Prompts for writing a Math Research Paper

Research papers can definitely be hard to write. Many students feel very frustrated when they are assigned one because of all the other things that need doing. Outside of classes you most likely have a job, family activities, hang outs with friends, and other obligations. This leaves little time for homework on some days. Writing a research paper, especially one about math related topics is such a pain and a burden for some students. Writing a paper is bad enough, but when combined with research about math and thinking about numbers, it can be a nightmare.

Math Research Paper Writing Tips

As with any research paper, you’ll be doing a lot of research. The best way to not get overwhelmed with this is having a plan and staying organized. If you have struggled with research papers in the past or have never made a specific plan for yourself, here is one method I recommend:

  1. Write down every step you need to do. Go over your teacher’s instructions and make each thing that you need to have in your paper as a list item you can check off.
  2. Now is the time for most of your research. If you haven’t chosen a topic yet, just start reading stuff! During your search, you’ll be able to find something specific that interests you, and then develop your topic from there while you research.
  3. Make sure while you are doing research that you keep it categorized by source, by relevancy, by where in your paper you’ll be using it. Now is the time to make a brief outline. Write out each section of your paper such as introduction, conclusion and others, and a summary of what you’re going to be talking about there.
  4. Time to write that first draft. Here’s where you follow the plan you’ve already set up for yourself and it should be very easy to do. Simply connect the dots between your summaries, research, and each section to have your ideas flow organically throughout the course of the paper.
  5. At this point, finished the first draft, you need a break. Take a day completely off thinking about or doing anything related to this research paper.
  6. Lastly, it’s time for editing. Let a friend or two read your paper and get their opinion about it. Read it through yourself and correct any errors you might find.