what means research paper

I. Structure and Approach The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions for the reader: What is this? Why should I read it? What do you want me to think about / consider doing / react to? Think of the structure of the introduction as an inverted triangle of information. Organize the information so as to present the more general aspects of the topic early in the introduction, then narrow your analysis to more specific topical information that provides context, finally arriving at your research problem and the rationale for studying it and, whenever possible, a description of the potential outcomes your study can reveal. These are general phases associated with writing an introduction: 1.  Establish an area to research by: Highlighting the importance of the topic, and/or Making general statements about the topic, and/or Presenting an overview on current research on the subject. 2.  Identify a research niche by: Opposing an existing assumption, and/or Revealing a gap in existing research, and/or Formulating a research question or problem, and/or Continuing a disciplinary tradition. 3.  Place your research within the research niche by: Stating the intent of your study, Outlining the key characteristics of your study, Describing important results, and Giving a brief overview of the structure of the paper. NOTE: Even though the introduction is the first main section of a research paper, it is often useful to finish the introduction late in the writing process because the structure of the paper, the reporting and analysis of results, and the conclusion will have been completed. Reviewing and, if necessary, rewriting the introduction ensures that it correctly matches the overall structure of your final paper. II.  Delimitations of the Study Delimitations refer to those characteristics that limit the scope and define the.
Set the stage; state the problem (introduction) Topic: generally describe the topic and how it fits into your field of study Set the scene Describe the environment and its conditionsGet permission before using personal information Introduce and describe the problemDescribe what you intend to show/argue and why What is its significance?Illustrate the problem with an interesting example(Remember you are writing for an audience and want to capture their interest) Begin to define terms, concepts, vocabularyIf possible, use one authoritative source or combine definitions and footnote your sourcesLater in the development of your paper, be conscious of using new terms and their definitions Since tasks begun well, likely have good finishes (Sophocles) review the topic, scene, and problem with your teacher or supervisor to verify if you are on the right path Review the Literature What research is relevant?How is it organized? c.f.: Writing Center/University of Wisconsin's Review of literature Develop your Hypotheses Your hypothesis is your proposed explanation that you will test to determine whether it is true or falseIt will contain measurable variables (those that change or can be manipulated) with results that can be compared with each other.Avoid over-generalizing, and reference the research findings of others to support why you think this will workC.F. National Health Museum's Writing Hypotheses: a student lesson Methods Give enough information so that others can follow your procedure, and can replicate it (and hopefully come up with the same findings and conclusions as you did!) Describe your procedure as completely as possible so that someone can duplicate it completely Define your sample and its characteristicsThese should be consistent throughout the test List the variables usedThese are what change, or that you manipulate, throughout the test Try to anticipate.
Most university courses involve some sort of extended writing assignment, usually in the form of a research paper. Papers normally require that a student identify a broad area of research related to the course, focus the topic through some general background reading, identify a clear research question, marshal primary and secondary resources to answer the question, and present the argument in a clear and creative manner, with proper citations.  That is the theory, at least. But how do you go about doing it all? This brief guide provides some answers.  Teaching Yourself From the outset, keep in mind one important point: Writing a research paper is in part about learning how to teach yourself. Long after you leave college, you will continue learning about the world and its vast complexities. There is no better way to hone the skills of life-long learning than by writing individual research papers. The process forces you to ask good questions, find the sources to answer them, present your answers to an audience, and defend your answers against detractors. Those are skills that you will use in any profession you might eventually pursue.  The Five Commandments of Writing Research Papers To write first-rate research papers, follow the following simple rules—well, simple to repeat, but too often ignored by most undergraduates.  1. Thou shalt do some background reading, think hard, and speak with the professor in order to identify a topic.  At the beginning of a course, you will probably not know enough about the major scholarly topics that are of most importance in the field, the topics that are most well-covered in the secondary literature or the topics that have already had the life beaten out of them by successive generations of writers. You should begin by doing some general reading in the field. If nothing else, begin with the Encyclopaedia Britannica, a wonderful but.