Research Paper

Research paper assignments should be perfectly edited and proofread. You should never allow your supervisor or instructor to proofread or edit your assignment because it will do you no good. Yes, it is understood that out of going through research papers repeatedly there is a tendency of not noticing some conspicuous errors, but this is not a justification for presenting a research paper rich in errors. To overcome this, set your completed work aside for a day or two before editing. This will help you develop a fresh look at your assignment, hence noticing your mistakes. If this is not possible, draw in a different person to edit your work.

What should you look for when proofreading and editing your work?

        i.            Cohesiveness and coherence

Is there connectivity or continuous flow in the ideas you have presented in the research paper, whether in the same section of the research paper or in different chapters of the research paper?

     ii.            The structure

Research assignments have specific structures that must be followed. It is the responsibility of the researcher to ensure that the proper structure is followed.

   iii.            The format

APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, and Turabian are the commonly used formatting styles in research papers. The researcher should follow the recommended style strictly from the title page, to in-text citation to the bibliography.

    iv.            Clarity and ambiguity

Ambiguity and lack of clarity in a research paper make it difficult for the reader to understand the research paper, or acts as a distraction to the brain. Sometimes, lack of clarity is caused by words used in writing the text or research paper.

      v.            Research paper requirements

This involves checking that the research paper is long enough to meet the specified length, it has utilized the required number of sources, and most importantly it is submitted within the deadline.