A research paper is basically a type of academic writing that should have theoretical and significant data that has gone through proper in-depth research. When you write about scientific topics to specialists in a particular scientific field, we call that scientific writing. Scientific papers typically have two audiences: first, the referees, who help the journal editor decide whether a paper is suitable for publication; and second, the journal readers themselves, who may be more or less knowledgeable about the topic addressed in the paper.
The first thing you will need to do when you start writing your research paper is to select your research topic. Choosing a topic that interest you much might give a motivation to do an effective research. When choosing the topic and relevant information, have a look at the date. It is recommended to use the most up-to-date and reliable sources: please do not select sources that are older than five years. Good scientific research begins with an original idea that is put into practice by means of a robust methodology. Before starting to write, you should ensure all the necessary information, for example all data, references and any draft of tables or figures, are at hand.
After your in-depth research, write an outline of your research. A research paper is typically composed of a number of sections:
- Cover page
- Title page – this page is containing the subject of work, the researcher`s data and date of writing;
- Abstract; summary of paper: The main reason for the study, the primary results, the main conclusions
- Introduction – here you can point out the reasons why you have started to write your paper and represent thesis as well;
- Body paragraphs (experiment description and methods) – reveals the essence of work;
- Findings (a.k.a. Results or what was found)
- Discussion; why these results could be significant (what the reasons might be for the patterns found or not found)
- Conclusion – imply the interpretation of results received during the research and the brief review of the whole work;
- Bibliography/reference list – means the listing of referenced literature and other information sources;
- Appendix (if any attachments were present).
Once your first draft feels right, with all the vital information and sources put in, you can proceed to editing and writing out your final paper. Often a manuscript has more than one author and thus the writing may be shared. However, the style needs to be consistent throughout so even if sections of the early drafts are written by different authors, the first author must go through the entire manuscript before submitting, and make any necessary editorial changes.