The knack of writing a research paper
It’s not just research scholars or PhD graduates anymore who write for journals or academic papers. This trend has been seeping into undergraduate degrees too.
The good news, undergraduate research papers do not require as much strain and scrutiny as graduate or postgraduate research papers. Better news, you don’t even need to have a flair for writing if you intend to publish a research paper in your undergraduate life.
In my 4 years of engineering, I have published 3 research papers, yet written countless others. My first draft consisted of reading multiple papers dating from the 1960s to the 2019s. When I got to my final paper, I was just confined to writing the content in a separate document and pasting it on the given template.
I usually follow these four golden rules while writing my research papers.
- Aim and Attack
Even before beginning to write the paper, it’s best to identify the target journal or conference. It then becomes easier to tailor our write-ups as per the journal’s standards and readership which can improve your chances of approval.
This itself takes a lot of time as to shortlist a journal or a conference you need to check its eligibility criteria, important dates, registration guidelines, submission guidelines and whatnot. If you are an undergraduate, then there comes the additional step of getting approval from your guide as well.
There are 2 options a student can go to for publishing a paper- publish it in a journal or present it in a conference.
While publishing for a reputed journal is much more prestigious, it is equally a strain on both your brain and pockets. International journals come with an abundance of formatting guidelines that include font style, font size, indentation and much more apart from their standard template. Plus, the money factor kicks in too.
If you are planning to go for some international conference, you would have to present it to a panel first. Presenting a paper doesn’t only include the pdf document but you are expected to also present your project in a well organised manner, along with a ppt, the template for which is generally provided by the conference committee itself.
Publishing your papers through the conference can be cost effective as well. Often, the conferences tie up with some journal wherein your paper, once approved, is automatically formatted by their team as per the journal guidelines and is published. Thus, minimising a lot of your extra effort.
2. Scan. Scan. Scan…
The next step is more of what constitutes the “literature survey” of drafting a paper. Scan different parts of different academic articles or research papers, preferably those related to your topic and shortlist the ones that can guide you throughout your writing journey.
If you have more time, or if you are a newbie, you can also start your writing journey by carefully analysing each section in various research papers. Usually, the templates list out the sections required by that specific journal or conference i.e, abstract, introduction, methodology, results and discussions, conclusion and future scope.
One trick I used to follow was- Choose two sorts of papers; one that I can use as a model for my own paper and the other that I can refer to and cite in my bibliography. As is evident, the model paper can consist of any topic so far it’s similar to the template given. The reference paper should be similar to our topic. And yes, paraphrasing is a must!!!
3. Build. Destroy. Build
My personal opinion is that the first iteration is the worst iteration, be it any write-up. The importance of receiving input from advisors, seniors, and peers cannot be overstated. Although most feedback might help you improve your work and possibly your journal article writing, it can also come out as too emotional or unprofessional at times. Discuss the feedback from the reviews and see what others have to say about it before making changes.
If you aren’t confident about your writing, it is completely alright to seek feedback in each step from your confidantes. Write an abstract, seek feedback, write the introduction, seek feedback… and likewise.
There is also a review committee that analyses your paper once you submit it. They get back to you after you submit the first draft with the edits required to be implemented. Do not overlook them as they are the most crucial ones. However, one knack to impress the reviewers here is to keep your plagiarism under control.
4. Erase the traces
The most critical element that the panel considers in such submissions is PLAGIARISM. It won’t be entirely wrong to state that in some situations, the plagiarism count takes precedence over the entire notion. While we should make every effort to create unique information, it is not always feasible to exclude plagiarism from the evident terms.
These days, thanks to artificial intelligence, there are a plethora of free paraphrase tools available at the click of a mouse. Make good use of them. I shall also make a list of all the tools a writer should have on the tip of their fingers!
One important thing to keep in mind while running your piece under the “paraphrase” tool is that in the end, it is a bot! There are plenty of sentence construction issues and grammatical errors that come at the cost of minimising plagiarism. Do not forget to not blindly trust these tools and look out for such errors.
Although it isn’t mandatory, having at least one research paper in your resume adds immense value. It just isn’t about the goal as much as it is about the journey of making one.
I am confident that a good research paper can be written using all of these elements. I’ve covered all I thought was necessary. If you have any other suggestions, please share them in the comments section below. And if you have any personal queries, do not hesitate to contact me.
Happy writing!!
