Archive September 30, 2021

One of the last sections made when writing a research paper is the abstract. But even if it is the final portion written, it does not mean you should just rush through it. The abstract, like the other sections of your paper, serves a purpose, so you need to give some time to it too.

If you are just about to make your abstract, read on to learn how to create it properly.

The abstract purpose

The abstract is more than just a quick synopsis for your paper. It is there to attract the attention of other researchers who may find the contents of your research relevant to their research. 

There are lots of studies published every day, so researchers comb through hundreds of possibilities. But if your abstract is done well, they may come across your paper, look into it, and then possibly use it as a reference in their study.

Of course, the whole purpose of your paper is to uncover the truths behind the problem you are investigating. But citations by others helps to affirm that you have done something right. Thus, it is important to create your abstract well.

1. Stay within the word count

The abstract should not be very long. Depending on the length of your paper and type, this may be around 150 to 250 words. But if your professor or the journal you are submitting your paper to has a specific limitation, then always follow that.

2. Summarize the main ideas

Since the abstract is short, you will not be able to mention everything. Instead, you will summarize the main points that will allow the researchers to understand what your paper contains. These will include the research question, thesis statement, summary of the methodology, the most important findings, and the conclusion.

3. Include keywords

Researchers often find what they need by searching online. If you want your paper to be discovered, your abstract should include some keywords. Some sites indicate the terms many people search for, so you should check what is available there. Just be careful not to overdo it as search engines also have protocols to ignore posts that do not use keywords properly.

4. Leave out the technical terms

Since researchers from other fields might also need what you have done, it is best to leave out technical terms. Assume that novices in your field may be reading what you have written, so use layman’s terms as much as possible.

5. Don’t include the figures

The abstract is generally not the place for your research’s details. The casual reader will not understand the significance since much is missing from your abstract. So the figures ought to be left inside the paper itself.

Summary

Although the abstract is just a brief glimpse into your paper, it is still something you should give due attention to, especially if you want other people to use it in their studies. So take note of the pointers above so you can make a useful abstract.

As a college or university student, you must at least write one research paper before graduating. This unavoidable task can, however, be challenging, especially for first-timers. As such, we are here to help you through the process. We will take your through a step-by-step guide in writing a research paper:

1. Familiarize with the assignment

Before you start writing your research paper, make sure you understand what is expected of you. What does your professor want to see, what are the instructions and requirements? Getting acquainted with the assignment will put you on the right track and prevent making avoidable mistakes.

2. Choose a topic

Your professor may assign you a topic or give you a list to choose from if you are lucky enough. However, students are mostly required to come up with their own subjects. If this is your situation, then here are some steps to follow. When selecting a topic, choose something you are passionate about, relevant, topical, and consider the time factor. In doing this, you should bear your audience in mind. Which category of people are you seeking to address?

3. Research

You can’t write a thought-provoking research paper without researching. Research is the engine of every piece; hence, lots of effort must be taken during this step. Every source you explore should be reliable and relevant to your topic. There are various ways to research, whether online or offline. For your offline sources, you can use books, journals, conference releases, and library resources. Online sources may include Google Scholar, Google Book, SciSeek.com, and many other scholarly sites.

4. Organize your research and thoughts

After doing your in-depth research, you now have to organize them into a scale of preference. Which of the information is most critical for the study, and which are for supporting reasons? Write all these sources down, or you can bookmark them according to their relevance.

Afterward, you organize your thought on how to start your paper. You should know how to structure and outline the information you’ve accessed to make it sync.

5. Formulate a thesis statement

A thesis statement is a brief yet catchy sentence that introduces readers to the subject and your stance on it. Depending on the type of research paper you are writing, you may need to go for or against the topic or write objectively without taking sides. An example can be, “this paper delves into the human-dog relationship and how it started.”

6. Start writing

Now that you’ve chosen a topic organize your thought, and know the form your paper should take, writing it shouldn’t be challenging for you. By now, you’ve also defined your audience; therefore, you know the type of language or wording to use. In writing, be mindful of how you quote or paraphrase information from your sources. You are creating your own work here, so make sure it doesn’t look like a copy and paste to avoid being accused of plagiarizing. It is always good to pick up the main points from your source and use your own wording in creating a sentence. If quoting is unavoidable, don’t forget to reference them accordingly.

7. Edit

Editing is critical in content creation/writing. After the writing, find time to go over the work more than once to correct any grammatical or composition errors. You may also have errors in the statistics or figures you used and going over the work can help you fix them. You can rely on software like Ginger and Grammarly to correct grammatical, spelling, and comprehension errors.

As preparation for employment, university requirements are generally much more difficult than what students encounter in high school. The general idea is to bombard them with tough tasks that can prepare them mentally and emotionally for what lies ahead in their professional career.

One such task is the academic paper that may be assigned in many subjects. The following are just some of the different academic papers you can expect during your college years.

1. Cause and effect paper

As the name implies, this essay requires the student to focus on a problem’s causes and effects. In history, this could be connected to major uprisings, unifications, or even the fall of an empire. In the social sciences, this may be about what could occur because of decisions made in the not too distant past. Teachers often assign this essay to test the correlation skills of students, something that may be of much help in their future jobs.

2. Compare and contrast paper

Another essay that could be assigned is the compare and contrast essay. Here, two subjects are compared to one another. For science, these could be two different theories, animals, diseases, and so much more. For business, these could be business processes or leadership styles. Aside from learning about the pros and cons of each, the student studying the two objects or ideas gets to know more about the field, which can be very helpful when they begin working.

3. Analytical paper

This is a more in-depth paper where a controversial issue is given. The student must study the different angles about it, which means it is usually more than just an “I agree” or “I disagree” situation. Most teachers require a minimum of three sources per angle, making it one of the longer academic papers you will write. Something to remember is that this paper does NOT ask for your opinion, so ensure you do not give any personal thoughts anywhere.

4. Argumentative paper

Another challenging task is the argumentative paper. Similar to the analytical paper, you will have to do much research to present both sides of the argument. The good thing, at least, is that there are usually just two angles to explore, allowing you to choose whether one side over the other.

Although you do get to choose a side, the idea is to discover the truth about the situation, even if it means your position may be incorrect. It sounds weird, but that is also what happens in your undergraduate thesis. So be thankful if you get to practice on this essay type a lot.

5. Report

The report is the final academic paper on our list. Though it is not as long as the other papers and may not require as much research, the idea for this is to learn how to briefly present the facts to a potential boss. Many careers require writing reports for superiors, so don’t be surprised to get this assignment if your degree is business or science-related.

Summary

So those were 5 academic papers you will probably see in your college years. Though you might not like to write, keep in mind that these are all preparing you for a future job.