How to Write a Medical Research Paper Fast

Like any research paper, writing a medical research paper takes time. Forward-thinking students will immediately start to research as soon as they are given a prompt. By immediately beginning the research process, they make it easier to write the paper and can avoid last-second all nighters. For students who are new to medical research papers, the main difference is the type of writing style used. Unlike traditional research papers, the medical research paper must be written according to the American Medical Association's style guide.

Selecting a Topic

In order to get a head start on writing the paper, students need to select their topic right away. If the student already has a general idea of what they want to write, they just need to narrow it down. Doing some background research can help to narrow down the potential topics. Afterward, students should decide the type of research paper that they want to write. With quantitative studies papers, the writer must perform original research. A synthesis paper only requires the student to review published research and analyze it.

Research and Outlines

The next step in the process is to start researching information relevant to the topic. Any sources should be carefully tracked and written down. Likewise, notes should be carefully organized so that students can easily find them as they write. Once the research process is done, students can begin to create an outline. This outline will help students to create a logical flow for their paper and organize their current notes. Although it initially takes more time, outlines make the writing process significantly easier later on.

Writing the Paper

Once the outline is complete, it is time to start writing the paper. Unless the professor said otherwise, the paper should range from 10 to 20 pages. To make the writing process faster, students should set daily goals for the amount they want to write. If there is a month left until the paper is due, the goal may be to write 500 words everyday. The goal should be set so that students can finish the paper with enough time to edit and review the document.

Edits and Citations

The last part of the process is to edit the medical research paper. During this step, students should make sure that all of their writing conforms to the American Medical Association style guide. Internal citations must include the last name of the author, the publication year and the page number. If quotes and statistics are not cited, it is considered plagiarism. Before turning in the paper, students should also let a professor or fellow student read through it for editing issues.