How to Write A+ Academic Papers: Easy Guide

If you are facing similar challenges, you will find useful tips and a comprehensive guideline in this article on how to well to write an academic paper that will attract good grades. We are more than glad to offer you all the tips necessary to overcome your challenges. Alternatively, you can order an Academic Paper Sample on our website to have a general overview of the way to format and structure your paper.

Academic Paper Format: Useful Tips

Unlike blogs or other social commentaries, an academic paper has a unique format. First, the paper has to pass an academic quality assessment that determines whether it can be included in academic journals. Second, researchers who work in the same field known as referees need to review the academic paper and determine if it meets the standards required.

It is clear that academic papers require a thoughtful process and a specific format. This guide will provide a detailed analysis of how to go about the writing process and achieve the required format. You can also search for an Academic Paper Template online or from our website to get an idea of how your academic paper should be formatted.

How to Write an Academic Paper: Key Points Considered

An academic paper is different from the types of writing that what students wrote while in high school. It is not just about typing your ideas on your computer screen, the process is quite involving and that is why students often encounter difficulties. The process entails in-depth reading, comprehensive research of credible sources, planning, changing structure and content, editing, proofreading, and formatting. This sounds very demanding. Well, do not worry. This guide clearly explains how to go about your writing with ease.

Before engaging in the actual writing process, it is good to understand what an academic paper is. This will help in getting an overall idea of its features prior to the writing process.

What is an academic paper?

Academic paper definition – any type of writing that is purposefully meant to create an informed argument based on credible sources to persuade the reader to understand your point of view. It may be in essay form or a research paper.

Academic papers serve the objective of informing the reader of your deep knowledge of an interesting topic. Your audience includes other students, scholars, and professors. Therefore, you need to be a critical thinker if you are to appeal to such an audience in your writing.

Principles of Writing

There are 8 main principles that you should consider when writing your academic paper:

• Use your own words and desist from being too formal or risk boring readers.
• Be concise in your analysis, synthesis, and persuasion with regard to your topic question.
• Be original by presenting your perspective.
• Your writing should be focused on supporting the thesis statement. Your paragraphs should have relevant evidence such as expert opinions, examples, facts, etc.
• Follow the standard structure for academic writing, that is; abstract (when needed), introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Your explanation should be simple and coherent as well as logical to enhance the understanding of the reader.
• You should utilize credible sources, particularly scholarly materials such as scientific journal articles when citing. Make sure to analyze your source to assess its credibility.
• Academic paper formatting – use standard referencing, citation, and formatting styles with the common ones being APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard although you may be required to use other formats in some cases. It helps to enhance academic integrity.

The Procedures of Writing an Academic Paper

Writing an academic paper – it is proper to comprehend the main phases when writing an academic paper that will help you to fetch good grades.

• Choose an interesting topic. In most cases, professors give you the topics to write on. However, you may be required to select topics for your future work. You can create ideas and then develop topics from then.
• For instance, you can have effects of air pollution as a topic. You may then narrow down since this topic is broad-based on selected questions. If you are unaware of how to choose a topic, you can search online.
• How do you know if your topic is a good one? If your topic is narrow, it is a successful topic. If it provides new insights to readers, it is a good one. If the audience finds interest in the topic, it is a successful one.
• Brainstorming. This phase entails writing down all the information, opinions, and ideas you originally have regarding the topic. This is a significant process that enhances your understanding of the topic and determination what other information you are to gather.
• Conduct your research. You should conduct your research throughout the writing process. Thus, when drafting your thesis and outline, you should be wary of the fact that research is an ongoing process. You should plan your research process.
• Your schedule should include preliminary research, writing your academic papers, and then go back to researching. Note somewhere the web address or bookmarks of sources that you would use in your research.
• Develop a focal thesis statement. You should have the main idea that will form the focal point of your research. A thesis statement should reflect your opinion and answer the topic question. It should be concise, understandable, and supported by other body paragraphs.
• Develop an outline. From your thesis statement and research, create an outline that adheres to the basic structure of academic writing; introduction, body, and conclusion. Use your sources to add supporting details to your outline.
• Write the initial draft. You should read online on how to use your sources then adhere to the outline. However, you may start your essay from anywhere if you so wish. When writing, do not worry about spelling, punctuation, and grammar as you will correct later.
• Do not plagiarize by using the words of the authors of the chosen sources. When you do, provide proper citation. Also, plan your work beforehand to avoid the last minute rush.
• Revise, edit, proofread and cite your article. This process ensures that the article has a logical flow and is flawless.

These are the essential steps to follow when coming up with a successful academic paper. Once you become competent, you can write a sample at your own time and compare it with an academic paper sample that you can order from us to see just how well you have done.

The main writing process is more involving and it is important to dwell deeper into the actual aspects.

Introduction

The introduction is a critical phase of any paper as it introduces the reader to your article. Thus, it should be convincing enough to keep the reader more interested and willing to read your article.

In case you may be at a loss on how to make your introduction catchy, you may search online for the techniques of making the start of your essay interesting. You will find that having a hook works well.

A typical hook for an introduction may include a fact or a quote. You should then follow it with background information of your topic. The thesis statement is often highlighted in the last 1 or 2 lines of this first paragraph.

Body Paragraphs

All the body paragraphs should begin with a topic statement that in some way restate the thesis and the main idea of the article. For each of the body paragraphs, under the topic sentences, you should provide supporting details to the claims you have made. The details can be relevant examples, coherent explanations, statistics, and facts.

Use transition phrases between the paragraphs to provide a logical flow. This last sentence should summarize the ideas discussed in a paragraph and introduce the audience to the other paragraph. It should not be cited. A paragraph should be at maximum three-quarters of a page.

Conclusion

The conclusion is the most memorable part of an academic paper for readers. You should provide a summary of your ideas and then illustrate the implication of your findings. You should not introduce new information here but rather state further research would be needed to answer more questions related to the topic.

Revising, editing and proofreading

No one is perfect; hence, your essay may contain some errors. Thus, you need to revise, edit and proofread.

When revising;

• Reorganize the paragraphs to have a logical flow
• Rephrase the paragraph to bring out your ideas clearly
• Add new supporting details or explanations to elaborate on your points
• Remove any superfluous information

When editing;

• Remove repetitions by replacing words with their synonyms
• Change long sentences into a form that is concise enough to enhance coherence
• Correct the connections between the ideas to have a logical flow
• Correct fragmented sentences and eliminate passive voice where necessary

When proofreading;

• Fix punctuation, spelling errors, typos, and imprints

Citation

Provide a citation for all works by following citation guidelines provided by your instructor or you may find them online.

How to Cite an Academic Paper

Your tutor will provide you with a guide on citation or you can find guides online.

If you follow these tips, you are likely to write academic papers that will appeal to your tutors.