3 Tips for Writing Your Next Research Paper

How would you feel if your next nursing research paper was returned to you with an A?

Be sure to stay until the end and get your FREE DOWNLOAD: Research Editing Checklist

Research papers usually consist of these sections, not necessarily in this order:

abstract
introduction
literature review
methods
results
discussion
conclusion
references

Students should pay attention to this general structure as they prepare outlines, write, and perform research.

Here are three tips to make getting that “A” a reality:

Follow the rubric
Don’t skimp on the research
Edit, edit, edit

1. Follow the rubric

This is your guideline. It’s the easiest way to ensure an A. No joke!

Read the rubric BEFORE you write a single word or research a single article.
The rubric is created specifically by your instructor so that he/she can grade your paper against specific evaluative criteria.

So if the rubric is what you’re being graded against, read it!

Don’t be the student who makes your instructor wonder if you even looked at the rubric. Or worse, makes them wonder if you plagiarized? Talk about red flags! If you can’t even read the rubric, then perhaps you didn’t do the research either . . . and they will check.

Yup, don’t be that person.

Use the rubric to your advantage. It’s a checklist of all that needs to be included in your paper so that you can get an A!

The rubric will be your director in creating this research symphony you’re about to write. It provides details such as word count and page count, formatting style (AMA, APA, Chicago Style, etc.), and margin size.

A good rubric will have details in each section—either in the form of questions or statements— explaining what is expected in that section of the paper. Just go down the rubric list and address each point for an automatic A. It really is that easy.

2. Don’t skimp on the research

I know . . . research isn’t any more fun than writing unless you’re a word nerd like me. But that’s no reason to do a poor job.

Here’s a quick way to research your topic:

Go to PubMed or CINHAL. (These are reliable resources.)
Plugin your topic word/words.
Limit the results to the last 5 years.
Hit search.
Read the title.
Read the abstract.
Don’t read the whole article right now.
Skim for key points, results, and arguments.
If it sounds useful, that’s one! 19 to go!
Collect about 15-20 articles (within the last 5 years) by reading the title and abstract only. You may need to collect more depending on how many resources you’re required to cite (that information is in the rubric 🙂

Easy! You’ve just collected 15-20 articles in about 30 minutes or less for your research paper.

3 Tips for Writing Your Next Research Paper

Having more than you need ensures that you’ve got up-to-date, well-rounded samples of the current information on your topic.

HOT TIP: If you’re researching a common topic, such as hormones and women’s health (this was one of my topics) don’t forget to include one landmark study in the field.
In this case I included the Women’s Health Initiative, the largest preventive medicine study on women ever done!
Two ways to find landmark studies: go to Google Scholar and search “landmark study + your topic” or look in your textbook under your topic.
When you Google Scholar search, don’t limit the date at all because some landmark studies may be older than 5 years.
It’s always a good idea to know what has been done previously on your topic and it will impress your professor.

–Organize your research

You may have a bibliography required, it’s on the rubric . . . you did read the rubric? Don’t panic.

Just create the bib according to the rubric, paying attention to style (APA, AMA, Chicago Manual of Style, etc.).

If there is no bib or reference paper required, think about how you’d like to organize the information: according to themes? Results? Outcomes? How about according to the sections of the paper? The Introduction? The Methods? The Discussion? The Conclusion?

Organizing your research upfront will save you time!

3. Edit, Edit, Edit

After your first draft, it’s time to set the whole thing aside for a day or two. If you must touch it, I recommend you review and edit the bibliography only.

HOT TIP: When formatting your bibliography, it’s important to go over the details at some point because your professor certainly will. And you’ll get points off for missed commas or italics. Because of the all the detail involved, if you can, review your bibliography on a different day than your research paper.

When you come back to the manuscript in a day or two with fresh eyes, your inner writer will thank you, trust me!

Now, it’s time for editing.

Here’s the order of events:

Edit against the rubric first.
Edit for content second.
Edit for grammar third.

Editing may not be fun either, but you know what they say: the essence of writing is rewriting.

I didn’t coin that phrase, William Zinner did . . . Yeah! Go, Bill!

Editing against the rubric requires that you go line by line. Ensure that each section answers the question or fulfills the requirement for maximum points. If you missed something, now’s the time to add it.

Editing for content requires that you take a step back and make sure the logic of your paper is strong and can hold up under scrutiny.

Does the paper flow from section to section?
Do your discussions make logical sense?
Are you using quality topic sentences and summarizing things well?
Are there any areas where you’re repeating yourself?

Editing for grammar can include

Checking the spelling (don’t ignore a single red underlined word check them all just to be sure)
Reviewing verb tense (active vs. passive voice)
Eliminating run-on sentences. Do your subjects and verbs agree?
Did you use affect or effect correctly? Is data singular or plural? Not sure? Look it up!

HOT TIP: If you’re not a grammar guru, then go through and check every “to, two, and too,” and every “there, their, and they’re.”
These are rookie mistakes that you should avoid at this point in your education.

It’s time to download your FREE Research Paper Checklist!