7 Steps in Writing a Research Paper: Enjoy Your Student Life, how write a paper.

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7 Steps in Writing a Research Paper: Enjoy Your Student Life

Are you staring at the blank page on your screen and have no idea how to approach your challenging research paper? Research papers are complex and time-consuming assignments and what is really important they make up a large part of student&rsquo

If you are not sure where to start, read this article to learn about effective strategies that make this process as painless as possible.

Make sure you use the latest edition of a specific style guide. You will use your notes about references later when writing your paper and building your bibliography. It&rsquo The objective of a literature review is to provide a critical evaluation of the data available from existing studies. Review articles can identify potential research areas to explore next, and sometimes they will draw new conclusions from the existing data.

What do review articles do?

• Provide a comprehensive foundation on a topic
• Explain the current state of knowledge
• Identify gaps in existing studies for potential future research
• Highlight the main methodologies and research techniques

There are some journals that only publish review articles, and others that do not accept them. Make sure you check the aims and scope of the journal you’d like to publish in to find out if it’s the right place for your review article.

3. Finding sources to evaluate
Most publications have guidelines about submission and manuscript preparation, for online or mailed submissions. Most journals require the manuscript to be typed with double spacing throughout and reasonable margins. Make sure you read the guide to authors before submitting your paper so that you can present your paper in the right format for that publication (refer to submission of paper article in this series).

How do I write a scientific paper?

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Tips on how to present the results of a study, and give it the best chance of publication.

Adapted with permission from a text developed by the Applied Ecology Research Group at the University of Canberra Australia, and prepared with the aid of '

A scientific paper is a written report describing original research results whose format has been defined by centuries of developing tradition, editorial practice, scientific ethics and the interplay with printing and publishing services. The result of this process is that virtually every scientific paper has a title, abstract, introduction, materials and methods, results and discussion.

It should, however, be noted that most publications have rules about a paper'

One general point to remember is the need to avoid jargon and acronyms as much as possible. A second is the fact that some journals like papers to be written in the active voice –

Title

A title should be the fewest possible words that accurately describe the content of the paper. Omit all waste words such as "

An improperly titled paper may never reach the audience for which it was intended, so be specific. If the study is of a particular species or chemical, name it in the title. If the study has been limited to a particular region or system, and the inferences it contains are similarly limited, then name the region or system in the title.

Keyword list

The keyword list provides the opportunity to add keywords, used by the indexing and abstracting services, in addition to those already present in the title. Judicious use of keywords may increase the ease with which interested parties can locate your article.

Abstract

A well-prepared abstract enables the reader to identify the basic content of a document quickly and accurately, to determine its relevance to their interests, and thus to decide whether to read the document in its entirety. The abstract concisely states the principal objectives and scope of the investigation where these are not obvious from the title. More important, it concisely summarises the results and principal conclusions. Do not include details of the methods used unless the study is methodological, i.e. primarily concerned with methods.

The abstract must be concise

Introduction

The introduction begins by introducing the reader to the pertinent literature. A common mistake is to introduce authors and their areas of study in general terms without mention of their major findings. For example: "

Try to introduce references so they do not interfere with the flow of your argument: first write the text without references so that it reads smoothly, then add in the references at the end of sentences or phrases so they do not interrupt your flow. Note that not all journals use author'

An important function of the introduction is to establish the significance of your current work: Why was there a need to conduct the study? Having introduced the pertinent literature and demonstrated the need for the current study, you should state clearly the scope and objectives.

Avoid a list of points or bullets

The introduction can finish with the statement of objectives or, as some people prefer, with a brief statement of the principal findings. Either way, the reader must have an idea of where the paper is heading to follow the development of the evidence.

Materials and methods

The main purpose of the '

Equipment and materials available off the shelf should be described exactly (e.g. Licor underwater quantum sensor, Model LI 192SB) and sources of materials should be given if there is variation in quality among supplies. Modifications to equipment or equipment constructed specifically for the study should be carefully described in detail. The method used to prepare reagents, fixatives, and stains should be stated exactly, though often reference to standard recipes in other works will suffice.

The usual order of presentation of methods is chronological. However, related methods may need to be described together and strict chronological order cannot always be followed. If your methods are new (i.e. unpublished), you must provide all the detail required to repeat them. However, if a method has been previously published, only the name of the method and a literature reference need be given.

Be precise in describing measurements and include errors of measurement. Ordinary statistical methods should be used without comment

Results

In the results section you present your findings: display items (figures and tables) are central in this section. Present the data, digested and condensed, with important trends extracted and described. Because the results comprise the new knowledge that you are contributing to the world, it is important that your findings be clearly and simply stated.

The results should be short and sweet. Do not say "

However, don'

Discussion

In the discussion you should discuss what principles have been established or reinforced

When you address these questions, it is crucial that your discussion rests firmly on the evidence presented in the results section. Refer briefly to your results to support your discussion statements. Do not extend your conclusions beyond those that are directly supported by your results.

A brief paragraph of speculation about what your results may mean in a general sense is usually acceptable, but should not form the bulk of the discussion. Be sure to address the objectives of the study in the discussion and to discuss the significance of the results. Don'

References

Whenever you draw upon information contained in another paper, you must acknowledge the source. All references to the literature must be followed immediately by an indication of the source of the information that is referenced, for example, "

If two authors are involved, include both surnames in this reference. However if more authors are involved, you may use '

If you include in your report phrases, sentences or paragraphs repeated verbatim from the literature, it is not sufficient to simply cite the source. You must include the material in quotes and you must give the number of the page from which the quote was lifted. For example: "

A list of references ordered alphabetically by author'

Formats vary from journal to journal, so when you are preparing a scientific paper for an assignment, choose a journal in your field of interest and follow its format for the reference list. Be consistent in the use of journal abbreviations.

Appendices

Appendices contain information in greater detail than can be presented in the main body of the paper, but which may be of interest to a few people working specifically in your field. Only appendices referred to in the text should be included.

Formatting conventions

Most publications have guidelines about submission and manuscript preparation, for online or mailed submissions. Most journals require the manuscript to be typed with double spacing throughout and reasonable margins. Make sure you read the guide to authors before submitting your paper so that you can present your paper in the right format for that publication (refer to submission of paper article in this series).

Finally &mdash

Constructing tables

Include a caption and column headings that contain enough information for the reader to understand the table without reference to the text. The caption should be at the head of the table. Organise the table so that like elements read down, not across.

Present the data in a table or in the text, but never present the same data in both forms. Choose units of measurement so as to avoid the use of an excessive number of digits.

Don'

Don'

Don'

Constructing figures

Include a legend describing the figure. It should be succinct yet provide sufficient information for the reader to interpret the figure without reference to the text. The legend should be below the figure.

Provide each axis with a brief but informative title (including units of measurement).

Don'

Don'

Don'

Don'

Adapted with permission from a text developed by the Applied Ecology Research Group at the University of Canberra Australia, and prepared with the aid of ' If two authors are involved, include both surnames in this reference. However if more authors are involved, you may use ' - Can you identify any flaws in the research?

How to Write the Discussion Section of a Research Paper

The discussion section of your research paper answers several questions such as: did you achieve your objectives? How do your results compare to other studies? Were there any limitations to your research? Start discussing your data specifically and then broaden out to how it furthers your field of interest.

• How do your results answer your objectives?
• Why do you think your results are different to published data?
• Do you think further research would help clarify any issues with your data?

The aim is to tell the reader what your results mean. Structure the discussion section of your research paper in a logical manner. Start with an introductory paragraph where you set out the context and main aims of the study. Do this without repeating the introduction. Some authors prefer starting with the major findings first to keep the readers interested.

The next paragraph should discuss what you found, how it compares to other studies, any limitations, your opinion, and what they mean for the field.

The concluding paragraph should talk about the major outcomes of the study. Be careful not to write your conclusion here. Merely highlight the main themes emerging from your data.

1. It is not a literature review. Keep your comments relevant to your results.
2. Interpret your results.
3. Be concise and remove unnecessary words.
4. Do not include results not presented in the result section.
5. Ensure your conclusions are supported by your data.

- Are their methods sufficient to test the objectives?