A Complete Guide on How to Write Academic Papers

Writing academic papers is an essential part of scholastic life. Mainly, to test the subject knowledge of students, several lecturers, and professors ask students to submit academic papers. Additionally, academic writing also allows students to freely express their opinions on a topic and think logically. But, in general, many students consider academic writing to be a challenging task. This is because of a lack of understanding of how to write academic papers. Indeed students can easily prepare brilliant academic papers and achieve top grades if they know the tips and steps for writing academic papers. Since, several students experience difficulties with academic writing, in this blog, we have discussed in detail about writing an excellent academic paper.

Continue reading this blog and update your knowledge of academic writing.

An Overview of Academic Paper

What is an Academic Paper? It is a paper that is usually written to convince the target readers about a specific idea or a solution to a given problem based on objective evidence. These papers are typically used in academic journals and at higher education institutes.

Note that, an essay with personal views and strong feelings is not an academic paper. It is a formal style of writing that focuses on a distinct point of view derived from accurate and well-researched data. In academic paper writing, facts and data about an issue matter more than personal opinions.

Essays, research papers, literature reviews, research proposals, theses, and dissertations are a few types of academic papers. Generally, writing an effective academic paper requires critical thinking. Moreover, when composing an academic paper, you will have to thoroughly examine the data, gather evidence supporting the key points, and persuade your target audience.

Remember, for every academic paper, there must be a thesis statement. Especially, to inform your readers about what a particular paper is all about, you should create a powerful thesis statement and describe the core idea of academic writing. It may also focus on the research questions to be addressed and demonstrate certain perspectives on the topic.

Identifying the thesis statement is the most crucial step in composing an academic paper. The thesis statement should be then supported by everything else in the paper. Typically, writing an academic paper requires a lot of work such as reading How to Write an Academic paper, carefully researching scholarly papers, planning and revising, and more.  In the next section, let us look at the simple and effective steps for writing academic papers.

Learn How to Write Academic Papers

To create a successful academic paper, it is essential to follow certain writing guidelines. Moreover, with the help of outstanding academic papers, you can captivate your audience and boost your grades. In case, you would like to prepare great academic papers, execute the simple and effective steps shared below.

Also read: What is DOI and What are its Uses in Academic Writing?

Select an ideal topic

An academic paper cannot be composed without a topic. So, first, find out a perfect topic for your academic writing. Usually, your professors will suggest a list of ideas for you to choose from. But sometimes, you will be asked to select a topic on your own. In such situations, pick a subject that you are interested in.

Remember, the topic you pick should not be vague. Give more importance to a topic or an idea that is easier to write about. This will help you to improve your audience engagement and make it simple for you to comprehend the core idea of your writing.

Brainstorm

After you have selected a topic, brainstorm all the important information, questions, and opinions you can think of regarding the topic you have chosen. This process will help you gain a better comprehension of all you need to accomplish about the selected topic and organize all your information on the topic together. Moreover, brainstorming will give you an idea of what to do and how to approach it.

Conduct extensive research

In the academic paper writing process, it is essential to perform extensive research till the end. If you want to create an outstanding academic paper, then after brainstorming, do in-depth research and gather facts relevant to your topic. Keep in mind that your research must be trustworthy and to maintain credibility, you may obtain details from other academic journals and scholarly papers.

Before you begin your research, make sure to create a well-organized plan for conducting your research. Following the research plan will help you to effectively carry out the process. Particularly, while performing research, make sure to record the sources so you may refer to them later if necessary.

Determine a thesis statement

Next, frame a strong thesis statement. A thesis statement will be commonly included in almost all forms of academic writing. This is because the thesis statement will sum up the paper’s key thesis. Typically, through your thesis statement, you can clearly explain the purpose of your paper to your target audience. Moreover, everything else in your academic paper should support your thesis statement.

Create an Outline

After determining your thesis statement, sketch a neat and clear outline for your academic paper. Outlining will help you write academically. Moreover, an outline will provide you with appropriate guidance and simplify your academic paper writing process. Especially, if you prepare an outline by including all the necessary information, then you can avoid unnecessary stress and produce a well-organized academic paper without missing the key points.

The outline should present the structure of your academic paper and it should contain essential sections such as the introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction section, you should concisely present the thesis statement and important information regarding the topic. On the other hand, you should include paragraphs that clarify the ideas that support your work in body paragraphs. Finally, in the conclusion part, you should summarize everything that has been written in other sections.

Prepare the academic paper

Based on the outline that you have created, start composing the first draft of your academic paper. Your paper should contain the necessary sections such as the introduction, body, and conclusion sections. Remember, the academic paper that you prepare should be flawless and free from plagiarism. Especially, when writing your academic paper, add a separate title page and include details such as name, date, class, and title. Always use Times New Roman font with size 12-point and double spacing. Provide page numbers. Apply a margin between 1 – 1.25″.

Edit and Proofread

Once you finish writing the academic paper, proofread your work to ensure that all grammar rules and spelling are correct. Make the required changes to give your piece a more appropriate appearance and check whether everything in the outline was carefully followed.  After multiple rounds of edits, if you feel that your academic paper looks perfect, then you can go ahead and submit it.

Also read: How to Score the Best Grades in any Academic Writing

Know How to Create an Outline for Academic Papers

Here, let us look at how to create an outline for academic papers. To compose an excellent academic paper, in your outline, you must include three sections- the introduction, body, and conclusion.

Introduction

Every academic paper must have an audience-engaging and appealing introduction. In this section, you should introduce the main idea of your paper and your viewpoints to the readers. Most importantly, you should place your thesis statement at the end of your introduction.  Remember, your introduction needs to be understandable and helpful to your audience.

Body Paragraphs

This is the core section of your academic paper that you can compose by adding different paragraphs. Your body section should primarily address the topic sentence and elaborate on the thesis statement. Particularly, in each paragraph in the body section, you should logically explain the key ideas that support the main thesis with figures and facts, instances, statistics, and so on. Note that, your body paragraphs should be written logically with a smooth flow. Therefore, you may use transition words to establish a link between each paragraph.

Conclusion

This is the final section of the academic paper where you will have to summarize the major ideas provided in the body paragraphs to support the significance of the thesis statement. Remember, your conclusion must demonstrate the relationship between your previously mentioned ideas. Always wrap up your academic paper with a captivating conclusion.

Tips for Writing Academic Papers

If you follow the below-listed academic paper writing tips carefully, then you will be able to produce a strong academic paper for publication.

1. Before you begin your academic writing, get to know the ultimate aim of your academic paper so that you can effectively handle the research process and complete your work. Also, this will help you prepare neat academic papers without confusing the readers.
2. Understand your target audience. Knowing the interests of your readers will assist you in creatively presenting your points in the paper and effortlessly grabbing your readers’ attention.
3. Write a strong and concise thesis statement. Your thesis statement should neatly convey to your audience what is inside your academic paper.
4. Make sure that the thesis statement is supported by each paragraph in your paper’s body paragraphs.
5. Stick to the purpose of your thesis statement. Never express the core ideas at the end of your paper.
6. Conduct extensive research on sources that are relevant to your topic. Ensure to cite all the sources in your academic paper as per the writing format specified by your instructor.
7. Gather details for your academic papers only from reliable sources. Do not collect information from random sources and misinform your readers.
8. Compose a well-organized and well-structured academic paper. Connect each paragraph with smooth transition words.
9. Effectively express your point of view and address your argument in the introductory paragraph of your academic paper.
10. Make sure to create high-quality and non-plagiarized academic papers that are free from spelling errors and grammatical mistakes.

Also read: How to Write an Academic articles

Conclusion

Hopefully, by now, you will have gained a better understanding of how to write academic papers. In case, you are still not confident enough to prepare excellent academic papers, contact us right away.