Students may face many challenges when preparing to write an academic paper. This paper will discuss the most prominent of these challenges and how to avoid and overcome them.
Challenges of the academic paper:
According to Azizah & Budiman (2017), Some of the most common challenges include the following:
- Time management: Writing an academic paper can sometimes be time-consuming, and researchers must be realistic about the needed time. The paper can be broken down into smaller tasks and deadlines set for completion.
- Research information: Finding information about the research topic can be difficult, especially if the researcher is unfamiliar with the literature. It is essential to use reliable sources and cite your sources correctly.
- Plagiarism: Plagiarism-checking tools can help identify instances of plagiarism in a paper. However, it is essential to note that some plagiarism-checking tools are not perfect. It is, therefore, vital to review the paper carefully before submitting it.
- Editing and Proofreading: Editing and proofreading the paper helps ensure it is free of grammatical errors.
Some advice for colleagues:
- Outline: Outlining can help organize ideas and ensure the paper has a clear structure. It is essential to ensure the outline is well-developed before writing the paper (Pineteh, 2014).
- Early start: working at the last moment brings results that are not ideal. The earlier starting on the paper, the more time you have for researching, writing, and editing.
- Set deadlines: Setting deadlines could help to stay on track and avoid procrastination.
- Breaks: Writing for long hours without a break is counterproductive (Pessoa, Miller & Kaufer, 2014). Take a few minutes to relax better.
Conclusion
Students may experience personal challenges such as procrastination and anxiety. There are resources available to help online or in books. Writing an academic paper can be a challenging yet rewarding experience. By following these tips, a successful academic paper can be written.
References
Azizah, U. A., & Budiman, A. (2017). Challenges in writing academic papers for international publication among Indonesian graduate students. JEELS (Journal of English Education and Linguistics Studies), 4(2), 175-197.
Pessoa, S., Miller, R. T., & Kaufer, D. (2014). Students' challenges and development in the transition to academic writing at an English-medium university in Qatar. International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, 52(2), 127-156.
Pineteh, E. A. (2014). The academic writing challenges of undergraduate students: A South African case study. International Journal of Higher Education, 3(1), 12-22.