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1. Understand the Requirements
1. Understand the Requirements
Before you start, make sure you adhere your interest and understand the guidelines provided by your professor. A few things to clarify:
Topic or Research Question: Is there a specific topic assigned, or can you choose your own? Narrow down a topic to get in to niche study making your study more focused. Eg. Marketing - Digital Marketing - Social Media - Mumbai - Ad Interaction : Reading Ads / Clicking on Ads / Ignoring Ads. One of these three areas can be studied in detail.
Format: Check whether there is specific formatting guidelines. Eg. Font Style = Times New Roman, Font Size = 12, Line Spacing = 1.5 and Citation Style = APA.
Length: How long should the paper be? Generally 3,000 words including graphs, tables and appendices.
Deadline: When is the date of submission of abstract and full paper?
2. Select a Research Topic
2. Select a Research Topic
Choosing the right topic is crucial as it sets the theme for the entire research paper. Following points should be considered:
Relevance: Choose a topic that is relevant to your course and interests. It can be recent happenings or also a case study or something you have observed over a period of time. Things associated can also be considered for research. Eg. Understanding economy scale up among Small Businesses during Ganesh Chaturthi Festival in Sion - Dharavi (where Small Business includes flower vendors, decorators, material providers, band walas, pandits, music system operators, artisans making Ganeshji idols, etc.).
Scope: Make sure the topic is not broad. It should be manageable within the given timeframe. Vision and planning is a must supported by valid discussions with peers and seniors or even experts in that field.
Availability of Resources: Ensure that there is enough literature (books, articles, journals) available to support your research.
3. Conduct Preliminary Research
3. Conduct Preliminary Research
Before diving deep into writing, familiarize yourself with existing research on your topic. This will help you to:
Identify gaps in existing knowledge. Meaning what has been studied so far and what you can study. Always check out "Future Scope for Study / Limitations of the Study" section of any research article that you read to get a tap on the area where you can spread your research thoughts.
Understand the key theories, concepts, and methodologies related to your topic. Eg, If your topic is "Decline interest in studies among undergraduate students in Mumbai city", then you have to be clear with what they are learning, how they are being taught, how are they being examined, etc.
Shape your research question or hypothesis. When you identify gaps and understand insights about your topic, you will be in a position to ask numerous questions to yourself seeking measurable answers. This is the time to frame tentative assumptions i.e. hypothesis. If I am researching on "Deteriorating Brains among undergraduate students in Mumbai city", one of my hypothesis can be "There is no association between time spent on social media and diminishing knowledge levels" where time spent of social media (independent variable) has to be measured in terms of number of hours and diminishing knowledge levels (dependent) can be measured using levels / categories / sentiments like fall in reading hours / scores in semester exam / orderly arranged sentiments genuinely expressed by the respondents using Likert Scale.
Sources to Explore:
Academic journals, books, and research papers.
Google Scholar, JSTOR and other online academic databases.
University library resources
4. Develop a Research Question or Hypothesis
4. Develop a Research Question or Hypothesis
A good research paper starts with a clear research question or hypothesis. This guides your investigation and helps you focus on a specific aspect of your topic.
Research Question: A question that you aim to answer through your research. Eg. What are the environmental impacts of urbanization in Mumbai Suburbs?
Hypothesis: A statement you seek to test or prove through research. Eg. There is no association between urbanisation and pollution levels in Mumbai suburbs.
Hypotheses are of two types:
Null Hypothesis - Indicates no association exist between the variables.
Alternate Hypothesis - Indicates the opposite of Null Hypothesis i.e. association exist between the variables.
By applying statistical tests, these hypotheses need to be proven. Through the test, if your Null Hypothesis is rejected, that means the Alternative Hypothesis is True.
However, if the Null Hypothesis is not rejected, that means your Null Hypothesis is True.
5. Create an Outline
5. Create an Outline
An outline is a roadmap for your research paper. It helps you organize your thoughts and ensures that you cover all necessary sections in a logical order.
Suggested Structure for an Undergraduate Research Paper:
Title Page: Title of the paper, your name, Guide name, Institution Namee.
Abstract: A brief summary (150 - 250 words) of the research work, methodology and findings. (To be written after completing the whole research paper writing work)
Introduction: Introduce the research topic, its significance, every associated concept, nature, its applicability, etc. and your research question/hypothesis. Provide background information.
Literature Review: Review existing research on your topic. Identify key studies, theories and gaps in knowledge.
Methodology: Explain the research methods you used (e.g., surveys, experiments and data analysis).
Results: Present your findings, including data or observations (use tables, charts, graphs and infographics).
Discussion: Analyze the results, interpret their significance and relate them to existing research. Discuss any limitations in your study.
Conclusion: Summarize your findings and suggest possible areas for further research.
References: List all the sources you cited in your paper in the required citation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, etc.).
6. Start Writing the Paper
6. Start Writing the Paper
Be Clear and Concise: Write in simple, straightforward language. Avoid unnecessary jargons.
Stay Focused: Stick to your research objectives and hypothesis throughout the paper.
Use Evidence: Support your content with data and references from credible sources.
Be Critical: Don’t just summarize existing research; critically analyze it and offer your own insights.
7. Cite Your Sources Properly
7. Cite Your Sources Properly
Plagiarism is a serious academic offense, so always cite your sources properly. Depending on your Institution’s guidelines, you might need to use citation styles such as:
American Psychology Association widely used for Social Science research.
Book Citation (APA 7th Edition):
Book Citation (APA 7th Edition):
Format: Author(s). (Year). Title of the book (Edition if applicable). Publisher.
Example: Smith, J. A. (2020). Understanding psychology (3rd ed.). Psychology Press.
Journal Article Citation (APA 7th Edition):
Journal Article Citation (APA 7th Edition):
Format: Author(s). (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, Volume(Issue), page range. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy
Example: Doe, R. P., & Brown, A. K. (2021). The effects of sleep on memory retention. Journal of Sleep Research, 34(2), 120-130. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.12934
Newspaper Article Citation (APA 7th Edition):
Newspaper Article Citation (APA 7th Edition):
Format: Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of the article. Title of the Newspaper. URL (if available)
Example: Williams, J. (2023, October 15). City plans new green space in downtown. The Daily Herald. https://www.dailyherald.com/news/city-plans-new-green-space
Website Citation (APA 7th Edition):
Website Citation (APA 7th Edition):
Format: Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of the webpage. Website Name. URL
Example: Harris, L. (2024, January 10). How to improve your mental health. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/mental-health-tips
8. Edit and Proofread
8. Edit and Proofread
Once you’ve written the first draft of your research paper, take the time to revise and edit it:
Check for Clarity: Ensure your content is clear and well-organized.
Grammar and Spelling: Correct any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.
Formatting: Make sure your paper adheres to the required formatting style (margins, font, citation style, etc.).
Consistency: Ensure consistency in terms of headings, subheadings, and terminology used.
Seek Feedback: It can be helpful to get feedback from a peer, mentor or guide before submitting the final paper.
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