Mistakes to Avoid When Writing a Research Paper

3 min


Writing a research paper can be quite challenging. The number of resources, types of resources, research, or grammar, they all tend to be quite demanding. Since your research paper contains the ticket for a better future, the essays need to be flawless. Essays basically help you stand out amongst other students and display your research and writing skills.

Mistakes in the research paper might cause hindrances in being able to display your content properly. They might even disturb the whole outlook of the paper. Even though your content and points might be excellent, your grade will be average. Therefore, we will count some of the common mistakes which you must avoid:

1. Finish Tasks According to a Deadline

A basic rule for a successful essay is not to procrastinate. If you start writing your essay, you might end up exhausted from all the research, writing, formatting, and editing. Therefore, plan your essay from the day you got it. If you are in a group, take the part you consider yourself good at. If you are alone, it is better to divide your essay into several parts based on the contents.

It is important to do your research slowly and carefully and always jot down the journal or the book you used so that you will not forget to cite it. For some unavoidable reason, if you are unable to do your paper, you may look for a dissertation writing service AU online. Take the first 2-3 days in penning down points and researching. Once you are satisfied with yourself, read it again and add the references.

2. Writing a Weak Thesis Statement

Students often make the mistake of not thinking about the abstract, thesis statement, and summary. Your teacher would first read these parts because they are short and provide the whole outline. If you write these parts properly, the teacher will consider giving time to your whole essay.

The thesis statement is the most important aspect as it gives direction. By looking at the thesis statement, your teacher will understand whether the research paper has taken the right orientation or not. Needless to say, you will also be on the right track once you figure it out. A strong thesis statement will definitely lead to a high grade

3. Using Non-Authoritative Websites

Stating non-credible websites is another let-down for the essay. It would be better if you spend enough time in the library going through original journals and books. While using the internet, using “Google Scholar” is a safe option since it provides academic peer-reviewed articles. Other websites might not contain reliable information to be cited. Wikipedia articles cannot be cited but you may go their references and check them out if they are academic journals or not. This can help you to save time.

Most of the time, students are not able to get the points based on the content with the citing. Apart from the quality of websites, the format of citing holds importance in the academic writing field. Every media form can be cited but you may go through the format provided online before mentioning in the resources. You may go through several examples to get the hold of the writing the references.

4. Formatting the Essay After Writing

If you are one of those students who want to format the whole essay after writing, it is another huge mistake. Amidst confusion and chaos, you might end up losing important content. Therefore, it is advised to use a template based on the format you are given and write in the template. That will save time and complications later on. You may download the template or use the one provided in Microsoft Word. You may add the cover page later on because it is different for each school or university. Also, remember to cite both in-text and end-text resources based on the format. If your school provides the template or some rules, make sure you read through them properly and utilize them from the beginning of the article.

5. Not Connecting the Supporting Statements & Thesis Statement

It is important to have strong supporting statements. If your supporting statements do not connect properly to the thesis statement, your whole work goes into vain. As your paper flows from the thesis statement to the body of the article, develop the supporting statements from the research you have done. Strong and credible sources help you develop an effective shift from the thesis statement to the supporting assertions.

This shift will decide whether you have focused on your project effectively or not. The direction seems to be an important step in any essay. The number of points you provide or the number of sources does not add to your grade. Of course, a minimum which has been provided by the university or school has to be followed. But the quality seems to attract the most attention.

Final Thoughts

In short, it is enough to say that research essays can be rewarding if enough time and thought is given. You might end up getting some valuable information while working on your paper apart from grades. At every step in your high-school or university, essays will always be an integral part of your grades and learning process.

Even in the future, these essays might prove to be valuable while you are submitting reports or publishing your research. Don’t be afraid of your research papers. Get a head start on your paper, divide your topic into 4-5 parts, and prepare your content fruitfully. The above-mentioned mistakes commonly cause the students to miss out on important recommendations.

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