Tips On How To Write An Effective Research Paper In A Couple Of Hours

We’ve all been there. Every student’s nightmare: a research paper is due in a couple of hours and you haven’t even begun writing it. Don’t give in to that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. There’s still time to pull this off.

Last Minute Research Papers

Composing a paper at the last minute is a skill, just like any other. All you need to do is write a good paper on a subject about which you have at least a limited amount of knowledge. Here’s how you go about it:

  1. Relax and think. Take a deep breath, relax and clear your head. You’ll need a topic, which is actually the hardest part of this whole process. Think about what your instructor is asking: does he or she want you to answer a question with this paper, or will you be defending a point of view?
  2. Did he or she give you a specific general topic? Think about what the teacher is asking, and then think about what you already know about the subject. Once you’ve figured that out, you have a starting point for your argument. From there, formulate your thesis statement. This will go into your introduction.

  3. Keep it simple. Don’t try to impress by using lots of flowery language and long words that you think make you sound smart. Keep it simple. Straightforward, easy-to-read discussions or arguments get a better score every time. You want your paper to be clear and well written but it doesn’t have to be complicated. Clear writing will make use of active verbs and simple subjects in the sentences. Pull as much information from your mind as you can and narrow it down into the facts and simple statements.
  4. Researching at the last minute. If you’ve pulled out every kernel of information you can from your class notes and your brain, and you’re still lacking enough to call your writing a research paper, don’t panic. If you have a textbook, take the key terms from your writing and find them in the index. Go to the pages indicated and see if there’s any information there to supplement what you’ve already got. Don’t plagiarize, but don’t be afraid to use the information from your textbook to support your thesis statement. If you don’t have a textbook, hit the Internet. Just be sure to list it in your bibliography.
  5. Write it up. You should be ready to write your paper at this point. Use a simple 3 step procedure.
    • Step 1: place your thesis sentence in the first paragraph and let the rest of the paragraph explain it
    • Step 2: say what you want to say. Write the body of your research paper. Support whatever claim you stated in your thesis statement. This is generally 3 or more paragraphs.
    • Step 3: wrap it up. The final paragraph should summarize everything you stated in Step 2 and relate it all to your thesis statement. Proofread, correct any mistakes and you’re good to go.
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