Research paper is a written work that is commonly required from students for a particular subject or course. Students are expected to come up with at least one of these through the course of his/her academic career. It is an ideal venue for teachers to assess how much his/her students have learned from the subject as well as a number of critical skills important in students’ scholastic inquests. The said document is quite different from other types of paper required for in certain subjects and courses. Although all writing assignments share a number of similarities, a full scale investigative study requires more effort and a greater amount of critical and thoughtful analysis and study. They also require intensive research and more time from the researcher.

Just like an essay, the study also seeks to incorporate the writer’s ideas and thoughts and existing factual data. Although the final output must conform to a set of rules and guidelines and must follows the specific steps needed, writers are commonly given free reign to choose what to write about. Thus, in order to be at a vantage point, authors are often encouraged to study something that s/he finds interesting and appealing. It may also be helpful if the writer chooses something that s/he already has a degree of knowledge about the topic.

In the event that the writer feels that the knowledge s/he possesses about the topic, s/he may take on proper steps of further studying the topic. There are several materials and resources that the author may use to gather pertinent data. Scholarly journals, articles, books and other printed materials that are available in libraries are more reliable sources that can offer germane information and factual data. The said information may be useful to support the writer’s ideas, may elaborate on his/her statements, and may answer his/her questions.

In the event that writers need clarifications, they can always turn to their teachers at any point of their investigation. Their teachers can clarify the instructions; check their statements and other related literature that the students will need for their investigation. They can also provide the students the format that they should follow to come up with an effective study. The said format contains the parts of the study and may include brief descriptions of each part.

From the term itself, writers must take on the proper steps in data and information gathering. They must not only scan through materials but also read through them carefully. They must exert utmost discernment in choosing which data to include, making sure that the said data will greatly benefit their final output. They must be careful in choosing their sources and must remember to properly cite these sources as well. Depending on the format that the writer must follow, all the sources used must be cited at the end of the paper.

Research paper is an effective assessment tool that teachers and writers can use to check how much they have learned in the particular course. It also exercises their writing and critical evaluation skills. All these are important in their years of education and may also be beneficial in the careers they wish to take on eventually.