Writing a research paper can be a daunting task, but there are some key things students should avoid in order to produce a high quality paper. Doing careful research, proper planning, and following standard writing conventions will help lead to a strong final product. Certain mistakes can undermine the credibility of a paper if not avoided. This article will outline ten major things students should steer clear of when undertaking a research paper.
Avoid Plagiarism at All Costs
Plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty and is completely unacceptable. Students must be very careful to put others’ ideas in their own words and provide proper citations and attribution. Even accidental plagiarism by missing or incorrectly formatting a citation can still be considered plagiarism. Don’t take verbatim phrases or sentences from sources without quoting and citing. Paraphrasing ideas also still requires an in-text citation to the original source. Avoid plagiarism by thoroughly taking your own notes in your own words as you research. Always err on the side of over-citing to avoid potential plagiarism issues.
Avoid Poor Time Management
Not allowing enough time for the research and writing process is a sure way to compromise the quality of a paper. Research papers require days or weeks of work, depending on their length and complexity. Students should thoughtfully create a schedule with realistic checkpoints and deadlines well in advance of the due date. Procrastination often results in rushed, sloppy work. Make use of campus resources like the writing center and library for feedback and assistance throughout the writing process, not just at the last minute. Careful time management is crucial for producing a quality research paper.
Avoid Not Having a Clear Thesis Statement
A strong, focused thesis statement upfront is essential for guiding the structure and content of the entire paper. The thesis should convey the overall argument or position being taken related to the research question or topic. A weak, unclear, or overly broad thesis makes the paper difficult to write in a logical, convincing manner. Students should work to craft a concise, compelling thesis statement and use it to keep the paper focused on the central idea. Having a clear thesis also helps focus the research efforts. Avoid wasting time researching tangents without a solid thesis.
Avoid Surface-Level Research
Merely googling a topic and reading the top few hits is not true research. Finding credible, academic sources that delve deeper into the issues is important. Students must go beyond superficial level searching to locate relevant books, journal articles, and other scholarly materials. Database searches through the campus library resources are ideal for discovering in-depth, peer-reviewed sources. Avoid relying too heavily on informal websites, popular press pieces, or generalized sources that don’t add real value to the paper’s argument. Thorough, varied academic research is necessary to support strong claims and analysis.
Avoid Too Broad of a Topic
Picking too large or broad of a research topic is problematic. Vast topics make it difficult to research and write about the issue comprehensively within the typical paper length requirements. Broad topics also don’t allow for in-depth analysis or a focused thesis. Students should whittle their topic idea down to a specific, well-defined research question or aspect that can be thoroughly addressed. Avoid feeling overwhelmed by selecting a topic manageable to research and write about given the assignment parameters. Narrow topics enable stronger arguments.
Avoid Excessive Quoting
While quotations from sources are necessary to support points, excessively long blocks of copied text or over-reliance on quotes without own analysis is problematic. The student’s own insightful commentary and synthesis of ideas should be the prominent element. Quotations are utilized to complement and substantiate the student’s original ideas – not substitute for them. No more than 10-15% of a paper should be direct quotes. Avoid letting quotations from others take over the paper – the student’s voice must shine through.
Avoid Informal or Colloquial Language
Research papers demand a formal academic writing style using precise, advanced vocabulary. They require objective, unbiased analyses using third-person rather than first-person perspective (“the study shows” not “I think”). Avoid slang terms, contractions, blunt assertions without evidence (“in my opinion”), and overly casual phrasing. The tone should be erudite and serious, not conversational. Formal academic writing conveys authority and professionalism. Avoid sounding unpolished or overly casual in style.
Avoid Missing or IncorrectFormatting
Following the specified formatting guidelines, especially if using MLA, APA, or Chicago style formats, is crucial. This includes aspects like font, margins, page headers, in-text citations, reference page setup, and more. Surface errors in formatting detract from the paper’s credibility. Formatting also provides important structure and consistency. Don’t ignore or shortcut proper formatting protocols. Avoid plagiarizing formatting error checkers or turnitin submissions to flag issues for revision before final submission.
Avoid Grammatical and Spelling Errors
Even minor typos, subject-verb agreement errors, missing commas, or convoluted sentences threaten the integrity of any student paper. Proofreading thoroughly, having others proof, and utilizing tools in word processors are a must. While not the focus of a research paper assignment, glaring errors still undermine the student’s credibility as a careful researcher and writer. Avoid careless mistakes with diligent editing and review. Errors can negate an otherwise excellent paper.
Avoid Rambling or Going Off Topic
The biggest mistakes involve losing focus and straying from the central thesis. Avoid irrelevant tangents, anecdotes, repetitive examples, or unfounded claims not backed by evidence. Rambling detracts from the cohesiveness and purposefulness of the argument. Stay concise and focused. If an idea does not directly relate back to proving or strengthening the thesis, it is extraneous information that should potentially be cut. Avoid letting the paper wander aimlessly without direction.
Producing a quality research paper involves steering clear of major pitfalls like plagiarism, poor time management, weak thesis focus, surface-level work, overly broad or narrow topics, excessive quoting, inappropriate style, formatting errors, grammatical mistakes, and rambling. With diligent avoidance of these key issues, students can demonstrate their research and writing abilities to the highest standards. Careful planning, thorough research, logical organization, proper formatting and editing are essential to crafting a strong student research paper.
Andrew Stroud