Most of you may dread writing your thesis. We get how you must feel. Aside from how grueling this process is, there is still the uncertainty if all the efforts you put into your paper will bear fruit. Sometimes, you are not sure if you are on the right path with your paper after writing lots of chapters already. Feeling all those jitters when writing your thesis is normal, but those jitters will lessen if you know how to write your academic paper and you know what you should do next. We might be able to help you with those aspects. Here are just some of the tips for writing your academic paper.
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1. Secure your tools and programs
Before you start writing your academic paper, you must first learn about the right tools and programs that will help you along the way. Instead of learning about them halfway through your paper, it is best to learn about them as early as possible to save time and effort. Of course, you need to have efficient software for writing your documents. Be more aware, too, about the right programs that will protect your files, even those that will protect PDF documents. Look back and see the process of how you usually write papers. Be mindful about the tasks you find challenging, be it taking notes, having access to academic journals, and more.
2. Reflect on your interest
It is difficult to write your thesis, but it is extra difficult, dragging, and tiresome if you are not a bit interested in your topic. Usually, your thesis adviser will give you the freedom to choose your topic for your thesis as long as it is within the scope of your field. The key for writing a paper that will be relatively fun to study and write is to choose a topic that you are interested in or a topic close to your heart. How can you do this? Do more initial research!
3. Know more and more about less and less
Sure, you can choose any topic for your thesis, but the important thing for writing a good thesis is to know more and more about less and less. What does this mean? Lots of fields of study are available. However, always remember to particularize when choosing a topic and looking for answers. Always narrow down your subject matter because having a broad topic will be exhaustive for you. A general subject matter will also require more extensive research and will necessitate more studies, maybe even the same one as you are thinking about. More than this, a thesis with a broad topic is frowned upon within the academe.
4. Think of a solid thesis statement
Make sure that your thesis statement is strong enough that it clearly states the point of your paper. It also establishes your scope and limitations. A good thesis statement is based on hard facts and has clear pieces of evidence. The key to writing a good thesis statement is to know your topic better with research and study. A strong thesis statement also clearly demarcates the study’s limitations.
5. Takedown notes
This might sound obvious enough, but you will be surprised at how this is also the task most of us overlook. Writing your thesis is easier if you also have a systematic and organized way of taking notes. Just imagine when you are studying related literature. It will be more difficult for you if you have messy notes after studying your bulk of related literature.
Taking down notes will dramatically make your life easier because this provides a framework for your entire paper. Writing notes will also make you see the possible loopholes for your study. This also allows you to discern concepts and
6. Begin writing your bibliography
Some would forgo writing their bibliography until they reach the end of their thesis—only to be met by the load of references that you need to return to. Work on your bibliography right away and immediately cite the texts on the bibliography page once you have run across a reference that you are going to talk about. To an extent, it can be confusing as well to keep on remembering the proper citation format especially when you are just new to writing thesis papers. Good thing, reliable word document programs now have a references option where you can list down all the references you have encountered. It will show a dialogue box that allows you to fill out the right information about your reference and they will do the format for you.
7. Use headings and subheadings
Researchers should not only use headings and subheadings because it looks good and organized. Use headings and subheadings because they will help you and your readers understand your paper’s thought process and its cohesion of one point to the other. Doing this also allows your thesis to become more focused and systematic to support your argument. Putting headings and subheadings also allows you to focus point by point.
8. Rest your paper before editing
Some people would recommend letting your paper sit for a while and let it rest before you go through editing and revisions. Maybe take a day off or two. The magic here is that you will be able to edit your paper more efficiently with a fresher thought process. Giving it a rest makes your eyes fresher to see mistakes that you did not notice before. A clearer mind will also make you do better revisions because you will think of a better language.
Relax and manage your time
Here are just some of the important tips that allow you to write your thesis paper more efficiently. This way, you will have an idea about where to start and become aware of the DOs and DON’Ts. We know how it feels to feel anxious or jittery over writing your academic paper, but the key is to keep calm and scribble down your ideas. Analyze and study it well. Time management is also important!
