Template For Academic Papers



[The Topic Of Your Paper Goes Here]

by

Your_First_Name Your_Last_Name

Submitted This_Month This_Number_Day, This_Year

Course_Title

Abstract

[Provide 75-200 words in paragraph form describing the main idea or "big picture". It should be less than 10% of your whole paper. Your text should summarize the main point(s) of your topic as an "abstract". Don't use more than 200 words. Don't use less than 75 words. This title page should fit on this page. You may add an appropriate graphic if you like below.]

Introduction

[Start typing the text of your paper here. To save paper, It is recommended that you do NOT indent the first line of your text for each paragraph. Please use this format for writing a paper in this course. All you have to do is type over the text in this paragraph and delete all of the brackets.]

[You can't write a good introduction until you know what the body of the paper says. Consider writing the introductory section(s) after you have completed the rest of the paper, rather than before.]

[Be sure to include a hook at the beginning of the introduction. This is a statement of something sufficiently interesting to motivate your reader to read the rest of the paper, it is an important/interesting problem that your paper either solves or addresses.]

[You can include the following into your Introduction:]

[Statement of the goal of the paper: why the study was undertaken, or why the paper was written. Do not repeat the abstract.]

[Sufficient background information to allow the reader to understand the context and significance of the question you are trying to address.]

[Proper acknowledgement of the previous work on which you are building.]

[Explain the scope of your work, what will and will not be included.]

Methodology

[Information to allow the reader to assess the believability of your results. Description of your materials, procedure, theory. Statement of limitations, assumptions, and range of validity.]

[Do not include descriptions of results.]

Results

[The results are actual statements of observations, including statistics, tables and graphs.]

[Mention negative results as well as positive. Do not interpret results - save that for the discussion.]

[Lay out the case as for a jury. Present sufficient details so that others can draw their own inferences and construct their own explanations.]

[Break up your results into logical segments by using subheadings]

[Key results should be stated in clear sentences at the beginning of paragraphs. It is far better to say "X had significant positive relationship with Y than to start with a less informative like "There is a significant relationship between X and Y". ]

Discussion

[Start with a few sentences that summarize the most important results. The discussion section should be a brief essay in itself, answering the following questions:

1. What are the major patterns in the observations?

2. What are the relationships, trends and generalizations among the results?

3. What are the exceptions to these patterns or generalizations?

4. What are the likely causes (mechanisms) underlying these patterns?

5. Is there agreement or disagreement with previous work?

6. Interpret results in terms of background laid out in the introduction - what is the relationship of the present results to the original question?

7. What is the implication of the present results?

8. Multiple hypotheses: There are usually several possible explanations for results. Be careful to consider all of these rather than simply pushing your favorite one.

9. Include the evidence or line of reasoning supporting each interpretation.

10. What is the significance of the present results: why should we care?]

[This section should be rich in references. However, Discussion section are often too long and verbose. Is there material that does not contribute to one of the elements listed above? If so, this may be material that you will want to consider deleting or moving. Break up the section into logical segments by using subheads.]

Conclusions

[What is the strongest and most important statement that you can make from your observations? ]

[If you met the reader at a meeting six months from now, what do you want them to remember about your paper? ]

[Refer back to problem posed, and describe the conclusions that you reached from carrying out this investigation, summarize new observations, new interpretations, and new insights that have resulted from the present work.]

[Include the broader implications of your results.]

[Do not repeat word for word the abstract, introduction or discussion.]

Summary

[Always include a summary for your paper at the end of your narrative section. It should NOT be identical to your abstract. Use a section heading, just like you see directly above this paragraph, for your summary. This is very good professional practice. Your summary paragraph should include up to 150 words. Avoid providing new material, content, or facts in a summary!]

References

[Begley, S. (1998, January 19). Aping language. Newsweek, 131, 56-58.]

[Recommended Requirements]

[Use a third-person narrative for the whole paper. That is, don't use "I", "me", "my", "you" pronouns.]

[State the important idea right away and then discuss it and how it impacts our existing field of knowledge.]

[When you make a key statement, provide a reference to your source.]

[Do include relevant images; this is encouraged and even expected.]

[Your paper should be "topical"; that is, it should have professional relevance about a particular subject. It should inform, persuade, explore, predict, analyze, or integrate ideas… thoughtfully.]

[Don't write about an excessively broad subject. Instead, choose a perspective that has the professional interest of your audience.]

[Use bullets, when appropriate.]

[Each of your paragraphs should have 3 or more related sentences. Each sentence should be spell checked. Each sentence should be grammatically correct and complete. Use just one space after every period; there is no need to use two spaces between sentences.]

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