Research articles can be intimidating to write. We understand. But they are also pieces that require our attention at least once or twice in our professional or academic life. Therefore, while writing a research article, it is crucial to keep your audience’s attention in mind. It is very easy to lose your audience if your article focuses too much on dreary details and less on unique perspectives.
In this article, we will see how an article can be made well-researched, exciting and informative. In this article you will know how to:
- Get familiar with with the information you already have
- Spend time doing your own research
- Cite articles for your research paper
- Organise the information found through research
- Outline your research paper
- Edit your research paper
Get familiar with the information you already have:
Sifting through information can get overwhelming. However, the first step to figuring out your article is to be confident about the information you have. For example, if you are writing a research paper for a college or school assignment, go through your notes and the material provided by your teachers. Then, do a deep dive into the content at hand and sort them into different buckets.
For example, if you are writing an article on Shakespeare, divide the information you have into sections such as his biography, his literary works, criticism of his works and so on. Once you have this out of the way, writing the paper will come easily.
Spend time doing your own research:
This is a no-brainer but often overlooked. There can be a lot of different ways to research a particular topic, and you can choose the way that works best for you. But remember that researching any topic can lead you down a rabbit hole.
The internet is vast, and so is the information available on it. Use that to your advantage by finding reliable sources and skimming through the relevant information to your topic. While you can use sources like Wikipedia for your personal understanding of a topic, do not cite that as a source. There are various open source platforms like SAGE Open or PLOS One that can help you with journals for more reliable information.
Cite articles for your research paper:
Citing sources is a critical part of any sort of publishing. While delving into heavy information it might get difficult to keep track of where you got what piece of information from. It is helpful to maintain a document where you note down names of journals and their authors that you are reading and using. This will later help you in building a bibliography for your article. A bibliography is a list of books, journals, articles etc that you referred to for information while writing your research paper and comes right at the end of the paper.
The main reason behind citing articles is to avoid intellectual dishonesty. If you are presenting an idea that another person has already published, it is ethical to cite them within your paper. Another important thing to keep in mind is to never copy content from someone else and present it as your own. This kind of duplicacy is called plagiarism and is punished very severely by most academic institutions.
There are various styles in which you can source your resources. Make sure you ask your teacher which style they prefer the bibliography to be in. The easiest way to build your bibliography is to use online sources such as Easybib which creates the resources for you in your preferred style once you put the relevant information in.
Organise the information found through research:
The last thing you want is 50 tabs on your desktop browser and not knowing where to start. You can choose to organise your research digitally or on paper! It could be helpful to add websites to your browser’s bookmarks or create a separate bookmark folder for your research paper. You can also organise your research article by jotting down everything you have learnt that is relevant to your assignment on notecards or sticky notes.
Outline your research paper:
Now that you have all your information segregated into different buckets, what to do with it? Write down a broad outline for your article. Generally, any research-based article is divided into an introduction, a body and a conclusion. But it is always helpful to divide your body further into subheadings. This not only helps you structure your article but also helps the reader understand your article better.
Consider carefully what you are attempting to convey or explain in your research paper when you draw an outline to determine what format would help you do so concisely and systematically.
You have your research and outline out of the way. Now comes the writing process. Contrary to popular belief, the writing part is the easiest. You have all the information you need, and you have it in a way that tells you which piece of information will go. The research article format can vary from topic to topic, so decide which one you would like to go with. If you are writing on a literary topic, it is important to put forward your critique as much as you refer to other authors.
Edit, edit, edit:
We get it. Editing your own work can be difficult. The go-to solution for this is to take a break and look at what you wrote from a fresh perspective. If you are struggling against time and have to submit your paper by midnight when it is already 11:30 PM, take a five-minute coffee break and return to your paper.
Now is the time to build or trim your research paper. Be careful about the information you absolutely want the reader to go through and the information that is not that necessary. Next, go back to your research board and see if you have been able to stick to your outline. Finally, do a thorough grammar check. The ‘your’ can become a ‘you’re’ when you are overwhelmed with information, which is why re-reading and editing before submitting becomes so important.
Research-based articles can be a struggle no matter how much you practice. But they don’t have to be boring. Pick topics that interest you because when you are excited about something, your audience will feel that through your words as well! Avoid using jargon and overly complicated words or phrases just because you think it will get you brownie points from your teacher. They do not care about that.
Don’t be afraid to reach out for help. Ask your parents, friends, mentors or even teachers if you feel stuck somewhere. It can also be helpful to go through other research papers to gain a sense of formatting and writing. So go forth and do your research. Trust us. It is not that scary.
If you want some practice, you can start by writing your first research article on Youth Ki Awaaz! Here are some from our community that you can read for reference:
We the People: Deepening Democracy through Transparency and Accountability
Would Saving Half The Earth Solve The Climate Crisis?
The POCSO Act Is Limited In Its Understanding Of Child Sexual Abuse
If you still feel unsure or have doubts that this article has not covered, drop a comment. I will respond to your queries.
You can also put in your research paper topics and discuss with the YKA community how best to structure your article in the comment section.