Research Paper Writing: Topic Selection, Outline, and Draft

This report provides a detailed guide on how to write a research paper, covering essential aspects of the research process. It begins by emphasizing the importance of a positive attitude and selecting an interesting and focused topic. The report then outlines the steps involved in finding information, including using the internet and library resources, and evaluating the credibility of sources. It stresses the significance of the thesis statement, which should clearly present the main idea of the paper. The report further describes the structure of a research paper, including the title page, abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, and references, and emphasizes the role of the outline in organizing ideas. It also covers the organization of notes, critical analysis of data, preparation of the first draft, revision, and proofreading. The report concludes by advising researchers to ensure the final paper meets all requirements and is presented in a neat and attractive way.

Running Head: RESEARCH PAPER 1
RESEARCH PAPER
AUTHOR’S NAME
UNIVERSITY OF AFFILIATION

RESEARCH PAPER 2
The research paper is an academic writing that is based on the original research of a specific
topic by the author. The author analyses the topic under research and interprets the finding of the
research in order to come up with a conclusion or a recommendation. This paper gives a detailed
information on the process of finding a good research topic. For this to be achieved one requires
more than just knowledge or excellence. It is essential for the researcher to have an attitude that
is positive in believing that they can achieve their set targets and goals (CONNIE, 2016).
Choosing of a topic.
The researcher should select a topic that he or she finds it interesting. The attitude of the
researcher towards the topic will determine the efforts that the researcher is willing to put in the
study. The researcher should focus on limited aspects of the topic. The topic that the researcher
select should be a good topic although a good topic might not be an easy one (Strunk, 2015). The
topic should be narrow and focused enough to be of interest, however, it should be broad to
enable the researcher to find adequate information. Before the researcher selects a topic he
should be aware of what they want to have in the final project. During the topic selection
process, one can is required to do various things: First, the researcher should select a topic that
will enable them to understand the literature that they read. Ensure that the material for the topic
under research is readily available and the topic is manageable. Brainstorm ideas on the topic
under research and prepare a list of all the keywords. Lastly, define the topic in a more focused
research manner and formulate the thesis statement ("Academic and Professional Writing:
Writing a Research Paper", 2016).
Find information
The researcher should surf the internet and use the library to gather background information and
general information about the topic. The researcher should pay more attention to the information

RESEARCH PAPER 3
obtained from the institutional domain as they tend to more be reliable than the government sites.
The student should be careful in the extension of the sources of the information. Some sites are
misleading and provide information that is not reliable ("How to Write a Research Paper", 2017).
The researcher should learn how to evaluate the information they obtain from the internet. They
should critically evaluate the information so as to help eliminate the sites that are irrelevant and
consume a lot of time baring no useful result.
Prepare the thesis statement.
The thesis statement is the central point of any research paper, as it shows the main idea. The
argument presented on the paper should be developed based on the thesis statement that is the
significance of the thesis statement. The thesis statement is equivalent to the researcher's belief
declaration. The rest of the paper argument will be to support the thesis statement. The thesis
statement should be provided in the first paragraph of the report. Before the researcher writes a
thesis statement it is essential for them to collect, analyze and organize the material and
information. The researcher should avoid citation of other authors in this part. A thesis statement
should explain to the reader the researcher interpretation of the subject. Tell the readers what
they should expect from the paper and lastly, present the researcher claim which other authors
may want to dispute (Swalina, 2013).
Prepare the research outline
The researcher should show the structure of the research paper. The research paper does have the
following structure;
 Title page which includes the title of the research, name of the author and the name of the
institution.

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 A brief summary of the research paper, the abstract.
 A background information on the research topic, the introduction.
 The body of the research paper. Which comprises of the methods and the materials, the
findings, the conclusion, and recommendation.
 A list of all the sources used to get the information from.
 The table of figures and appendix.
The outline of the research paper can be formal or informal depending on the instruction given
by the professor. The purpose of the research paper outline is to help the researcher think
carefully through the topic and logically organize the ideas before they start writing (Swalina,
2013).
Notes organization
The researcher should organize all the information they have gathered based on the outline. The
data should be critically analyzed. By using the sources available that are better, the researcher
should check for accuracy and verify that the data is up to date and factual. Views that are
contradicting should also be noted suppose they will aid in the thesis. At this stage, the
researcher will synthesize, analyze and sort the data gathered and learn something about the
topic. The researcher should also be able to communicate his or her thoughts research findings in
a written report. The researcher should not include any information that is not of relevance to the
topic under research. The researcher should ensure that all the information is carefully recorded
and paraphrased to avoid plagiarism (CONNIE, 2016).

RESEARCH PAPER 5
Prepare the first draft
The researcher should prepare a draft report on the topic under discussion. All the idea that the
researcher plan to use in the report writing should be well summarized and paraphrased. The
notes should be organized in the order of the outline (CONNIE, 2016).
Revise the draft and outline
The paper should be proofread to correct any grammatical and typo errors figures and facts
should be double checked. Ideas should be rearranged and arranged to follow the stated outline.
The paper outline can be reorganized while keeping the readers of the paper in mind and purpose
of the paper.
Final paper
The researcher should go through the assignment rubric to ensure that they have fully understood
the assignment and the paper meet the requirements. The researchers should proofread the final
paper to avoid silly mistakes. The final paper should well organize and presented in a neat, tidy
and attractive way.

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References
Academic and Professional Writing: Writing a Research Paper. (2016). Writing.wisc.edu.
Retrieved 25 January 2018, from
https://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/PlanResearchPaper.html
CONNIE, G. (2016). How to Write a Paper Topic Proposal & Thesis Statement | DEAN'S
BOOK w/. Blogs.umass.edu. Retrieved 25 January 2018, from
https://blogs.umass.edu/honors291g-cdg/how-to-write-a-paper-topic-proposal-thesis-
statement/
Dillard, D. (2014). Research Guides: RESEARCH PAPERS: How to Write a Research Paper:
Creating a Literature Review.
Ding, C. Y., Cao, Y., Yang, C., Sun, F., & Zhan, S. Y. (2017). How to write high-quality
epidemiological research paper Ⅵ. Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies
in Epidemiology-Nutritional Epidemiology (STROBE-nut). Zhonghua liu xing bing xue
za zhi= Zhonghua liuxingbingxue zazhi, 38(1), 121-12
How to Select a Research Topic | University of Michigan-Flint. (2013). Umflint.edu. Retrieved
25 January 2018, from https://www.umflint.edu/library/how-select-research-topic

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How to Write a Research Paper. (2017). wikiHow. Retrieved 25 January 2018, from
https://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Research-Paper
Ramakrishna, H. K. (2017). Introduction. In Medical Statistics (pp. 1-2). Springer, Singapore.
Strunk, W. (2015). How to Write a Research Paper - A Research Guide for Students. A Research
Guide for Students. Retrieved 25 January 2018, from
http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html
Swalina, C. (2013). A Process Approach to Writing Research Papers. SLC | UC Berkeley.
Retrieved 25 January 2018, from http://slc.berkeley.edu/process-approach-writing-
research-papers
Writing in the Disciplines: English - The Process of Writing an English Research Paper. (2016).
Writing2.richmond.edu. Retrieved 25 January 2018, from
http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/english/process.html