Dictionary Definition :

• To search or investigate exhaustively
• studious inquiry or examination; especially : investigation or experimentation aimed at the discovery and interpretation of facts, revision of accepted theories or laws in the light of new facts, or practical application of such new or revised theories or laws
• The collecting of information about a particular subject.

What is Research Paper?

"A research paper is exactly that: a paper written to reflect a search that will present information to support a point of view on a particular topic."

Writing is a skill. As such, time needs to be devoted to developing it. Some people find it best to try and write for a set time each day. Others work best if they can ‘block out’ longer periods of time to focus on their writing.

• Who will be the lead author? Different subject areas have different conventions for deciding this
• Who will be responsible for drafting each section
• Who will collate and edit the final version
• Title of the article
• Which journal to target.

Where to publish Research Paper?

Journal articles are your most likely outlet for publication during your early career. Articles can be written for:

• National Conference
• International Conference
• academic journals (electronic or paper-based;UK-based or international; peer-reviewed and/or edited)
• professional journals
• newspapers
• magazines
• websites

Articles can be either primary reports of your own research, or reviews of work published in the field. Peer-reviewed articles are highly regarded, especially those published in international academic or professional journals.
Find the best academic journal suited for your topic and writing style so you can learn how to publish a research paper.

Familiarize yourself with potential publications :-It is important to be aware of the research already published and the current questions and studies in your field.

• Read academic journals related to your field of study
• Search online for published research papers, conference papers, and journal articles.
• Ask a colleague or professor for a suggested reading list.
• Choose the publication that best suits your research paper.Each publication has its own audience and tone of writing
• Prepare your manuscript.Format your research paper so it fits the guidelines of that publication. Most journals provide a document called "Instruction to Authors" or "Author's Guide" that offers specific instructions about layout, type font, and length.
• Ask a colleague and/or professor to review your research paper.They should edit your paper for grammar, spelling errors, and other typos.
• Submit your article Find the journal you would like your research paper published in and submit it through the appropriate channels.
• Keep trying.Sometimes journals will ask you to revise it and submit it again. Read their reviews carefully and make the necessary changes.
Once you have identified your target journal it is important to:
• Check that your proposed article falls within its scope
• Be aware of your audience - are they likely to be specialists or non-specialists?
• Familiarize yourself with the journal requirements as to word length, formatting, referencing, submission deadlines, etc. Follow these requirements to the letter
• Try to find a colleague who has published in (or even been a peer reviewer for) the journal. Their insights will be invaluable in helping you to focus your article
• Ask colleagues to comment on drafts of your work. Offer to do the same for them. You may get some useful ideas from the way that they approach their writing.

Criteria for Journal Selection for Publishing :

• International VS National VS Local
• Refereed VS Nonrefereed
• Currency
• Availability of E-version
• Visibility and Market share of the Publisher
• Circulation Statistics
• Language
• Subject
• Periodicity
• Professional Society Publication?
• Impact Factor
• Does the journal focus on primary research or review articles?
• Does it publish qualitative or quantitative research methods?
• What are the principal fields covered by the journal?

Indexing Published Research Paper

After publish your research paper will be wider visual. Indexing is the process of creating indexes for record collections. Having indexes allows researchers to more quickly find records for specific individuals; without them, researchers might have to look through hundreds or thousands of records to locate an individual record. Indexing facilitates in the organization of literature in such a manner that makes the document of interest easily identifiable by the readers. Some important Indexing Services are following:

• DRJI
• DOAJ
• DOI
• Getcited
• Worldcat
• Citulike
• Mynetresearch
• Zotoro
• Mendaley
• GoArticle
• Digg
• Delecious
• Google+
• Google Scholar
• Connotea
• Wikipedia
• Figshare
• MyEndNoteweb
• Globethics
• CiteseerX
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Orkut
• Blogger
• WordPress
• LinkedIn
• Method Space
• EasyBib