why is writing a research paper so hard

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5 Reasons Why Research Paper Writing Is So Difficult for Students

A research paper is designed to test a student's capability to interpret a topic, collect information, analyze it and write a comprehensive essay. For one reason or another, students tend to fall short of these skills that lead to underperformance in the long run. Nowadays, there are alternative solutions to research paper writing including buying research papers from online experts. Still, there are some vital aspects of a research paper that should be perfected for a student to garner exemplary scores. Let us highlight some of the reasons why students find paper writing difficult.

What Prevents You from Writing a Research Paper? - These 5 Points

1. Tough Topic Is Chosen

The right topic makes it possible for everything else to fall in place. It is crucial for students to make their choice keenly. Unfortunately, there are two excesses - whether a student selects the simplest research paper topics that are explored enough or too complex topics that are hardly investigated. Keep in mind that It isn't a good idea to follow controversial topics . The right topic should be easy to approach and easy to back up as well. Additionally, it should be wide enough to allow numerous data sources for a timely, pocket-friendly and effortless research process.

2. No Free Time to Deal with Writing

In addition to the choice of complex topics, there is a lack of time to explore them. As soon as a student is assigned with the task to write a research paper or any other paper, there is an urgent need to do something. What haven't you done recently? Go shopping, cook, do the laundry and clean your rooms. All that can be named as simple procrastination. However, there are those who really lack time to perform written tasks - full-time or part-time workers, family people, athletes, etc. Without any doubt, it will be difficult for them to write term papers.

3. 100% Original Research Is Required

The time needed to write a good research paper is extended because of different research paper requirements. One of the aspects that students fail to get right is the originality - it is required to have the total originality. How does it usually happen? A student is given a topic, and he/she tries to find any relevant paper on the given topic coping some ideas and pasting them in a paper. Isn't familiar to you? Surely! But it doesn't simplify the whole research and writing process. Nonetheless, even after finding the right sources, there is the issue of proper structuring so that all will look academically correct.

4. Strong Writing Skills Shortage

After selecting a topic and conducting research, now it comes to putting the findings in a way that answers the research question. Writing a term paper can be a nightmare for most students. Some of them simply do not believe in their own work, hence, end up buying research papers. Others rush against time thus churning out mediocre papers. Moreover, inadequate knowledge of a topic may result in a poor flow of ideas as well as the presentation of illogical arguments.

5. Some Editing Issues Confuse

The average length of a term paper falls between 15 to 20 quality pages. Such bulky content demands time for one to go through, edit and fine tune. Well, students do shoddy work when it comes to editing. While some fail to pay attention to key areas, others do it in a rush or neglect the editing process totally. Thorough editing is as important as any other step in writing research papers.

5 Key Steps for Easy and Quick Research Paper Writing

1. Select an Adequate Topic

The very first way towards writing a research paper fast and easily is to select a topic that is doable. It should be a topic that one understands better thus opening room to more sources of information for stronger arguments. Besides that, a broad topic makes the research process easy. You should stay away from topics that are sensitive or controversial as they will draw research participants away.

2. Do Extensive Research

Extensive research on a chosen topic should be undertaken before an outline for the paper is created. Research provides sufficient information to back up the main topic. However, the research should be done from credible sources. This helps with citation hence eliminating plagiarism. Information from multiple sources will be more solid compared to evidence drawn from one source. To avoid all the hustle that comes citing and crediting the sources, you can rewrite or paraphrase.

3. Come up with the Coherent Structure of the Paper

The structure of a term paper includes key chapters or parts, paragraphs and other points that play a great role in the content presentation. It gives the paper that neat look in addition to keeping it organized. Furthermore, it makes it easy for students to figure out how information will be distributed so that the content will look logical and logically complete. It is vital for the whole text to be written in a similar format.

4. Draft a Research Paper Several Times

All ideas and arguments should be presented in a way that is logical. Other than that, there should be a strong connection between the thesis and the evidence provided to answer the research question. Proper grammar and language use has to be observed as well. The best conclusion is composed of an overview of the most important facts in the body. It helps to emphasize your arguments in the paper.

5. Do Through Proofreading and Editing

Proofreading and editing will get rid of any errors that might be overlooked while writing. Texts and sentences that do not conform to the main topic are to be eliminated.

Research paper writing has to be done perfectly owing to an integral part of the education system. It is possible to write the papers fast and easy with the guide above. Nonetheless, you should not hesitate to order or purchase a custom research paper from online professionals in case you are overwhelmed.

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Published: 30 March 2017

It's not just you: science papers are getting harder to read

Philip Ball

Nature ( 2017 ) Cite this article

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Papers from 2015 are a tougher read than some from the nineteenth century — and the problem isn't just about words, says Philip Ball.

Modern scientific texts are more impenetrable than they were over a century ago, suggests a team of researchers in Sweden. It’s easy to believe that.

You can be confident, for example, that if you pick up a random copy of Nature (which has long prided itself on the relative accessibility of its papers), you may find sentences like this in the abstracts:

Here we show that in mice DND1 binds a UU(A/U) trinucleotide motif predominantly in the 3' untranslated regions of mRNA, and destabilizes target mRNAs through direct recruitment of the CCR4-NOT deadenylase complex.

But this type of jargon-heavy phrasing is not the only problem that neuroscientist William Hedley Thompson and his colleagues at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm are tackling in their analysis. They scoured more than 700,000 English-language abstracts published between 1881 and 2015 in 122 leading biomedical journals. Their study 1 , posted on the preprint server bioRxiv on 28 March, suggests that it’s not just the technical jargon that has been on the rise.

There has also, the authors say, been an increase in “general scientific jargon”: that is, multisyllable words that have non-technical meanings but have become part of the standard lexicon of the science paper. These words include ‘robust’, ‘significant’, ‘furthermore’ and ‘underlying’ — all familiar enough in daily use, but markedly more prevalent in the scientific literature. The words aren’t inherently opaque, but their accumulation adds to the mental effort involved in reading the text.

Fourth-grade readers

Thompson and his colleagues examined the texts using standard indicators of reading ease, which measure factors such as the number of syllables per word, the number of words in a sentence and the number of words in the paper not included in a predefined list of common words (the New Dale–Chall, or NDC, list). By these measures, the trends seem very clear: a steady and marked decline in readability since 1881.

You could argue over the technicalities of the study. The list of common words is measured against the comprehension skills of US fourth-graders — children aged nine and ten — and its applicability to the scientific literature is not clear, points out Yellowlees Douglas at the University of Florida in Gainesville, author of The Reader’s Brain (Cambridge University Press, 2015), a writing manual that bases its advice on neuroscience. More problematically, metrics such as syllable-counting are too simplistic: for example, they rate words such as ‘orange’ and ‘praxis’ as equivalent.

What’s more, says physicist Luís Amaral of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, who has studied trends in scientific publications, the data from before 1960 are too sparse and variable to be very reliable, and the trends in the data from after 1960 are less clear.

Besides, Amaral says, distinguishing between technical and general jargon isn’t easy. And an increase in technical jargon is not wholly a bad thing: it can reflect the appearance of useful concepts and techniques in science. ‘Sequencing’ was probably not part of the scientific vocabulary before 1980, he says, but who would complain about its presence now?

However, the need for specialized terms cannot completely explain the increased impenetrability of modern scientific literature.

Thompson and his colleagues are probably right to pin some of that opacity on a habitual, almost ritualistic use of ‘power words’ such as ‘distinct’ and ‘novel’. But a focus on word-counting risks distracting from what really matters about good writing.

Tangled sentences

Short, common words can be used to write sentences that are awfully hard to understand, simply because of poor grammatical construction. This is the point of Douglas’s book: the reader expects to encounter concepts in a particular order, without having to search back for the right noun to go with a verb, or having to untangle intervening information-filled clauses. You can always look up jargon, but with a poorly constructed sentence you’re on your own.

And comprehensibility isn’t just about what a paper says, but also about what it leaves out. As a regular reader of research papers, I am often staggered by their leaps of reasoning or omission of key details, especially when I discover that these gaps are no less real to experts.

So how could the readability of scientific papers be improved? First, by recognizing that good writing doesn’t happen by magic. It can be taught — but rarely is. Douglas suspects that many first drafts of papers are written by junior members of a research team who, lacking any model for what good writing looks like, take their lead from what is already in the journals. And there “they see the jargon and complexity as markers of what passes as scientific writing”, she adds. Such self-reinforcing mimicry could certainly account for the trends highlighted by Thompson and his colleagues.

So where do you find good models of writing? Obviously, from good writers — not necessarily in the sciences, but anywhere 2 . There is hard evidence that sophisticated readers make sophisticated writers 3 . Why not encourage students to put down Nature and pick up Darwin, Dawkins or Dickens?

Plavén-Sigray, P., Matheson, G. J., Schiffler, B. C. & Thompson, W. H. Preprint on bioRxiv at http://doi.org/10.1101/119370 (2017).

Gee, H. Nature 431 , 411 (2004).

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Published : 30 March 2017

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Why Is Writing So Hard? 7 Common Obstacles (and What to Do About Them)

by Kaelyn Barron | 2 comments

Whether you’re a writer by choice or have to do it as part of your job or education, it’s no secret that writing can be just plain difficult.

Some people may seem to have an intuitive way with words, but that doesn’t mean writing is always easy for them (even if they make it seem so).

Even the best writers struggle with common obstacles like writer’s block, fatigue, and a lack of inspiration, so you’re definitely not alone if you find writing challenging.

You may face numerous challenges, but the good news is that there’s always something you can do. In this post, we’ll look at 7 common writing obstacles and solutions you can implement right now to overcome them.

7 Reasons Why Writing Is So Hard

Here are 7 common challenges you may face while writing, plus action steps to overcome each one.

1. You’re anxious or insecure about your writing.

Writing requires courage in the obvious ways, like being brave enough to share your work with the world, send it to publishers and reviewers, or read it aloud.

But even putting your thoughts and ideas on paper can be an act of bravery. It takes courage to tell your story, which might be painful, or to share your ideas, which might be unpopular.

What to do about it:

Find a mentor . Even if you never meet in person, staying in contact with a writer or other person you admire can be excellent motivation, and they might be able to help you past some of your fears using their own experiences.
Try journaling . Write about your feelings surrounding writing and try to work out where your insecurities stem from. What do you find intimidating or difficult about writing?
Work on your confidence. You may never feel 100% ready to share your work, but building your confidence in general will translate to greater confidence in your writing.

2. You must be humble.

Of course, not all writers have confidence issues. Maybe you’re really proud of the work you’ve done—and you should be!

But writing still requires a healthy dose of humility. This means being able to accept feedback and criticism (and even seek it out), identify key lessons and takeaways, and apply them to your next round.

Even the best artists look for opportunities to grow and expand their skills. There’s always more to learn, so work on being humble enough to identify areas where you can become even stronger.

Learn how to handle criticism . As a writer, it’s kind of inevitable, so the sooner you learn to embrace it, the happier you’ll be.
Ask for help. Join writers’ groups and actively seek honest, constructive feedback so you can get a diverse range of perspectives and opinions on your work.

3. You find it hard to focus.

In today’s world, our lives are busier and more full of distractions than ever. There’s work, family obligations, errands, your social life, and of course, your health and mental well-being to take care of.

Even if you’re lucky enough to be a full-time writer, there’s the ever-present buzz of social media, television, and advertisements vying for your attention.

We all find it hard to focus sometimes, but don’t forget that you have control. Good writing requires you to be fully present so you can be open to all the inspiration and ideas floating around you. Then, you need to be in the right mindset to focus on creating the best output you can.

Find or create a dedicated writing space that’s comfortable and free of distractions.
Turn off your social notifications while you’re writing, or better yet, temporarily delete the apps from your phone.
Take breaks! You can’t maintain focus for hours on end. Your mind will start to wander, and you’ll experience burnout . So grab a snack if you’re hungry, go for a walk, meditate—do whatever you need to maintain your energy and focus.

4. You have trouble planning.

What’s that? You’re not a planner, you say? Creativity and planning are incompatible?

Some writers are plotters, while others are pantsers (meaning they “fly by the seat of their pants”). You can take this quiz to find out which one you are.

But even if you’re a pantser, you still need to do a little plotting, like creating a really basic outline or thinking about your central theme. The problem is, not all of us are great with planning, which can make writing hard.

Create an outline —even a really simple one with 5 bullet points is fine!
If you write fiction, create a character profile to make sure your characters are fully developed with complete arcs.
Remember that you’re not married to your plan. (This can help you get over your aversion to planning.) You can change course whenever you think it makes sense to!

5. You think you’re not creative enough.

Writing can be an especially daunting task if you believe you’re missing the “creativity gene.” While some people may appear to tap into the right hemisphere of their brain more frequently, the truth is that creativity can be learned .

Still, even if you’re a generally creative person, you’re going to run into writer’s block from time to time. But fear not—this, too, can be overcome!

Creativity blocks are temporary, and usually due to stress, anxiety, or confusion. Try stepping away from your work for a while until you’ve got a clear mind.

Take a creativity course .
Read an inspiring book on creativity .
Use writing prompts .

6. You struggle to stay disciplined.

You can talk about your writing goals all you want, but if you don’t actually follow through and stick to a consistent writing routine, it will be hard to make any progress.

Writing requires discipline, which means practicing constantly—even if you’re not working on a specific project right now, and yes, even if you’re battling with a bout of writer’s block.

Try morning pages . Freewriting every morning can help you stay in a consistent writing habit, and also remedy writer’s block by clearing your mind of all the other thoughts that are bogging you down.
Create a writing routine that works for you. Set aside a dedicate slot of time where you can write uninterrupted. This might be first thing in the morning, or late at night once everyone else is asleep. Find what works for you and stick to it.
Write down and revisit your goals. Reminding yourself why you’re writing can help you stay motivated . Do you want to become a better writer? Finish your manuscript by next month? Write down your specific goals and leave them in a place where you can see them.

7. You must be patient.

While there are steps you can take to overcome writer’s block and build a solid writing routine, sometimes you just have to be patient.

Maybe you need to wait for your editor to return their edits on your latest draft, or maybe you need to rewrite the final chapter for what seems like the millionth time.

But having patience is easier said than done. If it’s a personal skill you feel you need to work on, I recommend checking out our post on how to be more patient in a world of instant gratification.

Here are some other things you can do:

Find other (productive) things to work on while you wait for your editor to return edits, or for your writer’s block to pass. For example, try creative writing exercises or take an online writing course .
If you feel you need to be more patient in general (and not just with your writing), try meditation or practicing mindfulness . This will help you to slow down and find greater focus.

Nobody Said It Was Easy…

Okay, maybe someone has said that… but they were lying. Writing can sometimes be really hard, but that shouldn’t discourage you from pursuing your goals.

You can’t snap your fingers and make your manuscript complete, but there are always steps you can take to make the process less stressful, more productive, and even enjoyable.

What do you think is the hardest part of writing? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

If you enjoyed this post, then you might also like:

5 Reasons to Try a Writing Sprint
9 of Stephen King’s Writing Tips For the Aspiring Writer
Writing Motivation: 7 Tips for Staying Productive
15 Ernest Hemingway Quotes on Life, Death, and Writing

As a blog writer for TCK Publishing, Kaelyn loves crafting fun and helpful content for writers, readers, and creative minds alike. She has a degree in International Affairs with a minor in Italian Studies, but her true passion has always been writing. Working remotely allows her to do even more of the things she loves, like traveling, cooking, and spending time with her family.

What I’m afraid of is that either people won’t find my work likeable, they think it’s terrible, or they play these cards they play even now in Hollywood where all these films/tv show (Disney make) the writers think must check some boxes and if you don’t have all boxes checked your writing and finished work will not be accepted by the world.

These producers make this now so future creators feel guilty they didn’t write like kathleen keddidy or kevin figey. I know their writings and creations are trash, but they are in charge of companies and still have power and bully, oppress, and bulldoze the upcoming and future dreamers to create new things.

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Why is Academic Writing so Confusing?

It’s a story many students will find familiar. You sit in the library, doing your assigned readings, and notice yourself stumbling over the same few sentences. You re-read them but you’re still perplexed; the author uses advanced terms without explaining what they mean, and structures his sentences in the least straightforward way imaginable. You read them again. Once you finally feel that you understand the message, you’re crushed by the discovery that the next paragraph is even more confusing than the last.

If this sounds like you, don’t worry — you are not the problem. If the purpose of academic writing is to clearly communicate one’s ideas and research to the reader, then writing that is difficult to understand is bad writing. Period.

Many academic papers skip the process of defining basic terms and concepts; perhaps the authors assume that their work will only be read by other scholars in their field. But on the other end of the academic spectrum are “popular” works, which try to make some area of study understandable (and interesting) to the public. The movie “Hidden Figures,” for example, is a work of popular history, because it tells the story of the African American women who helped America’s space program in an engaging and easy-to-grasp way.

If the goal of our university system is to foster a well-educated public, not just to create a class of intellectual elites, then scholars who produce academic papers should be grateful to their peers who create “popular” works of academia. Unfortunately, this is seldom the case. In many areas of scholarship, it’s commonplace to find a divide between “academics” and “popularizers,” where the former is often dismissive or condemnatory of the latter. For example, I was recently warned that a particular source in the history of science had received criticism for being “too much of a popular history.”

This makes no sense. If we take a random popular history book off the shelf, then there are many valid critiques that could potentially apply to it. Maybe the book oversimplifies the facts, or it creates a false narrative in order to make history seem more interesting. However, it would be invalid to say the book is bad merely for being a work of “popular history.”

We should praise authors who want to make history, science, and philosophy accessible to the public. We can suggest that they refine their methods, but we should be supportive of their goal. Instead, many academics seem to dismiss the popularization of their fields as a useless, risky pursuit.

I think there are two potential reasons for this. The first is academic elitism. If you’re one of the world’s only scholars on the Flemish goose, then you’d naturally feel some pride in possessing a set of knowledge that very few people have. So, you might disapprove of a popular science book on the Flemish goose, as this would spread that knowledge to many people who weren’t originally part of your small club of academic goose-lovers.

But, let’s be generous and assume that elitism isn’t the main cause for the academic-popularizer divide. Then, the only remaining reason for a scholar to oppose popular works is if they sincerely believe that academic fields can only be popularized through the use of major rhetorical or analytical flaws.

To some academics, the idea of making a subject “understandable” is synonymous with making it deceptively oversimplified. I wholeheartedly disagree. Converting an academic subject into something that the public can understand is not easy, but it’s certainly possible. Communicating complex truths without being misleading requires skill and subtlety; rather than create some easy answer, you’ll need to be honest with your listener about the things that confuse even the foremost intellectuals in your field. Some academics might think that this is too much for the public to handle, but I believe that the average person is a lot smarter than scholars give them credit for.

Above all, scholars need to understand that humans have the natural tendency to view simpler arguments as more convincing. In 2015, U.S. Senator Jim M. Inhofe (R-OK) brought a snowball into Congress, essentially suggesting that global warming was a hoax because it was cold outside. This ( familiar ) argument is extremely simple, which, for many people, makes it especially convincing. Those of us who wish to defend climate science are left with two options: Counter a simple lie with a 97-page research paper full of terms like the “albedo effect,” or counter a simple lie with an easy-to-understand version of the truth.

To me, the choice is clear. In order to get people to listen, we need scholars who are skilled at translating complex ideas into accessible language. Harvard students are especially fortunate, as the quality of our education is unparalleled. For this reason, we should try to share what we learn with as many people as possible, whether we do it through making videos, articles, or even intelligent Twitter threads. Once we free ourselves from the notion that academic knowledge can only be communicated through esoteric research papers, then we realize that every day offers us the opportunity to help educate (and learn from) those around us.

Daniel L. Leonard ’21, a Crimson Editorial editor, is a joint History of Science and Philosophy concentrator in Winthrop House.

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College Info Geek

How to Write a Killer Research Paper (Even If You Hate Writing)

C.I.G. is supported in part by its readers. If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Read more here.

Research papers.

Unless you’re a weirdo like me, you probably dread them. When I was in college, depending on the class, I even dreaded these.

It’s the sort of project that can leave even the most organized student quaking in their boots, staring at the assignment like they’re Luke Skywalker and it’s the Death Star.

You have to pick a broad topic, do some in-depth research, hone in on a research question, and then present your answer to that question in an interesting way. Oh, and you have to use citations, too.

How on earth are you supposed to tackle this thing?

Fear not, for even the Death Star had weaknesses. With a well-devised plan, some courage, and maybe a little help from a few midichlorians, you can conquer your research paper, too.

Let’s get started.

1. Pick a Topic

And pick one that interests you. This is not up for debate.

You and this topic are going to be spending a lot of time together, so you might as well pick something you like, or, at the very least, have a vague interest in. Even if you hate the class, there’s probably at least one topic that you’re curious about.

Maybe you want to write about “mental health in high schools” for your paper in your education class. That’s a good start, but take a couple steps to hone your idea a little further so you have an idea of what to research. Here’s a couple of factors to look at when you want to get more specific:

Timeframe : What are the most important mental health issues for high schoolers that have come up in the last five years?
Location : How does the mental health of students in your area compare to students in the next state (or country) over?
Culture or Group : How does the mental health of inner-city students compare to those in the suburbs or places like Silicon Valley?
Solution : If schools were to make one change to high schools to improve the well-being of their students, what would be most effective, and why?

It’s good to be clear about what you’re researching, but make sure you don’t box yourself into a corner. Try to avoid being too local (if the area is a small town, for example), or too recent, as there may not be enough research conducted to support an entire paper on the subject.

Also, avoid super analytical or technical topics that you think you’ll have a hard time writing about (unless that’s the assignment…then jump right into all the technicalities you want).

You’ll probably need to do some background research and possibly brainstorm with your professor before you can identify a topic that’s specialized enough for your paper.

At the very least, skim the Encyclopedia Britannica section on your general area of interest. Your professor is another resource: use them! They’re probably more than happy to point you in the direction of a possible research topic.

Of course, this is going to be highly dependent on your class and the criteria set forth by your professor, so make sure you read your assignment and understand what it’s asking for. If you feel the assignment is unclear, don’t go any further without talking to your professor about it.

2. Create a Clear Thesis Statement

Say it with me: a research paper without a thesis question or statement is just a fancy book report.

All research papers fall under three general categories: analytical, expository, or argumentative.

Analytical papers present an analysis of information (effects of stress on the human brain)
Expository papers seek to explain something (Julius Caesar’s rise to power)
Argumentative papers are trying to prove a point (Dumbledore shouldn’t be running a school for children).

So figure out what sort of paper you’d like to write, and then come up with a viable thesis statement or question.

Maybe it starts out looking like this:

Julius Caesar’s rise to power was affected by three major factors.

Ok, not bad. You could probably write a paper based on this. But it’s not great , either. It’s not specific, neither is it arguable . You’re not really entering any sort of discussion.

Maybe you rework it a little to be more specific and you get:

Julius Caesar’s quick rise to power was a direct result of a power vacuum and social instability created by years of war and internal political corruption.

Better. Now you can actually think about researching it.

Every good thesis statement has three important qualities: it’s focused , it picks a side , and it can be backed up with research .

If you’re missing any of these qualities, you’re gonna have a bad time. Avoid vague modifier words like “positive” and “negative.” Instead use precise, strong language to formulate your argument.

Take this thesis statement for example:

“ High schools should stop assigning so much homework, because it has a negative impact on students’ lives.”

Sure, it’s arguable…but only sort of . It’s pretty vague. We don’t really know what is meant by “negative”, other than “generically bad”. Before you get into the research, you have to define your argument a little more.

Revised Version:

“ High schools in the United States should assign less homework, as lower workloads improve students’ sleep, stress levels, and, surprisingly, their grades.”

When in doubt, always look at your thesis and ask, “Is this arguable?” Is there something you need to prove ? If not, then your thesis probably isn’t strong enough. If yes, then as long as you can actually prove it with your research, you’re golden.

Good thesis statements give you a clear goal. You know exactly what you’re looking for, and you know exactly where you’re going with the paper. Try to be as specific and clear as possible. That makes the next step a lot easier:

3. Hit the Books

So you have your thesis, you know what you’re looking for. It’s time to actually go out and do some real research. By real research, I mean more than a quick internet search or a quick skim through some weak secondary or tertiary sources.

If you’ve chosen a thesis you’re a little unsteady on, a preliminary skim through Google is fine, but make sure you go the extra mile. Some professors will even have a list of required resources (e.g. “Three academic articles, two books, one interview…etc).

It’s a good idea to start by heading to the library and asking your local librarian for help (they’re usually so excited to help you find things!).

Check your school library for research papers and books on the topic. Look for primary sources, such as journals, personal records, or contemporary newspaper articles when you can find them.

As you’re starting your research, create some kind of system for filing helpful quotes, links, and other sources. I preferred it to all be on one text document on my computer, but you could try a physical file, too.

In this text document, I start compiling a list of all the sources I’m using. It tends to look like this:

Remember that at this point, your thesis isn’t solid. It’s still in a semi-squishy state. If your research starts to strongly contradict your thesis, then come up with a new thesis, revise, and keep on compiling quotes.

The more support you can find, the better. Depending on how long your paper is, you should have 3-10 different sources, with all sorts of quotes between them.

Here are some good places to look for reputable sources:

Google Scholar
Sites ending in .edu, .org, or .gov. While it’s not a rule, these sites tend to represent organizations, and they are more likely to be reputable than your run-of-the-mill .com sites
Your school library. It should have a section for articles and newspapers as well as books
Your school’s free academic database
Online encyclopedias like Britannica
Online almanacs and other databases

As you read, analyze your sources closely, and take good notes . Jot down general observations, questions, and answers to those questions when you find them. Once you have a sizable stack of research notes, it’s time to start organizing your paper.

4. Write an Outline

Even if you normally feel confident writing a paper without one, use an outline when you’re working on a research paper.

Outlines basically do all the heavy lifting for you when it comes to writing. They keep you organized and on track. Even if you feel tempted to just jump in and brain-dump, resist. You’ll thank me later.

Here’s how to structure an outline:

You’ll notice it’s fairly concise, and it has three major parts: the introduction , the body , and the conclusion . Also notice that I haven’t bothered to organize my research too much.

I’ve just dumped all the relevant citations under the headings I think they’ll end up under, so I can put in my quotes from my research document later as they fit into the overall text.

Let’s get a little more in-depth with this:

The Introduction

The introduction is made up of two main parts: the thesis and the introduction to the supporting points. This is where you essentially tell your reader exactly what sort of wild ride they’re in for if they read on.

It’s all about preparing your reader’s mind to start thinking about your argument or question before you even really get started.

Present your thesis and your supporting points clearly and concisely. It should be no longer than a paragraph or two. Keep it simple and easy to read.

Body Paragraphs

Okay, now that you’ve made your point, it’s time to prove it. This is where your body paragraphs come in. The length of this is entirely dependent on the criteria set by your professor, so keep that in mind.

However, as a rule, you should have at least three supporting points to help defend, prove, or explain your thesis. Put your weakest point first, and your strongest point last.

This doesn’t need a lot of outlining. Basically, take your introduction outline and copy it over. Your conclusion should be about a paragraph long, and it should summarize your main points and restate your thesis.

There’s also another key component to this outline example that I haven’t touched on yet:

Research and Annotations

Some people like to write first, and annotate later. Personally, I like to get my quotes and annotations in right at the start of the writing process.

I find the rest of the paper goes more smoothly, and it’s easier to ensure that I’ve compiled enough support for my claim. That way, I don’t go through all the work of writing the paper, only to discover that my thesis doesn’t actually hold any water!

As a general rule, it’s good to have at least 3-5 sources for every supporting point. Whenever you make a claim in your paper, you should support it with evidence.

Some professors are laxer on this, and some are more stringent. Make sure you understand your assignment requirements really, really, really well. You don’t want to get marked down for missing the correct number of sources!

At this stage, you should also be sure of what sort of format your professor is looking for (APA, MLA, etc.) , as this will save you a lot of headache later.

When I was in college, some professors wanted in-text parenthetical citations whenever I made a claim or used my research at all. Others only wanted citations at the end of a paragraph. And others didn’t mind in-text citations at all, so long as you had a bibliography at the end of your entire paper.

So, go through your outline and start inserting your quotes and citations now. Count them up. If you need more, then add them. If you think you have enough (read: your claims are so supported that even Voldemort himself couldn’t scare them), then move on to the next step:

5. Write the First Draft

Time to type this thing up. If you created a strong enough outline, this should be a breeze. Most of it should already be written for you. All you have to do at this point is fill it in. You’ve successfully avoided the initial blank-screen panic .

Don’t worry too much about grammar or prose quality at this point. It’s the rough draft, and it’s not supposed to see the light of day.

I find it helpful to highlight direct quotes, summaries, paraphrases, and claims as I put them in. This helps me ensure that I never forget to cite any of them.

So, do what you’ve gotta do . Go to a studious place or create one , put on an awesome playlist, close your social media apps, and get the work done.

Once you’ve gotten the gist of your paper down, the real work begins:

6. Revise Your Draft

Okay, now that you’ve word-vomited everywhere in a semi-organized fashion, it’s time to start building this thing into a cohesive paper. If you took the time to outline properly, then this part shouldn’t be too difficult.

Every paper has two editing stages:the developmental edit , and the line edit.

The developmental edit (the first one, at least) is for your eyes only. This is the part where you take a long, hard look at your paper and ask yourself, “Does this make sense, and does it accomplish what I want it to accomplish?” If it does, then great. If it doesn’t, then how can you rearrange or change it so that it does?

Here are a few good questions to ask yourself at this stage:

Is the paper well-organized, and does it have a logical flow of thought from paragraph to paragraph?
Does your thesis hold up to the three criteria listed earlier? Is it well supported by your research and arguments?
Have you checked that all your sources are properly cited?
How repetitive is the paper? Can you get rid of superlative points or language to tighten up your argument?

Once you’ve run the paper through this process at least once, it’s time for the line edit . This is the part where you check for punctuation, spelling, and grammar errors.

It helps to let your paper sit overnight, and then read it out loud to yourself, or the cat, or have a friend read it. Often, our brains know what we “meant” to say, and it’s difficult for us to catch small grammatical or spelling errors.

Here are a couple more final questions to ask yourself before you call it a day:

Have you avoided filler words , adverbs , and passive voice as much as possible?
Have you checked for proper grammar, spelling, and punctuation? Spell-checker software is pretty adept these days, but it still isn’t perfect.

If you need help editing your paper, and your regular software just isn’t cutting it, Grammarly is a good app for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Chrome that goes above and beyond your run-of-the-mill spell-checker. It looks for things like sentence structure and length, as well as accidental plagiarism and passive tense.

7. Organize Your Sources

The paper’s written, but it’s not over. You’ve still got to create the very last page: the “works cited” or bibliography page.

Now, this page works a little differently depending on what style your professor has asked you to use, and it can get pretty confusing, as different types of sources are formatted completely differently.

The most important thing to ensure here is that every single source, whether big or small, is on this page before you turn your paper in. If you forget to cite something, or don’t cite it properly, you run the risk of plagiarism.

I got through college by using a couple of different tools to format it for me. Here are some absolute life-savers:

EasyBib – I literally used this tool all throughout college to format my citations for me, it does all the heavy lifting for you, and it’s free .
Microsoft Word – I honestly never touched Microsoft Word throughout my college years, but it actually has a tool that will create citations and bibliographies for you, so it’s worth using if you have it on your computer.

Onwards: One Step at a Time

I leave you with this parting advice:

Once you understand the method, research papers really aren’t as difficult as they seem. Sure, there’s a lot to do, but don’t be daunted. Just take it step by step, piece by piece, and give yourself plenty of time. Take frequent breaks, stay organized, and never, ever, ever forget to cite your sources. You can do this!

Looking for tools to make the writing process easier? Check out our list of the best writing apps .

Image Credits: featured

June 19, 2013

What's So Hard about Research?

By Jody Passanisi and Shara Peters

This article was published in Scientific American’s former blog network and reflects the views of the author, not necessarily those of Scientific American

We are told that the students that we teach are “digital natives.” This term implies that from the time they were born, technology has played such a large part in students’ lives that they know no other way. Also, it has been noted that digital natives have an aptitude for technology that is significantly different from the older generations (who have been dubbed “digital immigrants”); the joke goes that if you give a digital native and a digital immigrant a new digital camera, the native will be taking pictures before the immigrant has finished reading page two of the manual. The assumption is that this new generation is simply better than us at technology.

However, as we wrote about in another article for Scientific American , just because students are digital natives, does not mean that they have skills to figure out all technology, or to use technology in a purposeful way. We noticed that, though these digital natives have the world of information at their fingertips, for some reason they are often unable to take basic problem-solving skills and apply them to simple online research. They had no problem figuring out how to work the newest update to Facebook, but when asked to find out any information that required the smallest amount of critical thinking, students were hampered. The best example we have of this is when we asked students what the most important causes of the Revolutionary War were—we heard a student ask Siri: “What are the most important causes of the Revolutionary War?” When Siri did not know the answer, the student said, “I don’t know, I can’t find it.”

Students can find out basic names, dates, and facts through online research. If we ask them what year the Declaration of Independence was signed, they will Google that exact question, and most of the time, produce the right answer. But when asked to research a question that does not have one “right” answer, the room quickly dissolves into a chorus of “I don’t get it” and “I need help” and “I can’t find it.”

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In this article we will attempt to answer this question that we have posed and discussed often here at Scientific American:

What about online research is challenging to students?

Through observation of our students, we have come up with five hypotheses as to why this may be:

· Students today are accustomed to instant gratification, and therefore can be overwhelmed by tasks that require time-consuming research.

There are very few things in life that our students have to wait for today. Information they need to know is posted instantly online, they can connect with their friends through social media without needing to wait for school the next day, and Googling a question will give them a quick answer to any fact they want to know. However, research isn’t actually easy--in fact, it’s quite deceptive how the Internet makes it seem easy. In reality, research requires students to read, interpret, and analyze new information, reshape their research question, and start again. This kind of sustained focus on a challenging task is very hard for most students to hold. Here is an exchange that exemplifies this facet of the issue:

Student: “I can’t find anything about the buildings of the South during Reconstruction.”

Teacher: “Ok, show me what sites you’ve used.”

(Student pulls up an article from the History Channel)

Teacher: “Well, I see a good starting place right here. It says that much of the South was destroyed during Sherman’s March to the Sea during the Civil War. Why don’t you find out what areas his march destroyed, and then look up those cities to see what kind of destruction they faced?”

Student: (while pouting and walking back to his desk) “But that’s going to take forever !”

What the student meant to tell the teacher was, “ I can’t find anything easily about the buildings of the South during Reconstruction.” It isn’t true that, as a whole, these students have a difficult time with sustained attention. They do not stop researching and begin another activity because they got distracted; in our experience, they are more likely to spin themselves in circles making no progress for an entire class period because they do not want to go through a cognitive process that will take “forever.”

· When researching online, students unsuccessfully scan pages of text as opposed to reading those pages of text for comprehension. Therefore, they cannot tell whether or not the source they are looking at is applicable to their research question.

There are many techniques one can use to quickly locate information on an Internet page. For example, CTRL + F will bring up a “find” tool that will allow you to highlight all instances of a particular word or phrase on a page. Students use this tool quite frequently; when one student needed to find out what President Polk thought about U.S. expansion, she found an article about expansion, hit CTRL + F, and searched for “Polk.” All of the results on the page linked Polk to legislation that was passed, and land that was acquired during his term, but nowhere on the page could she find a sentence that said that President Polk thought that expansion was ________. Instead of reading the article and using inductive reasoning to figure out that President Polk was probably in favor of expansion, she told us that she couldn’t find the answer.

There are a few factors that we believe are at work here. It is faster to CRTL + F a keyword than it is to read an article, so perhaps some of hypothesis number 1 is at work, here: students want to take the fastest and quickest route. However, there are also issues of monitoring reading comprehension. The problem is not necessarily that the language of the article was too sophisticated for this student; the real problem is that she never stopped to ask herself the question, “Do I understand what this means?”

· When students are given a research prompt by their teacher, students often do not care enough about the topic to really persevere. Therefore, when they find that answers are not immediately apparent, they do not have the motivation necessary to fuel their sustained attention.

We have noticed that when students look up information we tell them to look up, they ask us many questions during a class period. Most are interested in making sure they have the “right answers”, and checking that their assignment is “long enough”. When students conduct research about a topic they have interest in, they have a much stronger sense of purpose. While some do still ask us questions in which they seek our approval, it is more often for approval about their thoughts pertaining to content than for approval of the length of their assignment. They seem to take more ownership of the material, and think about it on a higher level.

· Because there is so much information online, and not all of it is credible, Internet search results can be overwhelming to students. Therefore, the amount of information paralyzes rather than empowers students.

It seems counter-intuitive that a student could pull up 500,000 search results and still tell her teacher that she can’t find anything (just like flipping through a billion channels on cable, but finding that nothing is on)-- but students do often feel that way. The best way to illustrate this is to describe the difference in student responses when they were researching using a search engine other than Google.

Dulcinea Media came up with a search engine designed for students called SweetSearch . It works similarly to Google, in that there is a database of files that one can search by typing keywords into a search bar. What is different about SweetSearch is that the database only contains 30,000 documents, all of which have been previously vetted for academic reliability. For a particular project, the only Internet search engine we allowed the students to use was SweetSearch.

When they researched in class using Google, five to ten students per class period would say they were unable to find what they needed. When they researched in class using SweetSearch, there was not a single student who told us that they could not find any information about their topic. So whether students liked using SweetSearch or not, it is clear that it helped them be more successful when conducting their research.

· Developmentally, middle school students are just beginning to be able to think critically, but they seem programmed to look for “the” answer, and do not have a strong sense of self-efficacy when presented with open-ended questions.

Some of our unit assessments are structured in the style of Project Based Learning where students can present their findings in any form, as long as it answers the inquiry-based prompt. Many students were very uncomfortable with the idea that they would be making the decision about what form their project will take, and continually tried to get a stamp of approval. Questions like, “Do you think it will be okay if we make a movie?” Or “Will it be good if we make a poster?” were all answered with some version of, “It doesn’t matter what we think. What do you think?” We could see the frustration in their faces when they did not get the answer they wanted, but our goal here was for them to realize that their opinions were the ones that mattered.

Students also asked for their teachers’ opinions about their research findings. Students felt unsure about their authority, and wanted us to tell them that they had found the right answer. It takes the responsibility off of them; however, we wanted the students to take ownership of the information, and unless they were historically inaccurate in their findings (which almost never happened), we answered all of these questions in the same manner as the questions about their projects: “It doesn’t matter what I think. What do you think?”

Now that we know students struggle with research, now that we’ve discussed why that might be so, what steps can we take to help improve the situation? The next frontier for us will be to design curricular interventions that help students overcome some of these challenges they face, and to provide opportunities--like our Project Based Learning research unit assessment-- for students to research in more productive ways. SweetSearch and critical thinking are just the beginning. This question of research will only be more acute in the coming years as information in this age is becoming even more accessible and available to students. It is our job as their teachers to help students understand and be able to use this information that they discover.

Why is academic writing so hard… and how can Writefull help

Writing a scientific paper is undoubtedly challenging. in this blog post, we highlight the most common problems people face, and how writefull can help overcome them..

1. A style of its own

Academic writing has a style of its own , different from spoken language and also from other types of written language like emails, blogs, newspapers and fiction. It has a formal register, meaning conversational language should be avoided . It is neutral and objective, meaning adjectives or adverbs implying judgment (e.g. 'great', 'terrible') have no place. Finally, it often includes technical words and phrases, or technical meanings assigned to generic words. How Writefull helps: AI-trained models make the language feedback tailored to scientific writing . Informal words and casual turns of phrase are replaced by formal or neutral alternatives. Our contextual spell checker corrects misspellings of highly scientific terminology. Beyond the proofreading, our five writing widgets offer language that is academic-like.

2. Following conventions

If you’ve read lots of published articles, you will have noticed patterns in the way authors phrase certain things. This is because papers are structured in similar ways : featuring an abstract, introduction, literature review, methodology, results and discussion, and conclusion. What each of these sections achieves is also similar across different papers: introducing the aim of your study, highlighting gaps in current knowledge, reporting significant results, etc. Those structuring and wording conventions need to be followed to make your text easy to parse and understand.

How Writefull helps: Take your pick from Sentence Palette , a collection of +600 ready-made sentences covering everything from your abstract to your conclusion. Find generic phrasings that work across all disciplines, which you can copy-paste directly into your text with no risk of plagiarism. 3. Structure and signposting

A journal article is a substantial piece of work of a few thousand words. A Master’s dissertation or a PhD thesis are considerably longer. To make them easy to parse, efficient signposting is essential. It can take various forms, from headings to transitions between sections, to summarizing at the end of a section before moving to the next, etc. Ideally, your scientific paper should read like a story where each part derives from the previous. But the hard work of crafting good sentences can make you forget the importance of the overall narrative.

How Writefull helps: The Sentence Palette will help you find phrases to summarize your results (e.g. ‘Taken together, these results suggest that…’), which can be used before concluding your paper. It also has a list of connectors, or words used at the beginning of a sentence to connect it to the previous (e.g. ‘as a result’, ‘however’, ‘furthermore’, etc).

4. Conciseness

Yes, a manuscript can be 8,000 words long. But that doesn’t mean conciseness isn’t needed. In fact, many researchers find it hard to cram an entire research study into the word limit allowed by their journal of choice. So more often than not, you will need to cut down words before submitting. You will need to decide what to leave out and what to shorten. This is a hard, unavoidable part of writing which will actually benefit your paper, as shorter sentences are often clearer. How Writefull helps: Our Full Edit mode provides feedback on conciseness. It will correct wordy phrases and redundancies and replace them with shorter alternatives (e.g. 'due to the fact that' > 'because'; 'comparatively larger than' > 'larger than'; 'draw a conclusion' > 'conclude').

5. Synthesizing information

Some sections of an academic text are easier to write than others. The hardest tend to be those placed at both ends of the paper ( introduction and conclusion ). Those are meant to set the scene and wrap the whole, respectively, and are crucial in shaping readers’ impressions on your work. In addition, a good abstract can be very hard to write. It should synthesize your entire paper in just a few hundred words in a compelling way. Not to mention your title, which should do so in 15 words or so.

How Writefull helps: Our Abstract Generator uses AI to auto-generate abstracts based on an entire text. Use it as a starting point and refine it from there; you’ll be surprised how far it gets you. If you’re stuck for a title, use our Title Generator to auto-generate one from your abstract.

6. Avoiding plagiarism

With the best intentions, accidental plagiarism can still occur in a paper. If you accidentally forget to acknowledge the source of an idea, or use someone’s words too closely, you are plagiarizing. These things are very easy to do, if you are caught in a writing flow or failed to keep track of where your information came from. And if you don’t even know what actually constitutes plagiarism, it’s all the hardest to avoid it. But the consequences are severe.

How Writefull helps: Our tool Writefull Cite (for institutions only) screens papers for citation completeness. It highlights sentences that may be missing a citation, thus reducing the odds of accidental plagiarism. Our Paraphraser helps authors rephrase sentences, so that they don’t use the same wording as other authors.

Academic writing has many more challenges, some of them common to all types of writing. And Writefull helps with those too. Writefull’s Proofreading mode of language feedback fixes grammatical errors. Language Search shows you words and synonyms that work for the context of your sentence. Watch out for more widgets to come!

Why Is Writing So Hard? (And What to Do About It)

Do you ever find yourself asking why is writing so hard?

When people picture the working process of a writer, they often picture a carefree, fun, and creative situation.

Perhaps that’s how you imagined being a writer would be. Often, our earliest experiences with writing lead to us discovering we enjoy writing or have a talent for it in a way that isn’t the case for other creative pursuits.

Often, this discovery of something we love to do leads us to imagine that it will be easy and enjoyable. Yet, when we begin our writing life, the process of sitting down and getting words onto the page ends up being harder than expected.

Finding writing hard isn’t a reason to stop. Writing is something the world needs and it changes lives for the better.

Instead of focusing on the fact that writing is and can be hard, it’s better to focus on the solution. Here are some of the main reasons you find writing hard and what to do about it.

You need motivation

Often, the experience of finding writing hard stems from not having the proper motivation to sit down and get it done.

For a lot of writers, wanting to write is part of their identity and something they truly believe. Perhaps that’s the case for you. But have you ever taken the time to go deeper and explore where that motivation comes from?

Making progress with your writing, and feeling committed to seeing it through to completion, is a lot easier when you have a clear and powerful reason for wanting to write.

Only you know what that reason is.

Perhaps you enjoy the activity of writing more than almost anything else out there. If that’s the case, you can always justify taking the time to write . Remind yourself that even though it’s difficult at times, deciding to write is deciding to do the thing you enjoy the most.

Or maybe writing goes beyond enjoyment for you. It might even feel like a compulsion. You might find writing to be your best form of self-expression and a way of making sense of the world around you.

You can also think in terms of what your writing brings to the world. As well as being something you love doing, think about how it helps people. Whether that’s by showing other writers that it’s possible to succeed at something you dream about, or giving readers the enjoyment of your work, the impact of your writing goes beyond yourself.

Having a clear understanding of the deeper motivation behind your writing is one of the best ways to maintain your drive. When you feel writing is particularly hard, focus on the reason you do it. Let that focus reinspire you to keep going.

You’re overthinking instead of writing

Sometimes, writing is hard because of the way we think and the story we tell ourselves about our work.

One of the major manifestations of this problem is judging instead of creating. Think back to a time when your writing flowed and you were able to make progress without feeling too negative or stuck . You weren’t stuck in your head or thinking critically about your efforts.

To avoid letting negative thoughts and judgment interrupt your writing, it’s important to be vigilant about the problem, so you can stop it in its tracks. As soon as you start to find yourself thinking about how hard writing is, stop. Focus on breathing. Focus on anything but your thought process. Remove that negative mental chatter and then return to the creative process itself.

Losing a sense of perspective can also be a major mental cause of finding writing difficult. This can take different forms. One is when you put too much importance on your writing. It’s easy to slip into this state of mind when following a solitary creative pursuit. When you lose sight of the world around you, and writing becomes your be-all and end-all, the level of mental pressure you experience is often difficult to cope with.

If you feel like your challenges with writing are down to an unhealthy focus on its importance, permit yourself to regain perspective . Take some time to do something purely for pleasure unrelated to writing. This will often refresh your mentality and give you the energy you need to write successfully again.

Another effective remedy is to stop focusing on the fact that you’re finding writing hard and instead offer some time and attention to others. When we move our focus away from our own challenges and instead seek to help others, we often end up regaining the cognitive calm and emotional state needed to write well.

You need to adjust your writing approach

Finding writing hard is often down to a lack of motivation or a suboptimal state of mind. But not always. The practical approach we take to writing can often make it a lot easier.

Many different practical factors impact the way we write. Taking the time to find the best mix for you is worthwhile and a good way to focus on solving your difficulty with writing rather than wallowing in it.

One aspect to experiment with is the time of day when you write. Sometimes, it’s a case of squeezing in a writing session whenever your schedule allows . However, if you have the freedom to write at different times, it’s worth experimenting to find the time when your writing flows most easily.

If you’ve always written at a particular time, it may be the case that you’ve found your ideal time by default. But what if you haven’t? You’ll never know if there’s a better time to write until you experiment. Sometimes the novelty of writing at a different time of day or night is also enough to give your brain a boost and make writing easier again.

As well as the time of day, think about experimenting with both the location you write in and the tool you use. Some writers find writing easier in a solitary environment no matter what. Others need the stimulation of a busy environment such as a cafe to stay stimulated and focused . Finding your optimal writing location can make writing easier and more enjoyable.

Writing apps are great, but when was the last time you tried to write by hand? If you’re finding it difficult to make progress, try writing using a comfortable pen and a notepad. Changing the physical way you write often lessens the frustration you’re feeling.

Finally, the way you fuel your mind and body plays a big part in making your writing life easier. Eating in a way that energizes you and staying hydrated can make a big difference. Plenty of writers consume coffee like the world’s about to run out of it, but drinking water as well can really help.

Nothing worthwhile is easy

One final thought is the idea that writing shouldn’t always feel easy. The times when it does, and the words flow freely, are amazing and to be embraced.

Nothing worth doing is totally free from difficulty. By experiencing the challenge of writing, and pushing through the times when it’s tough, you grow both as a writer and a person.

By all means, take the time to find ways to make your writing life easier. But, no matter what, don’t give up. Keep going. You have a unique contribution to make as a writer and you should never lose sight of that.

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What Makes Writing So Hard?

MAY 9, 2022

Many students struggle with writing—but what makes it so hard? And why do so many students hate to write? Writing is a task with a very high cognitive load. Giving students meaningful practice and clear structures for writing helps them move their thoughts out of their heads and onto the page.

Who Needs to Write? Everyone.

Based on the most recent NAEP writing assessment , only about one in four students at any grade level is proficient in writing—and that number hasn’t shifted meaningfully in decades. One in five students scored at the lowest proficiency level, Below Basic, at each tested grade level. Clearly, the traditional English Language Arts (ELA) programs used to teach writing are not, on their own, enough to move the needle for most students.

At the same time, writing is more important than ever in our knowledge economy. Writing is a “gatekeeper” skill for many higher-paying professions. Most white-collar and technical jobs require at least basic writing skills, whether for creating formal reports or simply communicating through email. In blue-collar and service jobs, people are often expected to be able to write clearly to communicate with customers. And writing will almost certainly be required to advance beyond the entry levels. In fact, a survey of business leaders put written communication skills at the top of the list of sought-after attributes.

Beyond the workforce, writing, like reading, is a skill that enables full participation in our modern world. Good writing skills allow people to participate in democracy by writing letters to the editor or expressing their views to a representative. Writing also allows people to participate in, rather than simply watch, all of the discourse and entertainment happening online. Writing can empower people to self-advocate in a variety of contexts, from healthcare to consumer interactions to legal proceedings. Writing skills are essential for anyone who wants a seat at the table in today’s complex political, consumer and personal realms.

The High Cognitive Load of Writing

By some metrics, today’s kids and teens are writing more than ever—that is, if you count texting, commenting on online content, and interacting in multiplayer games. But these interactions do not rise to the level of writing required to be successful on state assessments, college assignments, or workplace tasks. When students are faced with an authentic writing task—such as responding to a piece of text, writing a research paper, or developing an original narrative—the majority struggle.

In part, that may be because students don’t have much practice with formal writing, especially in extended form. There is some evidence that students today spend less time on writing than in the past, especially on argumentative writing and writing in the content areas. The Institute of Educational Sciences (IES) recommends that students have 60 minutes of writing time each school day , including a mix of direct writing instruction and writing assignments that span different purposes and content areas. However, only about 25% of middle schoolers and 30% of high schoolers meet the standard, and many students are only spending about 15 minutes each day on writing.

But even with ample time and instruction, writing is hard —in fact, it is arguably the hardest thing we ask our students to do. Natalie Wexler, the author of The Knowledge Gap , explains that writing has an even higher cognitive load than reading . That’s because, in addition to processing information, students also have to figure out how to get their own thoughts on the page.

Writing is a highly complex skill that involves many discrete sub-skills at both the “macro” and “micro” levels.

At the “macro” level, students have to figure out what to say: what is the point they are trying to make or the story they are trying to tell? What is the best way to organize their ideas and structure their piece? What are the big ideas and conclusions they want to get across? What kind of supporting evidence or details are needed?
At the “micro” level, students must apply a myriad of foundational writing skills, from the motor skills involved with keyboarding or handwriting to decisions about word choice, syntax and grammar.

All of these writing processes are happening at the same time , adding to the overall cognitive load of the task. To lower the cognitive load, students must achieve proficiency and fluency at both the macro and micro levels. When students struggle with foundational skills such as letter formation and word selection, they may not have enough cognitive resources left to focus on the “big picture” of what they want to say. On the flip side, students who don’t know how to organize their ideas will not have much energy to focus on developing their writing style and editing and polishing their work.

The Hardest Part of Writing is Thinking

For most students, the hardest part of writing isn’t writing out individual words or forming a complete sentence. It is simply figuring out what to say . In fact, the Writing Center of Princeton says:

Writing is ninety-nine percent thinking, one percent writing. In other words, when you know what you want to say and how you want to say it, writing becomes easier and more successful.

Writing is, fundamentally, thinking made visible. If you can’t think, you can’t write. One of the best ways of lowering the cognitive load of writing is to give students a structure for organizing their ideas and thinking through the flow and structure of their piece.

That’s where Thinking Maps come in. Thinking Maps provide the structure for thinking through a writing task and organizing ideas prior to writing.

It starts with understanding the task itself. Students in a Thinking Maps school learn to use “signal words” that indicate what kind of thinking is required for a task. Then, they know what kind of Map to use to start their thinking process. For example, if the prompt asks them to explain the similarities and differences between two historical eras, they know immediately that this will be a “compare-and-contrast” task. The Double Bubble Map provides the structure they need to organize their ideas, whether from their existing knowledge, in-depth research, or a text provided with the prompt. Once they have fleshed out their ideas, students can use a writing Flow Map to develop their piece section by section. Having this kind of structure helps students move through the planning and organizing phases of writing more quickly so they have more time to spend on other parts of the writing process, including revising and editing. It also leads to clearer, more organized writing.

At Pace Brantley Preparatory, a Florida school serving students with learning disabilities in grades 1-12, adding some dedicated Thinking Maps planning time prior to writing led to better writing products on their benchmark assessments. Read the Pace Brantley story .

In our Write from the Beginning…and Beyond training , teachers learn how writing develops across the grade levels and how to use Thinking Maps to support student writing, including using the Maps to process thinking before writing and using the writing Flow Map to plan writing. Advanced training includes specific strategies for different genres, including Narrative, Expository/Informative, Argumentative, and Response to Text.

When students can think, they are ready to write. And when students can write, they are ready for anything.

Want to know more about Thinking Maps and writing?

Download the recording: Building a Deep Structure for Writing

April 15, 2024

Scientific thinking empowers students to ask good questions about the world around them, become flexible and adaptable problem solvers, and engage in effective decision making in a variety of domains. Thinking Maps can help teachers nurture a scientific mindset in students and support mastery of important STEM skills and content.

February 15, 2024

A majority of teachers believe that students are finally catching up from pandemic learning losses. But those gains are far from evenly distributed—and too many students were already behind before the pandemic. To close these achievement gaps, schools and districts need to focus on the underlying issue: the critical thinking gap.

January 16, 2024

Student engagement is a critical factor in the learning process and has a significant impact on educational outcomes. Thinking Maps enhance engagement by encouraging active participation in the learning process, facilitating collaboration, and providing students with structure and support for academic success.

November 15, 2023

Project-based learning (PBL) immerses students in engaging, real-world challenges and problems. Thinking Maps can give students a framework for thinking, planning and organizing their ideas in the PBL classroom.

22.5k views
Planning to Write

Q: What is the importance of writing a research paper?

Asked on 15 Apr, 2021

Research papers are an excellent platform to disseminate a novel finding to a general or focused audience, which may be interested in replicating the experiments; identifying novel applications for the finding, etc., as well as to popularize your research to the world and prevent duplication of the study.

Writing a research paper is the primary channel for passing on knowledge to scientists working in the same field or related fields. It is important to hone the skill of writing papers to demonstrate your ability to understand, relate to what has been learnt, as well as receive critical peer feedback. During your career, your publications find a valuable place in your resume, and they showcase your accomplishments and communication skills, eventually being a permanent segment of the ever-increasing regime of knowledge.

We have a lot of resources related to research writing. Be sure to check them out here:

The complete guide to writing a brilliant research paper
VIDEO: Structure of a research paper
What are the advantages of writing a research paper?

You can also do a deep dive into the world of writing research papers with specialized manuscript writing courses on R Upskill, our sister brand.

I hope this helps! All the best for whenever you write your next research paper.

Answered by Editage Insights on 23 Apr, 2021

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Baking papers, or why scientific writing is so difficult

Writing (papers or the dissertation itself) is one of the activities that many doctoral students hate the most. Why is this act of communication so difficult for us? As a prelude to my post on “how I write papers”, I expose some misconceptions we seem to have about scientific writing and what are good ways to learn it.

Scientific writing is one of the most dreaded tasks for many Ph.D. students 1 , and understandably so. Unless you are in the humanities, you probably signed up to “do science”: do experiments, gather evidence, analyze data, read tons of books… not to become an accomplished writer! To make matters worse, doctoral programs have surprisingly little training on basic (and specifically scientific) writing skills. It seems like we either assume that 1) people come to the doctoral level already knowing how to write scientific texts; or 2) it is such an easy skill to master that it’s pointless to teach it. Lets look at these two assumptions:

It is an easy skill . Sadly, for most doctoral students, their scientific writing training is reduced to “read a lot of scientific papers and you will get it… eventually”. But probably you see the problem here: it is quite difficult to acquire a skill to make something just by seeing finished products (i.e., published papers). This is a bit like training bakers to make bread, just by showing them finished, beautifully decorated loafs of bread and baguettes . Imagine bakers not being encouraged to get their hands dirty with flour! Luckily, our bakers probably get proper vocational training in which they see how their products are manufactured from start to finish. As a consequence, I have yet to meet a baker that is terrified of making bread.

A baker scared of bread

People already know how to write . Yes, that’s what our primary and secondary schools are for, right? or the bachelors, or the masters. The problem is that scientific writing is a very particular genre, with values and criteria that are quite different from literary writing (which focuses on aesthetics or emotional impact), political or marketing writing (focusing on persuasion, when not obfuscation), or the kind of “composition piece writing” that many of us learned at school (which focuses on piling up text until you have X number of words). This kind of “writing by accumulation of words” leads to doctoral student texts often lacking structure, preciseness, and being an over-long mishmash of ideas. Scientific writing focuses on logical argumentation, clarity of concepts, unambiguity, traceability of sources… very, very different from any other genre. Coming back to the baker metaphor, it’s like trying to make soufflés when you have been doing coarse whole-wheat bread all your life (it might not occur to you that texture is important, or that you can actually put sugar in these things!).

A drawing of a baker not used to using sugar in his recipes

A baker not used to sugar

Aside from these two misconceptions, there are plenty of other complicating factors, like the fact that English (the dominant language in most scientific fields) is not the native language of a big majority of our doctoral students. Most of our training as writers has probably developed in an entirely different language. Try to make a soufflé after growing up somewhere in Asia where wheat or milk were rare or unheard of…

And there is yet another difference between scientific writing and other genres: it is, more often than not, a collaborative process. Although, as a doctoral student, you find yourself writing mostly on your own, chances are that you will get feedback from your advisors or other colleagues at some point. During the publishing process, reviewers and editors will also help you make a better paper out of your ideas (even if we do not always perceive it as a collaboration). This collaborative nature of scientific writing begs many questions: at what point should I share my ideas with collaborators, and in which form? is it better to do it often or rarely? what if they are too busy or too slow? et cetera. Again, if you have never baked bread with other people, it may be puzzling who should do what, and at what point in time.

A drawing of two bakers trying to collaborate... unsuccessfully

Collaborative bakery is not easy

These misconceptions and differences (along with the fact that more senior researchers and advisors seldom recognize having difficulties in writing) lead to students being ashamed when they have writing problems, which in turn leads to anxiety, “writer’s block”, etc. Maybe this is also why I seldom get the question “How do you write papers?”.

So, you did not ask for it but… In the next post, I will share the step-by-step process I find myself following after (collaboratively) authoring and publishing more than 70 scientific papers. The misconceptions and issues that I just described have shaped that writing process, as well as the principles behind it (my “10 commandments of writing”, also in a later post). For now just remember that, as a Ph.D. student, you are not alone in these hardships. We all faced them. We all learned… eventually. More or less.

Talk to others.

See how they get out of their writer’s block.

Do you agree with these problems and misconceptions? Do you think there are other, more important factors that make scientific writing difficult? Let me know in the comments!

Wellington, J. (2010). More than a matter of cognition: An exploration of affective writing problems of post-graduate students and their possible solutions. Teaching in Higher Education, 15 (2), 135–150. ↩︎

Communication

Luis P. Prieto

Luis P. is a Ramón y Cajal research fellow at the University of Valladolid (Spain), investigating learning technologies, especially learning analytics. He is also an avid learner about doctoral education and supervision, and he's the main author at the A Happy PhD blog.

Google Scholar profile

The Gentle Giant

April 26, 2004, why does a research paper seem so hard at first.

Honestly though, finding the research is half the battle. It seems so difficult to write a research paper, when all it is writing one giant literary criticism. Once all of the information is retrieved, then writing the paper will just come to you. I am experiencing this now. I hated it when I had to go and find the research, but now that I did, it's cake. I am typing, and all of a sudden.......BOOM! 3 1/2 pages are already complete. So those of you struggling, or holding off, just take 1 hour, and BUST YOUR BUTT! You'll find that you really accomplished a lot.

Don't get me wrong, I hate writing research papers, but I do know that once it is done, nothing but satisfaction comes to mind. I don't usually like to write research papers because they are not about what you say, it's about what other people say. I especially don't like this "find an argument and support both" crap. I am finding research to gain credibility on one of the topics, not both. But, oh well. What needs done has to get done.

This particular research paper does not seem to bad (because it's on an author I really love). For the people in EL150, HANG ON! We only have like 42 million things to complete in this last week after the research paper! :'P But honestly, just think, in two weeks we will be back home enjoying ourselves. As for now, this research paper is not that bad, SO JUST DO IT (don't you love the CAPS!)!

I am in the same line as you are buddy. I cannot find an argument and another argument to back up my thesis. I have piles and piles of research and I can't somehow place everything together. Once I am past my introduction of my research paper my hands refuse to stop typing. Let's just hang in there and we'll be fine. Yes, there are 42 million things to do... but we'll get through it.

I am glad we met one another... THANK HEAVEN FOR WOMEN WRITERS CLASS!!!!! Once this week is over, its freedom all summer long until the end of August.

Thanks for the support to "bust our butts" for an hour. I will tonight until 5 am, no sleep=crabby!

Hey Jay, I totally agree with you. I don't get why we have to find research for and against the topic of our choosing. It's a real pain and it would be so much easier to argue your point. Like Steph I think I'm going to be up for the long haul trying to get this paper finished. I have it all mapped out in my head but I can't seem to get it onto word document. I can't believe that we will be finished after next week, where did the time go? There is so much to do in so little time. I think I am going to try and take it one day at a time, one project at a time and soon it will be all over. Oh yeah, thanks for the tip. I'm sure your paper is going to great, you are an awesome writer! :)

woooo.. last things to do always seem to take the longest, huh? Especially when the weather tortures you by being absolutely gorgeous outside *argh* How can we do work when it's 76 degrees and sunny?? :^(

Oh well, glad we're closing in on the finish line! :^D

9 Writers on Why Writing Is So Hard

Best-selling authors talk to Shondaland about what makes their craft so difficult and special.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Shondaland editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

There are few things as magical as reading a book that fully immerses you in a new world. Poetic and profound prose can evoke emotions that can remain with you for your entire life, transforming how you see the world. With that in mind, this month, Shondaland is exploring the world of books, from authors discussing their favorite reads and a publisher explaining the need for more transparency in the industry to a nearly published author sharing what it’s like to be on the brink of putting her first book out into the world. Happy reading!

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: “If writing were easy, everyone would do it!” You’ve likely read it a million times, right? Well, there’s a reason for that. You see, everybody has a story to tell. But it’s the actual telling of those stories that separates writers from everyone else yearning to share their tales. That being said, even the most seasoned and celebrated writers will quickly let you know that writing is just downright hard!

So, what is it that actually makes putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) so daunting, and how do you combat that difficulty when trying to write your story? Shondaland caught up with some of our favorite authors to find out. And what they have to say just might surprise you.

Why is writing so hard?

The solitariness of it, the elusiveness of it. If forced, we could generate words, sentences, paragraphs, but it would be meaningless. So, the thing that makes it a story, the words that etch out a character that the reader can see and feel and hear … there’s plenty of tricks to get there. You can create the conditions for that element to come forward, and do what you can to push yourself into that state that makes it happen … but part of it remains mysterious.

Alex Aster (author of Curse of the Forgotten City ) @alex.aster

Writing is so hard because we put so many expectations on our writing, and those expectations weigh down not only our fingers while typing, but also our words. I started writing books when I was 12, which I think saved me from a lot of the fretting about writing that I see so many people struggle with. When you’re a kid, you do what you love just because you love it. You don’t think to yourself, “Will these words be worth the time and effort? Will they turn into a book that will sell for enough money to allow me to pay my rent?” You just … write. As an adult, there are so many constraints on our time, so it’s natural for us not to want to waste it. We don’t have time to simply play the way we used to. Writing is hard because it’s a fluid, organic, almost magical form of creation that we often try so hard to bottle up or cookie-cut so it can be monetized.

Brandy Colbert (author of Black Birds in the Sky ) @brandycolbert

For me, not writing is often harder than writing. I don’t believe you need to write every day, but when I’m in the middle of a project, I either need to be actively thinking about it — working out plots and character arcs in my head — or getting words down on the page. I start to feel antsy and a bit anxious when I’ve taken too much time away from a project, to the point where it’s actually a relief to get back to work.

Sarah Gerard (author of True Love ) @sarahnumber4

It can be hard. It can also be easy and fun. Or fun and hard. Or hard but important, exciting, and fulfilling. We wouldn’t keep doing it otherwise. It’s hard because doing it well matters, because stories matter, and the details matter, and there are often a lot of details. Sometimes they take years to organize. The feelings and ideas and memories that we put into the writing also matter, and are layered, and we can’t force an understanding of them. We can only try to approach them with words, and, as many words as there are to choose from, or create, and despite their myriad iterations, they’re never enough.

John Green (author of The Anthropocene Reviewed ) @johngreen

I think writing is easier than many other things. For me, anyway, it is much easier than talking. But still, writing is difficult for me. Sometimes it is difficult because I do not know what I want to say, but usually it is difficult because I know exactly what I want to say but what I want to say has not yet taken the shape of language. When I’m writing, I’m trying to translate ideas and feelings and wild abstractions into language, and that translation is complicated and challenging work. (But it is also — in moments, anyway — fun.)

Kosoko Jackson (author of Yesterday Is History ) @kosokojackson

For me, the hardest part of writing is deciding what to write about. I have a lot of ideas, but not every idea is a viable idea. Is there a character? Is there a plot? Is there a through line? Is this something I want to spend 18 to 36 months on? Do I know enough to walk through the forest, but not so much that it feels boring to tell the story to myself? Writing is a journey for me that is as much writing a story that will appeal to readers (and my agent and editor) as much as telling a story to myself. What “lesson” am I trying to teach myself? What skill am I trying to sharpen? These are just a few of the questions I ask myself when making a novel, and not every novel has the answers — yet.

Morgan Jerkins (author of Caul Baby ) @morganjerkins

Writing is hard because sometimes — or perhaps many times — the words do not match the imagery of a specific scene that you have in your mind. It feels like there is always something that’s lost in translation as soon as it’s immortalized on the page.

Jonny Sun (author of Goodbye, Again ) @jonnysun

Writing is hard because you are dealing with the infinite. Out of a blank page, there is an unlimited number of possibilities of what to write. And at every scale of writing, this limitlessness exists — it feels like every word is an impossible choice. Every sentence can be written in endless different ways. And the ways those build to say something also exist in a million different permutations. The ideas and the way you structure those ideas are endless — the endlessness multiplies itself.

Chuck Wendig (author of The Book of Accidents ) @chuckwendig

I don’t know. Why is it hard digging ditches? Why is it hard being a god? Writing is somewhere in between both of those. You’re the god of digging ditches. You’re navigating this interstitial terrain between art and craft, between self-actualization and commerce, between empathy and evil. It has all these rules, and almost none of them are true. The work is the work, and the work is sometimes hard. It’s supposed to be easy, and some days it is — ironically, the easy days don’t mean the work was good, and the hard days don’t mean the work was bad. The short answer is, again, I don’t know. Maybe it’s hard because it needs to be hard, because if it were too easy, it wouldn’t really matter.

What do you do when writing gets most difficult?

Megan Abbott (author of The Turnout ) @meganeabbott

Go to a matinee. Take a walk. Read a writer I love. Main thing for me: Step away from the computer.

When writing gets really difficult, I stop writing. But just for a few hours. When words are hard to wrangle, I don’t try to force them onto the page. I have tried before, and the result was just more food for my computer’s trash bin! That being said, when I’m on deadline, I treat writing like any other job that has to be done, regardless of my mood. So, I’ll take a walk, reread something I’ve written that I particularly like (almost to show myself, see, you can make something good; you’ve done it before! ), or watch a movie. Once I’m out of the writing chair for a while, I’m often itching to get back in it to try again.

I do write every day when I’m on a tight deadline, and some days it takes hours just to squeeze out a few words. Sometimes I have to power through and remind myself I can fix whatever is not working in edits, either the next day or down the road. But it’s also important to realize when you need breaks. I’m a big fan of taking in other forms of storytelling, like watching television and films, reading graphic novels, newspapers, and magazines, or even rereading a favorite author’s work. Getting outside for some fresh air or a walk or hike usually helps. Cooking and yoga are also soothing ways for me to reset. Just engaging in activities that don’t require you to stare at a computer screen or notebook are all helpful.

Look at one piece of it at a time, rather than trying to apprehend the entire project. Alternatively, take 10 steps back and apprehend the entire project. Look at a different piece of it. Look at a different piece of writing altogether. Make dinner. Read. Hang out with my partner.

I get so frustrated. I cry. I take a walk. I get really angry at myself for being such a terrible writer. This is stupid! Why am I even attempting this when I am so hopelessly inept at storytelling? And then eventually, I get over myself and write. If there is a way to write without at least occasional weeping and gnashing of teeth, I have not yet found it.

I try to take a step back and evaluate “Is the issue I’m facing difficult or something that I truly don’t know how to solve?” If it’s the former, then that means I’m learning, and I’ve learned to be comfortable in the discomfort and trust my skills. If it’s the latter, then there’s something missing. Maybe I’m not at the skill level I need to be. Maybe I need to read more in the genre or more examples of what I’m trying to accomplish. Writing is as much pen-to-paper as it is refilling the well and learning from those who came before you.

I like to tell myself that it’s only a draft. I have to build a foundation first no matter how bad it is because it’s not meant to be perfect. Other times, I take breaks in between writing sessions. It may be a day, or four. I also have been okay with knowing that not every writing session is going to be easy. There are good days and bad days.

I try to establish rules and boundaries so that the limitlessness feels like a puzzle. Instead of a blank everythingness, defining a container helps to figure out how to use those bounds to express things that feel outside of those bounds, and also helps to figure out when I can break those rules for specific purposes. I also — when faced with indecision — just try to write the bad version, and then revisit later. It’s always easier to edit and have something in front of you that you can improve as opposed to coming up with something when nothing is in front of you.

It depends on when, and why, it’s difficult. If it’s difficult toward the end of a writing day, I give up and go do something else for the day. If it’s at the start, I try to push through. Sometimes it’s a problem in the work, sometimes it’s me, sometimes it’s, I dunno, a Thursday on a full moon with a high pollen count. Sometimes the thing to do is go take a walk, get the blood moving. The blood carries oxygen, and the brain needs oxygen, so churn that red stuff, get the idea bubbles bubblin’.

Do you have any advice for fellow writers struggling with their work?

Write badly. Give yourself permission to write badly. We’re always trying so hard to make it good, vivid, real, faithful to the vision in our head … and that’s a lot of pressure. If we give ourselves permission to write one bad page, two bad pages, we can forget all the rest and just churn out words, ideas … and, in the best circumstances, get to see that beautiful unconscious place that leads to good stuff!

The times when writing is most difficult is when I don’t have a plan. Anyone is going to look at an empty page and think, what am I supposed to do to fill it?! So, I recommend always working with some sort of outline. Some might believe it takes the magic out of writing, but what it really does is just gives a writer a place to start … and a direction to go when they’re a little lost. Almost like a map.

I also recommend writing for yourself first. When I began writing at 12, I was just writing the type of book that I wanted to read. Pretend you’re the only one who will ever read it. At least in the drafting stages. That way, you won’t be afraid to take risks.

I think writers could stop being so hard on themselves — myself included. It’s irrational but easy to compare works in progress to finished books on our shelves, and it helps to remember that no piece of writing comes out fully formed. And that every project is different, so it’s best to go into it without expectations and know that you might have to figure out new ways to shape the piece into what you want it to be.

Talk to other writers about it. Meditate on what brings you to the work in the first place, what is important to you at the core of it.

Try to be nice to yourself!

Your journey won’t match anyone else’s, and you should embrace that. Find what works for you and what doesn’t, but don’t be ashamed. I’m a writer who bounces around a lot, but when I settle? I settle. I write so many hundreds of pages of books that will never become real. That’s okay because that’s me. I’m also a messy drafter; that works for me. Don’t be ashamed of what works for you, and embrace what makes you unique.

Write it down. Just write it all down. Set the foundation first before you start sculpting. Who knows? Even the pieces you inevitably discard may help to propel the next plot point or character development. All can be useful if you allow it.

Figure out what you enjoy writing about and the ways you write that make you enjoy writing. It’s less about “write what you know” but more “write what you know you like.” So much is already difficult in this world — it doesn’t help to also make writing something a struggle too. I think it helps to find the topics and structures and ideas that make writing feel exciting and joyful — the writing will still be hard, of course, but if there’s something there that makes you keep wanting to revisit it, over and over, that you still feel excited about trying to figure out, then I feel like that means you’ve found something to continue following.

Write a lot. That’s it, really. Iterate as often as you can. Part of this is, obviously, doing the thing helps you learn the thing, but more specifically it also helps you learn your process and your voice, and in knowing those things, you come to recognize when a difficult writing day is normal — meaning, it’s part of your process, your pattern — and when it is abnormal. Abnormal difficulty can mean you’re not dealing with a writing problem, but rather anxiety or depression or some other neurodivergence, and those are normal and okay but can’t be solved the same way you’d solve an average writing block — you can’t “write your way through” depression. You’ll only sink deeper, like with quicksand. You have to be able to see clearly the difficulties in front of you and see when they belong to your writing process or exist outside of it. Writing a lot helps you get to that kind of clarity.

Scott Neumyer is a writer from central New Jersey whose work has been published by The New York Times , The Washington Post , Rolling Stone , The Wall Street Journal , ESPN , GQ , Esquire , Parade magazine , and many other publications. You can follow him on Twitter @ scottneumyer .

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After being insulted, writing down your feelings on paper then getting rid of it reduces anger

A research group in Japan has discovered that writing down one's reaction to a negative incident on a piece of paper and then shredding it or throwing it away reduces feelings of anger.

"We expected that our method would suppress anger to some extent," lead researcher Nobuyuki Kawai said. "However, we were amazed that anger was eliminated almost entirely."

This research is important because controlling anger at home and in the workplace can reduce negative consequences in our jobs and personal lives. Unfortunately, many anger management techniques proposed by specialists lack empirical research support. They can also be difficult to recall when angry.

The results of this study, published in Scientific Reports , are the culmination of years of previous research on the association between the written word and anger reduction. It builds on work showing how interactions with physical objects can control a person's mood.

For their project, Kawai and his graduate student Yuta Kanaya, both at the Graduate School of Informatics, Nagoya University, asked participants to write brief opinions about important social problems, such as whether smoking in public should be outlawed. They then told them that a doctoral student at Nagoya University would evaluate their writing.

However, the doctoral students doing the evaluation were plants. Regardless of what the participants wrote, the evaluators scored them low on intelligence, interest, friendliness, logic, and rationality. To really drive home the point, the doctoral students also wrote the same insulting comment: "I cannot believe an educated person would think like this. I hope this person learns something while at the university."

After handing out these negative comments, the researchers asked the participants to write their thoughts on the feedback, focusing on what triggered their emotions. Finally, one group of participants was told to either dispose of the paper they wrote in a trash can or keep it in a file on their desk. A second group was told to destroy the document in a shredder or put it in a plastic box.

The students were then asked to rate their anger after the insult and after either disposing of or keeping the paper. As expected, all participants reported a higher level of anger after receiving insulting comments. However, the anger levels of the individuals who discarded their paper in the trash can or shredded it returned to their initial state after disposing of the paper. Meanwhile, the participants who held on to a hard copy of the insult experienced only a small decrease in their overall anger.

Kawai imagines using his research to help businesspeople who find themselves in stressful situations. "This technique could be applied in the moment by writing down the source of anger as if taking a memo and then throwing it away when one feels angry in a business situation," he explained.

Along with its practical benefits, this discovery may shed light on the origins of the Japanese cultural tradition known as hakidashisara ( hakidashi refers to the purging or spitting out of something, and sara refers to a dish or plate) at the Hiyoshi shrine in Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture, just outside of Nagoya. Hakidashisara is an annual festival where people smash small discs representing things that make them angry. Their findings may explain the feeling of relief that participants report after leaving the festival.

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Materials provided by Nagoya University . Note: Content may be edited for style and length.

Journal Reference :

Yuta Kanaya, Nobuyuki Kawai. Anger is eliminated with the disposal of a paper written because of provocation . Scientific Reports , 2024; 14 (1) DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57916-z

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About Pew Research Center Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan fact tank that informs the public about the issues, attitudes and trends shaping the world. It conducts public opinion polling, demographic research, media content analysis and other empirical social science research. Pew Research Center does not take policy positions.