How to Structure a Research Paper?

• Your research paper should tell a story of how you began your research,
what you found, and how it advances your research field. It is important to
structure your research paper so that editors and readers can easily find
information. The widely adopted structure that research papers mostly
follow is the IMRaD format. IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods,
Results, and Discussion. Additional requirements from journals include an
abstract, keywords, acknowledgements, and references. This format helps
scientists to tell their story in an organized manner. Authors often find it
easier to write the IMRaD sections in a different order. However, the final
paper should be collated in the IMRaD format as follows:
Exceptions
Exceptions

• Case studies follow a slightly different format to the traditional

IMRAD format. They include the following extra sections:
• As mentioned above, most research publications follow the IMRAD
format. However, it is often easier to write each section in a different
order than that of the final paper.
• Authors recommend you organize the data first and then write the
sections as follows:
• Figures and tables: Decide how your data should be presented. You
can use graphics, tables or describe it in the text.
• Methods: It is important that anyone can use your methods to
reproduce your experiments.
• Results: Here you write only what the results of your experiments
were. You do not discuss them here.
• Discussion: This section requires analysis, thought, and a thorough
understanding of the literature.
• You need to discuss your results without repeating the results section.
• Conclusion: This section can either be under a sub-heading or the last
paragraph of the discussion. It should inform the reader how your
results advance the field.
• Introduction: Now that you have thought about your results in the
context of the literature, you can write your introduction.
• Abstract: This is an overview of your paper. Give a concise
background of the problem and how you tried to solve it. Next state
your main findings.
• Title: As discussed above, this needs to be concise as well as informative.
Ensure that it makes sense.
• Keywords: These are used for indexing. Keywords need to be specific. Often
you are not allowed to use words that appear in the journal name. Use
abbreviations with care and only well-established ones.
• Acknowledgements: This section is to thank anyone involved in the research
that does not qualify as an author.
• References: Check the “Guide for authors” for the formatting style. Be
accurate and do not include unnecessary references.
How to Conceptualize an Attractive Research Paper Title?

• Your research title is the first impression of your paper. A

good research paper title is a brief description of the topic, method,
sample, and results of your study. A useful formula you could use is:
• There are different ways to write a research paper title :
• Declarative
• State the main conclusions.
Example: Mixed strains of probiotics improve antibiotic associated
diarrhea.
• Descriptive
• Descriptive
• Describe the subject.
Example: Effects of mixed strains of probiotics on antibiotic
associated diarrhea.
• Interrogative
• Use a question for the subject.
Example: Do mixed strains of probiotics improve antibiotic associated
diarrhea?
• We recommend the following five top tips to conceptualize an
• We recommend the following five top tips to conceptualize an
attractive research title:
• Be concise
• Be descriptive
• Use a low word count (5-18 words)
• Check journal guidelines
• Avoid jargon and symbols
How to Conduct an Effective Literature Review

• The process of conducting a literature review can be overwhelming.

However, if you start with a clear research question, you can stay
focused.
Literature search:
• Search for articles related to your research question. Keep notes of the
search terms and keywords you use. A list of databases to search and
notes of the ones you have searched will prevent duplicate searches.
• Critically analyze the literature: Check each piece of literature for the
following to help you decide whether it is relevant to your research:
 What is their research question?

• - Are there potential conflicts of interest such as funders who may

want a particular result?
• - Are their methods sufficient to test the objectives?
• - Can you identify any flaws in the research?
• - Do their results make sense, or could there be other reasons for their
conclusion?
Are the authors respected in the field?

• - Has the research been cited?

• Introduction or discussion? There are distinct differences between the
way literature is written in the introduction versus the discussion .
• - Introduction: Here you introduce the topic. The introduction
describes the problem and identifies gaps in knowledge. It also
rationalizes your research.
• Discussion: Here you support and compare your results. Use the
literature to put your research in context with the current state of
knowledge. Furthermore, show how your research has advanced the
field.
How to Write a Good Research Paper Abstract

• The importance of research paper abstracts cannot be emphasized

enough. They are used by online databases to index large research
works. Therefore, critical keywords must be used.
• Editors and reviewers read an abstract to decide whether an article is
worth considering for publication. Readers use an abstract to decide
whether the research is relevant to them.
• A good research paper abstract is a concise and appealing synopsis of your
research. There are two ways to write an abstract:
structured and unstructured research abstracts. The author guidelines of the
journal you are submitting your research to will tell you the format they
require.
• The structured abstract has distinct sections with headings. This style enables
a reader to easily find the relevant information under clear headings
(objective, methods, results, and conclusion). Think of each section as a
question and provide a concise but detailed answer under each heading.
• The unstructured abstractis a narrative paragraph of your research. It is
similar to the structured abstract but does not contain headings. It
gives the context, findings, conclusion, and implications of your paper.
• How to Write a Compelling Introduction for a Research Paper
• The Introduction section of your research paper
introduces your research in the context of the knowledge in the field.
First introduce the topic including the problem you are addressing, the
importance of solving this problem, and known research and gaps in
the knowledge
• . Then narrow it down to your research questions and hypothesis.
• Tips to write an effective introduction for your research paper:
• Give broad background information about the problem.
• Write it in a logical manner so that the reader can follow your thought
process.
• Focus on the problem you intend to solve with your research
• Note any solutions in the literature thus far.
• Propose your solution to the problem with reasons.
• Done with drafting your research paper?
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How to Write the Materials and Methods Section of a Research
Paper

• When writing the Materials and Methods section of a research paper,

you need to give enough detail in your methods so that others can
reproduce your experiments. However, there is no need to detail
established experiments. Readers can find these details in the
previously published references you refer to in the methods. Follow
these
tips to write the Materials and Methods section of your research paper:
:
• Write in the past tense because you are reporting on procedures you
carried out.
• Avoid unnecessary details that disrupts the flow.
• Materials and equipments should be mentioned throughout the
procedure, rather than listed at the beginning of a section.
• Detail any ethics or consent requirements if your study included
humans or animal subjects.
• Use standard nomenclature and numbers.
• Ensure you have the correct control experiments.
• Methods should be listed logically.
• Detail statistical methods used to analyze your data.
• Here is a checklist of things that should be in your Materials and
Methods:
• References of previously published methods.
• Study settings: If the research involves studying a population, give
location and context of the site.
• Statistics: Criteria for including or excluding samples or subjects,
randomisation methods, details of investigator blinding to avoid bias,
appropriateness of statistical tests used for your study.
• Timeframes if relevant.
• How to Write the Results Section of a Research Paper
• Some journals combine the results and discussion section, whereas
others have separate headings for each section. If the two sections are
combined, you state the results of your research and discuss them
immediately afterwards, before presenting your next set of results.
The challenge is
• to present your data in a way that is logical and accurate. Set out your
results in the same order as you set out your methods.
• When writing the Results section of your research paper remember to
include:
• Control group data.
• Relevant statistical values such as p-values.
• Visual illustrations of your results such as figures and tables.
• Things that do not belong in the results section:
• Speculation or commentary about the results.
• References – you are reporting your own data.
• Do not repeat data in text if it has been presented in a table or graph.
• Keep the discussion section separate. Keep explanations,
interpretations, limitations, and comparisons to the literature for the
discussion.
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.
• Questions to get you started:
• 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.
• Interpret your results.
• Be concise and remove unnecessary words.
• Do not include results not presented in the result section.
• Ensure your conclusions are supported by your data.
How to Write the Conclusion of a Research Paper

• While writing the conclusion for your research paper, give a summary
of your research with emphasis on your findings. Again,
structuring the conclusion section of your research paper will make it
easier to draft this section. Here are some tips when writing the
conclusion of your paper:
• State what you set out to achieve.
• Tell the reader what your major findings were.
• How has your study contributed to the field?
• Mention any limitations.
• End with recommendations for future research.
• Having difficulties with understanding concepts on academic writing?
• Enago Learn can guide you through the manuscript preparation
process and help you achieve success
• You need to acknowledge the original work that you talk about in your
write-up. There are two reasons for this. First, cite someone’s idea to
avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is when you use words or ideas of others
without acknowledging them and this is a serious offence. Second,
readers will be able to source the literature you cited easily.
• This is done by citing works in your text and providing the full
reference for this citation in a reference list at the end of your
document.
• Tips for effective refencing/citations:
• Keep a detailed list of your references including author(s), publication,
year of publication, title, and page numbers.
• Insert a citation (either a number or author name) in-text as you write.
• List the full reference in a reference list according to the style required
by the publication.
• Pay attention to details as mistakes will misdirect readers.
• Try referencing software tools “cite while you write”. Examples of
such referencing software programs include: Mendeley,Endnote,
Refworks and Zotero.
• Preparing Figures
• Some quick tips about figures:
• Legends of graphs and tables must be self-explanatory.
• Use easily distinguishable symbols.
• Place long tables of data in the supplementary material.
• Include a scale bar in photographs.
• Preparing Tables
• Important pointers for tables:
• Check the author guidelines for table formatting requirements.
• Tables do not have vertical lines in publications.
• Legends must be self-explanatory.
• Assigning Authorship
• To qualify as an author on a paper, an individual must:
• Make substantial contributions to all stages of the research.
• Draft or revise the manuscript.
• Approve the final version of the article.
• Be accountable for the accuracy and integrity of the research.
• Unethical and unprofessional authorships have emerged over the
years. These include:
• Gift authorship: An individual is listed as a co-author in lieu of
funding or supervision.
• Ghost authorship: An author is paid to write an article but does not
contribute to the article in any other way.
• Guest authorship: An individual who is given authorship because they
are well known and respected in the field, or they are senior members
of staff.
• These authors pose a threat to research. Readers may override their
concerns with an article if it includes a well-respected co-author. This
is especially problematic when decisions about medical interventions
are concerned.
How to Write an Acknowledgment Section for a Research Paper

• Those who do not qualify as authors but have contributed to the

research should be given credit in the
acknowledgements section of your research paper. These include
funders, supervisors, administrative supporters, writing,
editing, and proofreading assistance.
• The contributions made by these individuals should be stated and
sometimes their written permission to be acknowledged is required by
editors.
• Points to Note from the Author Instructions Before Preparing the
Manuscript
• Check the author guidelines for your chosen publication before
submission. Publishers mostly have a “House Style” that ensures all
their manuscripts are consistent with regards to language, formatting,
and style. For example, these guidelines will tell you whether to use
UK or US English, which abbreviations are allowed, and how to
format figures and tables. They are also especially important for the
references section as each journal has their own style.
Proofreading/Editing your Manuscript

• Ensure that your manuscript is structured correctly, clearly written,

contains the correct technical language, and supports your claims with
proper evidence. To ensure the structure is correct, it is
essential to edit your paper.
• Once you are happy with the manuscript, proofread for small errors.
These could be spelling, consistency, spacing, and so forth.
Importantly, check that figures and tables include all the necessary
data and statistical values. Seek assistance from colleagues or
professional editing companies to edit and proofread your manuscript
too.
Pre-submission Peer-Review of Your Manuscript

• A pre-submission peer-review could improve the quality of articles

submitted to journals in general. The benefits include:
• A fresh eye to spot gaps or errors.
• Receiving constructive feedback on your work and writing.
• Improves the clarity of your paper.
• You could ask experienced colleagues, supervisors or even
professional editing services to review your article.
Tips For Writing An Effective Research Paper
• By following these research paper writing tips, you’ll be well-
equipped to create a well-structured, well-researched, and impactful
research paper:
• Select a Clear and Manageable Topic: Choose a topic that is specific
and focused enough to be thoroughly explored within the scope of
your paper.
• Conduct In-Depth Research: Gather information from reputable
sources such as academic journals, books, and credible websites. Take
thorough notes to keep track of your sources.
• Create a Strong Thesis Statement: Craft a clear and concise thesis
statement that outlines the main argument or purpose of your paper.
• Develop a Well-Structured Outline: Organize your ideas into a logical
order by creating an outline that outlines the main sections and their
supporting points.
• Compose a Captivating Introduction: Hook the reader with an
engaging introduction that provides background information and
introduces the thesis statement.
• Provide Clear and Relevant Evidence: Support your arguments with
reliable and relevant evidence, such as statistics, examples, and expert
opinions.
• Maintain Consistent Tone and Style: Keep a consistent tone and
writing style throughout the paper, adhering to the formatting
guidelines of your chosen citation style.
• Craft Coherent Paragraphs: Each paragraph should focus on a single
idea or point, and transitions should smoothly guide the reader from
one idea to the next.
• Use Active Voice: Write in the active voice to make your writing more
direct and engaging.
• Revise and Edit Thoroughly: Proofread your paper for grammatical
errors, spelling mistakes, and sentence structure. Revise for clarity and
coherence.
• Seek Peer Feedback: Have a peer or instructor review your paper for
feedback and suggestions.
• Cite Sources Properly: Accurately cite all sources using the required
citation style (e.g., MLA, APA) to avoid plagiarism and give credit to
original authors.
• Be Concise and Avoid Redundancy: Strive for clarity by eliminating
unnecessary words and redundancies.
• Conclude Effectively: Summarize your main points and restate your
thesis in the conclusion. Provide a sense of closure without
introducing new ideas.
• Stay Organized: Keep track of your sources, notes, and drafts to
ensure a structured and organized approach to the writing process.
• Proofread with Fresh Eyes: Take a break before final proofreading to
review your paper with a fresh perspective, helping you catch any
overlooked errors.
• Edit for Clarity: Ensure that your ideas are conveyed clearly and that
your arguments are easy to follow.
• Ask for Feedback: Don’t hesitate to ask for feedback from peers,
instructors, or writing centers to improve your paper further.
Conclusion

In conclusion, we’ve explored the essential steps to write a research

paper. From selecting a focused topic to mastering the intricacies of
citations, we’ve navigated through the key elements of this process.
• It’s vital to recognize that adhering to the research paper writing tips is
not merely a suggestion, but a roadmap to success. Each stage
contributes to the overall quality and impact of your paper. By
meticulously following these steps, you ensure a robust foundation for
your research, bolster your arguments, and present your findings with
clarity and conviction.
• As you embark on your own research paper journey, I urge you to put
into practice the techniques and insights shared in this guide. Don’t
shy away from investing time in organization, thorough research, and
precise writing. Embrace the challenge, for it’s through this process
that your ideas take shape and your voice is heard within the academic
discourse.
• Remember, every exceptional research paper begins with a single step.
And with each step you take, your ability to articulate complex ideas
and contribute to your field of study grows. So, go ahead – apply these
tips, refine your skills, and witness your research papers evolve into
compelling narratives that inspire, inform, and captivate.
• In the grand tapestry of academia, your research paper becomes a
thread of insight, woven into the larger narrative of human knowledge.
By embracing the writing process and nurturing your unique
perspective, you become an integral part of this ever-expanding
tapestry.