Research Paper Format

A format can vary from being only a couple of paragraphs long to about 2,500 words long for things like dissertations. Discuss with your instructor specifics such as length and contents before starting the writing process.

The research paper at helpmynursing paper is similar to many others that are acceptable in the academia world. However, a research paper should be long enough to allow the writer space to articulate their points and deliver a message in a comprehensive manner. Normally, a research paper has about 1650-2500 words but it can be longer depending on your instructor’s preference. For example, dissertations require even longer papers with elements such as questionnaires, appendix, cover letters, and correspondence emails being requested. Always consult with the instructor on the length of your paper.

Research Proposal Style and Format

Depending on your institution, the research paper can be written in a variety of academic styles. Some of them include APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, IEEE, OSCOLA, Oxford, ASA, and Turabian. The academic writing styles are many but most research papers are done in APA. However, if you are doing a literature paper, it is most probable that your instructor will require MLA due to page requirements. Below we shall look at how one can use APA in writing a research paper.

APA Research Proposal

The APA format is commonly used in writing research papers. The style comes with several features that must appear in every research paper. The following elements must appear in the research work abstract, an introduction, and a bibliography. The list below shows several elements that qualify an APA research paper.

• 12-point font Times New Roman
• Double-spaced
• 1-inch margins
• An APA running head (limited to 50 characters)
• A title page with the paper’s title (no more than 12 words in length), your name, and the name of your institution, Course, Instructor, and date.
• An abstract (150-200 words)
• In-text citations (formatted accordingly to APA guidelines)
• References page (formatted accordingly to APA guidelines)

What to avoid in a Research Proposal

There are a couple of things that successful proposals have in common. If you look at an example, you will see that there are a couple of things in common that all of the proposals avoid:

• Not being concise enough. Your proposal must be written with a clear purpose in mind.
• Alleviating works cited page.
• Forgetting to disclose research boundaries and conflicting variables (age of participants, for example)
• An underdeveloped argument.
• A lack of focus and unrelated tangents.
• Poor grammar.
• Too much detail or not enough detail.