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The Research Paper
Components
Introduction:
What it does --
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The
INTRODUCTION establishes the broad area of concern that the paper will
cover (i.e., it is the Problem Statement). It contains the controlling question and sets up a logical framework
for the reader to follow. It acknowledges assumptions made by the
researcher and states whether these were found to be true or false according
to the research conducted.
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The
INTRODUCTION sets the tone and the voice for the paper. Since this is a
formal research paper there are a set of expectations for the writer to
meet.
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Write in
3rd person. That means that the writer will will refer to himself/herself
as "the author" or "the researcher"
not
as "I." |
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Avoid slang
terms. Jargon, the specialized language of the area you are researching,
will need to be defined.
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Make the
writing interesting to the reader even though the tone is driven by formal
language expectation.
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Literature Review:
What it does -
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As we noted earlier, a research paper is grounded in theory or previous study.
This is where you describe those previous studies.
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You don't have to fully outline each previous
study. A simple sentence or so explaining what the authors found will suffice.
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REMEMBER, the point of discussing previous
research is to demonstrate your logic. That means that all of the previous
research MUST somehow be related to your research.
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Make sure you cite each of the works
discussed (see Citations).
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Findings:
What it does -
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This is really the BODY of the paper. It follows the framework laid out in the Introduction and
develops each component. |
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Each of the
Secondary Questions will have its own section. The assumptions made for each
Secondary Question will need to be addressed and how each was proven or
refuted. |
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This is where you describe your solution to
the problem |
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This is the core of your paper. |
Conclusion
What it does -
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The CONCLUSION, by definition, ends the
paper. |
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This is where you provide a summary of your
paper. |
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You should also summarize some of the
limitations of your paper (what you didn't do). The intent is to show what
future research might be performed. |
References
What it does -
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Provides a complete list of all citations
made in the paper. |
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The list MUST be alphabetized by the last
name of the first author |
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Every reference made MUST be included here |
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NO reference can be included here if it is
NOT used in the paper |
Appendices/Attachments
What it does -
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Includes additional material which is used
to support your paper, but was not appropriate in the body of the paper |
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May include tables and figures which did
not fit in the body of the text itself |
This page was last updated on
01/19/04.
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