To create a perfect paper that will both meet all the professor’s demands and will be interesting for the audience who’s reading it, a student has to work really hard. The personal, rich details that you choose to include in your paper have the starring role in making people certain that your paper won’t get boring fast. The body of the research paper needs to be structured in a way that makes it interesting for the audience, and still checking off all the requirements that your professor has outlined in the syllabus. Keep in mind, of course, that your professor is your first reader, and that the more intriguing they will find your paper, the more likely they will want to give you a good mark.
1. Personal Experiences
If the requirements allow you to add some stories from your own life, there’s really no better way to draw your reader into the text, as if it is a dramatic tale being recounted around a campfire. Think about it – when you want to tell a friend about something new that you have learned, do you begin with the dry facts, or do you start with “So this morning, I was almost late for a class, because I forgot to set my alarm, but I’m glad I wasn’t, because…”? Of course, when you frame information with personal lively details, the audience is more likely to get involved. Just make sure that this kind of first-person story is permitted before you include it to your paper.
2. Interesting Facts
Since you’ll be going on at length and in details about a very specific topic, try to add some interesting facts to the body of the research paper whenever it is possible. While it’s possible that you find all the facts of your research interesting, think about the details that might be relevant to the readers’ lives. Is there anything about the research that could impact them or anyone whom they love? Is there an aspect of popular culture that you can draw into your research in a relevant way? There’s no shame in making your paper as intriguing as possible, while communicating the necessary facts that your professor has asked for.
3. Numbers
Don’t forget about the power of using numbers. Data in numbers can really catch the reader’s attention, especially if the details attached to those numbers that are striking and the reader couldn’t even predict them. Is there a shocking number of test subjects that haven’t responded to a medication, expected to be highly effective? Are there surprisingly few people who complain about their in-laws when prompted to do so by a researcher in the social sciences? You can make your readers surprised when you hit them with numbers (especially a percentage of some kind) that will get their statistics-loving brain firing on all cylinders.
Your carefully conducted research deserves a reader who’s paying close attention to what you’re saying. When you draw them in with stories, interesting facts, and the power of numbers, they’ll be better able to appreciate your research – and you’ll receive a better score for your paper.
