📚 The Format of the Research Paper: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide to Academic Writing

🚨 YOUR THESIS SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN PAST TENSE — BUT NOT EVERYWHERE! One common mistake students make is writing their entire thesis as if the research is still going to happen. For example: ❌ “The study will examine…” ❌ “Data will be collected…” ❌ “The researcher will analyze…” If the research has already been conducted, these should generally be written in the past tense: ✅ “The study examined…” ✅ “Data were collected…” ✅ “The researcher analyzed…” But be careful — not every sentence in a thes