Components of a Research Paper

In this segment, the key components of a quality research paper will be identified and
discussed.

Learning Objectives

 Identify the components of a research paper.

Understanding Scholarly Journal Articles

Once a researcher goes through the process of conducting a research project, it is

Structure of a Research Paper

While academic disciplines vary on the exact format and style of journal articles in
their field, most articles contain similar content and are divided in parts that typically
follow the same logical flow. Following is a list of the parts commonly found in
research articles.

 Title
 Abstract
 Introduction
 Literature Review
 Methods
 Results
 Discussion/Conclusion
 References/Bibliography

Research papers are organized so that the information flow resembles an hourglass in
that it goes from general to specific and then back to general again. The introduction
and literature review sections will introduce the problem and provide general
information. The methods and results will provide specific, detailed information about
this research project and the discussion/conclusion will discuss the findings in a larger
context. The following section will describe each of these parts in more
detail. Additional information can be found in the Resources section of this module
and in the Suggested Readings.
Title

The title should be specific and indicate the problem the research project addresses
using keywords that will be helpful in literature reviews in the future.

Abstract

The abstract is used by readers to quickly review the overall content of the
paper. Journals typically place strict word limits on abstracts, such as 200 words,
making them a challenge to write. The abstract should provide a complete synopsis
of the research paper and should introduce the topic and the specific research
question, provide a statement regarding methodology and should provide a general
statement about the results and the findings. Because it is really a summary of the
entire research paper, it is often written last.

Introduction

The introduction begins by introducing the broad overall topic and providing basic
background information. It then narrows down to the specific research question
relating to this topic. It provides the purpose and focus for the rest of the paper and
sets up the justification for the research.

Literature Review

The purpose of the literature review is to describe past important research and it relate
it specifically to the research problem. It should be a synthesis of the previous
literature and the new idea being researched. The review should examine the major
theories related to the topic to date and their contributors. It should include all
relevant findings from credible sources, such as academic books and peer-reviewed
journal articles.

Methods

The methods section will describe the research design and methodology used to
complete to the study. The general rule of thumb is that readers should be provided
with enough detail to replicate the study.

Results

In this section, the results of the analysis are presented. How the results are presented
will depend upon whether the research study was quantitative or qualitative in
nature. This section should focus only on results that are directly related to the
research or the problem. Graphs and tables should only be used when there is too
much data to efficiently include it within the text. This section should present the
results, but not discuss their significance.

Discussion/Conclusion

This section should be a discussion of the results and the implications on the field, as
well as other fields. The hypothesis should be answered and validated by the
interpretation of the results. This section should also discuss how the results relate to
previous research mentioned in the literature review, any cautions about the findings,
and potential for future research.

References/Bibliography

The research paper is not complete without the list of references. This section should
be an alphabetized list of all the academic sources of information utilized in the
paper. The format of the references will match the format and style used in the
paper. Common formats include APA, MLA, Harvard and so forth.

Suggested Readings
 Belcher, W. (2009). Writing your journal article in 12 weeks: A guide to
academic publishing success. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Publications.
 Brookfield, S. D. (2011). Addressing feedback from reviewers and editors. In
Rocco, T.S. and Hatcher, T. (2011). The handbook of scholarly writing and
publishing. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Ellinger, A.D. (2011). Creating a whole from the parts: Qualities of good
writing. In Rocco, T.S. and Hatcher, T. (2011). The handbook of scholarly
writing and publishing. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Epstein, (2011). Writing with authority: Pitfalls and pitstops. In Rocco, T.S.
and Hatcher, T. (2011). The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Imel, S. Writing a literature review. In Rocco, T.S. and Hatcher, T. (2011).
The handbook of scholarly writing and publishing. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
 Jacobs,R. L. (2011). Developing a research problem and purpose statement. In
Rocco, T.S. and Hatcher, T. (2011). The handbook of scholarly writing and
publishing. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Lee, M. Finding voice. In Rocco, T.S. and Hatcher, T. (2011). The handbook
of scholarly writing and publishing. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Lindholm, J. A., Szelenyi, K., Hurtado, S., & Korn, W.S. (2005). The
American college teacher: National norms ofr the 2004-2005 HERI Faculty
Survey. Los Angeles: UCLA Higher Education Research Institute.
 Rocco, T. S. (2011). Reasons to write, writing opportunities, and other
considerations. In Rocco, T.S. and Hatcher, T. (2011). The handbook of
scholarly writing and publishing. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
 Wallace and Wray (2011). Scholary reading as a model for scholarly writing.
In Rocco, T.S. and Hatcher, T. (2011). The handbook of scholarly writing and
publishing. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.