Research paper

Tips for Writing Research Papers

· Opening paragraphs are very important. They tell the reader what’s coming, they set the stage. Spend a lot of time going over your opening paragraph and make sure you nail it. The paragraph below is a powerful opening paragraph.

Sample: Trust in the nonprofit sector is declining, according to several surveys. Contributing to the problem are boards whose members lack even a basic awareness of their responsibilities. New York State has a document called Right from the Start which presents what every person should know before joining a board. Every state should adopt a similar document and post it on the state’s website. Further, states should require board members of newly formed organizations to acknowledge having read the document before issuing a certificate of incorporation.

· Stay on course. It’s not uncommon for writers to drift off the course set by their opening paragraph. There’s a tendency to write down thoughts, ideas, and facts as they enter your mind. Avoid this trap; it leads to randomness. Re-visit your opening paragraph throughout the writing process to make sure subsequent paragraphs are related to it.

· Streamline your writing. Even great writers use more words than are necessary to express what they want to say (that’s why they have editors!). The more unnecessary words you can strip away, the stronger your sentences will be. Example:

Too long: Even great writers use more words than are necessary to express what they want to say.

Better: Even great writers use more words than necessary.

The same holds true for paragraphs; eliminate the unnecessary ones. Remember, every 2-hour film has at least 2 hours of additional scenes left on the cutting room floor.

· Read your work out loud. Written language and spoken language are different, but reading your work out loud is a useful tool. It will identify sentences and paragraphs that don’t make sense. If possible, have someone else read your work out loud while you listen.

· Simplify. Steve Jobs famously said, “Simplicity is the ultimate in sophistication.” Use words that are easily understood. For example, instead of saying “We hope to achieve scale”, just say “We hope to grow.”

· Use the active voice. Instead of saying “The project will be monitored and evaluated by a case manager”, say “A case manager will monitor and evaluate the project.”

· Where possible, use concrete language (vs. abstract language). Instead of saying “We will partner with other organizations”, say “We will partner with the Long Island YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club of Long Island.”

· Smooth transitions between paragraphs. A common flaw in writing is to abruptly change topics from one paragraph to another (emphasis on abruptly). Without a smooth transition the reader is left to wonder “How did I get here?” In the example below (from the Wall Street Journal) notice how the first sentence of the second paragraph flows neatly from the point expressed in the preceding paragraph.

This week the Air Force took a big step toward bringing its fleet into the modern era by signing a contract with Northrup Grumman to build 80-100 long range strike bombers over the next decade. Over the life of the project, the contract could be worth $80 billion. So, it’s important to get this right.

Obviously, the biggest reason to get it right is strategic. Technology has traditionally been a strong U.S. military advantage…

· Style. Writing in the nonprofit sector includes things such as letters to donors, proposals to foundations or corporations, grant reports, planning documents, and program reports. These require a less formal style from what you might find in academic journals, legal documents, or training manuals, for example. Research papers in our class should present a point of view and try to persuade the reader to see the merits of that view – persuasion through convincing arguments, not a heavy hand.