Things to be considered in mind while writing a research paper

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Guidelines for Writing a Research Paper

Selecting an appropriate topic is the first and most crucial step in writing a research paper. However, the difference between acceptance and rejection often depends more on the quality of writing than on the research itself. Factors such as a well-structured manuscript, strong arguments, originality, clarity, and adherence to journal guidelines play a significant role in determining publication success. Understanding which aspects to focus on at each stage of the writing process can greatly improve the quality of a manuscript. This guide is specifically designed for PhD scholars and researchers who aspire to publish their work in reputable indexed journals.

1. Selecting a Research Topic That Is Focused and Researchable

Topic selection is perhaps the most fundamental step towards completing a research paper.

Topic selection is more than a matter of personal choice; it is a strategy.

All topics should be judged according to three crucial criteria:

  • Novel – explores an issue not tackled in the previous three to five years of research literature
  • Specific – narrow enough to be completely explored within your word limit and data
  • Achievable – attainable within your available resource limits

Use academic literature databases like Scopus and Web of Science for literature mapping before selecting your topic.

Neglecting this step may mean that you end up conducting duplicated research or adopting an indefensible position.

2. Conduct Preliminary Research Before You Start Writing

Preliminary research is the most underrated phase, but its outcome will determine the quality of all the subsequent phases.

When formulating your research question, check at least 30-40 research articles written in the last five years in your particular area of research.

The above step is crucial for three reasons:

  • Establishing the originality – ensuring that there are no existing studies related to your topic
  • Identification of theoretical models – finding out what needs to be covered according to your field’s norms
  • Understanding methodology flaws – finding weaknesses and limitations in previous researches

If researchers fail to conduct such research initially, they find later in the middle of writing that their research is not original, leading to a complete restructuring of their work, which can take weeks.

The time spent on the preliminary research would be way less than the benefits derived thereof.

3. Clearly Define the Main Argument of Your Research Paper

Before writing anything about your topic, you have to know one sentence that tells you exactly what your paper will argue – not what it will discuss or review, but what it will prove.

Every research paper has to have an unambiguous claim to defend, for which the whole paper has been written.

Three things need to be accomplished in your introduction in three paragraphs maximum:

  • Specify the research problem in clear terms
  • Define the knowledge gap your paper fills
  • State what new knowledge your paper provides

If a reviewer is unable to determine your key argument from your introduction alone, then your paper structurally suffers right off the bat.

Structural disadvantages are independent of whether or not your findings are sound.

4. Ensure Every Section Has a Clear and Specific Purpose

An understanding of what a research paper is supposed to look like does not merely involve an awareness of style but rather the proper functioning of each section for communication purposes.

A correctly constructed paper will have six distinct sections that have the following specific roles:

  • Introduction – sets up the background and makes the contribution clear.
  • Literature review – critically analyses the literature, not summarizes it.
  • Methodology – justifies all decisions made and must be replicable.
  • Results – discusses results objectively without interpretation.
  • Discussion – links the results to previous studies and mentions the limitations.
  • Conclusion – highlights the implications of the study and future direction without repeating the abstract.

And there is no more common error when it comes to structure than violating this principle, such as:

  • Interpreting the results in the Results section
  • Summarizing the entire paper in the Conclusion rather than advancing knowledge in it

Each section should stick to its own role, and only its own role – discipline within each section defines good structure.

5. Approach Academic Writing in Structured Stages

Writing a research paper  is an iterative process; most research articles involve writing five or more drafts, each addressing a specific aspect of excellence.

Drafts serve a different and sequential purpose:

  • Draft 1 – Completeness: Have all sections drafted, even poorly
  • Draft 2 — Logical Consistency of Argument: Make sure that each paragraph contributes to the argument
  • Draft 3 — Validity: Make sure that a current, peer-reviewed source backs up every claim
  • Draft 4 — Precision in Word Choice:Employing Clear and Academic Hedges (‘indicates,’ ‘may suggest’)
  • Draft 5 – Author Guidelines: Ensure that everything about the paper satisfies the guidelines of the target journal

Drafting order is important; beginning with compliance and ending with an argument, or not drafting at all, results in structural issues that cannot be fixed by proofreading alone.

Structural issues created early in the writing process cannot be addressed in proofreading & editing  – they need to be rebuilt, not edited.

6. Make Your Literature Review Analytical Rather Than Descriptive

Probably one of the most underrated issues in researching and writing research papers is the quality standard required of the literature review.

Being instructed to “review existing literature” will not lead anywhere useful, and the result of such an approach will be very poor literature review sections that could lead to desk rejections.

A merely descriptive and summary literature review brings nothing to academia writing, and a good literature review should have four qualities:

  • Identifying conflicting aspects in previous research, rather than merely presenting facts
  • Putting your paper into context in light of existing debates
  • Showing not only your knowledge of what is known but also its significance
  • Pointing out the inadequacies of existing literature, which you seek to improve on

All of the reasons papers get desk-rejected, those associated with a poor literature review are the most avoidable.

The key point in distinguishing between a good and bad literature review in the reviewer’s eye is the presence of analytical power in the former and its absence in the latter.

7. Protect Academic Originality and Avoid Self-Plagiarism

An academic research paper should contain an original piece of analysis, and not just the rephrasing of some existing ideas.

Here is a crucial difference between the two methods of checking whether your research paper is original enough:

  • Plagiarism checkers assess the level of phrasing similarity.
  • Reviewers assess the originality of concepts and analysis.

And it is the second sort of originality that is important in publishing. Your paper lacks the kind of originality that makes your publication possible if its main idea or hypothesis could be developed without using your particular analysis or dataset.

Self-plagiarism is no less serious an issue and is also severely punished for the following use of your previous writing:

  • Your thesis;
  • Any conference paper you gave;
  • All your previously published works.

The reuse of your previous publications without explicit referencing is considered academic misconduct by any indexed journal and will be spotted as such by online submission systems.

Performing a plagiarism check before submitting any draft is much more useful than doing it at the final step of paper development.

One of the most unnecessary mistakes researchers make in their submissions is treating a plagiarism check as a ritual.

8. Write the Abstract Last and Treat It as the Most Important Section

The abstract is both the most widely-read and also the most often mis-handled part of any research paper.

Write the abstract last – but only once you have finished the whole paper – but devote extra attention to getting it right.

A good structured abstract will include five key elements:

  • Background – the background to your study and what it addresses
  • Aim – the aim of the work and/or your research question
  • Methodology – the methodology you used
  • Results – your results, clearly articulated
  • Conclusion – the conclusion and the implications of your work

The structured abstract will do better when searched within the databases and make a good impression on the reviewers as well.

The abstract should be fully self-contained – you shouldn’t need to read any other part of the paper to understand the whole contribution made.

Abstracts that suffer from any of these failings will ensure a poor citation record for the article, regardless of whether it is published or not:

  • Unclear or vague terminology failing to convey particular results
  • Lack of methodology makes the paper’s validity impossible to assess
  • Lack of a clear result makes the article unsearchable and less visible

 Viewing the abstract only as a brief overview, rather than as an exact document, is perhaps the most expensive mistake an author can make when submitting a paper.

9. Clearly Acknowledge Research Limitations and Follow Author Guidelines

Two aspects that most researchers consider irrelevant when submitting papers turn out to be key to whether papers are rejected or accepted.

Aspect 1 – Stating Limitations

  • Discussing limitations in your paper does not mean admitting any flaws – it indicates maturity and awareness that helps reviewers see your paper positively.
  • If you don’t state limitations, reviewers can turn them into fundamental issues.
  • Discussing limitations shows your awareness of the limitations inherent in your research, which helps enhance, rather than undermine, the credibility of your findings.

Aspect 2 – Compliance With Journal Guidelines

  • Ignoring any one of the author guidelines of the target journal results in your work being rejected without being read
  • Most non-compliance cases involve such mistakes as:
    • Wrong citation style
    • Inappropriate word count
    • Inadequate abstract formatting
    • Lack of an ethics statement
  • Double-check the author guidelines before starting to draft your paper – not afterwards.

Aspects discussed above have one thing in common – what many researchers consider an irrelevant detail becomes an eliminator.

10. Don’t Hesitate to Seek Expert Help for Your Research Paper

The request for assistance with writing a research paper is no walkover – it is a professional decision that many skilled researchers regularly consider.

Professional help is especially beneficial for the following researchers:

  • Beginning their first publication in a Scopus-indexed or Q1 journal
  • Having experienced a desk rejection without feedback from the reviewers
  • Managing interdisciplinary research with diverse methodological requirements
  • Writing in a non-native language and thus facing challenges with precision and academic tone

Crucially, editorial assistance should be sought early on during the argument and language drafts – not only during proofreading.

Unfortunately, by the time most people choose to get professional help, structural issues have already accumulated during several rounds of editing, making such an approach more costly and less effective.

Specifically, it is a matter of timely, stage-based advice which differentiates papers ready for publishing from papers forever stuck in revision, covering:

  • Choose Topic – Choosing an appropriate topic and creating a credible justification
  • Thesis writing – Constructing a sound thesis statement and the whole argument
  • Synopsis preparation – Preparing an articulate synopsis of the paper
  • Journal publication – Submitting a paper for journal publication

Those who constantly write are not always the best; they are those who know how to get proper assistance at the proper time.

Do You Require Assistance with Writing Your Research Paper?

IdeaLaunch is your perfect choice if you want PhD candidates in India to help you in all stages of research paper writing.

 

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