<td>Mediterranean diet adherence reduces cardiovascular mortality risk by 28%: a 10-year cohort study<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Avoid full stops<\/td>\n<td>The effects of sleep deprivation.<\/td>\n<td>The effects of sleep deprivation on cognitive performance: a systematic review<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Title_formats\"><\/span>Title formats<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Declarative<\/strong>: States the finding directly: <em>Mediterranean diet adherence reduces cardiovascular risk by 28%<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Descriptive<\/strong>: Describes the study: <em>The effects of intermittent fasting on insulin sensitivity: a randomised trial<\/em><\/li>\n<li><strong>Interrogative<\/strong>: Poses a question: <em>Does early bilingual education improve long-term cognitive flexibility?<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_7_Write_the_First_Draft\"><\/span>Step 7: Write the First Draft<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Writing_the_introduction\"><\/span>Writing the introduction<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A strong introduction answers three questions in sequence:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>What?<\/strong>: What is the topic and why does it matter?<\/li>\n<li><strong>Why?<\/strong>: What gap in knowledge does this paper address?<\/li>\n<li><strong>How?<\/strong>: What is the thesis and how will it be argued?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Annotated example (Computer Science):<\/strong> <em>&#8220;Facial recognition systems are now embedded in border control, policing, and banking applications globally (What). However, studies have demonstrated error rates up to 34% higher for darker-skinned female faces compared to lighter-skinned male faces, a disparity that has received limited attention in production-system design (Why). This paper examines bias propagation in commercially deployed recognition models and argues that racially homogenous training datasets are the primary driver of differential error rates (How\/Thesis).&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Writing_the_body\"><\/span>Writing the body<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Each paragraph should advance one argument or piece of evidence<\/li>\n<li>Open each paragraph with a topic sentence that connects to the thesis<\/li>\n<li>Support every claim with evidence: data, citations, examples<\/li>\n<li>Use transition sentences to link paragraphs: the final sentence of one paragraph should lead into the next<\/li>\n<li>Integrate tables, figures, and graphs to communicate quantitative findings; every visual must have a caption and be referenced in the text<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Writing_the_conclusion\"><\/span>Writing the conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Do<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Don&#8217;t<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Restate your thesis in light of the evidence<\/td>\n<td>Simply repeat the introduction<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Explain the broader implications of your findings<\/td>\n<td>Introduce new arguments or evidence<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Suggest directions for future research<\/td>\n<td>Use &#8220;In conclusion\u2026&#8221; as a crutch<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Acknowledge limitations honestly<\/td>\n<td>Overstate your findings<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_8_Follow_Journal_and_Formatting_Guidelines\"><\/span>Step 8: Follow Journal and Formatting Guidelines<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If you are submitting to a journal, treat its author guidelines as mandatory. Manuscripts are frequently desk-rejected not for poor science but for non-compliance with basic formatting requirements.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pre-submission_checklist\"><\/span>Pre-submission checklist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Word count within the specified range<\/li>\n<li>Citation style matches journal requirements<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-use-figures-in-a-research-paper-and-why-they-are-important\">Figures<\/a> and tables formatted to journal specifications<\/li>\n<li>Abstract length and structure matches the required format<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/how-to-write-cover-letter\/\">Cover letter<\/a> prepared with key contributions stated<\/li>\n<li>Author affiliations, ORCIDs, and <a href=\"editage.com\/insights\/disclosure-of-conflicts-of-interest-what-do-journals-expect-from-authors\">conflict-of-interest statements<\/a> included<\/li>\n<li>Keywords selected from the journal&#8217;s approved list (where applicable)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_citation_styles_at_a_glance\"><\/span>Common citation styles at a glance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Style<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Primary use<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>In-text format<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/cheat-sheet-american-psychological-association-manual-of-style\">APA7<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Social sciences, psychology, education<\/td>\n<td>(Author, Year)<\/td>\n<td>(Fernandes, 2023)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/mla-formatting-style-guide-for-research-papers\">MLA 9<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Humanities, literature<\/td>\n<td>(Author Page)<\/td>\n<td>(Fernandes 47)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/chicago-citation-formatting-style-guide\">Chicago<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>History, arts, some social sciences<\/td>\n<td>Footnotes or (Author Year)<\/td>\n<td>\u00b9 or Fernandes (2023)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/5-tips-to-get-vancouver-reference-format-right\">Vancouver<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Medicine, life sciences<\/td>\n<td>[Number]<\/td>\n<td>[1]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/ieee-citation-style-references-to-different-works-in-ieee-format\">IEEE<\/a><\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Engineering, computer science<\/td>\n<td>[Number]<\/td>\n<td>[1]<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_9_Edit_Revise_and_Proofread\"><\/span>Step 9: Edit, Revise, and Proofread<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Editing is a separate skill from writing. Allow at least 24 hours between finishing a draft and beginning to edit.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Two-pass_editing_strategy\"><\/span>Two-pass editing strategy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pass_1_Structural_edit\"><\/span>Pass 1: Structural edit:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Does the paper answer the research question?<\/li>\n<li>Is the argument logically sequenced?<\/li>\n<li>Are there paragraphs that overlap or contradict each other?<\/li>\n<li>Does the conclusion follow from the evidence in the body?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h4><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pass_2_Line_edit\"><\/span>Pass 2: Line edit:<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li>Cut every word that is not carrying weight<\/li>\n<li>Replace passive voice with active voice where possible<\/li>\n<li>Check consistency: tense, capitalisation, hyphenation, abbreviation use<\/li>\n<li>Verify every in-text citation has a corresponding reference list entry<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Before:<\/strong> <em>&#8220;Brain injury incidence shows two peaks: the rates are the highest in the very young and the elderly.&#8221;<\/em> <strong>After:<\/strong> <em>&#8220;Brain injury incidence peaks in the very young and the elderly.&#8221;<\/em><\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Common_language_pitfalls\"><\/span>Common language pitfalls<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Weak phrasing<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Stronger alternative<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>&#8220;It can be seen that\u2026&#8221;<\/td>\n<td>State the finding directly<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>&#8220;Due to the fact that\u2026&#8221;<\/td>\n<td>&#8220;Because&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>&#8220;In order to\u2026&#8221;<\/td>\n<td>&#8220;To&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>&#8220;Conducted a study on&#8221;<\/td>\n<td>&#8220;Studied&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>&#8220;A large number of&#8221;<\/td>\n<td>&#8220;Many&#8221;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>You can also check out our resources on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/the-secret-to-using-tenses-in-scientific-writing\">right tense to use in scientific writing<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/how-to-effectively-use-active-and-passive-voice-in-research-writing\">whether to use active or passive voice<\/a>, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/types-of-sentence-structures-in-academic-writing\/\">tips on sentence structure<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Step_10_Check_for_Plagiarism\"><\/span>Step 10: Check for Plagiarism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Plagiarism (intentional or accidental) can result in a failed grade, failed course, rejection, retraction, and lasting reputational damage.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Types_of_plagiarism\"><\/span>Types of plagiarism<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Type<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Description<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Direct<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Copying text verbatim without quotation marks or citation<\/td>\n<td>Lifting sentences from a paper without attribution<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Paraphrase<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Rewording someone else&#8217;s ideas without citation<\/td>\n<td>Changing a few words but not crediting the source<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Self-plagiarism<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Re-using your own published work without citing it<\/td>\n<td>Submitting the same results section to two journals<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Mosaic<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Mixing your own text with uncited borrowed phrases<\/td>\n<td>Patching together text from multiple sources<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Accidental<\/strong><\/td>\n<td>Failing to cite a source due to oversight<\/td>\n<td>Forgetting to add a reference for a paraphrase<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Best_practice\"><\/span>Best practice<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Use a plagiarism checker (such as the <a href=\"https:\/\/paperpal.com\/tools\/plagiarism-checker\">free checker from Paperpal<\/a>) before submission<\/li>\n<li>Keep meticulous notes during research, always recording source details<\/li>\n<li>When paraphrasing, close the source document, write from memory, then verify accuracy<\/li>\n<li>When in doubt, cite<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Frequently_Asked_Questions\"><\/span>Frequently Asked Questions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_long_should_a_research_paper_be\"><\/span>How long should a research paper be?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Length is determined by the assignment or journal. Typical undergraduate papers run 2,000\u20135,000 words; master&#8217;s dissertations 10,000\u201320,000 words; journal articles 4,000\u20138,000 words. Always check your specific guidelines first. The guiding principle: as long as the argument requires, no longer.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_write_the_introduction_last\"><\/span>Can I write the introduction last?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Yes,many experienced researchers do exactly this. The introduction frames what follows, but you often cannot frame it precisely until you know what the paper actually says. Writing the body first and returning to the introduction is a legitimate and widely recommended strategy.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_many_sources_do_I_need\"><\/span>How many sources do I need?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>There is no universal rule, but a rough benchmark: 8\u201315 sources for a 3,000-word undergraduate paper; 30\u201350+ for a master&#8217;s thesis; 50\u2013100+ for a doctoral dissertation or standalone literature review submitted to a journal. Quality and relevance matter far more than quantity.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_is_the_difference_between_a_research_paper_and_a_literature_review\"><\/span>What is the difference between a research paper and a literature review?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A research paper presents original findings: data you collected, an argument you constructed, or an analysis you conducted. A literature review synthesises what other researchers have already published. Many research papers contain a literature review section, but the two are distinct document types.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Do_I_need_an_abstract_for_a_course_paper\"><\/span>Do I need an abstract for a course paper?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Check your assignment brief. Many undergraduate papers do not require an abstract, but journal submissions always do. If your paper is 3,000+ words and may reach an external audience, an abstract is good practice: it helps readers decide whether the paper is relevant to them.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_topic_has_been_%E2%80%9Cdone_before%E2%80%9D_is_it_still_worth_writing_about\"><\/span>My topic has been &#8220;done before&#8221;; is it still worth writing about?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Almost certainly yes. Replication with a different population, time period, methodology, or dataset is valuable scholarship. What matters is that your paper makes a distinct contribution. Confirming or updating an existing finding has real academic value; state explicitly in your introduction how your paper adds to or departs from prior work.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_know_if_a_source_is_credible\"><\/span>How do I know if a source is credible?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Apply the SIFT test: <strong>Stop<\/strong> before citing; <strong>Investigate<\/strong> the source (author credentials, publisher reputation, peer-review status); <strong>Find<\/strong> corroborating sources; <strong>Trace<\/strong> claims back to the original. Prefer peer-reviewed journals over news articles, government or institutional data over blogs, and recent publications for fast-moving fields.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_cite_Wikipedia_in_a_research_paper\"><\/span>Can I cite Wikipedia in a research paper?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Not as a primary citation, but as a starting point. Wikipedia articles often link to primary sources in their footnotes: follow those links and cite the original. Wikipedia is not peer-reviewed and edits continuously, making it unsuitable as a scholarly reference in most academic and all journal contexts.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_do_I_avoid_confirmation_bias_in_my_literature_search\"><\/span>How do I avoid confirmation bias in my literature search?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Actively search for studies that contradict your hypothesis. Use search terms like &#8220;critique of [your topic]&#8221;, &#8220;limitations of [your method]&#8221;, or &#8220;contrary evidence [your field]&#8221;. A paper that engages seriously with opposing evidence is more convincing: and more publishable: than one that only supports its thesis.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"My_paper_was_desk-rejected_What_should_I_do\"><\/span>My paper was desk-rejected. What should I do?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>A desk rejection means the editor decided not to send the paper for peer review. Common reasons include: the topic falls outside the journal&#8217;s scope, the manuscript does not meet formatting requirements, the contribution is insufficiently novel, or there are significant methodological flaws. Read the rejection note carefully, revise accordingly or target a better-matched journal, and resubmit. Desk rejection affects approximately 21% of all submissions to major journals: it is not a verdict on the quality of your research. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/services\/desk-rejection-shield\">desk rejection shield<\/a> service can also help you fix avoidable issues that lead to desk rejection, prior to submission.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Can_I_use_AI_to_write_a_research_paper\"><\/span>Can I use AI to write a research paper?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>You can use AI academic writing assistants like <a href=\"https:\/\/paperpal.com\/\">Paperpal<\/a> to help you with outlines, turn rough notes into drafts, and to polish language, tone, and formatting. However, you should not use an entire paper generated by AI; that is considered unethical. Remember that free AI tools like ChatGPT are prone to hallucinations: they can completely fabricate data and citations. Go by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/insights\/the-icmje-recommendations-on-ai-advice-for-authors-and-peer-reviewers\">ICMJE guidelines on AI usage in research papers<\/a> or by your institute\u2019s policies.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quick-Reference_Checklist\"><\/span>Quick-Reference Checklist<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<table>\n<thead>\n<tr>\n<td><strong>Stage<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Task<\/strong><\/td>\n<td><strong>Done?<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td>Planning<\/td>\n<td>Understood assignment requirements<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Planning<\/td>\n<td>Selected and narrowed topic<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Research<\/td>\n<td>Conducted literature review<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Research<\/td>\n<td>Identified primary and secondary sources<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Drafting<\/td>\n<td>Developed thesis statement<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Drafting<\/td>\n<td>Built paper outline<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Drafting<\/td>\n<td>Wrote first draft<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Formatting<\/td>\n<td>Applied correct citation style<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Formatting<\/td>\n<td>Followed journal\/assignment guidelines<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Editing<\/td>\n<td>Completed structural edit<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Editing<\/td>\n<td>Completed line edit and proofreading<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Submission<\/td>\n<td>Ran plagiarism check<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>Submission<\/td>\n<td>Prepared cover letter (if required)<\/td>\n<td>\u2610<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><em>This article was originally published on September 21, 2022, and updated on June 9, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Glossary of Key Terms Term Definition Abstract A concise summary (150\u2013300 words) of the paper&#8217;s purpose, methods, findings, and conclusions Thesis statement A single sentence<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":3039,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_editorskit_title_hidden":false,"_editorskit_reading_time":0,"_editorskit_is_block_options_detached":false,"_editorskit_block_options_position":"{}","footnotes":""},"categories":[488,1],"tags":[222,223],"class_list":["post-3038","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-writing","category-researcher-life","tag-how-to-write-a-research-paper","tag-writing-a-research-paper"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to Write a Research Paper: Steps, Tips, Examples (2026 Guide)<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" 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