We write every day. We take notes, we send texts, we fill in forms. Why, then, is it so hard to write an academic paper? The introduction itself almost seems as if someone had doubled the size of the first hurdle in the race of writing an academic paper, especially when you have a deadline to submit your paper to be considered for publication looming in the background.
Don’t sweat the small stuff
What then should you do if you want to write the perfect academic paper? The first step is to forget about who’ll be reading it. Yes, sure, academic papers must be formal, but they do not need to be robotic. The professor, professional, or researcher reading our academic paper understands that perfection is simply not attainable. They were also beginners once upon a time themselves and will fully understand any mistakes you make. And if they are exceptionally wise professionals, they will also understand that it is your unique style, along with everyone else’s, that needs to be cultivated, for difference and innovation leads to progress. So, don’t be afraid if your paper doesn’t look exactly like the general template; it’s not meant to. Fight your fears and make this paper your own! Showcase your knowledge, data, and experience.
Do your research and be sure to reference
Working off that last point, you will need to gain a significant amount of knowledge by completing the necessary research before writing an adequate paper. This aspect is one that you cannot leave to chance; there is no flexibility option when it comes to facts. Find the necessary books and papers, look for the information you need in them and be sure to reference them in our paper. You can use applications such as ‘Endnote’ to keep your references in a neat and orderly fashion if you wish to recheck them. While referencing, it is also vital that you pick one format and stick to it otherwise your referencing will appear complicated and unintelligible.
Keep it to the point and comprehensive
Not only must your paper involve your own personal point of view, it must also point in a general direction, have a clear purpose and answer that are relevant to the question that is at hand. Don’t deviate from the topic at hand; simply elaborate further on it if you must. Try your best to keep your writing simple and comprehensive. Counterintuitively, one of the aims of a scientific paper is to be understood by the general public. Never forget this concept; not only will it improve your writing, but it will also further the sharing of knowledge.
Be sure to section your writing
Don not let one opinion or topic merge into another. Lay your writing out neatly and concisely. Label paragraphs and sections separately. The crucial sections of your paper are the introduction, body, and conclusion. None of these sections can be neglected – every academic paper must contain a paragraph or section pertaining solely to these titles.
Mind your English
Another important aspect of your paper is language, and here we mean English. Try to get familiar with academic language and style by reading books and research papers pertaining to your field of rsearch. Take notes of key experssions and phrases that nay help you in experessing your ideas, but be careful not to fall in the trap of plagiarism. There several ways of learning English that you can use to improve your command of it. it is important to work on your English of you want to add value to your research.
Academic writing should not be viewed as an insurmountable task, because this will only make things hard on you. Try to deal with it as a skill that you will learn by practice as you go.
