A research paper is a structured report of original work: a question, a method, evidence and an honest interpretation. First papers rarely fail because the idea is poor. They fail for ordinary reasons. The question is too broad, the method is thin, or the story is hard to follow.
Fix those three problems and a first paper becomes publishable work. This guide walks you through seven steps, from choosing a topic to the final proofread. It is written for undergraduates, master's students and early career researchers, and it points to two deeper guides on finding a research gap and structuring a research paper.
Key Takeaways
A good paper answers one focused question, not a whole field.
Write the Methods and Results first. Write the Introduction and Abstract last, once you know what you found.
Every claim needs evidence: your data, a figure, or a citation.
The venue's guidelines are part of the paper. Read them before you write, not the night before you submit.
Leave time for revision. A cold read a few days later catches what you cannot see today.
Why Publish a Paper as a Beginner
A published paper is a public, citable record of your work. It also forces you to explain your thinking to strangers, which is the quickest way to find the holes in it. Reviewers' comments, even critical ones, are free expert feedback on your research.
Papers also differ by field. A computing paper often reports an experiment, a humanities paper builds an argument, and a review paper maps existing work. The steps below apply to all of them, but always check what your target venue expects.
Step 1: Choose a Focused Topic
Pick a topic you can finish. Three methods help:
Brainstorm on paper. Write down every question you have in your area, then discuss the list with a supervisor or a fellow student.
Free-write. Take a broad subject and write non-stop for three minutes. Underline anything that surprises you.
Mine other papers. The Discussion and Future Work sections of published papers often name specific questions nobody has answered.
Then run two tests. Can you state the topic as a single question in one sentence? Can you answer it with the data, tools and time you have? If either answer is no, narrow it.
For example, "machine learning in healthcare" is a field. "Does a lightweight convolutional network match a larger model at classifying chest X-rays when training data is small?" is a paper.
Step 2: Read the Literature and Find Your Gap
Reading tells you what is already known, and the gap tells you why your paper needs to exist. Search Google Scholar, your university library, and open sources such as DOAJ and arXiv. Use several keywords and synonyms, and favour recent work.
Skim each paper's abstract, introduction and conclusion first, and note every limitation the authors admit. Those notes become your gap. Our guide on what a research gap is and how to find one gives an eight-step method and a template you can copy.
Step 3: Plan and Run the Research
Design the study before you collect anything. Decide what you will measure, how you will measure it, and what result would change your mind. Then keep tidy records: dated notes, versioned code and an untouched copy of the raw data. Someone should be able to repeat your work from your notes alone.
Settle authorship early. The ICMJE recommendations say an author should make a substantial contribution, help draft or revise the paper, approve the final version and accept accountability for the work. Anyone who helped but does not meet those criteria belongs in the Acknowledgements.
Search for evidence against your idea as well as for it. A paper that deals honestly with contradicting studies is far more convincing.
Step 4: Write in the Standard Structure
Most research papers follow IMRaD: Introduction, Methods, Results and Discussion, with a short Conclusion. Each section answers one question for the reader.
Section | The question it answers |
|---|---|
Introduction | What is the problem, why does it matter, and what will this paper do? |
Methods | What exactly did you do, so someone else could repeat it? |
Results | What did you find? |
Discussion | What does it mean, and what are its limits? |
Conclusion | What should the reader take away, and what comes next? |
Write in this order: Methods, Results, Discussion, Introduction, Conclusion, Abstract, Title. The Abstract is a summary, so it is easiest to write once the paper exists. Our guide to structuring a research paper covers each section in detail, including common variations for computing papers.
Planning to submit to a conference?
SAI Conferences organises IntelliSys, Computing Conference and CVC. Each Call for Papers page lists tracks, the review process and current submission rounds. Browse the Call for Papers pages
Step 5: Cite Sources and Present Figures
Every idea that is not yours needs a citation. Pick the citation style your venue requires, such as IEEE, APA or Chicago, and use it consistently. Check that every in-text citation has an entry in the reference list, and that every entry is cited somewhere in the text.
Figures and tables should earn their place. Give each one a clear caption, refer to it in the text, and credit the source if it is not your own. A reader should understand a figure from its caption alone.
Step 6: Check Formatting and Submission Requirements
The author guidelines are not optional. They set the page limit, the template, the reference style and the file format. They also tell you the review type. If review is double-blind, remove your name, affiliation and any identifying self-references before you upload.
SAI conferences, for example, use double-blind review and publish accepted papers with Springer in the Lecture Notes in Networks and Systems series. Read the Call for Papers page of the event you choose for the exact submission rules, and follow them closely.
Step 7: Revise and Proofread
Put the draft away for a few days, then read it as a stranger would. Use this checklist:
Numbers match. The Abstract, Results and Conclusion should report the same figures.
Claims are supported. Delete or soften any sentence you cannot back with evidence.
The gap is stated. The Introduction should say what is missing and what you did about it.
A peer has read it. Ask someone outside your project to explain your main point back to you.
Language is clean. Run a spelling and grammar check, then read the paper aloud.
Originality is checked. Run a similarity check, and make sure all borrowed ideas are cited.
Common Mistakes in First Papers
Choosing a topic too broad to finish.
Skipping the gap, so the paper never says why it matters.
Giving too little methodological detail for anyone to repeat the work.
Reporting results without interpreting them.
Making claims the data does not support.
Ignoring the venue's formatting and length rules.
Leaving proofreading until the submission day.
Adding authors who did not contribute, or leaving out those who did.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a research paper?
A research paper is a formal document that reports original research: the question, the method, the evidence and what it means. It is written for peers, so it must be precise and verifiable.
How long should a research paper be?
Length depends on the venue and the field. Conference papers and journal articles each set their own page or word limit in the author guidelines, so check those first and write to that limit.
Should I write in the active or passive voice?
Many venues prefer clear, direct sentences, and the active voice usually delivers that. Some fields still use the passive voice in Methods sections, so follow the style of recent papers in your target venue.
Can an undergraduate publish a research paper?
Yes. Many first papers come from undergraduate and master's projects, usually with a supervisor as co-author. Choose a focused question and a venue that welcomes early career researchers.
How do I choose where to submit?
Match your topic to the venue's scope, then check its review process, publisher and indexing statements. Our guides to upcoming AI conferences and Scopus indexed conferences explain how to compare venues.
What is the difference between a conference paper and a journal article?
Conference papers are usually shorter and reviewed faster, and you present them to an audience. Journal articles are usually longer and go through more rounds of revision. Both are peer reviewed when the venue is reputable.
Ready to Submit Your Paper?
Once your paper is written, choose a venue that fits your topic. SAI Conferences organises three in-person events. Each Call for Papers page lists the tracks, the review process and the current submission rounds, so you can plan your timeline.
SAI event | When and where | Submit |
|---|---|---|
13th edition | 2 to 3 September 2027 Mercure Amsterdam City Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands | |
15th edition | 8 to 9 July 2027 Clayton Hotel Chiswick, London, United Kingdom | |
Computer Vision Conference 2027 | 15 to 16 April 2027 Mercure Amsterdam City Hotel, Amsterdam, Netherlands |
Submit to IntelliSys 2027 | Submit to Computing Conference 2027 | Submit to CVC 2027
Related Guides
SAI organises IntelliSys, Computing Conference and CVC. SAI cannot guarantee that any paper will be published or indexed, and the reviewers and indexing databases make those decisions. Confirm all details on each event page before you submit, and see the Open for submissions panel on this page for live round status.