12 Tips for Working on Your Research Paper Drafts

Back in April, I made a couple of posts on how to begin your research paper. I did want to also focus on how to work through future drafts of the paper. Your first draft is never your best draft, and it definitely shouldn't be your final draft that ultimately gets submitted. 

Each draft you go through will make the paper better and more fine-tuned. It will, I guarantee, get you a better grade on your final submission if you go through 2+ drafts of your paper.

So here are 12 tips for working on your research paper drafts.

Tip 1: Work on one sentence at a time, and then build up from there.

Yes, I know: we all want to just get through the paper and get it over with. However, make one sentence as good as it can be at that specific moment. That way, each sentence of each paragraph is strong and connects back to your argument.

Tip 2: Use Microsoft Word if possible.

If you attend school, especially college or university, you will have free access to Microsoft through the school. Just contact IT to figure out how to do get access to it. But Microsoft Word is, in my opinion, the best way to work through drafts. You can find parts of your paper easily, create citations quickly, add page numbers, and so much more. Additionally, Word also has a "Read Aloud" feature under the Review tab, which you can customize.

Tip 3: When working on your 2nd or 3rd draft, have a new, blank document where you can work on a single paragraph at a time.

You can copy and paste each paragraph to the new document, and you don't have to save this new document. I find that this helps, though, focus on an individual paragraph on its own without the distraction of the rest of the paper. Yes, it needs to fit into your paper, but your paragraphs also need to be strong.

Tip 4: Reach out to people to go over your drafts.

Whether it's a teacher/professor, a tutor, friend, family member, or anyone else, send your drafts to them. That way, they can point out to you what parts don't make sense for them, as a reader. Yes, as your writing, it may make sense. But it doesn't always work out that way.

Tip 5: If you're attending school, use any tutoring services and stay in contact with your teachers.

Your teachers/professors are your best friends when it comes to writing your research paper. They can give you advice on where to start, how to continue, and so much more. And since they're the ones eventually grading your final draft, they can help make your writing stronger. If your school offers tutoring (most colleges and universities offer a variety of options for tutoring), take advantage of the writing tutors. They, like friends and family, aren't likely to be as familiar with your topic and can let you know how to improve your work from an outside perspective.

Tip 6: Read your paper aloud.

I've mentioned this before, but sometimes, a sentence or phrase makes complete sense when we're typing it up. However, the moment someone else reads it, it makes no sense, prompting you to freak out a little. When you're working on your paper, read it aloud. Read aloud one sentence at a time to make sure it sounds good. Reading your paper aloud can help you see if there are any incomplete sentences, awkward wordings, grammatical inconsistencies, and so much more. And as I mentioned in Tip 2, Microsoft Word has a "Read Aloud" feature, which is also so useful,

Tip 7: Only use contractions if it's a direct quote from a source.

Yes, contractions are easier to type and make the writing process go quicker. However, breaking up all those contractions - "don't" into "do not," "he's" into "he is," "they're" into "they are," etc. - can add a bit of useful length to your paper. Although they are just a bunch of "little words," the more of them you have, the more length you have to your paper. And this is very useful if you need a minimum page count of 5+ pages.

Tip 8: Paraphrase quotes rather than directly quoting something.

There are only 2 reasons why you should use a direct quote: (1) you have no better way of phrasing the quote in your own words, and/or (2) your paper is about a person's writing. If your research paper is analyzing a person's writing, then direct quotes will help you out with this. But if your topic isn't about someone's writing, research, or something similar, and if you can find a better way to phrase a quote so it fits in with your paper, then paraphrasing is the way to go,

Tip 9: Step away occasionally to not work on your paper.

Yes, you will need to get your paper done by a certain deadline. And usually, you won't have 5+ days to not read your paper. However, stepping away from your paper for even 24-48 hours (1-2 days) can help you return to your work with fresh eyes and a new mindset.

Tip 10: Remember to always connect back to your argument.

Sometimes, it can be hard to remind yourself to connect back to your central argument. You're caught up in the moment and are on a roll with what you're saying. Here's a question, though: does it connect back to your argument? If it doesn't, there's always a way to rework your writing to connect to your thesis so you don't have to delete everything you just wrote. This is a major reason why it's helpful to have others look at your paper - they can let you know if something isn't connecting back to your argument.

Tip 11: DO NOT introduce new information in your conclusion.

This is something a lot of people think they need to do. Although it's a conclusion, there's this supposed need to introduce new information at the end. Do not do this. Why? You are wrapping up your paper. In your conclusion, all you need to do is re-iterate your thesis and how all of the evidence already presented supports your argument. No new info is needed.

Tip 12: Include a counter-argument if/when possible.

With most thesis statements and arguments, there is always the opportunity for a person to argue the opposite of your thesis. Where you may be arguing XYZ about Topic 1, one can argue that Topic 1 is actually ABC. Including a counter-argument, and why your argument is the correct way of viewing the topic, will help make your overall paper stronger.