How to Write a Research Paper Fast (A Student's Guide)

Last Updated: 30 June 2023

Strict deadlines have a way of shattering our confidence. More often than not, many students find themselves in challenging situations that make them forget a due research paper. Sometimes it is your stuff, while other times, it is work, fun, or business.


Regardless of the situation, you might have just a few hours to complete a research paper. As one would expect, the thought of completing a research paper in a rush and securing good grades often causes stress.


The fear will consume you if you do not know how to write a research paper fast. You will end up staring at your computer or distracted by many other things. If you have an urgent deadline to meet or you're writing your paper at the last minute, we have people who have done that repeatedly. Do not lose your cool; we've got you! Besides, it is just a research paper, and the grades matter greatly! Compose yourself and attack it head-on. We will tell you how in a bit.


At ResearchPaperMate, we have expert research writers who professionally write research papers for a living. Sometimes, they deal with irrational or unimaginable deadlines that can either make or break a client's grades. Today is your lucky day because, in this detailed guide, you will learn how to write a complete research paper within a few hours, so you can ace a 10-page research paper overnight or complete an 8-page research paper in under 12 hours.


However, if you need to pay someone to write your research paper, we have a team of veritable research paper writers who can write a perfect paper for you within the shortest turnaround time.


7 Tips for Writing Any Research Paper Fast


Everybody ever wishes they had adequate time to write an excellent research paper. Sadly, it is never the case, even if given enough time (longer deadlines). Things sometimes happen, and you are strapped for time to write a paper. Other times, a professor can be in a rush and decides to assign an urgent deadline paper, which you must complete. Take, for example, a re-sit or a make-up paper for failing the first deadline.


These tips will be useful if you write for high school, college, or university (undergraduate, graduate, or postgraduate). It is possible to produce a good paper within tighter deadlines, and here are some tips to get you started and done before you know it.


1. Shift Your Mindset to Beast Mode


Before anything else, you must accept that you have a situation and must ruthlessly deal with it. The right mindset will help you overcome the fear of not achieving much by the deadline. Convince you to have everything to complete the research or term paper in time. Once you are positive, you gather the courage and confidence to achieve what's ahead of you. Remain calm, take a deep breath, and work logically and systematically on the paper.


2. Keep off Any Distractions


Since you have a deadline to beat, you should avoid distractions. Find a great place to write the research paper. It could be a library, a quiet room, or a cafeteria. Getting a distraction-free environment increases your productivity and gives you room to concentrate on what matters the most; the research paper at hand.


At the same time, switch off your phone for a couple of hours to focus on writing the paper. Do the same for social networks. Do not fixate on anything other than the paper. You can use focus apps and software such as Darkroom text editor or other applications to ensure that you only focus on research and writing. You can also leverage applications that blackout social media when working on your browser.


3. Read and Understand the Instructions


Now that you are all set, you need to understand the assignment so you do not waste so much time. If you are unsure what the paper is about, do not hesitate to ask the professor or your classmate for clarification.


Even if it is a last-minute clarification request, it shows that you care about the assignment and want the best grade.


As you read the research paper prompt, brainstorm ideas and take notes. If you have a topic given already (as is the case with high school, junior years, and college), ensure that you turn it into a question, which will come in handy when developing your thesis statement.


If a topic is not given, and you have the freedom to select what you are comfortable and confident writing a research paper about, consider a topic that is:



4. Research Ruthlessly and Efficiently


With the topic in sight, you can brainstorm ideas that make sense to write in the paper. You can also ask your friends for suggestions on the possible direction. Once you have the ideas set the scope and limit of your research. You can also develop a preliminary thesis for your research paper by writing the topic as a research question and answering it briefly. Refine the thesis and list keywords for your research paper as you research.


Since there is no adequate time, research as you skim through resources, make short notes, and organize the best resources. You can use online citation management tools or note the resources and store them in a folder on your laptop or PC.


If you are writing a 7-page paper, ensure that you spend 20-30 minutes researching each page, which makes it around 1.5 to 3 hours spent on research.


Do not stress yourself by spending more time on research. You can always come back and do more research. The aim is to grab the main points to support your topic and develop a thesis statement.


When researching, look for specific information and note the source it is from for excellent organization. Your research should be brief and concise.


5. Create an Outline


Outlining papers is a skill that every student should possess and use often. You can create an informal or flat outline without turning it in. However, if you are to turn in the outline, ensure that you write a formal research paper outline. The outline should feature the refined thesis.


A flat outline is not hierarchical but lists the topic you want to handle in order of priority. It also considers your resources and entails all the good ideas and quotes from various sources. It has a thesis at the top and organized topic sentences and supporting ideas in the following lines.


You can flat outline your paper as you research, reducing time wastage. As you create the outline, plan on the maximum minutes or hours for a given section of the research paper.


Creating a research paper outline should take 20-40 minutes. Break down the research paper into chunks to handle every section independently and maintain a good flow and organization.


6. Write the Research Paper as you Cite


There is not much time to waste. You can begin writing from anywhere since you already have a roadmap for your paper. Focus on writing a perfect research paper introduction, body (methodology, literature review, data analysis, findings, and discussion), and conclusion paragraph (concluding statement, recommendations, and limitations) so well that you cut down the time to edit and proofread.


If you are required to have an abstract, save it for the last when you know your research paper. You can write it without having to look through the research paper often because you are doing it from a point of familiarity.


The introduction should begin with an attention-getter (hook) that can be a statistic or a fact if it is a long research paper; signpost ideas in the introduction so your readers know what to expect. You can also write it last because you will be familiar with the content better than if you start with it. It also avoids unnecessary editing.


The conclusion of your research paper should be logical. Most professors will read the title, abstract, introduction, and conclusion and tell whether to commit their time to read your entire paper. And they will save the best papers for last so they can enjoy reading and awarding good grades.


When writing a research paper fast, avoid leaving any stones unturned. Therefore, write your topic sentences and cite and reference the supporting ideas accordingly. The in-text citations should be consistent with APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, or any other formatting you have been advised to use when presenting evidence in the research paper and formatting the entire paper. You can use citation generators such as Zotero or EasyBib.


Writing the paper should take 60% of the time you have left to your deadline. Writing a 10-page paper should take about 8 hours, including research and polishing. Setting a deadline for each part or section helps you to focus more and achieve more.


7. Revise, Edit, and Proofread Fast


Naturally, since you are writing a last-minute research paper, you will find yourself perfecting every step, which is okay. However, you must reread the academic research paper to ensure it meets the requirements. Review the rubric and read your paper to ascertain it meets your professor's expectations. Check and fix any spelling, grammar, syntax, formatting, and stylistic mistakes.


Also, ensure that your points flow and that you have used relevant transition words and phrases between sentences, sections, and paragraphs. If there is a need to eliminate sentences or paragraphs, do it and find the perfect replacement. Also, do not fear reorganizing your paper as long as it makes sense.


You can use tools such as Grammarly, Hemmingway Editor, Ginger, or any other editing tools online when proofreading and editing. Revisit the thesis statement and the research paper title to ensure that they align with the content of the paper.


Countercheck the structure of the research paper to ensure that every part is addressed to the liking of your teacher or professor. If there are hanging concepts or ideas, ensure that they are supported. Also, if you have not met the word count, ensure you expound on ideas to make it to the recommended/standard research paper length.


As part of the editing, check for AI content and Plagiarism percentage. You can use SafeAssign, Turnitin, or other AI content checkers to ensure you are on the safe side of grades. Most universities are against AI-generated research papers and essays. Even though you can use them to generate outlines and ideas, resist the urge to write an essay or research paper using AI or spinning content online, as that would lead to a disastrous failure, even if you edit it. Instead, if you want a research paper completed within a few hours, our last-minute research paper help can come in handy. We have professionals who do physical planning, research, and writing research papers from scratch. They can do a 5-page research paper in under 6 hours and 10-15 pages in under 12 or 24 hours.


Tips to Avoid Last-Minute Rush with Research Papers


Now that we have looked at the tips to help you save time and write a paper you can turn in quickly, we need to look at some steps you can take to avoid getting into this tricky situation. Everyone fears writing a research paper at the last minute, even the experts. Everything happens in a hit: planning, researching, outlining, writing, editing, proofreading, or revising. It raises your adrenaline to higher levels, and you're alert more than ever. To avoid rushing, here are some tips:



You can use the same structure to write a research paper within 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, or 24 hours.



When at the place, ensure that you have all the necessary supplies, such as a laptop, pen, tablet, sticky notes, blank papers, and pen, etc., to limit distractions.



Now that you are Here, What's next?


Although initially intimidating, writing a research paper fast is manageable, possible, and doable. Our experts do it daily: 7-page research papers and essays in 5 hours or 10 to 15 pages in under 24 hours. It requires the right mindset and diligence to approach challenging assignments.


 When strapped for time, you can follow the steps and tips outlined above to achieve more within less time. It is a lot of work, but it is doable anyway!


Once you get used to writing papers fast, you can handle your essays and research papers and free up much of your time for other stuff. In addition, if you are writing a research paper overnight, stick to a typical research paper structure, create a good outline, and find the best sources. Besides, make it simple, straightforward, coherent, and comprehensive, and see what else can hinder you from getting the top grades.


Our experts, most of whom are unemployed professors, working hard to ensure you get the insider secrets to succeed in your academics, write these tips. If your paper is due in the evening or tomorrow and you want some rest, you can plan yourself or better have us do it for you affordably.


FAQs


Can I write a research paper overnight or in one day?


Yes, you can. However, it depends on the length of the research paper, how complex your research topic is, and your research and writing skills. You can complete a research paper within a day or overnight if you have excellent research and writing skills. You should plan well, have a good meal for energy, find a distraction-free environment, and focus for hours to achieve what you want. Your typing speed should also be high so that you spend less time typing your research paper. Even a slow writer can write a 10-page paper overnight if they follow our shared tips. Our experts can write up to 20 pages within 24 hours.


How to complete a 5-page research paper within 6 hours?


Easy-peasy lemon-squeezy! To write a 5-page paper, ensure that you budget your time as follows:



While ideally, such a paper should take 10-12 hours to complete; you can achieve it when you plan your time well.