Table of Contents
Are you planning to write a research paper? You must be familiar with all aspects related to writing a winning research paper. A research paper is the summary of a thesis which presents valuable data on a particular topic. You can make a detailed discussion in the thesis, but the research paper only highlights the most important points rather than details. One thing that should be clear to you is that there should not be anything out of the course in the research paper. It would be best if you put in great effort to keep your discussion on a single track. The main purpose of a research paper is to educate the reader about the study quickly.
Many researchers are unaware of the importance of research paper notes. The notes help you record important information and use it at the right time. In this way, you would not forget to miss the required data. Making notes is not enough, but understanding how you organise them is necessary. As per its importance, this article discusses the steps required to organise research paper notes in detail.
What Are The Seven Key Steps To Follow For Organizing Research Paper Notes?
There are several ways to organise research paper notes; you can go for anyone. In this era of evolving technology, you should be familiar with the smart ways to deal with anything, including notes for research papers. This article will surely guide you through seven simple steps to help you hit the main target without much effort. These seven steps are mentioned below:
Step #1: Select A Niche For Your Research Paper:
A research paper is nothing without a good title; however, a good research paper title needs you to define your niche first. In case you are blanked about the main domain of the subject of discussion that no matter how much effort you put into defining a compelling title for your paper, all go in vain. In contrast, if you have already written a dissertation and are ready to make research paper notes by summarising its main points, then obviously, you do not need to put extra effort into this step. You can directly move on to the next step.
Also Read: Are Citations Essential To Make Sure Your Dissertation Paper Has Valid Points?
Step # 2: Create Different Heads For Different Sections Of A Research Paper:
A research paper, irrespective of its niche, comprises five main sections; abstract, introduction, literature review, methods, results and findings, and conclusion after the discussion section. So, while organising research paper notes, it will be useful to divide your notes into the same sections, though you can add all relevant information in the form of points instead of giving detailed descriptions. However, for dealing with this step effectively, searching for details about different dissertation sections writing tips, and tricks will be very useful.
Step # 3: Thoroughly Read All The Requirements For Drafting Different Sections Of A Research Paper:
Without reading a number of relevant research articles, it will be difficult to organise your research paper notes more systematically. So, the third step in this guide must be to read as much as you can. Because reading will not only help you find what an impactful research paper must have, but it will also allow you to find the writing devices that other scholars used to draft a perfect paper. So just read others’ work after making different sections and highlight points that are worth sharing in a high-class research paper and thus need to be added to your notes.
Step # 4: Select A Journal And Find Its Author’s Guidelines
Despite reading, sometimes a research paper draft does not click the editorial team of a reputed Journal. There are many reasons responsible for this. But the top of the list is that you might find a reference article from a different journal or send your draft to another one. Of course, this is a bigger mistake. So, to rectify its effect on your research paper’s progress, you must first decide on a journal at the time you are working on organising research paper notes. Once you have come out with a journal, then the next step must be to search for its authors’ guidelines. The journal’s author’s guidelines are the best tool for organising research paper notes in a more precise manner.
Step # 5: Add A Summary Of All The Relevant Yet Complex Points On Your Research Paper Notes:
One of the purposes of writing a research paper is to make complex things easy to understand for the reader. If you do not ensure this aspect in a research paper note, you may fail to ace the milestones. There can be many points and arguments which need clarification. Also, you may have some ideas related to the research finding. In all such cases, you can go for research paper notes to help you remove confusion and ensure accuracy. Writing a research paper is a complex task requiring your attention in multiple facets. You have to be specific in every term and its appropriate use as well. So, you can make a summary showing the crux of your research and add it to the research paper notes. However, later on, this summary will be added as the abstract of your paper without any additional effort.
More Read About Experimental Research Paper – Types and Examples to Follow in PhD Dissertation
Step # 6: Add A Section In Your Notes To Ask Different Sets Of Questions About Your Research Work:
To cover the majority of your research paper’s quality-related concerns, organising research paper notes still provided you with a platform. Yes, to do so, you must add a separate section in your notes; that is, relevant questions. Asking different questions covering all what, how, where, and which aspects of the situation will be helpful to make a paper as informative as possible. However, you must remember that you have to only add the answers to these questions in your original paper, not the whole section.
You May Also Like: What Are The Five Effective Ways Of Collecting Data For Research?
Step # 7: Read Notes Keenly Before Penning Down The Final Draft:
Last but not least is to read your paper notes keenly to better organise your research paper. Moreover, to follow it, you must keep the notes nearby and follow them while writing a final draft; once done, before its submission to the journal, you must add a bibliography, abbreviation lists, and other vital components to the final draft. However, seeking research proposal help for editing and formatting will also be beneficial for you to quickly complete the finalising phase of your research paper.
Final Thoughts:
The points mentioned above can work well in organising research paper notes. Follow the same sequence of steps and smartly makes notes. Do not make notes in a single go; take breaks and summarise, synthesise, and organise all research ideas. Read the discussed points and work on them practically.
