Writing an academic paper is never the easiest thing. With so many style formats and specific requirements for courses, it can be a bit difficult to get your head wrapped around it.
Here are 5 helpful tips to guide you towards writing a terrific academic paper.
Time can be your best friend or it can be your worst enemy
The quality of an academic paper is often determined by how much time you spend on it. Always make sure that that you plan to finish the paper with plenty of time to spare. Starting early not only affords you more time to do research, but also lets you revise the paper multiple times before submission. Sure, you can spend the night before the due date hammering down Red Bulls and finish off a 20 page paper, but do not keep your expectations too high; such papers never merit anything more than a passing mark.
Prepare an outline before proceeding
Before proceeding with any task, it is always best to have a plan that you can refer to. The same is true for writing academic papers as well. The longer the paper is, the more important it becomes to have an outline. Failing to prepare an outline can severely affect the quality of the paper. Without an outline to guide you, your ideas are going to be all over the place and the paper will not seamlessly flow from one concept to another.
Take notes extensively when researching
A critical part of any academic writing endeavor is the research process. Without research, the paper will be filled with a lot of fluff and personal opinions; a hallmark of academic papers that find their way into the trash can. Of course, there is no point in researching if you don’t know which information to use and which not to. Taking extensive notes when researching will help you discover which piece of information is most relevant to your paper. It will also help you refine the outline upon which your final paper will be based.
The first paper is just a rough draft
Once you have finally written a paper and met the required word/page count, it is only natural that you’ll feel proud of yourself; maybe even give yourself a pat on the back. However, you are only at the halfway point of writing a paper that will get you an A+. What you have in your hand is a rough draft of the final paper. This rough draft will need to be reviewed and revised multiple times before you have an academic paper that is worthy of top marks. Every time you revise the paper, you will notice that the quality dramatically improves.
Don’t overlook footnotes and bibliography
In academic circles, plagiarism is taken very seriously. Even if it is not your intention to plagiarize, even the smallest oversight on your behalf can land you in trouble. Footnotes and bibliographies not only ensure you are giving credit where it’s due, it also helps to lend credibility to whatever argument you are making in the paper. Do not think of them as something you have to put in the paper; think of them as tools to strengthen the overall value of the content.
Follow these 5 simple tips and you are already on your way towards getting that oft elusive A+.