How I write papers

There is plenty of advice out there on how to write academic publications, from general stylistic tips to field-specific guides. Yet, I’ve found most of that advice tends to be abstract, or focused on the final product, never giving you a step-by-step account of the process. In this post, I share the writing process I find myself using after 70+ academic publications. This will give you an idea of where to start writing your paper (especially if you have never written one), and it will show you that all polished papers have humble (even crappy) origins. Kill perfectionism, and the dreaded “academic writer’s block” will eventually disappear.

In a previous post , I went over several reasons why I think scientific writing is difficult for many doctoral students: the lack of specific training, the focus on the finished product (vs. how to get there), the fact that it is a collaborative process, or that many of us don’t use our mother tongue when we write. As a way to counter many of those, I thought it could be useful to share what my own writing process is 1 , which I have come to after more than 10 years of trying (and quite a few “loaves of bread sold” 2 ). This process assumes that you are collaborating with others, in that it defines when and what to send to co-authors and other collaborators. This is also the process that we recommend in the “writing seminar” I have helped teach at our university.

This may result in a post longer than usual, so… For those of you that want to get to the point right away and run off:

My paper writing process, in ten steps

My paper writing process

For those of us that need a bit more explanation, read on below. I will try to illustrate each step with an example from a recent paper I co-authored (still under review) 3 . You will see how different the finished product is, compared with its humble origins:

Step 1. Define the main idea

Once you decide you want to write a paper, start with a blank piece of paper (e.g., a post-it), or a new document in your computer. Do not start from the full report of your study 4 , or other random pieces of text you may have written during your research about the topic. Blank paper. OK, now, just try to answer in one sentence : What is the paper about? What is the main research contribution 5 you are trying to make here? or, in other words, what is the “reusable knowledge” that you think other researchers need to know, and could build upon? Write that one sentence down. That’s it 6

  • Diving into my archives I found the earliest “main idea” I had about this recently-published paper of mine: “Active or passive [data] gathering? Design-based research studies on technological support for evidence-based teacher reflection” . As you can see, this initial idea had quite a few problems (for starters, it was two sentences, not one! plus, what is the new knowledge I wanted to convey is not very clear either). It looks nothing like the final title of the paper. However, it tried to convey that it was about certain studies we had done, and that active/passive data gathering seemed to play an important role in what we discovered. That will have to do for now. Let’s move on.

Step 2. Define the audience

This one is probably the first point where my advice may deviate from other advice out there. Scientific writing (or any writing, really) is basically an act of communication. And, by definition, it requires a sender (you), a message (see point #1), and a receiver . You have to have one. Pitching a contribution to the wrong audience is one of the most common causes of rejection for scientific papers, so… don’t make this mistake. Define who will be interested in the main idea of the paper, who cares about this kind of thing you’re proposing. If it’s your first paper, you may not be sure, and that’s OK. But there are things you can do to find out, like a) asking your advisor or more experienced colleagues; b) looking at similar papers you have read: which conferences or journals are they published in? Narrow it down to 1-3 concrete options of journals/conferences. Write them down. Look at the venue’s author and submission guidelines. The good thing about setting this from the outset is that now you have already indications of the expected length of the piece, its tone, level of specificity, things the readers probably know already, etc.

  • I initially set my paper to be sent to the British Journal of Educational Technology (BJET). The main reasons for this decision were that it was a journal in the field of educational technology, and a really inter-disciplinary one (our paper was neither very technical nor very educational), that it is quite high-quality and high-impact, and that they make a point of publishing research that also has relevance for teachers (which I think our paper idea had) 7 .

Step 3: Define the team

Once you know what you write about and for whom, you can decide who can help you in doing it. In most fields, you do not do your research alone, but collaborating with others (but in some fields it may be required that you write some papers alone – check with your advisors). This additional team members can be your advisor(s), some colleague who helped you with the data gathering or data analysis 8 … but think wider. Is there somebody else you know (in your department, or elsewhere) who knows a lot about the literature on topic X that your paper addresses? or data analysis technique Y? That could save you some time, and this person could bring in new, interesting ideas to the paper.

Then, send your idea and target venue to potential co-authors : this can be a short email, a chat over coffee… The main point is to pitch them the idea, see what they think and whether they are interested. In this process, it is good that you set expectations about what their role will be, how much time you think this will take them, what can be the expected author order, etc. All of those can change during the writing process (depending on how the different people behave), but it is good to have some baseline expectation. From this conversation, you can already get some valuable information to help you refine the core idea (maybe they think this is not about keyword X, but rather keyword Y, or they suggest some other venue for publication, or analyses that you had not run yet).

  • In my paper’s case, I simply told my boss back then, that I was thinking of writing this paper for this venue (he agreed). I also contacted the professional development specialist who had helped co-design the tool we were proposing, and helped manage the data gathering in the school. Later on during the process, I also contacted one of my PhD students, since her topic was closely related to that of the paper – and she was doing a lot of reading on some of the related literature we needed to cover anyway.

Step 4: Write a pseudo-abstract

Now that you have an idea of something scientific to write about, some scholars you want to tell it to, and some people we want to write it with, let’s flesh out the idea a little bit more. Not a lot. Just a little bit. I call this step “pseudo-abstract”, because it more or less has all the elements that a good abstract should have… only it is not really an abstract (i.e., one paragraph of nice text) yet. It is basically a series of bullet points with simple, clear messages, in three parts 9 : a) what is known about the topic of the paper (1-3 bullets); b) what this paper adds to such current knowledge, i.e., what contribution(s) it brings (1-2 bullets); and c) what are the implications of this contribution for other researchers, or practitioners, policy-makers or the society at large (1-3 bullets). Keep the bullets as complete sentences, but simple ones (e.g., not more than 100 characters). You can also think about this step as the “grandmother’s version of your scientific contribution” (i.e., how you would communicate this contribution to a non-expert) – remember, most of our grandmothers are not biochemists or sociology researchers!

  • Below, you can see a pseudo-abstract for the same paper, which I did some months later than the original “main idea”. You can see that the title there has already changed (but still looks pretty generic), and some more ideas have been added, especially regarding what is known about the topic (i.e., what would be the main take-away message from the literature about the relevant keywords, like “teacher reflection”), and what are the implications (in this case, how a teacher or a school leader could use the tools/ideas we present in the paper).

Example pseudo-abstract from a real paper

Example pseudo-abstract from a real paper

Step 5: Create a weighted outline

Now that you have fleshed out the basic idea, let’s start thinking about how we are going to write it. A first step in this is to do an outline of the sections of the paper, as you would find it in a table of contents of a book: sections, subsections, sub-subsections… And, since we already know where we want to send it, we know how long the paper should be (in pages, or words), so we can assign estimated lengths to every section and subsection 10 . Why do this weighted outline? First, it makes us reflect about the relative importance of the different parts of the text (i.e.: more important parts –like the paper’s main contribution– should be described in more detail, and hence should be longer). Secondly, and since for many people writing is a bit painful, we do not want to write 30 pages of text on a topic, only to find out that we only needed three pages (so, we have to throw away 90% of that hard-worked text). Furthermore, downsizing text is just plain difficult: once you got used to saying things at a certain level of detail, it has some kind of “anchoring effect” that makes it very difficult to change our frame of mind (i.e., we think that all we said there is really important to be said). In a sense, making this weighted outline tries to put the anchoring on your side so that you will keep the paper close to the length you actually need.

Once you have the main idea (which can be the working title), the co-authors, the target venue, the pseudo-abstract and the weighted outline, it is a good moment to send all this to the co-authors for feedback. This should be a one-page document, so it is more likely that even busy people can give you quickly some ideas about the general direction, section titles and relevant keywords, etc. Once you get this feedback and make the necessary corrections, you can also polish this into an actual title, abstract and outline with lengths, which you can send to the editor of your target journal(s), to inquire whether they think this kind of paper fits the scope of the journal – and their opinion actually matters a lot, since they are the first filter even before your paper reaches the reviewers! Although they are not obliged to answer, they will often be nice enough to tell you (since by responding, they will get either a good paper, or less out-of-scope papers, later on).

  • You can take a look at the weighted outline from my example paper here , which I wrote still aiming at the BJET journal, which had a maximum length of 6,000 words. One thing you can notice is that some of the subsections end up being very short (100 words?), which should have made me think that something was not totally right (one-paragraph sections are rare!). Also, the total length was well over 80% of the hard limit (since you also have to count abstract and the other front matter in those 6,000 words). As you will see, these clues became quite important later on…

More steps… after the break

Wow, this post is getting a bit long! Since we have now reached the middle point within the process, and it was a lot to absorb, I think we can make a break here, until next week. Then, we will go into the details of the paper. As they say, the devil is always in the details but, once the groundwork of these first five steps is there, and you have already gotten feedback from your co-authors a couple of times, you can have some confidence that your shot (and the effort that each step takes) cannot go too far off the mark.

In the meantime, why don’t you give these five steps a try? Do you have an idea for a paper about some research you did, but you don’t know where to start? Try this and let me know how it went, in the comments below!

The emphasis on “my own” is important. Writing is still mostly an art (yes, even scientific writing), a very complex skill that requires many smaller skills and abilities, which not all of us can tap in the same way. As they say, “your mileage may vary”. Even I don’t always follow this process every single time (e.g., if I’m pressed for time, I might jump a step here and there). This process is just what most of my writing processes resemble, especially if I have some kind of control about the paper (e.g., if I am the first author). ↩︎

If you don’t get the reference, go read the previous post . It has cute baker drawings! ↩︎

Prieto, L. P., Magnuson, P., Dillenbourg, P., & Saar, M. (2017). Reflection for action: Designing tools to support teacher reflection on everyday evidence. Preprint Available at https://osf.io/bj2rp . ↩︎

See a later post for why you should have a full, detailed research report vs. writing up your papers directly from the research. Suffice to say that the report is where you describe your full process and results, which are of interest to you and your team. A paper is a wholly different thing, and the audience is normally interested in a small subset of that only. ↩︎

The topic of what constitutes a valid research contribution is a complex and thorny one, since it varies a lot depending on your research field. In general, it seems that most fields require that a contribution is a piece of reusable knowledge (i.e., you can convey it to others and they can reproduce it and build upon it), which is relevant to a certain scientific community (e.g., astrophysicists, engineers, linguists, whatever your field is), which is novel (i.e., new and non-obvious), and has some kind of usefulness (but this one varies a lot from applied to more basic/theoretical fields). Furthermore, you have to provide some evidence that all of the above is true (be it with mathematical proofs, data from empirical studies, or whatever method your field considers valid). In the end, the goal of the paper and its different parts is basically to prove your point on all these regards! ↩︎

Pro tip: instead of writing the one idea in a piece of paper, try writing three different main ideas in three post-its, and then choose the best one (or pitch them to a colleague). You can even go further and try what in design circles is called “crazy 8s” (i.e., eight different ideas for the main contribution, in 8 minutes). Try to make each idea meaningful, different from the previous ones, but don’t worry if they end up being crap. That is the whole point of the exercise. For empirical proof that this seems to help both the quality of the outputs and your own feeling of self-efficacy, see, for example, Dow, S. P., Glassco, A., Kass, J., Schwarz, M., Schwartz, D. L., & Klemmer, S. R. (2010). Parallel prototyping leads to better design results, more divergence, and increased self-efficacy. ACM Transactions on Computer-Human Interaction (TOCHI) , 17 (4), 18. ↩︎

Interestingly, this is not the journal where we have the paper now under review. In case you’re curious, the main reason for the eventual change was that our draft ended up being much longer than what the journal allowed. This was in part due to my lack of discipline when writing, and the fact that we chose to tell our contribution in a way that could not really be made much shorter. Even when we changed our target journal to another one more adequate to the manuscript length, but with similar characteristics to BJET, our paper was rejected (i.e., the reviewers did not appreciate the contribution enough). Thus, we had to improve the paper based on some of the reviewer feedback and find yet another journal to submit it to – where it is now under review. In retrospect, I’d say that this last journal was probably the best choice anyway (it’s just that we did not even know about this journal at the outset when the paper started). This is worth taking into account: no plan survives contact with reality – but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have one. ↩︎

Who should count as co-author in your papers? This is another topic for an entire post, but for now: anybody that made substantial contributions to the design, data gathering, analysis or interpretation of the evidence; AND helps you drafting or revising the paper; AND checks out the final version for publishing; AND agrees to be responsible for its contents. You can check out things like the Vancouver Convention , or this very complete site from the Norwegian Research Ethics Committee . ↩︎

This kind of structure is used in many journals, under the name “highlights” or “practitioner notes”. Basically, they are aimed at summarizing the paper in a nutshell, in relatively simple language, so that other scientists and people that are not necessarily experts in your field, can understand them… which is precisely what we want to do at this point! ↩︎

Pro tip: journals and conferences normally offer a hard maximum length limit… don’t target that number! make it about 80% of the length limit, or even less if you think the contribution should be shorter. You will probably go over your target length anyways during the writing of actual text – and shortening text is both painful and difficult. ↩︎

  • Communication

how to write a research paper for phd

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.

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PhD: How to write a great research paper

Writing papers and giving talks are key skills for any researcher, but they aren’t easy. In this pair of presentations, I’ll describe simple guidelines that I follow for writing papers and giving talks, which I think may be useful to you too. I don’t have all the answers—far from it—and I hope that the presentation will evolve into a discussion in which you share your own insights, rather than a lecture.

Speaker Details

Simon Peyton Jones, MA, MBCS, CEng, graduated from Trinity College Cambridge in 1980. After two years in industry, he spent seven years as a lecturer at University College London, and nine years as a professor at Glasgow University, before moving to Microsoft Research in 1998. His main research interest is in functional programming languages, their implementation, and their application. He has led a succession of research projects focused around the design and implementation of production-quality functional-language systems for both uniprocessors and parallel machines. He was a key contributor to the design of the now-standard functional language Haskell, and is the lead designer of the widely used Glasgow Haskell Compiler (GHC). He has written two textbooks about the implementation of functional languages. More generally, he is interested in language design, rich type systems, software component architectures, compiler technology, code generation, runtime systems, virtual machines, garbage collection, and more. He is particularly motivated by direct use of principled theory to practical language design and implementation—that’s one reason he loves functional programming so much. He is also keen to apply ideas from advanced programming languages to mainstream settings.

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Portrait of Simon Peyton Jones

Simon Peyton Jones

(Former) Senior Principal Researcher

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  • Manuscript Preparation

Know How to Structure Your PhD Thesis

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Table of Contents

In your academic career, few projects are more important than your PhD thesis. Unfortunately, many university professors and advisors assume that their students know how to structure a PhD. Books have literally been written on the subject, but there’s no need to read a book in order to know about PhD thesis paper format and structure. With that said, however, it’s important to understand that your PhD thesis format requirement may not be the same as another student’s. The bottom line is that how to structure a PhD thesis often depends on your university and department guidelines.

But, let’s take a look at a general PhD thesis format. We’ll look at the main sections, and how to connect them to each other. We’ll also examine different hints and tips for each of the sections. As you read through this toolkit, compare it to published PhD theses in your area of study to see how a real-life example looks.

Main Sections of a PhD Thesis

In almost every PhD thesis or dissertation, there are standard sections. Of course, some of these may differ, depending on your university or department requirements, as well as your topic of study, but this will give you a good idea of the basic components of a PhD thesis format.

  • Abstract : The abstract is a brief summary that quickly outlines your research, touches on each of the main sections of your thesis, and clearly outlines your contribution to the field by way of your PhD thesis. Even though the abstract is very short, similar to what you’ve seen in published research articles, its impact shouldn’t be underestimated. The abstract is there to answer the most important question to the reviewer. “Why is this important?”
  • Introduction : In this section, you help the reviewer understand your entire dissertation, including what your paper is about, why it’s important to the field, a brief description of your methodology, and how your research and the thesis are laid out. Think of your introduction as an expansion of your abstract.
  • Literature Review : Within the literature review, you are making a case for your new research by telling the story of the work that’s already been done. You’ll cover a bit about the history of the topic at hand, and how your study fits into the present and future.
  • Theory Framework : Here, you explain assumptions related to your study. Here you’re explaining to the review what theoretical concepts you might have used in your research, how it relates to existing knowledge and ideas.
  • Methods : This section of a PhD thesis is typically the most detailed and descriptive, depending of course on your research design. Here you’ll discuss the specific techniques you used to get the information you were looking for, in addition to how those methods are relevant and appropriate, as well as how you specifically used each method described.
  • Results : Here you present your empirical findings. This section is sometimes also called the “empiracles” chapter. This section is usually pretty straightforward and technical, and full of details. Don’t shortcut this chapter.
  • Discussion : This can be a tricky chapter, because it’s where you want to show the reviewer that you know what you’re talking about. You need to speak as a PhD versus a student. The discussion chapter is similar to the empirical/results chapter, but you’re building on those results to push the new information that you learned, prior to making your conclusion.
  • Conclusion : Here, you take a step back and reflect on what your original goals and intentions for the research were. You’ll outline them in context of your new findings and expertise.

Tips for your PhD Thesis Format

As you put together your PhD thesis, it’s easy to get a little overwhelmed. Here are some tips that might keep you on track.

  • Don’t try to write your PhD as a first-draft. Every great masterwork has typically been edited, and edited, and…edited.
  • Work with your thesis supervisor to plan the structure and format of your PhD thesis. Be prepared to rewrite each section, as you work out rough drafts. Don’t get discouraged by this process. It’s typical.
  • Make your writing interesting. Academic writing has a reputation of being very dry.
  • You don’t have to necessarily work on the chapters and sections outlined above in chronological order. Work on each section as things come up, and while your work on that section is relevant to what you’re doing.
  • Don’t rush things. Write a first draft, and leave it for a few days, so you can come back to it with a more critical take. Look at it objectively and carefully grammatical errors, clarity, logic and flow.
  • Know what style your references need to be in, and utilize tools out there to organize them in the required format.
  • It’s easier to accidentally plagiarize than you think. Make sure you’re referencing appropriately, and check your document for inadvertent plagiarism throughout your writing process.

PhD Thesis Editing Plus

Want some support during your PhD writing process? Our PhD Thesis Editing Plus service includes extensive and detailed editing of your thesis to improve the flow and quality of your writing. Unlimited editing support for guaranteed results. Learn more here , and get started today!

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How to write a Research Paper for PhD?- 10 Things to know

A brief elaborative assay, findings or original research work showing either positive or negative interpretation in a written form is known as a research paper.  

To publish a research work or research paper is yet another important criterion to award a PhD degree. After all, it is the uppermost academic honor. A common question prospective PhD students ask on the internet is “how to write a research paper”, “how to publish a research paper in a peer-review journal”, “how to write an introduction for a research paper” etc. 

In order to pursue the PhD degree, students have to complete coursework, research work, thesis writing, publishing an article and defending the thesis. Those who fail to complete, can’t go ahead. So from the first day when you start your PhD, you should know that you will have to publish a research paper sooner or later. 

Publishing an article or research work in a peer-review journal needs at least some intermediate level writing expertise. One should have to write according to the style and requirement of a journal. 

Peer-reviewed journals are reputed and professional and hence accept only high-quality research work and writing assignments. Until students understand the key things publications want, they will pay for it. It is better to find a way to publish a research paper, rather than paying for it.

In this article, I will explain to you some proven ways, you can say it “tips” that may help you to publish a research paper. 

  • Try from beginning
  • The writing style of a journal  
  • Structurize your article 

Things must be there

  • Importance of abstract 
  • Cite every bit of information 
  • List references 
  • Discuss recent finding
  • Final interpretation- conclusion 
  • Avoid common writing mistakes 

Try from the beginning: 

Understand the writing style of a journal , structurize your article: , understand the importance of abstract: , cite every bit of information: , list references or bibliography: , discuss recent findings: , final interpretation- conclusion , avoid common writing mistakes: , steps to writing a research paper: , conclusion: , how to write a research paper- 10 things to know.

The first thing prospective candidates have to do when starting their doctorate is to study or read related literature to their research topic. From that day, start writing a research paper. I know, you won’t research anything but first, publish a review article. 

A review article will help you in many ways, first, you will gain experience of how you can publish an article. Second, your 70% of the review literature portion will be completed and third, you may start your research work soon because you have done substantial work to start experiments. 

Writing style varied from journals to journals and so the citation and referencing methods too. Though abstract, introduction, material & methods, results and discussion, interpretation and references are common in almost every journal style. 

Journals have different citation and referencing styles, depending on what a writer has to write and submit their article or research paper. 

Pro tips: If you write an article as per the need, requirement and writing style of a journal 80% of your chance of getting published will increase. 

Some popular and common journal styles are: 

  • American Psychological Association (APA)
  • Modern language association (MLA)
  • Chicago: notes and bibliography
  • Chicago: Author and date
  • Chicago humanities style
  • Harvard: Australian style 
  • Harvard: Author-Date Style

Check out this box to how you can use those styles: 

American Psychological association technique (APA):

Chauhan, T. N., Patel, R. K., Suthar, J. V. (2018). Genetic status of Eunuchs- A review. Clinical Biotechnology and Microbiology, 2(5), 472-484. 

Modern language association (MLA)   

Chauhan T, Patel R and Suthar J. “Genetic status of Eunuch -A review.” Clinical Biotechnology and Microbiology , vol. 2, no 5, 2018, pp. 472-484. 

Chicago style Bibliography: 

Chauhan T, Patel R and Suthar J. “Genetic status of Eunuch -A review.” Clinical Biotechnology and Microbiology 2(2018): 472-484. 

An article citation style also varies that you can learn on the internet. Apart from the citation and referencing style, writing style (one-column or two-column), font style, font size, placement of image and other things also vary. 

You can read the policy page or rules of publishing the article page on the official website of the publisher or journal. It’s an easy thing to follow their style. 

Note that a sample article editable article style is also there on their website, you can download it and use it to start writing. 

Publishers or journals are also taken into consideration, the structure of the article, means, how you have bifurcated your article. A common thumb rule is to use abstract, introduction, material and methods, results and interpretation in the article, along with bibliography at the end. 

This structure is widely accepted by almost all journals, however, it may differ as per the requirement of the journal and your article as well. 

For example, if your article is review- literature, probably material method or interpretation section can’t be there. If you are publishing a case study, you need to include a case history too. 

Article’s structure is crucial to be accepted, unstructured research articles can’t create an impact on the reviewer to publish. You need to fragment every bit of information as per the topic headings. 

For example, some common information is included in the introduction, which technique or chemicals you have used, should be there in the material method section, other related review or literature should be there in the discussion section. 

To learn more on how to structure your article, read the related published articles in a journal you wish to publish. 

As I said, the Abstract, introduction, material & methods, results & discussion, conclusion and references must be there in a research article. In addition to this, Acknowledge others who helped you. Add funding information too. 

Acknowledgment and funding information should be inserted at the end of the article, after the bibliography. 

The common formats for various type of article are as followed;

Research article: Abstract, introduction, material & methods, results & discussion, interpretation, references and acknowledgment. 

Case study: Abstract, background, case history, material & methods, results & discussion, interpretation, references and acknowledgment. 

Review article: Abstract, Introduction or background, Applications, future prospective, final remark, references and acknowledgment. 

Note that the structure may vary for book chapters, conference papers, presentations or magazine articles. 

The abstract is an uncited, 250 to 400 words long writeup or a brief summary of the article. Usually, students avoid structuring an abstract, even though everything is excellent, their article can’t be accepted, the reason is inappropriate or poorly written abstract. 

The abstract is a portion or preface explaining ‘what you have done’ in your research and article. Again the style of abstract may fairly vary depending upon the journal you choose. 

A direct, single paragraph and shorter abstract having results included is a common choice for many, nonetheless, some prefer sectioning such as background, material & methods, results & discussion and conclusion in short. 

Note: your abstract shouldn’t be longer than 400 words. 

Huge information the internet possesses, some are correct, rest isn’t! Making information correct, trustworthy and liable is crucial. Academicians and researchers trust those data, which are cited. 

Citing a sentence, article, information or data means you are providing authenticity and a source from where you have taken it. However, that doesn’t mean copying that portion directly from others. 

Citation makes the article free of plagiarism and authenticates information. Moreover, citation methods vary from publisher to publisher depending upon which technique they generally use. 

Citation is added at the end of the sentence, after the end of the page or after the end of the paragraph by mentioning the first name of the author and year of publication. 

Related article: How to Check Plagiarism for PhD Thesis?- Top 10 Plagiarism Checkers

Referencing is crucial to publish an article, much like the references. It fairly shows from where you have taken information, readers can use to verify. 

Various formats of references we already have discussed somewhere in the article. 

Follow rules, instructions and style of the journal to elevate acceptance chances. Usually, references are enlisted at the end of the article, chronologically- as per the citation provided or alphabetically. 

Again it depends on the writing style of the journal. Common reference text includes name or names of researchers, year of publication, the title of the article, name of the journal, volume number, section or portion number and page numbers. 

If the journal articles are available online, DOI is also indicated at the end of the reference. 

You can list references, alphabetically, numerically and chronologically as per the citations. Most journals prefer the last method in which bibliography is enlisted in chronology as per citations. 

Mendeley an online citation and references management system helps you to do so. You can read about it here: Mendeley- an online citation platform.

If you wish, common below, we will cover a separate article on Mednely, how to use Mendeley MS word extension and other options. 

Your research, findings, discoveries only matter when you compare it with others. The discussion part of the article is so important that comprises recent reviews, research or findings related to your work. 

Comprehensively, the researcher shows the positives and negatives of their research in accordance with other findings. This section provides data showing relative comparison with your findings with others. The discussion section strengthens and authenticates your findings. 

In addition, it shows loopholes, scopes of improvements and limitations of yours as well as other associated work. The objective to do so is to apprise other researchers and give them future direction for research, especially, in your field. 

Write your final interpretations at the terminal of the article (before references) as a conclusion. It shows what you have done during your research and what your final findings are. 

As a writing technicality, the conclusion is of a few liners or a single paragraph shows the final remarks of the researcher or PhD student. Don’t mention any citation in the conclusion. It is the only original write-up of a PhD student’s own. 

Let us take an example of this article only, 

Conclusively, to write a research paper, PhD students have to know the writing style of a journal, their requirements and criteria. In addition, an article should have common sections like abstract, introduction, material & methods, results & discussion, conclusion and references in which the abstract- a preface of the article is very important. 

Students need to read other articles related to this topic and take professional advice to publish a research paper. 

Note that do not forget to give future indications, as I have explained in the last sentence. 

Less expected from PhD candidates, common writing mistakes, such as spelling, grammar or punctuation, though happens, can be avoided. Thoroughly read the article and cross-check with your PhD supervisor or guide. 

You can use other AI like Grammarly to do so. Grammarly is an online platform to check grammar, spelling, plagiarism and common punctuation mistakes from an article. Also, suggest corrections and synonyms as well. 

You can read related articles from here: 

  • Grammarly- your PhD writing assistant
  • Is Grammarly premium worth it? 

The overview of writing a research paper

Here in this section, I will explain, step-by-step guide from beginning to publishing your research article in peer-reviewed journals. 

The very first step when you start writing a research article is to decide on a working thesis statement which is something concise and one-liner. It should show the overall idea behind doing research. 

For example, 

“Evaluation of COMT gene polymorphism using PCR.”

  • Here the thesis statement indicates the researcher’s work area that is the COMT gene, purpose (studying polymorphism) and methodology (using PCR technique). 

After deciding a thesis statement do not forget to verify it to your guide or PhD supervisor. 

Next, collect the information from your thesis or other research that you would like to include in your article. 

After that, make an outline of your research paper by structurizing it in different headings, 

  • A title page- having a thesis statement
  • An abstract- 250 words overview of the whole research 
  • Introduction- general introductory information of the topic 
  • Methodology- materials, methods, techniques and chemicals used 
  • Results and discussion- final results of PhD study supporting other relevant documents, research or findings in the form of arguments or discussion. 
  • Conclusion- a one-liner to show your final interpretations. 
  • References- sources you utilized to write this article. 

Try to write an article in the section given in the outline for research paper writing above. 

The outline for the article explained above; 

Working thesis title- “Evaluation of COMT gene polymorphism using PCR.”

Outline of research article: 

  • Thesis title
  • Abstract 
  • Definition of COMT gene 
  • Location and polymorphisms related to COMT 
  • Chemical and utilities 
  • PCR primer sets for COMT gene
  • Preparation of mastermix 
  • Performing PCR reaction 
  • Agarose gel electrophoresis 
  • Results and discussion
  • Conclusion 
  • References 

To make your writing more precise you can use grammar checkers like Grammarly or/ and can manually check it to your guide. 

Once you are done writing, refurbished your article as per the guidelines or style of the publisher or journal. 

Now make more than 3 copies of your article as per different journals and send it to them. Don’t rely on a single source. Try to send it to many publishers as per their formats. 

If you think that converting articles in different formats is a tougher task try Mendely to our MS word (we will cover articles on it soon) , it automatically adds citations and references to your writing and can convert between different styles. 

Recent articles of our blog:

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I think the information that I have given is so important for a beginner in order to write a research article because for beginners it is very hard to decide from where to start. Even sometimes, their guide can’t help them correctly. 

Writing a research paper especially in a peer-reviewed journal isn’t an easy task, one has to write precisely and in a structure. 

I hope this article help you. 

Dr Tushar Chauhan

Dr. Tushar Chauhan is a Scientist, Blogger and Scientific-writer. He has completed PhD in Genetics. Dr. Chauhan is a PhD coach and tutor.

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how to write a research paper for phd

  • Aims and Objectives – A Guide for Academic Writing
  • Doing a PhD

One of the most important aspects of a thesis, dissertation or research paper is the correct formulation of the aims and objectives. This is because your aims and objectives will establish the scope, depth and direction that your research will ultimately take. An effective set of aims and objectives will give your research focus and your reader clarity, with your aims indicating what is to be achieved, and your objectives indicating how it will be achieved.

Introduction

There is no getting away from the importance of the aims and objectives in determining the success of your research project. Unfortunately, however, it is an aspect that many students struggle with, and ultimately end up doing poorly. Given their importance, if you suspect that there is even the smallest possibility that you belong to this group of students, we strongly recommend you read this page in full.

This page describes what research aims and objectives are, how they differ from each other, how to write them correctly, and the common mistakes students make and how to avoid them. An example of a good aim and objectives from a past thesis has also been deconstructed to help your understanding.

What Are Aims and Objectives?

Research aims.

A research aim describes the main goal or the overarching purpose of your research project.

In doing so, it acts as a focal point for your research and provides your readers with clarity as to what your study is all about. Because of this, research aims are almost always located within its own subsection under the introduction section of a research document, regardless of whether it’s a thesis , a dissertation, or a research paper .

A research aim is usually formulated as a broad statement of the main goal of the research and can range in length from a single sentence to a short paragraph. Although the exact format may vary according to preference, they should all describe why your research is needed (i.e. the context), what it sets out to accomplish (the actual aim) and, briefly, how it intends to accomplish it (overview of your objectives).

To give an example, we have extracted the following research aim from a real PhD thesis:

Example of a Research Aim

The role of diametrical cup deformation as a factor to unsatisfactory implant performance has not been widely reported. The aim of this thesis was to gain an understanding of the diametrical deformation behaviour of acetabular cups and shells following impaction into the reamed acetabulum. The influence of a range of factors on deformation was investigated to ascertain if cup and shell deformation may be high enough to potentially contribute to early failure and high wear rates in metal-on-metal implants.

Note: Extracted with permission from thesis titled “T he Impact And Deformation Of Press-Fit Metal Acetabular Components ” produced by Dr H Hothi of previously Queen Mary University of London.

Research Objectives

Where a research aim specifies what your study will answer, research objectives specify how your study will answer it.

They divide your research aim into several smaller parts, each of which represents a key section of your research project. As a result, almost all research objectives take the form of a numbered list, with each item usually receiving its own chapter in a dissertation or thesis.

Following the example of the research aim shared above, here are it’s real research objectives as an example:

Example of a Research Objective

  • Develop finite element models using explicit dynamics to mimic mallet blows during cup/shell insertion, initially using simplified experimentally validated foam models to represent the acetabulum.
  • Investigate the number, velocity and position of impacts needed to insert a cup.
  • Determine the relationship between the size of interference between the cup and cavity and deformation for different cup types.
  • Investigate the influence of non-uniform cup support and varying the orientation of the component in the cavity on deformation.
  • Examine the influence of errors during reaming of the acetabulum which introduce ovality to the cavity.
  • Determine the relationship between changes in the geometry of the component and deformation for different cup designs.
  • Develop three dimensional pelvis models with non-uniform bone material properties from a range of patients with varying bone quality.
  • Use the key parameters that influence deformation, as identified in the foam models to determine the range of deformations that may occur clinically using the anatomic models and if these deformations are clinically significant.

It’s worth noting that researchers sometimes use research questions instead of research objectives, or in other cases both. From a high-level perspective, research questions and research objectives make the same statements, but just in different formats.

Taking the first three research objectives as an example, they can be restructured into research questions as follows:

Restructuring Research Objectives as Research Questions

  • Can finite element models using simplified experimentally validated foam models to represent the acetabulum together with explicit dynamics be used to mimic mallet blows during cup/shell insertion?
  • What is the number, velocity and position of impacts needed to insert a cup?
  • What is the relationship between the size of interference between the cup and cavity and deformation for different cup types?

Difference Between Aims and Objectives

Hopefully the above explanations make clear the differences between aims and objectives, but to clarify:

  • The research aim focus on what the research project is intended to achieve; research objectives focus on how the aim will be achieved.
  • Research aims are relatively broad; research objectives are specific.
  • Research aims focus on a project’s long-term outcomes; research objectives focus on its immediate, short-term outcomes.
  • A research aim can be written in a single sentence or short paragraph; research objectives should be written as a numbered list.

How to Write Aims and Objectives

Before we discuss how to write a clear set of research aims and objectives, we should make it clear that there is no single way they must be written. Each researcher will approach their aims and objectives slightly differently, and often your supervisor will influence the formulation of yours on the basis of their own preferences.

Regardless, there are some basic principles that you should observe for good practice; these principles are described below.

Your aim should be made up of three parts that answer the below questions:

  • Why is this research required?
  • What is this research about?
  • How are you going to do it?

The easiest way to achieve this would be to address each question in its own sentence, although it does not matter whether you combine them or write multiple sentences for each, the key is to address each one.

The first question, why , provides context to your research project, the second question, what , describes the aim of your research, and the last question, how , acts as an introduction to your objectives which will immediately follow.

Scroll through the image set below to see the ‘why, what and how’ associated with our research aim example.

Explaining aims vs objectives

Note: Your research aims need not be limited to one. Some individuals per to define one broad ‘overarching aim’ of a project and then adopt two or three specific research aims for their thesis or dissertation. Remember, however, that in order for your assessors to consider your research project complete, you will need to prove you have fulfilled all of the aims you set out to achieve. Therefore, while having more than one research aim is not necessarily disadvantageous, consider whether a single overarching one will do.

Research Objectives

Each of your research objectives should be SMART :

  • Specific – is there any ambiguity in the action you are going to undertake, or is it focused and well-defined?
  • Measurable – how will you measure progress and determine when you have achieved the action?
  • Achievable – do you have the support, resources and facilities required to carry out the action?
  • Relevant – is the action essential to the achievement of your research aim?
  • Timebound – can you realistically complete the action in the available time alongside your other research tasks?

In addition to being SMART, your research objectives should start with a verb that helps communicate your intent. Common research verbs include:

Table of Research Verbs to Use in Aims and Objectives

Last, format your objectives into a numbered list. This is because when you write your thesis or dissertation, you will at times need to make reference to a specific research objective; structuring your research objectives in a numbered list will provide a clear way of doing this.

To bring all this together, let’s compare the first research objective in the previous example with the above guidance:

Checking Research Objective Example Against Recommended Approach

Research Objective:

1. Develop finite element models using explicit dynamics to mimic mallet blows during cup/shell insertion, initially using simplified experimentally validated foam models to represent the acetabulum.

Checking Against Recommended Approach:

Q: Is it specific? A: Yes, it is clear what the student intends to do (produce a finite element model), why they intend to do it (mimic cup/shell blows) and their parameters have been well-defined ( using simplified experimentally validated foam models to represent the acetabulum ).

Q: Is it measurable? A: Yes, it is clear that the research objective will be achieved once the finite element model is complete.

Q: Is it achievable? A: Yes, provided the student has access to a computer lab, modelling software and laboratory data.

Q: Is it relevant? A: Yes, mimicking impacts to a cup/shell is fundamental to the overall aim of understanding how they deform when impacted upon.

Q: Is it timebound? A: Yes, it is possible to create a limited-scope finite element model in a relatively short time, especially if you already have experience in modelling.

Q: Does it start with a verb? A: Yes, it starts with ‘develop’, which makes the intent of the objective immediately clear.

Q: Is it a numbered list? A: Yes, it is the first research objective in a list of eight.

Mistakes in Writing Research Aims and Objectives

1. making your research aim too broad.

Having a research aim too broad becomes very difficult to achieve. Normally, this occurs when a student develops their research aim before they have a good understanding of what they want to research. Remember that at the end of your project and during your viva defence , you will have to prove that you have achieved your research aims; if they are too broad, this will be an almost impossible task. In the early stages of your research project, your priority should be to narrow your study to a specific area. A good way to do this is to take the time to study existing literature, question their current approaches, findings and limitations, and consider whether there are any recurring gaps that could be investigated .

Note: Achieving a set of aims does not necessarily mean proving or disproving a theory or hypothesis, even if your research aim was to, but having done enough work to provide a useful and original insight into the principles that underlie your research aim.

2. Making Your Research Objectives Too Ambitious

Be realistic about what you can achieve in the time you have available. It is natural to want to set ambitious research objectives that require sophisticated data collection and analysis, but only completing this with six months before the end of your PhD registration period is not a worthwhile trade-off.

3. Formulating Repetitive Research Objectives

Each research objective should have its own purpose and distinct measurable outcome. To this effect, a common mistake is to form research objectives which have large amounts of overlap. This makes it difficult to determine when an objective is truly complete, and also presents challenges in estimating the duration of objectives when creating your project timeline. It also makes it difficult to structure your thesis into unique chapters, making it more challenging for you to write and for your audience to read.

Fortunately, this oversight can be easily avoided by using SMART objectives.

Hopefully, you now have a good idea of how to create an effective set of aims and objectives for your research project, whether it be a thesis, dissertation or research paper. While it may be tempting to dive directly into your research, spending time on getting your aims and objectives right will give your research clear direction. This won’t only reduce the likelihood of problems arising later down the line, but will also lead to a more thorough and coherent research project.

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How to Write a PhD Thesis: 13 Tips For PhD Thesis Writing 

13 Tips for writing a PhD Thesis - Paperpal

Completing a successful PhD research thesis is extremely challenging, and how to write a PhD thesis is often a question in students’ minds. Fret not, there are many ways to make the process of PhD thesis writing less bumpy. This article will provide some PhD thesis writing tips to simplify the writing process and help you complete your thesis on time, while keeping your sanity mostly intact. 

Only about 50% of students enrolled in a PhD program ever complete it 1 . They drop out at many different points during the process for many different reasons. Some leave because the course work is too difficult or time consuming. Some leave for personal or financial reasons. One common cause of non-completion, or late completion, is the daunting spectre of PhD thesis writing. 

PhD thesis writing tips: How to overcome the challenge of writing your PhD thesis

First, remember that although writing a PhD thesis is difficult, this can be accomplished. Here are some things to consider that will increase your confidence and make the task of PhD thesis writing a bit less scary. 

  • Create an outline before you start writing – The most effective way to keep your work organized is to first create an outline based on the PhD thesis structure required by your university. Using an outline for your PhD paper writing has tremendous benefits. It creates a handy space to keep and organize all the little snippets of information and questions you will have during your preparation. It allows you to effectively plan your work and manage your time and makes the actual writing much easier. A thesis is shaped more than written, and an outline provides it the required PhD thesis structure. 
  • Follow all university guides – Be careful to ensure that you are meeting all the requirements of your university. This includes everything from topic selection to structure to writing style. It is extremely frustrating to spend a lot of time and effort on a section only to have to do it over because you didn’t follow the proper guidelines. Read all relevant material from your university over and over until you have it memorized. Then, check it again. 
  • Section order – It is usually best not to do your PhD thesis writing in chronological order. For researchers, the easiest parts to write are usually the Method and Results. So, gain some confidence first and write the Introduction and Conclusion last to tie it all together. 
  • Work extensively with your supervisor – Don’t forget that in the process of PhD thesis writing, help is right there when you ask for it. Do not hesitate to ask for guidance from your supervisor, advisors, or other committee members when you get stuck. Clear and regular communication with these important resources can save you untold heartache during the PhD research and thesis writing processes. This should not be a solo exercise; they have all been where you are now. 
  • Plan carefully, create rough drafts, and refine 2 – This is so important and basic to all academic research that it bears repeating. You will not write the final PhD thesis on your first try. Do not become frustrated, trust the process. 
  • Produce quality writing – Make sure your ideas flow easily and are clear and easy to read. This is not a strong skill for most beginning researchers, but it’s a skill that can be learned with a lot of practice. Therefore, edit, edit, and edit some more. If you need it, there are many places to get PhD thesis writing help and assistance. 
  • Details matter – Pay attention to the small things, especially with the document formatting. If you start out using the proper format, you will be saving a tremendous amount of time and grief later. 
  • Avoid plagiarism – Quote accurately, otherwise paraphrase. There is no excuse for being a lazy writer. Consider using a smart tool or service to check for plagiarism during your PhD thesis editing process to make sure you did not unintentionally copy any material. 
  • Rein in the references – Use a database, such as EndNote or Mendeley, to keep them organized and under control; check and double check citations and references with the bibliography to ensure they all match. Don’t forget to use the PhD thesis style required by your university. 
  • Keep it simple – Remember, this is only the start of your career, not your ultimate work 3 ; perfectionism can be a disaster. 
  • Make consistent progress – Try to write at least a little every day; check quotations and references when writing seems too difficult. 3  
  • Keep your reader in mind – As with all writing, your PhD thesis is meant to be read, so be considerate of those who read it; be concise, include all necessary data/information to support your argument but nothing extra. Strive to be understood and avoid unnecessary words. 
  • Be persistent and eager – Writing a doctoral thesis becomes easier if you are consistent and dedicated. All other things being equal, your attitude will ultimately determine your success. Have patience and work hard. Create work you will be proud of for a lifetime. 
  • Cassuto, L. Ph.D. attrition: How much is too much? The Chronicle of Higher Education.    https://www.chronicle.com/article/ph-d-attrition-how-much-is-too-much/?cid=gen_sign_in [Accessed 20 July 2022]
  • Curl, I. 10 tips for writing a PhD thesis. Times Higher Education. https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/10-tips-writing-phd-thesis [Accessed 20 July 2022]
  • Thomas, K. Finishing your PhD thesis: 15 top tips from those in the know. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2014/aug/27/finishing-phd-thesis-top-tips-experts-advice [Accessed 20 July 2022]

A PhD thesis includes several key components, that are essential for the work to be considered seriously. These may vary depending on the research field and specific requirements of the institution, but generally include: ·         an introduction that presents the research question and context, ·         a literature review that surveys existing knowledge and research, ·         a methodology section describing the research design and methods employed, ·         a presentation of findings or results, ·         a discussion section interpreting the results and their implications, and ·         a conclusion that summarizes the main findings and contributions. Additionally, appendices may contain supplementary materials such as data, charts, or technical details.  

The time required for writing a PhD thesis can vary significantly depending on factors such as the research topic, the individual’s research progress, the specific requirements of the institution, and the researcher’s writing process. On average, it can take several months to a few years to complete a PhD thesis. The research, data collection, and analysis stages can span several years, with the PhD thesis writing phase itself often lasting several months. Here, AI writing assistants like Paperpal, designed for academics, can help you write better. Explore Paperpal and see the difference for yourself!

To select a suitable topic for your PhD thesis, start by identifying your research interests and areas of expertise. Consider the gaps or unresolved questions in your field of study and explore potential research avenues and read extensively in your area of interest. Consult with your advisor or mentors, who can offer guidance and help narrow down your options. Once you have a tentative topic, conduct a literature review to ensure its novelty and feasibility. It’s important to choose a topic that aligns with your passion, has potential for meaningful contribution, and is feasible given available resources and time constraints.

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.  

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!  

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How to Write a Research Paper? Research Paper Format

Research Paper Format

Dr. Sowndarya Somasundaram

research paper format

Table of contents

How to write a research paper, introduction, methodology, results and discussion, acknowledgment, how to write a thesis phd thesis format.

Writing and publishing a research paper is important for an/a academician, researcher, and scientist. Publishing the article in a reputed and high impact factor journal may fetch you a scholarship, funding to carry out R&D projects and makes your profile strong. Here, in iLovePhD you can find out everything you need to know to write an effective research paper with a sample research paper format.

The first step is to select your target journal before start writing your article. It could be easy to shape your manuscript according to the journal’s requirement, which would increase the chance of accepting your manuscript. After choosing your target journal, start reading the research papers relevant to your work, which are already published in that journal. This can help you to get an idea of the editor’s expectation and guide your writing.

Also Read: 6 Steps to Select a Right Journal to Publish your Research Paper
The strongest research papers generally have one or two strong points to make. The authors register those points powerfully with results and suitable evidence. ilovephd.com

Use clear and simple language which helps the reader to read and understand easily. Ensure that your present research work is unique and novel from already published works, though your concept is existing. Write your article with full confidence to give your reader certainty in your work. Relate your research with key work which is reported already and show how you are working to eliminate the research gap. Plan a logical sequence of the manuscript, and develop ideas succinctly and precisely.

The structure of the research paper is as important as the content itself and helps the reader to get a clear understanding of your work. The format of a research paper is presented below.

Good Research Paper Format

The title of a manuscript should indicate the theme of the research work. It should be clear, specific, and attractive to the readers to read the article.

  • In addition to the title that grabs the reader’s attention, a well-written abstract is important.
  • The abstract is what researchers/scientist reads first to identify whether the article is worth reading.
  • It is suggested to rewrite the abstract after finishing writing the entire manuscript.
  • Superfluous sentences and irrelevant statements should be eliminated.
  • The authors must highlight the novelty of the work. The abstract should be focussing on the following points.
  • What was investigated in the study (State briefly the specific objectives of the study)
  • Why was it done
  • How was it done
  • What are the important findings of the study      
  • What is the significance of the study

The abstract can also be represented in a graphical format. Some journals mandate to submission a graphical abstract. The procedure to create a graphical abstract can be found in HOW TO CREATE GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT .

The keywords should be relevant to the work and it should be easy for the readers to search for the manuscript. Five to seven keywords are essential.

  • The introduction should clearly address the significance and impact of the manuscript.
  • The research on a particular area may be intensively published so that describing novelty is of significance.
  • It should have a clear point regarding the advancement or improvement and a motivation to carry out the research work.
  • Discuss the literature pertaining to the work and identify the research gap.
  • The literature review should take into consideration the current state of the literature.
  • Frame the objectives of the study clearly based on the research gap.
  • It is suggested to write the introduction and conclusion last, once the skeleton of the manuscript becomes clear.
  • The methodology should elaborate on how the research study was conducted.
  • It includes experimental procedures/steps followed, preparation methods, instrumentation used, and formula.
  • The readers should get a clear vision of how the research study was carried out by reading the methods section.
Also Read: How to get Published in High Impact Journals?
  • The results and discussion section of any manuscript are discussed in detail the research findings.
  • The discussion needs to be beyond the findings and emphasize more on the claims.
  • The interpretations of the experimental results should be explained scientifically, and logically in line with fundamental science and principles.
  • To support the findings, the results can be expressed in any format (plots, models, expressions, etc.).
  • The results reported in your manuscript should be original, reliable, ad reproducible.
  • The results obtained in the present study may also be compared with the results reported in the literature.
  • It includes the summary of the research findings and the overall impression of the study.
  • A good conclusion will complete the article’s arguments, research outcome, and further scope of studies.
  • It should be strong enough to convince the researchers.
  • Citing references in appropriate places in the paper is necessary and important to avoid plagiarism .
  • When you cite a reference, make sure that you understand its relevance to your research work.
  • The references should be listed at the end of the manuscript and each journal has its own referencing style.

The authors can submit a brief acknowledgment of any financial, instrumentation, and academic support received pertaining to research work.

Research paper format

Hope, this article helps you to learn how to write a research paper for your research work with a good research paper format.

11 Differences Between a Thesis and an Article
5 Types of Manuscripts- Journal Publications

how to write a research paper for phd

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Dr. Sowndarya Somasundaram

Top 100 Journal Publications in the World 2024

I3c bric-rcb ph.d. program in biosciences, what are the risks of using sci-hub.

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How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline | Example

Published on August 7, 2022 by Courtney Gahan . Revised on August 15, 2023.

How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline

A research paper outline is a useful tool to aid in the writing process , providing a structure to follow with all information to be included in the paper clearly organized.

A quality outline can make writing your research paper more efficient by helping to:

  • Organize your thoughts
  • Understand the flow of information and how ideas are related
  • Ensure nothing is forgotten

A research paper outline can also give your teacher an early idea of the final product.

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Research paper outline example, how to write a research paper outline, formatting your research paper outline, language in research paper outlines.

  • Definition of measles
  • Rise in cases in recent years in places the disease was previously eliminated or had very low rates of infection
  • Figures: Number of cases per year on average, number in recent years. Relate to immunization
  • Symptoms and timeframes of disease
  • Risk of fatality, including statistics
  • How measles is spread
  • Immunization procedures in different regions
  • Different regions, focusing on the arguments from those against immunization
  • Immunization figures in affected regions
  • High number of cases in non-immunizing regions
  • Illnesses that can result from measles virus
  • Fatal cases of other illnesses after patient contracted measles
  • Summary of arguments of different groups
  • Summary of figures and relationship with recent immunization debate
  • Which side of the argument appears to be correct?

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Follow these steps to start your research paper outline:

  • Decide on the subject of the paper
  • Write down all the ideas you want to include or discuss
  • Organize related ideas into sub-groups
  • Arrange your ideas into a hierarchy: What should the reader learn first? What is most important? Which idea will help end your paper most effectively?
  • Create headings and subheadings that are effective
  • Format the outline in either alphanumeric, full-sentence or decimal format

There are three different kinds of research paper outline: alphanumeric, full-sentence and decimal outlines. The differences relate to formatting and style of writing.

  • Alphanumeric
  • Full-sentence

An alphanumeric outline is most commonly used. It uses Roman numerals, capitalized letters, arabic numerals, lowercase letters to organize the flow of information. Text is written with short notes rather than full sentences.

  • Sub-point of sub-point 1

Essentially the same as the alphanumeric outline, but with the text written in full sentences rather than short points.

  • Additional sub-point to conclude discussion of point of evidence introduced in point A

A decimal outline is similar in format to the alphanumeric outline, but with a different numbering system: 1, 1.1, 1.2, etc. Text is written as short notes rather than full sentences.

  • 1.1.1 Sub-point of first point
  • 1.1.2 Sub-point of first point
  • 1.2 Second point

To write an effective research paper outline, it is important to pay attention to language. This is especially important if it is one you will show to your teacher or be assessed on.

There are four main considerations: parallelism, coordination, subordination and division.

Parallelism: Be consistent with grammatical form

Parallel structure or parallelism is the repetition of a particular grammatical form within a sentence, or in this case, between points and sub-points. This simply means that if the first point is a verb , the sub-point should also be a verb.

Example of parallelism:

  • Include different regions, focusing on the different arguments from those against immunization

Coordination: Be aware of each point’s weight

Your chosen subheadings should hold the same significance as each other, as should all first sub-points, secondary sub-points, and so on.

Example of coordination:

  • Include immunization figures in affected regions
  • Illnesses that can result from the measles virus

Subordination: Work from general to specific

Subordination refers to the separation of general points from specific. Your main headings should be quite general, and each level of sub-point should become more specific.

Example of subordination:

Division: break information into sub-points.

Your headings should be divided into two or more subsections. There is no limit to how many subsections you can include under each heading, but keep in mind that the information will be structured into a paragraph during the writing stage, so you should not go overboard with the number of sub-points.

Ready to start writing or looking for guidance on a different step in the process? Read our step-by-step guide on how to write a research paper .

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How to Write a Concept Paper for a PhD: A 10-Step Guide

Adela B.

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You’re ready to enroll for your Ph.D. studies but feeling anxious. You don’t know whether your application will be accepted or what it would take to be accepted.

Aside from your academic qualifications, a concept paper is one of the most critical determinants. If you’re planning to pursue a Ph.D., you need to learn how to write an effective concept paper to convince your professors.

Writing a concept paper requires strong analytical skills, advanced research knowledge, and excellent writing skills.

This blog post will give you a step-by-step guide on how to write a concept paper for a Ph.D. to get you a step closer to becoming a doctor of philosophy.

What is a concept paper for Ph.D.?

A concept paper for a Ph.D. is a written statement outlining the objectives and concepts of a proposed research study. It acts as an introduction to your dissertation or full thesis.

It is also an important part of the application process for Ph.D. programs and helps the admissions committee evaluate a student's research potential.

It typically includes background information on the topic to be studied, an overview of existing research, and the proposed research design. It also highlights potential results from the proposed study and their practical applications.

Ultimately, concept papers for Ph.D. programs help determine whether a student is qualified to pursue doctoral-level work in their chosen field.

How long is a Ph.D. concept paper?

The length of your concept paper will depend on your field of study and the requirements set by your university. Generally speaking, most universities expect concept papers to be between 3-5 pages long. Some papers may be longer or shorter depending on how much detail your project entails.

Key takeaways

A concept paper for Ph.D. includes:

  • Background information on the topic;
  • Overview of existing research;
  • Proposed research design;
  • Potential results from the study;
  • Practical applications of the study.

How to Write a Concept Paper for Ph.D.?

An effective concept paper will help you get approval from your professor or adviser to begin your doctoral work.

What are the characteristics of a good concept paper?

A good concept paper should present an idea or topic in a clear and concise manner. It should provide an overview of what the research project will cover and explain why it’s important.

Additionally, it should highlight any potential implications of the research study and how they can be addressed or minimized. The goal of the paper is to convince the reader that your proposed project is worth pursuing and that it contributes new knowledge to your field of study.

What are the 5 elements of a concept paper?

The five elements of a concept paper are:

  • Background;
  • Purpose statement;
  • Problem statement;
  • Research questions or hypotheses;
  • Significance or implications for practice.

These elements work together to provide a comprehensive overview of your proposed research project and show why it’s worth pursuing.

Here are the steps to write an outstanding concept paper that stands no chance of being rejected.

1. Define the title and purpose of your study

The first step in writing a concept paper is defining the title and purpose of your study. What will your research be about? And what are you trying to accomplish through it?

The title and purpose of your study will set the foundation for your concept paper. This part should be concise and clear so that readers understand the basis and significance of your research. When formulating the title, ensure it accurately reflects the main focus of your entire research study.

2. Describe the background and scope of your study

The next step is to provide an overview of the background information of your study topic and explain how it relates to your proposed project.

When describing the background of your study, you need to provide some context about why this topic is important enough to warrant academic inquiry.

Highlight any existing studies or theories related to your topic so that readers understand why you have chosen it as part of your dissertation research.

3. Identify the problem statement

Next, identify a problem statement that outlines what issue or gap in the knowledge you are attempting to address through your research project. Every good concept paper should include a well thought problem statement.

Your problem statement should be precise and concise so readers can easily understand what they can expect from reading further.

Here, you should make it clear why there’s a need for further investigation in your chosen field and how your research will contribute new insights into existing knowledge.

4. List your goals and objectives

Now that you’ve established your problem statement, you need to outline the specific goals and objectives that will guide you through your research.

Here, you outline what steps you’ll take and what specifically you hope to achieve in every stage of the study. This could mean anything from creating new theories, testing existing theories or models, exploring the techniques used in other studies, etc.

Your goals and objectives will give the readers a heads-up about what outcomes they can expect from the project.

Ensure whatever goals and objectives you list are measurable and achievable within the scope of your research study.

5. Formulate research questions

Next, formulate detailed research questions (and accompanying hypotheses) based on the topic you plan to explore.

These questions should include the variables you plan to manipulate or measure during data collection. Ensure the questions are clear and written in simple language so readers can understand what you’ll address through the study.

Also, don’t forget to create hypotheses for every research question you write. These are specific claims that will act as the starting points for further inquiry and potential conclusions for the study.

6. Explain the theoretical framework of the study

Once you’ve formulated your research questions, the next step is to explain the theoretical framework or foundational concept of the study.

Identify and briefly explain the theories that inspired you and connect them back to your intended study.

This will set out the context of your project and show that you’ve read and understood existing knowledge on the subject. This theoretical knowledge will come in handy if your application is accepted.

7. Write the literature review

The next step is to write the literature review . Here, you identify information and existing knowledge from previous studies and other published articles.

Your literature review should also include summaries or reviews of key texts related to your topic. You can get information for this section from peer-reviewed articles and online journals like OpenDOAR and CORE.

Remember, all the facts, statistics, and other relevant information must be accompanied by appropriate citations and references.

8. Describe the proposed research methodology

After writing the literature review, go ahead and describe the research design and methodology you’ll be employing.

Some of the critical details to include in this section include:

  • What data collection methods you’ll use? (e.g., surveys, interviews, or questionnaires).
  • How many participants will form your sample size?
  • What data analysis methods will you use? (e.g., qualitative versus quantitative).

Be sure to highlight any ethical considerations involved in your research methodology. For instance, explain the informed consent procedures you’ll use if your research involves human participation.

Also, explain how you’ll minimize the potential risks associated with participating in your research activities.

9. Explain the significance of the study (and its implications)

Now that you’ve explained the methodology, it’s time to let the readers understand why this study is important and why it makes a significant contribution to existing research.

Additionally, explain how this study will impact theory development and its significance for policymakers or practitioners in your field of study.

You should also discuss any potential implications of conducting this research (e.g., ethical considerations or political ramifications).

10. Include references/bibliography

Finally, include references or a bibliography at the end of your concept paper to build credibility for your research paper.

A bibliography enables you to give credit where it belongs by recognizing the owners of your reference materials.

Ensure you format references properly according to the style specified by the institution you’re applying to. This could be for example APA , MLA, or  Harvard referencing style .

What is the difference between a concept paper and a research paper?

A concept paper outlines what you plan to do (in future tense), while a research paper explains what you did (in past tense) after completing your research project. In other words, a concept paper serves as an introduction to your research, while a research paper provides evidence-based results from experiments conducted during your study.

Final thoughts

The thought of writing a concept paper for your Ph.D. can be intimidating at first. However, once you know the right approach to take and invest enough time, the writing process becomes hassle-free.

Start by brainstorming your ideas, researching related topics, and creating an outline. Also, ensure you clearly define your concept and know the exact approach you’ll be taking. This way, you won’t find yourself stuck when your concept paper has been approved for further research.

After completing the paper, revise it to ensure everything is clear and accurate with no typos. In the end, you’ll have an excellent concept paper that will pave the way for you to pursue your doctoral studies.

If you need help writing a concept paper for your Ph.D., turn to Writers Per Hour for assistance. With expert Doctoral writers on the team, we can draft a compelling concept paper that is 100% original and written from scratch as per your requirements.

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Graduate School Applications: Writing a Research Statement

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The research statement is a common component of a potential candidate’s application for post-undergraduate study. This may include applications for graduate programs, post-doctoral fellowships, or faculty positions. The research statement is often the primary way that a committee determines if a candidate’s interests and past experience make them a good fit for their program/institution.

What is a Research Statement?

A research statement is a short document that provides a brief history of your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future work you intend to complete.

What Should It Look Like?

Research statements are generally one to two single-spaced pages. You should be sure to thoroughly read and follow the length and content requirements for each individual application.

Your research statement should situate your work within the larger context of your field and show how your works contributes to, complicates, or counters other work being done. It should be written for an audience of other professionals in your field.

What Should It Include?

Your statement should start by articulating the broader field that you are working within and the larger question or questions that you are interested in answering. It should then move to articulate your specific interest.

The body of your statement should include a brief history of your past research . What questions did you initially set out to answer in your research project? What did you find? How did it contribute to your field? (i.e. did it lead to academic publications, conferences, or collaborations?). How did your past research propel you forward?

It should also address your present research . What questions are you actively trying to solve? What have you found so far? How are you connecting your research to the larger academic conversation? (i.e. do you have any publications under review, upcoming conferences, or other professional engagements?) What are the larger implications of your work?

Finally, it should describe the future trajectory on which you intend to take your research. What further questions do you want to solve? How do you intend to find answers to these questions? How can the institution to which you are applying help you in that process? What are the broader implications of your potential results?

Note: Make sure that the research project that you propose can be completed at the institution to which you are applying.

Other Considerations:

  • What is the primary question that you have tried to address over the course of your academic career? Why is this question important to the field? How has each stage of your work related to that question?
  • Include a few specific examples that show your success. What tangible solutions have you found to the question that you were trying to answer? How have your solutions impacted the larger field? Examples can include references to published findings, conference presentations, or other professional involvement.
  • Be confident about your skills and abilities. The research statement is your opportunity to sell yourself to an institution. Show that you are self-motivated and passionate about your project.

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  • 12 March 2024

Bring PhD assessment into the twenty-first century

You have full access to this article via your institution.

A woman holding a cup and saucer stands in front of posters presenting medical research

Innovation in PhD education has not reached how doctoral degrees are assessed. Credit: Dan Dunkley/Science Photo Library

Research and teaching in today’s universities are unrecognizable compared with what they were in the early nineteenth century, when Germany and later France gave the world the modern research doctorate. And yet significant aspects of the process of acquiring and assessing a doctorate have remained remarkably constant. A minimum of three years of independent study mentored by a single individual culminates in the production of the doctoral thesis — often a magisterial, book-length piece of work that is assessed in an oral examination by a few senior academic researchers. In an age in which there is much research-informed innovation in teaching and learning, the assessment of the doctoral thesis represents a curious throwback that is seemingly impervious to meaningful reform.

But reform is needed. Some doctoral candidates perceive the current assessment system to lack transparency, and examiners report concerns of falling standards ( G. Houston A Study of the PhD Examination: Process, Attributes and Outcomes . PhD thesis, Oxford Univ.; 2018 ). Making the qualification more structured would help — and, equally importantly, would bring the assessment of PhD education in line with education across the board. PhD candidates with experience of modern assessment methods will become better researchers, wherever they work. Indeed, most will not be working in universities: the majority of PhD holders find employment outside academia.

how to write a research paper for phd

Collection: Career resources for PhD students

It’s not that PhD training is completely stuck in the nineteenth century. Today’s doctoral candidates can choose from a range of pathways. Professional doctorates, often used in engineering, are jointly supervised by an employer and an academic, and are aimed at solving industry-based problems. Another innovation is PhD by publication, in which, instead of a final thesis on one or more research questions, the criterion for an award is a minimum number of papers published or accepted for publication. In some countries, doctoral students are increasingly being trained in cohorts, with the aim of providing a less isolating experience than that offered by the conventional supervisor–student relationship. PhD candidates are also encouraged to acquire transferable skills — for example, in data analysis, public engagement, project management or business, economics and finance. The value of such training would be even greater if these skills were to be formally assessed alongside a dissertation rather than seen as optional.

And yet, most PhDs are still assessed after the production of a final dissertation, according to a format that, at its core, has not changed for at least half a century, as speakers and delegates noted at an event in London last month on PhD assessment, organized by the Society for Research in Higher Educatio n. Innovations in assessment that are common at other levels of education are struggling to find their way into the conventional doctoral programme.

Take the concept of learning objectives. Intended to aid consistency, fairness and transparency, learning objectives are a summary of what a student is expected to know and how they will be assessed, and are given at the start of a course of study. Part of the ambition is also to help tutors to keep track of their students’ learning and take remedial action before it is too late.

how to write a research paper for phd

PhD training is no longer fit for purpose — it needs reform now

Formative assessment is another practice that has yet to find its way into PhD assessment consistently. Here, a tutor evaluates a student’s progress at the mid-point of a course and gives feedback or guidance on what students need to do to improve ahead of their final, or summative, assessment. It is not that these methods are absent from modern PhDs; a conscientious supervisor will not leave candidates to sink or swim until the last day. But at many institutions, such approaches are not required of PhD supervisors.

Part of the difficulty is that PhD training is carried out in research departments by people who do not need to have teaching qualifications or awareness of innovations based on education research. Supervisors shouldn’t just be experts in their field, they should also know how best to convey that subject knowledge — along with knowledge of research methods — to their students.

It is probably not possible for universities to require all doctoral supervisors to have teaching qualifications. But there are smaller changes that can be made. At a minimum, doctoral supervisors should take the time to engage with the research that exists in the field of PhD education, and how it can apply to their interactions with students.

There can be no one-size-fits-all solution to improving how a PhD is assessed, because different subjects often have bespoke needs and practices ( P. Denicolo Qual. Assur. Educ. 11 , 84–91; 2003 ). But supervisors and representatives of individual subject communities must continue to discuss what is most appropriate for their disciplines.

All things considered, there is benefit to adopting a more structured approach to PhD assessment. It is high time that PhD education caught up with changes that are now mainstream at most other levels of education. That must start with a closer partnership between education researchers, PhD supervisors and organizers of doctoral-training programmes in universities. This partnership will benefit everyone — PhD supervisors and doctoral students coming into the research workforce, whether in universities or elsewhere.

Education and training in research has entered many secondary schools, along with undergraduate teaching, which is a good thing. In the spirit of mutual learning, research doctoral supervisors, too, will benefit by going back to school.

Nature 627 , 244 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-00718-0

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Referral program enables earning money.

Punctual service.

This is the best research paper writing service for those who need a paper written quickly and at an affordable price. SpeedyPaper offers research paper writing for as little as $9 a page. Although, once again, the cost of their research paper writing services will change based on what you need to do.

The company can produce quality work incredibly quickly. However, remember that while SpeedyPaper uses professional research paper writers, not all will be native English speakers. This means that you will need to carry out editing yourself. However, this should be fine and is expected from all research paper writing services.

Their research paper writers can tackle any niche. So, don’t worry if you are studying a unique subject at university. We are confident that the SpeedyPaper paper writing services will be able to handle it.

4. 99Papers : Best for Non-STEM Research Papers

Excels in the humanities.

Most experts hold advanced degrees.

Maintains good quality across all turnaround times.

May not be affordable for budget-conscious students.

When people first start looking to buy research papers online, 99Papers is one of the first companies to jump out at them. This company has been producing custom research papers for over a decade and have worked with thousands and thousands of college students. The prices start at $12.46 per page.

99Papers only hires native English speakers for their writing service. This means that your writing skills will be impeccable when you hire the team at 99Papers for your research project. Such services are tough to come by usually, particularly at this price point. You will have to do some revisions, which is standard for all essay services.

99Papers goes to considerable lengths to hand-pick their writers. People are only hired here if they can prove they are qualified. This means that you will always have a good-quality paper. The writers have proven they have achieved a high level of academic performance.

99Papers can produce papers incredibly quickly. While their service is not the cheapest, university students swear by it. It is still affordable. A price calculator on their site will tell you exactly how much you will be paying before you place your order.

You can request unlimited revisions with 99Papers. It is as easy as dropping a message to your paper writer and telling them what needs to be done.

5. EssayPro : Cheap Research Paper Writing Service, Best for ESL Students

Truly affordable service.

Great option for rush orders.

Bidding platform allows you to choose your expert.

Thousands of positive reviews.

Quality varies depending on the writer selected.

No phone support available.

Starting at just $10.80 per page, EssayPro has a reputation for being one of the cheapest online paper writing services out there. However, keep that from putting you off. If you need a quality paper writer with top writing skills, EssayPro is worth checking out.

This is one of the oldest services online. EssayPro has been offering research papers to those that need a professional research paper writer since 1997. So yeah. The company was founded after the birth of the modern WWW. When a company has been offering term paper writing services this long, it has been able to score some of the best writers for research papers.

The professional writers at EssayPro offer an excellent research paper writing service, but they can also provide any writing services that you need, e.g., dissertations, editing, proofreading, etc. The cost will change based on what you need. They are great for research paper writing help.

6. Studdit : Best for STEM Papers

Fast service with a 3-hour turnaround available.

Specialized expertise in STEM fields.

A wide variety of services available, including calculations, problem solving, and equations.

Regular discounts offered.

Quick and efficient order process.

Rush orders may become expensive.

If you are looking for exceptional writing services for your STEM assignments, then Studdit is an excellent choice. However, Studdit doesn’t just offer paper writing. Their professional writers can also help to produce a great research proposal for you, a staple of many academic papers.

Prices at Studdit start at as little as $13 a page, which isn’t too shabby. More extended and more in-depth research papers may cost a little more, but nothing too crazy. Those writers do need to be paid, after all.

One of the cool things about Studdit is how quickly their research paper writers can produce a custom research paper for you. When it comes to research paper writing services, the company is one of the fastest around.

For a small extra fee, you can have the custom research paper writing service wrapped up in as little as three hours. Perfect for those that don’t start looking for professional writers to produce their academic papers until the last minute.

Almost all of the team that offers research paper writing here is based in the U.S. and Canada. We know that Studdit only uses native speakers for papers it writes.

Studdit is a small name when it comes to paper writing, primarily due to the lack of social media presence. However, we can assure you that Studdit offers one of the best research paper writing services.

7. ExpertWriting : Best for Editing & Proofreading

Writers can mimic your writing style.

Meticulous copy-editing and proofreading services.

Samples available for gauging quality.

Lucrative referral program that allows you to earn discounts or withdraw money.

Pricing varies with the complexity of the subject.

Full refunds are not available.

Not only does ExpertWriting writes decent-quality research papers from scratch, it only provides top-notch editing services. ExpertWriting can review your written papers, identify any issues, and correct them. The price for editing tasks starts at $6, and at $10 for writing.

There are a lot of people that struggle with paper writing. However, they will do their best to produce something legible. ExpertWriting is a good choice if you need someone to polish your paper by working with the structure, grammar, and spelling.

The research paper help given by ExpertWriting can bump you up a grade. We have used this site in conjunction with other essay writing services .

The only downside with ExpertWriting is that its prices may be higher than you would expect for an editor. However, you have to remember that academic essay writing hinges heavily on structure and the overall flow of the paper. Therefore, the services provided are vital if you need the best grades.

How We Identified The Best Research Paper Writing Service

As you know, there are a lot of paper writing websites out there. So, this may have you wondering how we put together our list. Well, let’s explain the criteria that we used.

Positive Reviews

A research paper writing company will often have hundreds, if not thousands, of writers working for them. This is how it will produce your work so quickly.

This means that the writing quality can be sporadic. Everybody has their writing style, after all.

This is why we have looked at user reviews across various services. While we may have had a good experience with one company, our experience may not fully represent what a company can do.

Looking at how other people have experienced the research paper writing service provided by a company gives us more of an idea about what can be expected when you are looking for research paper writing help.

If a company achieves almost universally positive reviews for their research paper writing service, you can bet your bottom dollar that we will recommend it.

Let’s be honest. Most students are going to be struggling for cash. While students would likely love to throw a ton of money at a professional writer, it is only sometimes feasible.

We have opted to include sites with a good balance between cost and service. This means that we have yet to choose the cheapest of the cheap. Some services may offer prices as low as a couple of dollars per page. However, this type of writing service will never be worth it.

Of course, we made an exception with BBQPapers. However, it brought something different to the table, which helped to increase the research paper services’ worth.

Most students need more time to hang around for weeks for their custom research paper writing. In fact, having it completed within a couple of days (or even a few hours) is essential.

We have only selected services that have a ton of writers for their custom research paper writing. This means two things:

It means that they are going to be able to handle work. This increases speed.

You are much more likely to find a research paper writer that can tackle your specific subject.

Of course, we always encourage you to order as soon as possible. The longer you leave it, the higher the price, and the less opportunity your research paper writer will have to make revisions.

Quality of Writers

As we mentioned, some companies will charge an exceedingly low price for their services. Avoid them. The quality of writing produced by the research paper service is vital.

A good research paper writing service will constantly vet their writers. They will be checking that:

The writers are qualified

The writers can produce quality work.

The writers are trained.

In an ideal world, you will choose a research paper helper that only offers native English speakers. All of the companies on this list do. If you have a native English professional writer, then you are much more likely to end up with something that you can hand in and receive a high grade for.

Subject Areas Covered

Any research paper service worth its salt will have countless writers covering all subjects.

The services we have included on this page offer hundreds of different subject areas. It means that no matter how specialized the work needs to be done, there will be a writer to write it.

We have always gone through samples produced by these companies. While we order our own sample research papers from them, the samples give us a good idea of their overall writing standard.

Couple this with other people’s experiences (which we mentioned at the beginning of this section), and we have a solid idea about which companies are great.

Ordering From Professional Research Paper Writers

We understand that many of you may be using these services for the first time. So, we decided to go through how easy it is to place your order. It is just five exceedingly quick steps.

Pick a Service

This part should be dead simple. We have already told you about the best services around. Go through each of the seven websites, and we are confident that at least one of them will offer what you need.

Remember, choose the site based on how much you have to spend and how quickly you need that work completed.

Again, easy. Most sites will have a quick sign-up process. To ensure that their customer’s details are kept private, they will require only a minimal amount of information from you.

If you are a first-time customer on a platform, you can enjoy extra special discounts. Although, it doesn’t matter too much if they aren’t there. Most places should be affordable anyway.

Place Your Order

Again, this is simple. Most sites will have a form to fill in. You can enter information such as:

The type of paper you need

How many pages/words

The quality

Your area of study

The site will then tell you how much you need to pay for your custom paper. If you want to pay, then follow the checkout process. You will typically be able to pay with your credit or debit card. Some companies may also accept PayPal, which is a bit more convenient.

Talk To The Writer

When you place your order, you will typically give your writer enough details so they can get to work immediately. However, they still may drop you a message now and then.

If the assigned writer asks you any questions, then answer them. It will result in a far better piece of work.

Download and Edit Your Work

Once the writing is complete, it will be sent to you. The site will normally have a download system that you can use. Contact customer support if you are unhappy with the work and ask for edits.

If you are happy with the work, edit it in your unique writing style and submit it to your school/university.

FAQ: Research Paper Services Explained

Is There Any Risk With Purchasing a Research Paper?

Assuming that you use a reputable provider, there should be no risk. All seven sites we have listed on this page are reputable. You should be fine.

You should only choose companies that offer quality writers. You will also want to ensure that they guarantee that your research paper will be plagiarism-free.

This is part of the reason why we look at reviews for a variety of companies. It allows us to see other people’s experience with that company. So, for example, if people have noted plagiarism or low-quality work, we tend to recommend something other than that provider.

How Do You Find The Best Research Paper Writer?

Most services will not allow you to choose your writer. This is why it is so important to choose an online research paper writing site that goes to great lengths to ensure all of its writers are vetted.

It would be best if you didn’t spend too little on a writer. We know that it can be tempting to get the lowest possible price. Students only have a little cash, after all. However, if you are paying under $9 a page, you won’t end up with something good.

If you read customer reviews and look at writing samples, this should give you an idea about how good a company is.

Can You Order Complicated Research Papers Such As Legal or Medical Research?

Yes. However, only some research paper writing services will offer this. This is because both legal and medical writing requires highly-experienced writers.

In our experience, PaperHelp is one of the best providers of legal and medical writing. This is because it has experts in these fields of study on their team. These experts will know how to research properly and provide you with a paper that should help you to achieve a high grade.

Why Should You Use a Research Paper Writing Service?

Sometimes, it is too challenging to produce academic papers with the frequency that many educational establishments want you to write them. Still, there are plenty of other reasons you may want to use a service like this.

Boosts Grades

Some people just aren’t cut out for research paper writing, even if they are academically gifted.

If you struggle with writing your papers but thrive in every other area, using a service like this could benefit your overall grades.

These services will be run by people that know what a research paper requires.

Even if you only need part of the paper written, these services can help to edit what you have already produced. Again, this can lead to a grade boost.

Many research paper helpers can produce papers exceedingly quickly. Quicker than you would likely be able to. This means you can order your research paper even if your deadline quickly closes in. Although, we always recommend that you order your writing as far in advance as possible.

Easy To Order

Using these services is now easier than ever before. For example, you can order a research paper in just a few minutes.

Is It Easy To Order a Technical Research Paper?

Yes. However, you must use the right company for it. For example, a technical research paper will require writers that have specialist knowledge.

If a non-expert has produced a technical research paper, then you can bet your bottom dollar that your tutors will be able to tell.

We recommend BBQPapers for technical research paper writing. The company has some of the most experienced and highly qualified writers, and they cover most subject areas.

Is It Easy To Order a Survey Research Paper?

A survey research paper can take a lot of work to produce. Most companies will not offer them due to the sheer amount of work that needs to be poured into making something great. One of the few companies that provide survey research papers is BBQPapers. This company has a vast number of writers that cover the more specialist research paper writing areas.

How Can You Stay Safe When Ordering a Research Paper Online?

Always use reputable companies. The companies listed on this page will go to great lengths to protect their customers’ details. It means that nobody will ever know that you are ordering a research paper. Even the writer won’t know.

Make sure that any company you use offers some plagiarism guarantee.

You will also want to carry out editing of anything that a company produces for you. This way, you can be sure it is written in your voice. Your tutors will be less likely to spot that you have used an online writing service.

Conclusion: Order An Essay Writing Service Today

Research papers are the bane of any student. The writing process isn’t exciting at all as they are tough to write, but they contribute to a good chunk of your final grade. Some students can’t hack them. Their brain doesn’t think like that. Others get overloaded with college papers and need more time to complete them.

When it comes to research paper writing services, a company that may be good for one person may not necessarily be good for another.

We have given you seven different sites on this page. Check out each of them. See which suits your needs the best.

All of these services are great. We are confident that no matter which service you end up ordering from, you can be sure that your research paper will be completed to the highest possible standard.

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IMAGES

  1. Tips For How To Write A Scientific Research Paper

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  2. How to Write Your PhD Proposal

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  3. (PDF) Writing a Good PhD Research Proposal

    how to write a research paper for phd

  4. Sample MLA Research Paper

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  5. How to Write a Research Paper in English

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  6. (PDF) 6-Simple-Steps-for-Writing-a-Research-Paper

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VIDEO

  1. What is a Research

  2. How to Write Research Paper

  3. Research Paper Methodology

  4. Online Workshop on Research Paper Writing & Publishing Day 1

  5. How to write Research paper or article or assignment with AI tools

  6. How to Write Research Paper / Thesis Using Chat GPT 4 / AI (Artificial Intelligence)

COMMENTS

  1. How to Write a Research Paper

    Conduct preliminary research. Develop a thesis statement. Create a research paper outline. Write a first draft of the research paper. Write the introduction. Write a compelling body of text. Write the conclusion. The second draft. The revision process.

  2. Writing Research Papers

    Submission. The last stage of writing a research paper is submission. After sending your paper to a journal it will be checked by an editor before being sent for peer review. Under peer review the article will be read by three to four anonymous readers (depending on the size of the journal). Each will provide feedback.

  3. PDF PhD Thesis Writing Process: A Systematic Approach—How to Write ...

    1) Make an assertion about your style of interpretation. 2) Capture the attention of your reader. 3) Know what your readers anticipate and provide them with answers. 4) Challenge your peers about the severity of the research problem and put for-ward your proposal for a solution.

  4. PhD: How to write a great research paper

    Writing papers and giving talks are key skills for any researcher, but they arenΓÇÖt easy. In this pair of presentations, IΓÇÖll describe simple guidelines t...

  5. A Happy PhD

    Step 1. Define the main idea. Once you decide you want to write a paper, start with a blank piece of paper (e.g., a post-it), or a new document in your computer. Do not start from the full report of your study 4, or other random pieces of text you may have written during your research about the topic. Blank paper.

  6. Practical Guide to Write a PhD Thesis and publish papers ...

    This presentation is a practical guide on how to write a PhD thesis based on personal experiences and existing literature . It is aimed at all PhD students. A thesis writing may be falling into ...

  7. PDF PhD Thesis Writing Process: A Systematic Approach—How to Write ...

    In this paper, I discuss the PhD methodology, results and how to write a stunning conclusion for your thesis. The main objective of this paper is to ... The Significance of This Research Writing methodology for your PhD thesis requires exceptional skill that every . Q. Faryadi DOI: 10.4236/ce.2019.104057 770 Creative Education

  8. PhD: How to write a great research paper

    PhD: How to write a great research paper. Writing papers and giving talks are key skills for any researcher, but they aren't easy. In this pair of presentations, I'll describe simple guidelines that I follow for writing papers and giving talks, which I think may be useful to you too.

  9. Know How to Structure Your PhD Thesis

    The bottom line is that how to structure a PhD thesis often depends on your university and department guidelines. But, let's take a look at a general PhD thesis format. We'll look at the main sections, and how to connect them to each other. We'll also examine different hints and tips for each of the sections.

  10. How to write a Research Paper for PhD?- 10 Things to know

    A guide for PhD students on how to write a research paper for publication in a peer-review journal. Learn the key things to consider, such as writing style, structure, citation, abstract, discussion and conclusion. Find tips and examples for different types of articles and formats.

  11. How to Write a Great PhD Research Proposal

    You'll need to write a research proposal if you're submitting your own project plan as part of a PhD application. A good PhD proposal outlines the scope and significance of your topic and explains how you plan to research it. It's helpful to think about the proposal like this: if the rest of your application explains your ability to do a PhD ...

  12. Aims and Objectives

    Summary. One of the most important aspects of a thesis, dissertation or research paper is the correct formulation of the aims and objectives. This is because your aims and objectives will establish the scope, depth and direction that your research will ultimately take. An effective set of aims and objectives will give your research focus and ...

  13. How to Write a PhD Thesis: 13 Tips For PhD Thesis Writing

    Strive to be understood and avoid unnecessary words. Be persistent and eager - Writing a doctoral thesis becomes easier if you are consistent and dedicated. All other things being equal, your attitude will ultimately determine your success. Have patience and work hard. Create work you will be proud of for a lifetime.

  14. How To Write a Research Paper QUICKLY

    How To Write a Research Paper QUICKLY | Advice from a PhD Student Current Subscriber Count: 20,442_____ TIM...

  15. What Is a Research Methodology?

    Step 1: Explain your methodological approach. Step 2: Describe your data collection methods. Step 3: Describe your analysis method. Step 4: Evaluate and justify the methodological choices you made. Tips for writing a strong methodology chapter. Other interesting articles.

  16. How to Write a Research Paper

    Step Five: Begin to Write a Literature Review. Start to write literature by discussing the overall implications of the literature. Also, make suggestions for future research based on the gaps you have identified. Ensure the writing style should be clear and concise academic style.

  17. How to Write a Research Paper? Research Paper Format

    The first step is to select your target journal before start writing your article. It could be easy to shape your manuscript according to the journal's requirement, which would increase the chance of accepting your manuscript. After choosing your target journal, start reading the research papers relevant to your work, which are already ...

  18. Writing tips for PhD students

    Writing tips for PhD students. Research. Jun 8. Written By John Cochrane. May 2005. Some tips on how to write academic articles. Do as I say, not as I do. Chinese Translation, 2013. (Original source of chinese translation.

  19. PDF Strategies for Essay Writing

    In a short paper—even a research paper—you don't need to provide an exhaustive summary as part of your conclusion. But you do need to make some kind of transition between your final body paragraph and your concluding paragraph. This may come in the form of a few sentences of summary. Or it may come in the form of a sentence that

  20. How to Create a Structured Research Paper Outline

    How to write a research paper outline. Follow these steps to start your research paper outline: Decide on the subject of the paper. Write down all the ideas you want to include or discuss. Organize related ideas into sub-groups.

  21. How to Write a Concept Paper for a PhD: A 10-Step Guide

    A concept paper for a Ph.D. is a written statement outlining the objectives and concepts of a proposed research study. It acts as an introduction to your dissertation or full thesis. It is also an important part of the application process for Ph.D. programs and helps the admissions committee evaluate a student's research potential.

  22. Writing a Research Statement

    A research statement is a short document that provides a brief history of your past research experience, the current state of your research, and the future work you intend to complete. The research statement is a common component of a potential candidate's application for post-undergraduate study. This may include applications for graduate ...

  23. Bring PhD assessment into the twenty-first century

    Another innovation is PhD by publication, in which, instead of a final thesis on one or more research questions, the criterion for an award is a minimum number of papers published or accepted for ...

  24. For PhD-students: How to write and publish your paper (EUniWell

    This training will introduce the concepts of scientific writing and the procedures to publish scientific papers in international journals. PhD students will get practical advice and guidance on how to structure a research article, how to write it and how to get it published; explaining every step of the process, from choosing a suitable journal for your work, to presenting the results and ...

  25. 7 Best research paper writing services: popular U.S. companies reviewed

    It is no wonder that college, high school, and graduate students are looking for research paper help online. Unfortunately, writing a research paper is challenging, and by getting some help online ...