You’re planning to write a research paper now, and you’re probably wondering how to do it. This is not an easy task, but we’ll walk you through it and make it easier for you. After reading this step-by-step guide, you will understand:
- There are mainly five different types of research papers; further categorisations depend on your research format and methodology.
- The major citation formats, including MLA, APA, Chicago, Vancouver, and how to cite your paper in different formats.
- How to build each part of your research paper concisely using specific prompt questions
- Some common mistakes are often found in research papers, along with some tips to avoid them.
A research paper is a short piece of concise academic writing based on independent research. This paper presents an in-depth analysis or evaluation of a particular topic or a problem, and often uses empirical evidence to prove the research study.
Quick facts:
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What are the different types of research papers?
Research papers can be broadly categorised into five different types:
- Analytical research paper - Presents the breakdown of an idea or an issue by defining, evaluating and drawing a conclusion. Here is a topic example: “Analysing the impact of social media on news readers”
- Argumentative or persuasive research paper - Makes a claim, opinion or an idea that is supported with reasoning (discussion of pros and cons) and evidence. Here is a topic example: “Germany should adopt renewable energy as its primary energy source”
- Expository research paper - A factual explanation of a concept or an idea without opinionated perspectives. Here is a topic example: “How does blockchain technology work?”
- Interpretive research paper - An analysis or interpretation of existing studies in the fields of literature, art, science or social science. Here is a topic example: “Application of Freud’s theories in modern psychology”
- Comparative research paper - lays out a comparison or contrast between two or more ideas, such as theories, texts, methods, etc. Here is a topic example: “How do feminist theories differ from gender theory?”
Types of research papers by method or research format
Research papers can be further classified by their research method or their research format.
The table below outlines research papers broken down into different research methodologies and a topic example for each:
Research method | What does it mean? | For example |
Experimental or empirical paper | Presents results from experiments or field research | “Testing how alcohol consumption affects human productivity” |
Survey paper | Analyses trends and outliers from data or opinions from participants | “Surveying public satisfaction with voting systems” |
Case study paper | In-depth analysis on a single case, like an individual, org, event, project, etc. | “Case study on Coca-Cola’s marketing strategies” |
Literature review paper | Synthesises existing research on a focused topic | “Reviewing research on climate crisis communication” |
Meta-analysis Paper | Uses numerical techniques to identify trends across multiple studies | “Evaluating the effectiveness of e-learning during COVID” |
The table below outlines research papers broken down into different (specialised) research formats and a topic example for each:
Research format | What does it mean? | For example |
|---|---|---|
Position paper | Often used in academic debates and formulates a clear stance on an issue | “Why the US should prioritise solar energy over nuclear power” |
White paper | Recommendations or solution-oriented, common in business or government organisations | “Singapore’s Green Plan: Roadmap for net-zero emissions by 2030” |
Problem-solution paper | Addresses a problem and proposes a solution with supporting evidence | “Addressing urban food security through vertical farming” |
Cause-and-Effect paper | Explores how one event or issue influences another | “Examining the effects of fast-food consumption on childhood obesity” |
Report paper | Presents findings and conclusions without opinions or arguments | “Annual air quality status report for Delhi, 2025” |
How to write a research paper?
This is the most difficult question, and we’re here to break it down for you, so you don’t have to sit worried in front of a blank Word document. Below is a step-by-step guide to writing a research paper.
How to choose a topic for a research paper?
Choosing a topic is the first step to writing your research paper. You can start by brainstorming on what topics interest you, what might be relevant today and have conversations with peers and other academic professionals to understand diverse perspectives.
Reading about the topic online will also give you an idea of how specific topics are addressed and sometimes overlooked. Clearly note down what your topic is, what problem or idea you want to explore.
Once you’ve chosen your topic, you will probably wonder how to begin writing. The hard truth is that you won’t be able to start writing once you have a topic. You will need to do a lot of reading to understand the topic, narrow it down if needed, and gather your research material. Once you have read 30 to 40 academic papers or publications around your topic, the trends will point out a research gap.
This is the time to formulate your thesis statement. A thesis statement conveys the main argument of your paper in no more than 2 sentences and must be included in your introduction section. Then, you will be ready to outline your paper.
What are the different parts of a research paper?
- Title Page - A title page usually consists of the title or topic of your research paper and the author's name. This page also includes (if any) names of co-authors, institutional affiliations, and acknowledgements of any funding received to carry out the research study. This can be placed at the bottom of the title page as “Author Note.” Sometimes, you will also find the acknowledgements section placed towards the end of a research paper, just before the references.
- Abstract - The Abstract is the first section of your research paper. It should entail a concise overview of your study, ideally in the range of 150 to 200 words. This short one-paragraph summary should clearly state the research study, its outcome, and how it was achieved.
- Introduction - The introduction of your research paper is a detailed section, followed by your abstract. It explains the research topic and its relevance with a further elaboration of your study’s objectives, thesis statement and what you would like to explore in it.
- Literature review - The literature review of your research paper should uniformly analyse the existing studies around your research topic. It is essential to select research materials that are relevant to your study (considering the time period, angle, region, medium, and numerical or statistical data) and clearly outline the gaps in them.
- Methodology - The methodology section outlines every step taken to conduct your study, including the research design, methods, and data analysis.
- Results - Following your methodology is the results section. This should explain the findings of your research study and present the numerical/statistical data used.
- Discussion - The discussion should highlight the significance of your study’s findings and their relevance to the overall topic, as well as their comparison with existing studies. It is essential to demonstrate how your study directly addresses the existing research gaps.
- Conclusion - In the conclusion section, you should tie up your research paper by providing a summary of the key points and how they support your thesis statement. You might also want to address any limitations to your study and how this opens up scope for future studies.
- References - The reference section consists of a list of academic papers and books you have cited within your research paper. It is equally important as the other sections of your research paper to show how credible your study is. There is no universal number of references you need for a research paper, but usually, some journals have a restriction on the maximum number of references.
Section-by-Section checklist for your research paper
Below is a table with a section-by-section checklist for your research paper, clearly indicating its length. This is the beginning of creating an outline. If you can answer each of these questions from all the sections in clear and concise form, then you have your first draft.
Parts of a research paper | Your paper should answer: | Length of sections |
Title | What is your research paper’s core idea in a few words? | > 20 words - be concise |
Abstract | What is a mini-summary (What and how did you do & what did you find) of your research paper? | 150-250 words |
Introduction | What is the objective of your research paper? What is the problem, and why does it matter? | 10-15% of total |
Literature Review | What areas of your research topic have been studied previously? What is the research gap you found? | 15-25% of total |
Methodology | What is your research study? What is your research design, methods, data and steps followed? | 10-15% of total |
Results | What are your findings and observations? | 10-15% of total |
Discussion | What do your findings mean, and how is it different (or in some cases similar) from existing studies outlined in your literature review? | 15-20% of total |
Conclusion | What is a focused summary of your findings, limitations, and scope for future research? What should be the key takeaway for your readers? | 5-10% of total |
References | Which studies does your paper cite? | A minimum of 15-20 sources (Stay within the maximum reference count if given) |
How to format a reference list?
A reference provides the details of a source cited in your paper. This includes the author's name, year of publication, title, page numbers, publication name and a unique URL to retrieve them online.
There are seven commonly used reference formats. As your research paper should already follow a specific style guide or paper formatting, in the same way, your reference list must also adhere to the same formatting rules. Below is a summary of the seven different types of formats, along with an example for each.
- Modern Language Association (MLA) - Mostly used in academic papers that explore the humanities and liberal arts. An example:
- Nwogu, Kevin Ngozi. "The medical research paper: Structure and functions." English for specific purposes 16.2 (1997): 119-138.
- American Psychological Association (APA) - Usually used in the field of social sciences and is more commonly used as a formatting structure for university thesis papers. An example:
- Nwogu, K. N. (1997). The medical research paper: Structure and functions. English for specific purposes, 16(2), 119-138.
- Chicago Manual of Style (Chicago) - Can be flexibly used in a variety of academic papers and is not restricted to any particular field of study. An example:
- Nwogu, Kevin Ngozi. "The medical research paper: Structure and functions." English for specific purposes 16, no. 2 (1997): 119-138.
- Harvard Referencing Style (Harvard) - Commonly used in business and economic papers. An example:
- Nwogu, K.N., 1997. The medical research paper: Structure and functions. English for specific purposes, 16(2), pp.119-138.
- Vancouver Referencing Style (Vancouver) - Mostly used in academic papers for medicine and health sciences. This is a concise reference format with numbered citations. So if your citation in text is [1], then the reference would be:
- 1. Nwogu KN. The medical research paper: Structure and functions. English for specific purposes. 1997 Jan 1;16(2):119-38.
- Note: If you copy a citation for the reference list from Google Scholar, for example, it will not give you the serial number for the source. Simply, because it does not know, you will have to manually add the serial numbers based on the order of the source mentioned in your research paper.
- 1. Nwogu KN. The medical research paper: Structure and functions. English for specific purposes. 1997 Jan 1;16(2):119-38.
Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) - Usually used in academic papers relating to the topic of engineering and tech. Like Vancouver, this is also a concise reference format. It uses numbered citations in brackets in both text and reference. So if your citation in text is [1], then the reference would be:
- [1] K. N. Nwogu, "The medical research paper: Structure and functions," English for Specific Purposes, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 119-138, Jan. 1997.
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (Bluebook) - commonly used in the field of law for legal citations for law journals and cases. An example:
- Nwogu KN, The medical research paper: Structure and functions, 16 Eng. for Spec. Purposes 119 (1997).
Note: Make sure to check the specific style guide for your research paper, as each style has rules on font, size, spacing, margins, layout and more formatting details. This will ensure that your research paper meets the required academic standards.
Five common mistakes in research papers and how to fix them
Writing in order: The abstract and introduction are the first sections people read, but it might be useful to have them as your last task. This means you exactly know what you’ve covered in each section, and therefore easier to summarise them in the abstract and write your perfect introduction.
Failing to plan each section: It is very important that your research paper follows logical reasoning and has a structure that flows into the next section. Therefore, you might want to outline a bit more in detail. Our section-by-section checklist above will help you make this outline.
Using complicated language: Your research paper should simplify ideas and arguments for your reader. This does not mean you have to avoid technical terms, but just to use them carefully and follow them with explanations, where necessary.
A short discussion section in your research: The most crucial aspect of your research paper is your findings and what they mean. Keeping it short might signal an inadequate analysis of your findings, so make sure to discuss your results for 15-20% of your paper.
Insufficient reading and research: If you ever feel stuck writing a section, it simply means you need to read more. Reading more helps you to find more material to talk about, observe writing styles and kicks out the mental block.
If you’ve already researched your topic, you are ready to outline your research paper using our checklist above. In case you haven’t, you know what to do - keep reading!
FAQs
1. What is the difference between a research and a thesis?
A thesis is a longer piece written towards the end of a bachelor's, master's, or PhD program, whereas a research paper is much shorter and addresses a specific question or problem.
2. How long should a research paper be?
This totally depends on the specific publication, but it is usually 6 to 20 pages long without title pages and references.
3. Can ChatGPT write a research paper?
It is totally unethical to use AI to entirely write your paper; however, it might be useful for brainstorming and for outlining your paper.
4. Is it easy to write a research paper?
It definitely is not an easy task. But the process can be made easier by reading and researching your topic, which will help you formulate ideas for your paper.
5. What are the 7 steps of writing a research paper?
The 7 basic steps of writing a research paper are to choose a topic, conduct preliminary research, develop a thesis statement, get your sources, make an outline, write a draft, and edit.
