how long to write a 3 page research paper

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How to write three-page essays Quickly (Plus titles/topics and tips)

There are many ways to kill a rat (as an adage goes), and so are many ways to write an essay fast. There is no single bullet when it comes to writing essays with different paragraphs and pages. It is not every time that we write essays without a challenge. Instead, we can overcome these challenges by understanding the essay writing process.

Are you assigned to write a three-page paper and need to do it fast but do not know where to begin? Well, you are not alone. Even though at face value, a 3-page essay might appear as though it is the longest task you will ever complete, sometimes in short deadlines, it necessarily does not have to be a struggle writing it.

We come bearing the good news because, in this article, we take you through how to write a three-page essay task faster, especially when you are strapped for time, the deadline is fast approaching, or when it is last-minute writing. We know that most students work better under the pressure of strict deadlines, and if that sounds like you, do not panic.

You can write your essay or research paper with three pages and beat the deadline to score the best mark. The only thing you need to do is to read this article and find out how to produce an excellent paper. And if you need help with writing urgent 3-page essays , you can hire a fast writer on our website. 

How long is a three-page essay or research paper?

Before we understand the practical ways to write a quick three-page paper in the least time possible, say an hour or two, we begin by looking at the bells and whistles.

A three-page essay is sometimes called a 750-word essay because it contains between 750 and 900 words. The rationale is that a typed page can be 250., 275, or 300 words. It is a formal essay for middle school and is also common in high school. We consider a 3-page double-spaced essay as having between 750 and 825 words given that most papers written in APA or MLA are double-spaced.

If you are to write a 3-page essay and the instructions direct that you come up with 3 full pages, ensure that each page with content is filled. It should take you around 300 words per page, meaning 3 full pages would be 900 words long.

In terms of length, three-page essays can have a minimum of three paragraphs. However, the maximum number of paragraphs depends on your ideas, the structure of your essay, and the word count specified in the instructions. However, since a paragraph is between 125 words and 160 words (words to paragraph conversion for essays), the body of a 3-page should have at least 4 or 5 paragraphs long.

When writing a 3-pages essay, your introduction and conclusion should have approximately 10-15% of the word count. This means that they should at least be between 100 and 125 words long. The body should carry 75-80% of the word count, which translates to between 620 and 660 words for a 3-page body paragraph.

The paragraph is longer because it is where you develop the thesis statement by supporting it. The body paragraphs comprise topic sentences , supporting sentences, and concluding sentences.

If you are wondering what a 3-page essay or research paper looks like, it contains at least five paragraphs . As long as it is 750-825 words, written in font size 12, Times New Roman or Arial, and has a 1-inch margin all around, it is a three-page paper.

The time it takes to write a three-page essay or paper

With the understanding of how long a three-page essay is, let us now look at how long it takes to write one. Assuming you have little time and want to complete a 3-page essay or research paper, submit it, and attend to other assignments or personal stuff, knowing the time it will take to complete your essay matters.

The accurate amount of time it takes depends on a hoard of factors such as:

• The complexity or straightforwardness of your topic.
• The required length of your essay.
• Whether you are writing the first or polished draft.
• The availability of sources to get evidence to use in your essay .
• Your typing speeds
• Your organizational and writing skills
• How fast do you unpack the essay prompt or question?
• Your experience in writing research papers.

Mostly, your experience and writing skills matter the most when it comes to writing any paper or essay fast. If you have top-notch planning, organization, typing, and writing skills, you rest assured to take the least time to complete your research paper or essay. As you will realize later, writing a 3-page essay is 50% planning and 50% organizing.

An experienced writer should complete a three-page essay in an hour or less if it is not complex and in 2 hours or less if it is on a complex topic. However, a student with entry-level writing skills will take more hours, say 5-6 hours, write the same paper and score a good grade. So, unless you are pressured by the deadline, it is always good to take your time. But that does not mean taking a whole week to write a 3-page essay.

How do you write a 3 Page Essay faster and more accurately? The 6 Steps

If you are assigned a three-page essay or research paper and are supposed to submit it between 2 hours and 12 hours (or before midnight or overnight) tops, follow the steps outlined below. We tested these steps, recommended them to busy students, and got feedback that they worked for successful students in college and university.

Because you already know the number of words and the length of your essay, it should not be a bother. Instead, writing it well should be your top priority. Note that the organizational structure of a 3-page essay is for a shorter essay. When you are used to longer essays, condensing points becomes a challenge. However, follow these steps to write it with ease and faster.

1. Plan out your essay or paper

Planning your time well helps you develop your focus and concentrate on the things that matter. Jumping right into writing could be detrimental, especially if you do not know the scope, direction, or points to lay out. You may end up abandoning the essay halfway and getting frustrated.

The essence of creating a schedule for your paper is to focus on writing, even when you are pressed for time. Besides, it helps you to beat procrastination and writer�s block. You are also guaranteed to get distraction-free environments and times to complete your essay.

If you have 6 hours to complete a three-page essay, spend 3 hours in the preparation stage, an hour on writing, and an hour on editing and polishing (post-writing rituals). If you have two hours, schedule 30 minutes for preparing or the prewriting stage, 45 minutes for writing, and the rest for editing and proofreading. And if you have two days to complete the same, spend 5 hours preparing the essay, an entire day on writing, and another 5 hours polishing, proofreading, and editing.

2. Brainstorm

After you have planned your time, begin by reading the essay prompt or the research paper question. You then need to unpack the question, understand what is required of you, and brainstorm some ideas, topics, and insights to include in your paper. This is also a chance to draw out the main points, anticipate challenges, and come up with solutions.

In most cases, you can use mind maps or concept maps to record your thoughts or take notes as you brainstorm. Develop a perspective, potential solutions, the significance of the topic, or likely research sources/evidence to use. Also, think of the best titles and thesis statements for your essay.

3. Draft an outline

There is no doubt that sketching an outline saves time taken to write. It helps you focus on your writing. For your 3-page essay, develop a point-to-point, topical, or complete sentence outline. You can always change the outline as you write.

Write the best title for your essay and construct a declarative and reasonable thesis statement. You should also map out the topic sentences and rope in some of the evidence to use in your essay.

4. Research

Research either makes or breaks your essay. The more and deeper you research, the more your instructor, professor, or teaching assistant can tell that your essay is loaded with facts, evidence, and a good flow.

To research well, check the insights you developed as you brainstormed. Next, browse through the internet and rove through the related websites, books, journal articles, and periodicals to get sources from where you can extract evidence to support facts and arguments in your essay. Preferably, look at scholarly databases such as EBSCOhost, JSTOR, Science Direct, Web of Science, or ProQuest for scholarly articles.

As you identify the potential sources, organize your bibliography and download and organize the sources. And as you research, stick to your outline. You can tweak the outline if the new information or approach supports the thesis statement better. You can use the librarians to get research materials if you have an extended deadline and little time.

Good research provides fodder for the next step, writing the first draft.

5. Write the First Draft

When writing, focus on writing first and editing later approach. You can easily bring your analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and creativity skills.

Begin by polishing the essay title from the list you developed when brainstorming. The topic should be concise, loaded with information, and related to the thesis and subject of the three-page essay.

Write the introduction beginning with the hook or attention grabber , which can be a fun or shocking fact, statistics, or valuable information. You should then write the background statement that covers the topic, related information, and significance of the paper. Finally, finalize the introduction by stating your focused thesis statement and transitioning to the body paragraphs.

Next, work on the body paragraphs because your essay must have several supporting or developing paragraphs. As mentioned, a three-page paper should have 4-5 body paragraphs. Each should have a topic sentence, supporting sentences (evidence, examples, and commentaries), and closing sentences. The paragraphs should have a balanced number of words, be cited, and be connected to the thesis statement. Again, use transition or linking words and phrases to create a good flow of ideas.

Finalize the essay writing process by concluding your essay. The conclusion should restate the thesis, summarize the body section, and give closure to the essay. You can have a call-to-action for the audience to ensure they remain challenged after being informed.

6. Improve and Polish the First Draft

After completing the first draft, you can take a small break from writing. The essence is developing an objective mind that can see through your writing mistakes.

This post-writing stage begins with editing and revising for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other writing errors, such as typos. Next, proceed to proofread your essay so you can further correct any mistakes, such as the wrong flow of ideas, misplaced ideas, uncited paragraphs, and missing subtitles if any are required. Finally, format your essay in APA, MLA, Harvard, ASA, AMA, or Chicago format.

Read our guide on writing a 3-to-4-page essay or research paper  in case you are confused about what to include when there is the mention of upper and lower limits to the word count.

Best Titles, Topics, and Ideas for a 3-Page Research Paper or Essay

Assuming you have been assigned to write a 3-page essay and do not know what topics to write your essay on, you can pick one from the list below. The list also has prime ideas for your essay titles and topics.

• How social media prompts anorexia
• Should people attend college?
• Should gun ownership by American citizens be banned?
• Can someone develop skills on their own without college?
• Has urbanization led to increased pollution?
• Domestic violence and alcoholism
• Why can corruption not end in the public sector?
• People should develop empathy.
• The plastic ban helps conserve the environment
• Why drunk driving is dangerous
• Should children bring their phones and tablets to school?
• Are self-taught programmers the best at their job?
• YouTube is a great and accessible university
• Are there solutions to microplastics in oceans?
• Should rich countries pay more for pollution?
• Older people should be allowed to keep pets
• Benefits of continuing education for nurses
• Strategies to solve the nursing shortage
• Electroconvulsive therapy in treating mental health disorders
• Effectiveness of group therapy in treating mental health disorders
• How stigma affects the families of those with mental health issues
• Use of complementary and alternative medicine in mental health disorders
• Use of telepsychiatry in managing mental health patients remotely
• How pressure from work causes mental health problems
• Reasons for increased domestic violence during Covid-19
• Access to mental health facilities by the Indigenous people
• Impacts of community policing on prostitution
• Benefits of GMO plants and animals in food security
• Impacts of groupware on organizations
• The uneven criminal justice system in America
• Impacts of COVID-19 on the tourism industry
• How to solve conflicts in the workplace
• Consequences of incivility in the workplace
• The use of social media to promote physical activity
• Impacts of Stress on Physical and Mental wellbeing
• The use of the military in disaster management
• Impacts of PTSD on Veterans
• Taking care of autistic children
• The rich should pay more taxes
• How to address homelessness and poverty in America
• Causes and solutions to world hunger
• Impacts of student burnout
• Women should not procure abortions
• Gay couples should not (be allowed) to adopt kids
• America is not the ultimate superpower
• The insurrection of gangs and militia in America
• Impacts of gun violence
• Benefits of no-kill shelters
• The ethics of killing stray dogs and cats
• Euthanasia is a no-kill shelter
• Causes of teenage pregnancies
• Why teen suicide on live social media is on the rise
• Understanding domestic poverty
• Children should not be jailed
• Burnout among college athletes
• Does Going to the Beach Help Relieve Symptoms of Seasonal Depression?
• Impacts of divorce on children
• Challenges that single mothers face
• Benefits of counseling for school children
• Effects of e-cigarettes
• Which sport best prepares young people (under 15 years of age) for success in life as an adult and why?
• The impact of domestic violence on the academic performance of children

Related Reading:

• How to write an analytical essay.
• How to use AI to write essays.
• Steps for a better essay on gun control.
• How to write a perfect reflective essay.
• How to organize a movie review essay or paper.

Unbelievably it is just as simple as that. Writing three pages of an essay or research paper can be quick if you plan well. No single formula can work best; all you must do is be prompt and thorough with every step in the writing process.

When assigned an essay that requires three pages of content, breath in, relax, unpack everything, plan, and smash it using the tips we have discussed. The more you practice these steps, the more you learn to write essays fast.

If you have an urgent 3-page essay and need professional writing help , we have writers who can help. Do not struggle to fail when we can write for you a three-page model essay or paper that is 100% original, non-plagiarized, and well-organized/formatted.

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Research Project Guide

How Long Does It Take To Write A Research Paper + Tips To Write Faster

Wondering how long it takes to write a research paper? Get a clear timeline and practical tips to speed up your writing process effectively.

Oct 25, 2024

Writing a research paper can feel like standing at the foot of a mountain, wondering how long the climb will take or what obstacles you'll face. It's a common hurdle when figuring out how to start a research project , and the pressure to conduct quick research and write efficiently is real. That's where this guide comes in. We'll break down the research and writing process, helping you set realistic timelines and confidently tackle your paper. With some planning and tools like Otio's AI research and writing partner, you can streamline the process and make your next research project a breeze.

Table Of Contents

What is a research paper, how long does it take to write a research paper, 8 useful tips to write a research paper fast, 7 best tools for writing research papers fast, supercharge your researching ability with otio — try otio for free today.

A research paper stands as a cornerstone of academic writing. It’s an assignment where students, like detectives, gather information from various sources to create a clear and well-supported argument. Typically set in a print and digital library environment, these papers are about more than just presenting facts. They synthesize information and craft persuasive arguments, contributing to a broader academic discussion.

What’s This Paper Called, and Who Wrote It?

The title page is your first impression. It tells readers the name of your paper, a “running head” for easy identification, and who wrote it. You'll also include your institutional affiliation in an Author Note at the bottom. This note might mention funding support or acknowledge people who helped with the research. It’s all about giving credit where credit’s due.

A one-paragraph summary of the Entire Study

The abstract is the quick elevator pitch of your research. Usually no more than 250 words, it provides a snapshot of your study. You'll summarize your research question, methods, results, and conclusions, giving readers a taste of what’s to come.

What’s the Topic, and Why Is It Worth Studying?

In the introduction, you set the stage. Explain the topic you’re investigating and why it matters. Summarize previous research and point out gaps your study aims to fill. Offer a preview of what’s coming from the rest of the paper. This section is your chance to hook readers and make them care about your study.

What Did You Do?

The methods section is the recipe for your research. Provide enough detail so another researcher can replicate your study. Describe your participants or subjects, study design, materials, and procedure. If you conducted multiple experiments, each might need its own methods section.

What Did You Find?

In the results section, present the data you collected and the outcomes of any statistical tests. If you used a particular analysis procedure, describe that too. As with the methods section, separate results sections may be needed for multiple experiments.

What’s the Significance of Your Results?

The discussion section is where you interpret what your findings mean. Summarize your results and explain how they contribute to the topic under investigation. Consider the implications of your findings and suggest directions for future research. This is your chance to make your study matter.

List of Articles and Any Books Cited

The references section is your academic bibliography . It lists all the sources you cited in your paper in alphabetical order by the last name of the first author. Follow guidelines for formatting author names, dates, titles, and other publication details.

Graphs and Data (Optional in Some Cases)

Depending on your research, include tables and figures. In APA style, each table and figure goes on a separate page after the references. However, some journals and undergraduate papers allow them to be embedded in the text.

Supplementary Information (Optional)

An appendix is where you can provide additional information that’s not critical to understanding the research paper, like a list of experiment stimuli, details of a secondary analysis, or programming code.

Related Reading

• How to Find Academic Sources • How to Analyze Quantitative Data • Can Ai Write a Paper for Me • How to Create a Research Question • Research Methodology Types • How to Organize a Research Paper • Argumentative Essay Topics • Methods Section of Research Paper​

The Time Crunch: Writing a Research Paper

Research papers come in two primary flavors: class assignments and journal publications. The time required can vary dramatically based on what you're tackling. Class assignments take a few days to a couple of weeks, from start to finish. In contrast, drafting a journal article based on original research can stretch from a few months to even a few years. It often starts with data collection and ends at the mercy of editors and reviewers.

Student Papers: The Struggle Is Real

Writing a 20-page paper typically takes about 20 to 40 hours for students. But that's just the writing. Tack on time for research and editing; you're looking at a few days to weeks. Some students prefer to cram everything into a couple of intense days, while others spread it out for sanity's sake. Gathering your sources ahead of time can make the process a lot smoother.

Publishing in Journals: A Marathon, Not a Sprint

Getting a paper published is a whole different beast. On the quicker side, you've got about two months, but six to twelve months is more common. Remember the submission process, which is loaded with potential pitfalls. Journals might reject your paper or ask for more data. You might even have to start from scratch. Once you submit, it could take three to twelve months to see your name in print. And that's if everything goes smoothly.

Timing: It’s Not Just About the Clock

Several factors can speed up or slow down the writing process. Complex topics, extensive research, and unfamiliarity with the subject can extend your timeline. Longer papers naturally take longer, as do those based on original research. Experienced writers and easy access to resources can speed things up. Editing, personal commitments, and familiarity with tech tools also play a role. Deadlines, of course, can light a fire under you.

Examples: From Darwin to Transformers

Charles Darwin took about 13 months to write " On the Origin of Species ," although he spent decades gathering evidence. Alan Turing’s groundbreaking work on computability, built on years of study, took him a few months. More recently, the paper introducing the Transformer model took about one to two years to develop, with the writing taking a few months. These examples show the varied timelines, depending on the research and writing involved.

Overcoming Information Overload with Otio

Let Otio be your AI research and writing partner — try Otio for free today ! Otio is designed to cut through the noise for knowledge workers, researchers, and students. As content creation becomes more accessible, the information flood will only worsen. Otio steps in to help you collect, extract, and create efficiently, moving you from the reading list to the first draft faster.

1. Streamline Your Research with AI Tools

Are you overwhelmed by the endless sea of bookmarks, articles, and notes? Otio is here to help . It’s a centralized AI workspace that lets you collect diverse data sources, summarize them with AI-generated notes, and draft your work. You can chat with your resources, much like you would with ChatGPT, to dive deeper into your research. Otio is your ally in going from a cluttered reading list to a cohesive first draft in record time. Give it a try— Otio is free to use .

2. Rapid Brainstorming for Success

Time is ticking. Start by outlining your options and perform a quick Google search to see which topics have sufficient information. Choose a topic that resonates with you and create a structured outline. This will guide your research and writing process.

3. Master the Art of Intelligent Skimming

Reading every paper front to back isn’t feasible when you’re in a rush. Use “CTRL+F” to search for relevant keywords. Start with abstracts to find the most pertinent papers, and listen to them in your spare time. This will save you precious hours and allow you to focus on what truly matters.

4. Craft a Strong Thesis Statement

A compelling thesis is the backbone of your paper. It should be concise and located in the introduction. Use a formulaic approach: “By examining (argument 1), (argument 2), and (argument 3), it is clear that (statement you will prove).” Make sure it’s debatable and focused on a single claim.

5. Organize Your Ideas with a Flat Outline

With your thesis and research in hand, create a flat outline. List the topics you’ll cover and the sources you’ll use. If you find gaps, do more research. Arrange your topics logically and ensure your thesis is always front and center.

6. Prioritize Rest for Clarity

Sleep might seem like a luxury if you’re on a tight deadline. But stepping away from your paper and getting some rest will help you return with fresh eyes. This will make your writing crisper and more coherent.

7. Meticulous Proofreading and Editing

Don’t rely solely on spell checkers. Read your paper aloud to catch errors and awkward phrasing. Make sure your arguments flow logically, and your ideas are well-supported.

Eradicate Plagiarism Completely

Run your paper through a plagiarism checker to identify any unintentional copying. Remove or rephrase these sections, and provide proper citations for borrowed ideas. This will ensure your work is original and credible.

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1. Otio: Your AI Research and Writing Partner

Otio is a cutting-edge AI tool designed for researchers overwhelmed by information overload. It offers a unified workspace to gather, process, and produce research materials efficiently .

2. Connected Papers: Visualizing Research Networks

Connected Papers is an AI tool that creates visual maps of research papers, making it easier to explore related works and uncover new connections.

Simplifies complex research processes.

Accessible to a wide range of users.

Limited data coverage.

Complex citation analysis may need to be clarified for some users.

3. Smodin: Versatile AI Writing Tool

Smodin is a flexible AI writing tool that simplifies text generation and editing for various user needs, from content creators to educators.

Encourages creativity and innovation.

Provides real-time feedback.

Supports multiple languages .

AI may alter the meaning of text.

Free usage is limited.

Requires human oversight.

4. Scite: Smart Citations for Researchers

Scite uses AI to provide Smart Citations, helping researchers understand the context of citations and the conversation around a topic.

Enhances research and literature exploration.

Supports evidence-based decision-making.

Relies heavily on citation data.

Limited scope outside of academic content.

5. Consensus: Collaborative AI Tool

Consensus is an AI tool designed for collaboration. It offers document sharing, discussion forums, and project management features.

Boosts productivity and organization .

Facilitates user collaboration.

Relies on data integration.

Steeper learning curve.

6. PDFGear Copilot: AI-Powered Document Assistant

PDFGear Copilot extracts and summarizes information from PDFs, using AI to answer questions about document content efficiently.

Versatile in content extraction.

Saves time with quick operations.

Dependent on database access.

They are limited in understanding complex issues.

7. Bit AI: Free AI Content Generator

Bit AI is a free tool that generates content for research papers, articles, and blog posts. It uses AI to mimic human writing styles.

Versatile in content creation.

Time-saving for users.

Need for more understanding of complex issues.

Every researcher knows the struggle of information overload. Content floods in from all sides—articles, videos, tweets—and organizing it becomes challenging. Otio steps in with a unified AI-native workspace . Consider gathering all your data sources—from quick bookmarks to lengthy books and YouTube videos—without sweating. With Otio, you just collect.

Extract Key Insights with AI-generated Notes

Once you've gathered your resources, Otio's AI-generated notes transform chaos into clarity. Whether it's a PDF, article, or video, Otio pulls out what matters most. Would you like to chat with your research material as you chat with ChatGPT? Otio makes it happen. You can engage in source-grounded Q&A chats with individual links or entire knowledge bases.

Streamlined Writing for Faster Drafts

After extracting insights, creating becomes the next step. Otio helps you draft outputs using your collected sources so you can progress from the reading list to the first draft with ease. Research papers and essays that once seemed daunting become manageable tasks. Otio’s AI-assisted writing is like having a co-author who works tirelessly to improve your writing process.

Try Otio and Transform Your Research Process

Otio isn’t just a tool —it’s a research companion. It helps you go from overwhelmed to organized, from scattered to structured. If you’re ready for a faster, more efficient research process, try Otio for free today . Let this AI research and writing partner change how you work with content.

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How To Write A Research Paper

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | March 2024

F or many students, crafting a strong research paper from scratch can feel like a daunting task – and rightly so! In this post, we’ll unpack what a research paper is, what it needs to do , and how to write one – in three easy steps. 🙂

Overview: Writing A Research Paper

What (exactly) is a research paper.

• How to write a research paper
• Stage 1 : Topic & literature search
• Stage 2 : Structure & outline
• Stage 3 : Iterative writing
• Key takeaways

Let’s start by asking the most important question, “ What is a research paper? ”.

Simply put, a research paper is a scholarly written work where the writer (that’s you!) answers a specific question (this is called a research question ) through evidence-based arguments . Evidence-based is the keyword here. In other words, a research paper is different from an essay or other writing assignments that draw from the writer’s personal opinions or experiences. With a research paper, it’s all about building your arguments based on evidence (we’ll talk more about that evidence a little later).

Now, it’s worth noting that there are many different types of research papers , including analytical papers (the type I just described), argumentative papers, and interpretative papers. Here, we’ll focus on analytical papers , as these are some of the most common – but if you’re keen to learn about other types of research papers, be sure to check out the rest of the blog .

With that basic foundation laid, let’s get down to business and look at how to write a research paper .

Overview: The 3-Stage Process

While there are, of course, many potential approaches you can take to write a research paper, there are typically three stages to the writing process. So, in this tutorial, we’ll present a straightforward three-step process that we use when working with students at Grad Coach.

These three steps are:

• Finding a research topic and reviewing the existing literature
• Developing a provisional structure and outline for your paper, and
• Writing up your initial draft and then refining it iteratively

Let’s dig into each of these.

Need a helping hand?

Step 1: Find a topic and review the literature

As we mentioned earlier, in a research paper, you, as the researcher, will try to answer a question . More specifically, that’s called a research question , and it sets the direction of your entire paper. What’s important to understand though is that you’ll need to answer that research question with the help of high-quality sources – for example, journal articles, government reports, case studies, and so on. We’ll circle back to this in a minute.

The first stage of the research process is deciding on what your research question will be and then reviewing the existing literature (in other words, past studies and papers) to see what they say about that specific research question. In some cases, your professor may provide you with a predetermined research question (or set of questions). However, in many cases, you’ll need to find your own research question within a certain topic area.

Finding a strong research question hinges on identifying a meaningful research gap – in other words, an area that’s lacking in existing research. There’s a lot to unpack here, so if you wanna learn more, check out the plain-language explainer video below.

Once you’ve figured out which question (or questions) you’ll attempt to answer in your research paper, you’ll need to do a deep dive into the existing literature – this is called a “ literature search ”. Again, there are many ways to go about this, but your most likely starting point will be Google Scholar .

If you’re new to Google Scholar, think of it as Google for the academic world. You can start by simply entering a few different keywords that are relevant to your research question and it will then present a host of articles for you to review. What you want to pay close attention to here is the number of citations for each paper – the more citations a paper has, the more credible it is (generally speaking – there are some exceptions, of course).

Ideally, what you’re looking for are well-cited papers that are highly relevant to your topic. That said, keep in mind that citations are a cumulative metric , so older papers will often have more citations than newer papers – just because they’ve been around for longer. So, don’t fixate on this metric in isolation – relevance and recency are also very important.

Beyond Google Scholar, you’ll also definitely want to check out academic databases and aggregators such as Science Direct, PubMed, JStor and so on. These will often overlap with the results that you find in Google Scholar, but they can also reveal some hidden gems – so, be sure to check them out.

Once you’ve worked your way through all the literature, you’ll want to catalogue all this information in some sort of spreadsheet so that you can easily recall who said what, when and within what context. If you’d like, we’ve got a free literature spreadsheet that helps you do exactly that.

Step 2: Develop a structure and outline

With your research question pinned down and your literature digested and catalogued, it’s time to move on to planning your actual research paper .

It might sound obvious, but it’s really important to have some sort of rough outline in place before you start writing your paper. So often, we see students eagerly rushing into the writing phase, only to land up with a disjointed research paper that rambles on in multiple

Now, the secret here is to not get caught up in the fine details . Realistically, all you need at this stage is a bullet-point list that describes (in broad strokes) what you’ll discuss and in what order. It’s also useful to remember that you’re not glued to this outline – in all likelihood, you’ll chop and change some sections once you start writing, and that’s perfectly okay. What’s important is that you have some sort of roadmap in place from the start.

At this stage you might be wondering, “ But how should I structure my research paper? ”. Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, but in general, a research paper will consist of a few relatively standardised components:

• Introduction
• Literature review
• Methodology

Let’s take a look at each of these.

First up is the introduction section . As the name suggests, the purpose of the introduction is to set the scene for your research paper. There are usually (at least) four ingredients that go into this section – these are the background to the topic, the research problem and resultant research question , and the justification or rationale. If you’re interested, the video below unpacks the introduction section in more detail. 

The next section of your research paper will typically be your literature review . Remember all that literature you worked through earlier? Well, this is where you’ll present your interpretation of all that content . You’ll do this by writing about recent trends, developments, and arguments within the literature – but more specifically, those that are relevant to your research question . The literature review can oftentimes seem a little daunting, even to seasoned researchers, so be sure to check out our extensive collection of literature review content here .

With the introduction and lit review out of the way, the next section of your paper is the research methodology . In a nutshell, the methodology section should describe to your reader what you did (beyond just reviewing the existing literature) to answer your research question. For example, what data did you collect, how did you collect that data, how did you analyse that data and so on? For each choice, you’ll also need to justify why you chose to do it that way, and what the strengths and weaknesses of your approach were.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that for some research papers, this aspect of the project may be a lot simpler . For example, you may only need to draw on secondary sources (in other words, existing data sets). In some cases, you may just be asked to draw your conclusions from the literature search itself (in other words, there may be no data analysis at all). But, if you are required to collect and analyse data, you’ll need to pay a lot of attention to the methodology section. The video below provides an example of what the methodology section might look like.

By this stage of your paper, you will have explained what your research question is, what the existing literature has to say about that question, and how you analysed additional data to try to answer your question. So, the natural next step is to present your analysis of that data . This section is usually called the “results” or “analysis” section and this is where you’ll showcase your findings.

Depending on your school’s requirements, you may need to present and interpret the data in one section – or you might split the presentation and the interpretation into two sections. In the latter case, your “results” section will just describe the data, and the “discussion” is where you’ll interpret that data and explicitly link your analysis back to your research question. If you’re not sure which approach to take, check in with your professor or take a look at past papers to see what the norms are for your programme.

Alright – once you’ve presented and discussed your results, it’s time to wrap it up . This usually takes the form of the “ conclusion ” section. In the conclusion, you’ll need to highlight the key takeaways from your study and close the loop by explicitly answering your research question. Again, the exact requirements here will vary depending on your programme (and you may not even need a conclusion section at all) – so be sure to check with your professor if you’re unsure.

Step 3: Write and refine

Finally, it’s time to get writing. All too often though, students hit a brick wall right about here… So, how do you avoid this happening to you?

Well, there’s a lot to be said when it comes to writing a research paper (or any sort of academic piece), but we’ll share three practical tips to help you get started.

First and foremost , it’s essential to approach your writing as an iterative process. In other words, you need to start with a really messy first draft and then polish it over multiple rounds of editing. Don’t waste your time trying to write a perfect research paper in one go. Instead, take the pressure off yourself by adopting an iterative approach.

Secondly , it’s important to always lean towards critical writing , rather than descriptive writing. What does this mean? Well, at the simplest level, descriptive writing focuses on the “ what ”, while critical writing digs into the “ so what ” – in other words, the implications . If you’re not familiar with these two types of writing, don’t worry! You can find a plain-language explanation here.

Last but not least, you’ll need to get your referencing right. Specifically, you’ll need to provide credible, correctly formatted citations for the statements you make. We see students making referencing mistakes all the time and it costs them dearly. The good news is that you can easily avoid this by using a simple reference manager . If you don’t have one, check out our video about Mendeley, an easy (and free) reference management tool that you can start using today.

Recap: Key Takeaways

We’ve covered a lot of ground here. To recap, the three steps to writing a high-quality research paper are:

• To choose a research question and review the literature
• To plan your paper structure and draft an outline
• To take an iterative approach to writing, focusing on critical writing and strong referencing

Remember, this is just a b ig-picture overview of the research paper development process and there’s a lot more nuance to unpack. So, be sure to grab a copy of our free research paper template to learn more about how to write a research paper.

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📄 FREE TEMPLATES

Research Topic Ideation

Proposal Writing

Literature Review

Methodology & Analysis

Academic Writing

Referencing & Citing

Apps, Tools & Tricks

The Grad Coach Podcast

Can you help me with a full paper template for this Abstract:

Background: Energy and sports drinks have gained popularity among diverse demographic groups, including adolescents, athletes, workers, and college students. While often used interchangeably, these beverages serve distinct purposes, with energy drinks aiming to boost energy and cognitive performance, and sports drinks designed to prevent dehydration and replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates lost during physical exertion.

Objective: To assess the nutritional quality of energy and sports drinks in Egypt.

Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study assessed the nutrient contents, including energy, sugar, electrolytes, vitamins, and caffeine, of sports and energy drinks available in major supermarkets in Cairo, Alexandria, and Giza, Egypt. Data collection involved photographing all relevant product labels and recording nutritional information. Descriptive statistics and appropriate statistical tests were employed to analyze and compare the nutritional values of energy and sports drinks.

Results: The study analyzed 38 sports drinks and 42 energy drinks. Sports drinks were significantly more expensive than energy drinks, with higher net content and elevated magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C. Energy drinks contained higher concentrations of caffeine, sugars, and vitamins B2, B3, and B6.

Conclusion: Significant nutritional differences exist between sports and energy drinks, reflecting their intended uses. However, these beverages’ high sugar content and calorie loads raise health concerns. Proper labeling, public awareness, and responsible marketing are essential to guide safe consumption practices in Egypt.

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