Cultus
Research papers rely on facts, valuable information and thorough investigation. They help us draw conclusions, analyze information and find answers to questions we’re curious about. But, what happens to us during the process of writing a research paper?
When it comes to writing a research essay, most of the people feel like it involves too much work but not as much satisfaction. However, writing a research essay is beneficial and rewarding on so many different levels. You may not be aware of it, but during the process of writing a research essay, you continuously develop your cognitive skills and you learn from the entire experience.
Take a look at what is it that you learn when you’re writing a research essay.
1. You identify the unknown
Before you even start your research and the whole writing process, there is something you need to do.
You need to able to identify what is it that you’re trying to find out.
To put it simply: you need to be able to narrow your area of research to a couple of questions you’ll be trying to answer.
Although this may seem easy, in reality, people tend to lose their focus and fail to write a research paper with precise findings and clearly defined results.
Therefore, the first thing you’ll be able to learn from writing a research paper is:
- to define the unknown
- ask specific questions you need answers to
- focus on the important
- navigate the research in the right direction
These skills will come in handy not only in terms of writing but in your over-all problem-solving experience for the future.
2. You locate the information
Now that you know the questions you need to answer, it’s time for you to search for the information.
Research papers are based on findings published as a part of:
- experiments
- investigations
- studies
- academic papers
- journals
- surveys
- books etc.
But, you still need to learn where to look and who to trust.
You need to focus on authoritative sources such as libraries, online libraries, publications, Google Scholar, and other trustful sources.
In addition, in trying to find the information you need, you’ll learn how to:
- navigate pages
- use keywords
- skim the text for information
- recognize key information
Your research skills will become better and you’ll find it easier to draw distinguish quality information.
3. You organize the information
The essential part of writing a research paper is definitely knowing how to use all the information, facts and findings you’ve gathered and organized them into an essay.
The process of revising everything you’ve gathered and coming up with a way to make it a whole will help you learn:
- how to structure an essay
- how to organize your thoughts
- how to brainstorm
- how to prioritize
- how to prove a point
Being able to reuse the data and put it into a form that you find most suiting for your research paper is useful and important. This will help you learn how to organize your thoughts and ideas in general and how to always stay on track.
4. You practice writing
A research paper is a serious piece of writing and it’s your task to make it impeccable. People who are going to read it need to be certain you are to be trusted and the information they find is valuable.
In order to achieve this, you have to take care of your writing accuracy.
This implies your text can have no spelling errors, grammar mistakes or funny sentence structures.
You need to ensure everything is written professionally and revised thoroughly.
The process of writing a research paper will teach you how to:
- edit your work
- proofread for mistakes
- identify errors
- provide a perfect piece of writing
You can try and do all of this on your own. If you feel you might struggle with any of the steps, you can always use online tools and services to help you.
For example, you can check out the custom research paper writing service WOWGrade.com and see how they can help you handle your writing issues.
5. You share the results
Even though research papers are based on previous findings, every new research paper needs to bring something new to light and draw some previously unknown conclusions.
In order for you to succeed in writing a research paper, you have to learn how to use the data you have, use the knowledge you have, combine the two and come to certain conclusions.
In addition, the main goal of the research paper is to present your results to the readers, the right way.
Writing a research paper will teach you how to:
- use strong arguments
- demonstrate
- explain
- specify
- cite and quote
You’ll learn how to prove a point and what are the best ways for you to state your case. It will help you develop your presentation skills and learn how to showcase your way of thinking.
6. You develop intellectually
When you look back at the entire process of writing a research paper and you consider all the beneficial effects it has on you, it’s obvious you learn a lot from the experience.
However, the most important thing you gain from writing a research paper is that you develop intellectually.
From finding the problem and looking for information, to reaching a conclusion and presenting your results, the entire journey helps you developmental skills and expand your knowledge.
You finish writing the essay enriched and improved on so many levels.
Conclusion
A research essay is definitely so much more than finding the answer to the question. It’s not so much about the result as it is about the process. From the preparation to the presentation stage, you continue to learn and develop.
Everything you learn from writing a research paper stays with you forever. It helps you conquer further challenges and become a better person, intellectual and researcher.
Author:
Linda Grandes ia a full-time blogger at Studyton.com and a true expert in writing. She is interested in a variety of topics starting from education and ending at modern art. That`s why the idea of her blog cannot be narrowed to one topic as well. Linda also has vast experience in editing texts and knows all the angles of academic and professional writing thanks to her productive cooperation with Studicus.com. Linda is a passionate traveler and she is eager to learn new things and meet new people.