Want to write your first research paper but don't know where to start? We've put together courses that will help you go from a research question to a finished paper ๐ท
๐ Introduction to Research โ Pearson / Coursera
For beginners: how to find and evaluate academic sources, understand the research process, and use evidence in academic writing. About 3 hours.
๐ Take the course
๐ Introduction to Academic Writing โ Coursera
Teaches you how to build arguments, work with evidence, do a literature review, cite sources correctly, and structure an academic paper.
๐ Take the course
๐ Understanding Research Methods โ University of London
A great option if you want to really understand research methodology: research questions, research design, data collection, ethics, and research reports. Designed even for those with no research experience.
๐ Take the course
๐ Introduction to Research for Essay Writing โ UC Irvine
Helps you move from searching for information to writing a full research paper: planning, working with sources, argumentation, and academic style.
๐ Take the course
๐ Project: Writing a Research Paper โ UC Irvine
A practical course where you don't just study theory but actually write a research paper: choose a topic, formulate a research question, build an outline, create an annotated bibliography, and write the paper.
๐ Take the course
Why are they all from Coursera? ๐ง
Coursera is an aggregator platform, not the author of the courses: the courses themselves are made by different universities and companies (Pearson, UC Irvine, University of London, etc.), but they're hosted specifically on Coursera because it's one of the largest MOOC platforms with free access to audit lectures (no certificate). That's why they overlap โ it's just convenient to put together a list from one platform where everything is free and easy to find.
Also, if you want a certificate, you can apply for financial aid on Coursera โ it's free to apply and, if approved, gives you a huge discount (often close to 100% off) on the course fee.
๐ If you're just starting out:
Introduction to Research ๐ Understanding Research Methods ๐ Introduction to Academic Writing ๐ Project: Writing a Research Paper