Writing papers is something that children learn to do while still in elementary school. As they continue on through high school and college, their skills and techniques should progressively improve. From a simple one-page book report to a 200-page doctoral dissertation, writing a paper involves certain formats and procedures, such as choosing a topic, conducting research, formulating questions
. and developing an outline. While each individual eventually develops his or her own unique writing style, there are general strengths and weaknesses that all writers should strive to acquire and avoid, respectively.A strong, well-written paper begins with an understanding of the required format. Formats often vary according to the subject or style of paper that one is writing. However, two of the most common formats are the Modern Language Association (MLA) style and the American Psychological Association (APA) style. Each writing format differs in its requirements for citing sources, using quotes, setting page margins and other technicalities. A thorough grasp of these requirements results in a paper that looks professional and does not violate any copyrighting laws. The next step is to choose a topic that is not too broad or too narrow in scope for the required length of the paper. For example, the broad topic of the role of women in medieval poetry is appropriate for a lengthier paper while the narrower topic of anti-feminist views in Spanish medieval poetry is more suitable for a shorter paper.Once a topic is chosen, a writer can start the research process. This may entail locating relevant journals, books, articles, encyclopedias, newspapers and other sources that are reliable and trustworthy. While the internet is one resource that can provide some credible information, most skilled writers also take advantage of the resources of public libraries and scholarly institutions. One weakness that is commonly seen in papers is the failure to address conflicting viewpoints and offer solutions or valid negations of the argument. Therefore, during the research process, it is important to collect information that not only supports ones topic but also opposes it.At this point, it helps to develop an outline of the main points that the paper is going to discuss. An outline aids a writer in organizing a paper, presenting the information in a logical progression and ensuring that the chosen topic is well supported by arguments and evidence. A detailed outline includes a concise thesis statement that defines the purpose and objective of the paper, headings and sub-headings to form the body of the paper and a concluding summary paragraph. Upon completion of the outline, fleshing out the headings and sub-headings is the primary step in developing the body of the paper. A common mistake made during this process is using too few or too many quotes or references from research sources. A well-written paper places primary focus on the writers unique ideas and opinions, using citations to support his or her claims. In addition, all paragraphs should work to support the thesis statement. Another error that inexperienced writers frequently make is to simply reword the information in the opening paragraph when writing their closing paragraph. While the closing paragraph is meant to neatly tie up all loose ends and summarize the writers findings, it should also offer a unique proposal, suggestion, fact, statistic or example.Writing is a technique that is honed by practice and commitment. Understanding the concepts that result in a clear and concise paper and the errors that can jeopardize the integrity or clarity of the writing is a skill that can benefit a writer in both an educational and a workplace setting. More reference links: http://www.aresearchguide.com/ http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~bioslabs/tools/report/reportform.html
