What makes a good research paper? Apart from the structure and flow of the paper which should gel within the overall theme, the most important criterion for a good research paper is the “central idea” or the “original concept” that is being proposed by the paper. The paper can draw upon outside sources with proper acknowledgement to the authors of the published piece that it is citing. But, the central theme must be the paper writer’s own idea. The idea must be developed after taking into account the topic or the “problem statement” and then proceed to elaborate the same. The structure of the paper must be evolved in such a way that the contents flow logically from the central tenet or the thesis subject.
Any research paper has a problem statement that it has to tackle. This is often given by the instructor for most of the master’s level essays whereas for higher degrees, the research scholar defines the problem statement in consultation with his/her advisors. Once the problem statement is defined, the same must be elaborated with research and critical thinking. This is where the writer’s expertise and ability to think independently comes in. For a good research paper, the writer must not only show originality in ideas but also conform to the overall thesis that the paper is representing.
Once the problem statement is defined and the ideas developed, the structure of the essay must be consistent with the two and developed in such a way that the presentation is logical and gels in within the overall framework of the paper. The structure flows from the idea and it is a method of progressive elaboration. As the paper progresses, the ideas presented must be fleshed out in detail using analytical and other techniques wherever possible. In the case of scientific papers, it may be necessary to use experimental data whereas for papers in the fields of humanities, the paper must use empirical and other research. It may also be necessary to think critically and back up the same with data, wherever appropriate.
The Dissertation on Research Statement
Research Statement Current Research The Areas and Future Projects of my Research My research interests cover the areas of embedded system designs, computer architectures and computer-aided design. My research emphasizes on system-level design methodologies, verification of embedded system designs, and architecture modelling and exploration. The topicality of my research interests is determined by ...
The foremost criterion apart from the attributes listed above is not to plagiarize the essay. This in the present world where information is available at the click of a button is a temptation that most authors succumb to. Plagiarism is to be avoided at all costs and all works must be properly cited and acknowledged. Invariably, outside sources are used and these must be cited in text and due credit must be given to the authors of these sources.
A good research paper must stand up to “peer review” and scrutiny by the experts in the chosen field. At the least, it must be palatable to whoever is reviewing the paper, be it the advisor or the professor of the class. The author must resist the temptation for verbiage and circular methods of reasoning and stick to precise and lucid language wherever possible
Finally, standard citation methods like MLA, APA, and Harvard etc must be used to cite the sources .
To sum up, a good research paper must:
– Have an original idea that flows from the problem statement
– Be logical and structured in its approach
– Be completely free of plagiarism
– Cite the outside sources with due acknowledgement
– Use standard citation methods
