How+to+Write+a+Research+Paper

= What is a research paper? =


 * A research paper is a written discussion based on an analytical thesis and supported by a collection of ideas and information//.// (Click here and here for more information on how to find a research topic)
 * It is a way of presenting ideas and facts you have found through the reading of various materials.

= **Why do we write a research paper? ** =


 * As part of our academic assignments
 * To relate information and study findings in a professional manner
 * To find answers to academic/ scholarly questions.
 * For master’s and doctorate’s theses.
 * A well-written research paper is composed by the use of a variety of outside sources with high credibility.
 * You should use quoting, paraphrasing and summarizing techniques along with your own words.
 * You should follow a style guide while writing your paper like APA* or MLA style.

Mainly, a research paper includes the parts below:
= = = **2- ** Abstract***: ** =
 * 1) Title
 * 2) Abstract
 * 3) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Introduction
 * 4) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Literature Review
 * 5) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Methodology
 * 6) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Results
 * 7) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Discussion
 * 8) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Conclusion
 * 9) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">References
 * 10) <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Appendices
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">1- ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">Title Page: **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Choose a comprehensive title for your study.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Write your title in the middle of the page.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Below the title, write your name, the name of your instructor, the name of your institution and the year.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Somewhere above the title, you write the running head*.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The running head should be as clear and short as possible.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The running head should appear on every page with the page number.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Click here to see a sample title page.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">3- **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">The introduction: **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Your abstract should be as short and clear as possible.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">While writing your abstract:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Give a brief introduction of the general topic of the study.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Explain the exact research questions and the aims
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Give a brief description of the methodology.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Give a brief description of the results.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Give a brief description of the discussion.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In other words, you answer the following questions in your abstract:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Why did you do the study?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What is the problem being addressed?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What did you do?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What did you find out?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What conclusions do you have?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">[[file:Abstract.pdf|Click here]] to see a sample abstract.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Click here for the "How to Write an Abstract" Wiki
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This is the part where you start with a broad basis and then narrow down to the particular field of study, explaining the rationale* behind each step.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You give some background information, the importance of the study, the limitations of the study and your assumptions.
 * ===<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Specifically; ===

<span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;">1- Set the scene,
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">by giving your paper a context.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">by showing how your study fits in with the previous research in the field.

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">2- Give the rationale behind the research, <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">3- State the limitations, <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">4- State your assumptions, **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">4- ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Literature Review: ** //<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">REMEMBER… // <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">OR… <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">BUT…
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">by justifying why your study is an essential component of research in the field.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">by saying what you could have improved.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">by giving the reasons.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is a process of gathering and documenting information from other sources.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is a critical and in depth evaluation of previous research.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A GOOD literature review...
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> integrates the previous research together.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> explaines how it integrates into the proposed research program.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">highlights areas of agreement and disagreement.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">A Literature Review is NOT a chronological catalog of all of the sources,
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">a collection of quotes and paraphrasing from other sources;
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">it is an evaluation of the quality and findings of the previous research.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">If your literature review can answer the questions below, it is a good one!

<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Click here for the "How to Write a Literature Review" Wiki.

**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">5- ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Methodology: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Specifically;
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This part is the core of your paper as it is a proof that you use the scientific method.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You give a completely accurate description of the equipment and the techniques for collecting the data.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You explain how the raw data was collected and analyzed.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Describe the materials and equipment that you used in the research.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Explain how you gathered the sample:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Did you use any randomization techniques?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">How did you prepare the samples?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">Explain how you made the measurements:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">What calculations did you make?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">Describe the statistical techniques that you used upon the data.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">You can write this section in subgroups like setting, participants, instruments and procedure if it is applicable for your study.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">You can write this section in subgroups like setting, participants, instruments and procedure if it is applicable for your study.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">You can write this section in subgroups like setting, participants, instruments and procedure if it is applicable for your study.

=**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">6- ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Results: **= **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">7- ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Discussion: ** **<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">8- Conclusion: **
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Writing the results section is announcing your findings to <span style="display: block; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;">the world.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">In this part, present your findings without interpreting or evaluating.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Include graphs, figures and tables to make your point clear.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You make a commentary of exactly what you observed and found.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is a link to the discussion section.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is the part where you add interpretations to your work.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Comment on the data and your findings.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Criticize your methodology.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Suggest any modifications or improvements for your design.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Give recommendations for future researchers.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ask and answer “Do your results agree or disagree with previous research?”
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Ask and answer “Has the experiment contributed to knowledge in the field?”
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is the final part of your research paper**.**
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">You should consider the following questions while writing your conclusion:
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What has your research shown?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Give a brief description of the results
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Give a brief summary of the discussion


 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">How has your study added to what is known about the subject?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Point out the significance of your study
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif;">Discuss how your study relates to the field

**<span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">9-Reference: ** <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">ENJOY your writing! <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">”Writing is easy: All you have to do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead.” //Gene Fowler.//
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">What were the shortcomings?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Explain how any deficiencies may affect your results
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Has your research left some unanswered questions?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">Do the findings open up any suggestions for future research?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Are the results of any use in the real world?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">Can you suggest any practical uses for the findings?
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">This part is also called “the citation list”.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">It is very important because it helps you...
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">prevent any accusations of plagiarism.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">give fair credit to the work of previous authors in the field.
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 1.5;">It must include all of the direct sources referred in the body of the paper.