Research Paper Format

A good research paper format is one that is able to meet the requirements of a tutor or client in need of research papers. Many writers struggle when asked to format research papers. In fact, many spend a lot of time determine what is a good format and which format will perfectly fit their papers. Others spend money or resources to seek help understand how to format their work so as to get the best results out of their papers.

A well formatted paper is all about its appearance or presentation. The best format for a research paper may be hard to determine, but you will risk getting low grades or not being taken seriously in school, if you fail to take initiatives of finding out how to format your paper remarkably. In addition, you have to ascertain how to write a research paper so as to know what your tutor wants and the best format that will fit your assignment.

An Overview on Research Paper Format- What to Know

Research paper writing is a demanding procedure that you have to spare enough time to pursue. You have to be focused and disciplined enough to get every facet of the research paper right. It is more challenging if you are the one to determine which research paper format will fit your assignment. There are diverse research paper formats that you can make use of when writing a research paper at any level.

Most research paper will be written in either the American Psychological Association format (APA) or the Modern Language Association (MLA). Whenever assigned a research paper, it is wise to always look at the given instructions and ascertain whichever format the tutor wants the paper to be written in. You have to follow the basics of MLA and APA formatting styles guidelines while writing research papers regardless of any other requirements from the tutor. The modern language association (MLA) format is used in;

• Literature
• Humanities
• And English Assignments

Whereas the American Psychological Association (APA) format style is used in;

• History
• Psychology and
• Sociology classes

MLA format style is the mostly relied on and easy to follow. However, depending on the requirements of the tutor, you can go for any format style but keep the basics in mind. For instance, when applying the MLA format style, your research paper should be double-spaced and typed in a 12-point font that is easy to read and a good example is the Times New Roman font. The paper itself should display the name of the author, the tutor of who it is for or class number. The date the assignment is due should be included on separate lines in the top of the corner of the first page.

APA format style is similar to the MLA style, but there are a few noteworthy disparities. APA research papers should as well be double-spaced and typed in a 10 to 12 font size such as Times New Roman. On top of this, APA format style requires the first page of the paper to be a title page followed by a brief abstract of the intended paper ideas. The first page should start at the top of the page with the title. A header is crucial too on each page. The title has to be justified to the left and the page number justified to the right on each page. You have to provide citation at the end of the paper.

Guide to Writing a Research Paper

Writing research papers is a skill that every student should sharpen. You cannot simply get a pen and paper or stare at a cursor on your computer and expect to draft a great paper. Practice makes perfect whenever it comes to research paper writing. A series of steps can help you develop a high quality research paper format. They include;

1. Choose an appealing topic- You have to go for a topic that interests and challenges you as your attitude towards the topic will determine your enthusiasm and effort you put into research. You have to focus on a narrowed aspect and select an issue that you can manage.
2. Find information- The internet is the best place to gather helpful information for your research paper. Use search engines and other search tools that can make the researching process much easier. Visit your library too and gather enough material from books, magazines or journals concerning the topic of discussion. Read and evaluate each material that you come across and ascertain whether it fits your paper.
3. State your research paper thesis- Do some critical thinking and write your thesis down in one clear and short sentence. The thesis is like a declaration of your belief. Make arguments that you can support with facts about this belief.
4. Write an outline- Develop an introduction, body and conclusion paragraphs. All the details that you give ought to relate to the topic of discussion. If you write a good outline, it will make it easy to organize your paper on a logical manner.
5. Write the first draft- State the first topic in your outline. Summarize from each idea that you plan to use in your research paper. Go on and put your ideas in the order of your outline.
6. Revise your outline and draft and make sure that there are no grammar, spelling or punctuation flaws. Any writing flaws can make your research paper lose focus or make your research paper format fail to meet tutor’s or reader’s expectations.

How to Use the Best Research Paper Format

Early preparation is crucial when it comes to determining which format will fit your paper. Remember you will have to spend time to ascertain what to write about, research and know the best research paper format to use. Knowing what makes the formatting process smooth builds confidence in many writers. In addition, it is not a crime or punishable to inquire from your classmates, tutors or seek help from experts. However, you should never plagiarize any other writers work if you cannot ascertain what format to go for. There are adverse consequences that come with taking such actions. The following instructions will help you benefit from the best format while writing your research paper;

1. Put the contents of the research paper in the following order; title page, abstract, outline or table of contents, list of illustrations, the text of the paper, footnotes of bibliography and index.
2. The title page should be centered and about halfway down the page. It should carry the title of the study, author’s name and institution.
3. Create a good abstract- It should appear on a separate page. Write in paragraph form and include a concise summary of the paper. Tell readers more on the problem, major hypothesis, sample, brief description of the measures and core conclusion among many other things.
4. Write your paper outline- The first page of the body should have, centered an full title of the study. State the problem being discussed, statement of the cause-effect relationship been looked at and major results and conclusions.
5. List illustrations on a separate page. Write down the name and page number of all illustrations included in your paper.
6. Create an index- Draft your index section on a separate page and list all core topics, citations, references and names that appear in the paper together with the page number on which each reference occurs. It is wise to do this in an alphabetical order.
7. Make sure you edit and proofread your paper for common writing errors. Check your paper for plagiarism and submit it on time.

With the above details and you still find it hard to come up with a great research paper format, find a few sample papers and learn more from them. Good samples papers will expound more on how you research paper should look like or entail. Below are a few samples research papers written in the common format styles;

Example one

The economy of the world is growing at a rapid pace and it is the aim of every public corporation to deliver products that are of high quality in regard to services and goods to international and domestic markets. There is urgent need to produce products that are highly competitive and which give consumers the highest satisfaction level…find this sample at and many others here.

Example two.

Example three.

If you find it daunting to develop a good research paper format, do not fret. We would like to assist you in producing quality papers. We offer affordable and quality research paper writing and editing services. We also post free sample research papers online for students in need or those who want to learn. If interested in any of our services, get in touch with us anytime of the day or night. You may also want to find more on other services that we offer, continue looking in this blog.

Sources

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-the-different-research-paper-formats.htm

http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html

http://www.socialresearchmethods.net/kb/formatting.php

https://explorable.com/research-paper-format