literary research paper structure

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Tips for Structuring Your Writing

• Consider your reader and make your prose reader-friendly. Writing is more than just a way to demonstrate your knowledge.
• Address your research question explicitly by showing how you understand it. Explain how you interpret the research question and the significance/relevance of the research question before you move ahead into an argument or discussion.
• Provide a brief overview of the rest of your response: what resources — conceptual, methodological — are you bringing to the research question? How will you proceed?
• Define key terms before you begin a discourse about them. Even if you think your readers share an understanding of these terms, they want to see how you define them before moving ahead.
• When citing, do not assume your readers understand the whole framework of the text. Give your reader an overview before proceeding. Treat the material dialectically, meaning that you show your reader how a “branch of knowledge” or a “school of thought” relates to other branches or schools, how the branch you are dealing with is divided, and how the various parts relate to each other. Be systematic, but also be critical, where appropriate.
• State your thesis clearly. What is your position? Explain how you will back up your claim.
• Present obvious counter-arguments to your claim clearly and refute them systematically using strong evidence and clear reasoning (see box below for addressing counter-arguments) Do not dismiss counter-arguments out of hand without first engaging them.
• In your writing, alternate between the conceptual and the concrete (we discussed this practice in a previous chapter). In other words, when you discuss a concept, show us how it applies to a particular case. When you discuss a case, explain which concepts you use to make sense of it.
• Explain the warrants — logical connections — as you move your reader from thought to thought or from claim to claim. Make sure your readers can follow your connections and that they make sense logically.
• Avoid common stylistic errors such as the use of vague pronouns (“it” and “this” are the usual suspects), passive voice sentences that hide agency, and common punctuation problems such as comma splices

Presenting Courter Arguments

You should assume your audience will look with skepticism at your thesis. They will be considering alternative claims and will be looking for weaknesses in your argument. You should, therefore, address the reader’s questions and concerns clearly and directly by putting yourself in the reader’s shoes, imagining these possible questions and concerns, and addressing them one by one.

One approach is to present counter-arguments other critics have made and then contrast the weaknesses in their arguments to the strengths in yours. Sometimes you may not be able to find counter-arguments to your thesis in other publications. In that case, you should imagine possible objections to your arguments and state them clearly in your paper before refuting them with evidence and persuasive reasoning.

This process of argument/counter-argument is what you would expect in a courtroom trial where a prosecutor and defense attorney take turns building up their own arguments and tearing down arguments from the opposing side. In most academic papers, your tone will be civil. In general, there is no need to berate a scholar who happens to be wrong. The 16th-century astronomer Tycho Brahe believed that the sun orbited the Earth. It doesn’t help your case to write, “Tycho Brahe! What a loser!” Instead, you should explain why Brahe believed what he did and then explain that he was lacking the information or the perspective that you have now.

Basic Structure of Academic Writing

The structure described below is a bare-bones, basic framework for college writing. You are not locked into it (unless your instructor says so) and there are many other structures, but this one will do for most research papers.

• Reference your thesis statement, theory, method, or topic; name the author and title of the work being analyzed.
• Example: The Downfall of the Southern Gentry: A Marxist Reading of Faulkner’s “Barn Burning.”

2. Introduction  (usually one paragraph)

• Attention-getting opener: problem, anecdote, question, quote, analogy, definition, or example
• Narrowing of general topic
• Research question
• Clarifies specific topic, purpose, and focus (your particular point or perspective about topic)
• Does not “announce” these things (“In this paper I will”) but explains why the claim is significant or necessary.
• Usually the last sentence of introduction paragraph
• The rest of the paper supports and explains the claim made in the thesis
• In your transition from the thesis statement to the body (main part) of the essay, you lead the reader through your argument and its relevance. Avoid the temptation to merely summarize a literary work. You may, if you choose, present a preview of your argument while summarizing the literary work along the way.
• Topic sentence: each paragraph has a topic sentence that states the main idea of the paragraph
• Evidence includes direct quotations from the text; try to avoid long quotes by paraphrasing or by breaking them into smaller parts.
• Never include a quotation without framing it within your argument. Introduce the quote, then present the quote, then comment on it.
• Climactic order: your best or most significant idea should be discussed in your last body paragraph

4. Conclusion  (usually one paragraph)

• Reaffirm thesis: don’t use exactly the same sentence, but remind reader of the main idea
• Finish with a broad point or generalization, a suggestion for further research, or a rhetorical question
• Don’t bring up new ideas or points regarding your thesis in your conclusion; all support should stay in the body of the essay.

Wendy Belcher’s Writing Your Journal Article in 12 Weeks provides excellent advice for structuring your research paper:

“Structure is the organization of your argument and the evidence for your argument. When each part of your article leads logically to the next part, you have a coherent structure” (172). Structures allow your reader to make logical connections as they move through your ideas. They also help you, as you are writing, to connect your ideas into a greater whole.

Belcher identifies two types of structure: micro (paragraph level) and macro (paper level):

Micro-Structure (Paragraph Level)

• Description : provides information about a topic and answers who, what, where, and when. Includes “for example,” “such as,” and “that is.”
• Sequence : chronological or procedural information such as background, histories, and experiments. Includes: “before,” “after,” and “more recently.”
• Causation : cause and effect relationships. Includes “because,” “thus,” and “therefore.”
• Problem/solution : asks and answers questions. Includes “argues that,” “proposes,” and “responds.”
• Comparison : differences and similarities. Includes “in contrast,” “instead,” and “on the other hand” (173).

Macro-Structure (Project Level)

In general terms, you should start with an introduction that focuses the reader’s attention, then provide background, propose your argument, provide evidence, confront counter-arguments, and state a conclusion. Most undergraduate essays follow the structure of topic, thesis, evidence, and conclusion. More specifically, you introduce the problem, discuss critical approaches, apply the approach, speculate on implications, and conclude (Belcher, 180).

Two millennia ago, Roman scholars Cicero and Quintilian developed the six-part structure of argumentative presentation that we use to this day.

• Introduction ( exordium ).  The beginning in which you give your main argument and relevant information.
• Statement of the case ( narratio ) . Discuss the facts and qualities of the case. For a paper on literary studies, the “case” is the literary work you are examining.
• Outline of the major points in the argument ( divisio  or  partitio ) . Present the disputed issues and list the arguments in the order you will present them.
• Proof of the case ( confirmatio ) . Validate the statements in the  narratio  and  divisio .
• Refutation of possible opposing arguments ( confutatio ) . Anticipate disagreements and refute them.
• Conclusion ( peroratio ) . Sum up your arguments.

Structure helps your reader stay connected to the flow of your ideas. Belcher offers the following advice for organizing your ideas in a reader-friendly way:

Principles of Organization 

• “Go from what your readers know to what they don’t know. That is, start with the familiar.”
• “Go from the simple to the complex. Get your reader comfortable before introducing the difficult.”
• “Go from the uncontested to the more contested. Readers who have been convinced to believe one thing may be more easily believe the next.”
• “Go from the general to the particular. Start with the large picture and then focus on the details.”
• “Go chronologically from the past to the present (This common structure is not always the best one for your particular argument and evidence).”
• “Go spatially through a succession of linked objects, as if on a guided tour. This works particularly well for art history, geography, and so on.” (Belcher, 174)

Solving Structural Problems

To maintain your paper’s coherence, connect every sentence to the next sentence. The same is true of paragraphs (182). Below are additional strategies you should use to organize your paper.

• Use Subheads:  Subheads help the author and the reader to group information (182-183).
• Use Summary:  Peter Elbow writes, “Good summaries move the article forward by articulating what has been said and what will be said. Good summaries are not simplistic, verbatim restatements” (183).
• Organize around your argument:  Relate all particulars (evidence and proofs) to your argument.
• Stay on topic.  Don’t digress. Ask yourself whether each particular claim is relevant to your main argument (184).
• Develop examples evenly:  Develop all of your sections equally. Don’t treat one part of your argument at length and another with a brief statement (185)
• Do not use a discovery structure:  Structure your presentation based on evidence (not on your discovery process). Organize notes in the data collection stage around themes and topics. Your structure will emerge from these themes and topics (183).
• Do not use the “mystery novel” structure :  State your argument up front. Tell people where you are going, then lead them through your evidence (183).

Strategies for Conducting Literary Research Copyright © 2021 by Barry Mauer, John Venecek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Writing a Literature Review

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A literature review is a document or section of a document that collects key sources on a topic and discusses those sources in conversation with each other (also called synthesis ). The lit review is an important genre in many disciplines, not just literature (i.e., the study of works of literature such as novels and plays). When we say “literature review” or refer to “the literature,” we are talking about the research ( scholarship ) in a given field. You will often see the terms “the research,” “the scholarship,” and “the literature” used mostly interchangeably.

Where, when, and why would I write a lit review?

There are a number of different situations where you might write a literature review, each with slightly different expectations; different disciplines, too, have field-specific expectations for what a literature review is and does. For instance, in the humanities, authors might include more overt argumentation and interpretation of source material in their literature reviews, whereas in the sciences, authors are more likely to report study designs and results in their literature reviews; these differences reflect these disciplines’ purposes and conventions in scholarship. You should always look at examples from your own discipline and talk to professors or mentors in your field to be sure you understand your discipline’s conventions, for literature reviews as well as for any other genre.

A literature review can be a part of a research paper or scholarly article, usually falling after the introduction and before the research methods sections. In these cases, the lit review just needs to cover scholarship that is important to the issue you are writing about; sometimes it will also cover key sources that informed your research methodology.

Lit reviews can also be standalone pieces, either as assignments in a class or as publications. In a class, a lit review may be assigned to help students familiarize themselves with a topic and with scholarship in their field, get an idea of the other researchers working on the topic they’re interested in, find gaps in existing research in order to propose new projects, and/or develop a theoretical framework and methodology for later research. As a publication, a lit review usually is meant to help make other scholars’ lives easier by collecting and summarizing, synthesizing, and analyzing existing research on a topic. This can be especially helpful for students or scholars getting into a new research area, or for directing an entire community of scholars toward questions that have not yet been answered.

What are the parts of a lit review?

Most lit reviews use a basic introduction-body-conclusion structure; if your lit review is part of a larger paper, the introduction and conclusion pieces may be just a few sentences while you focus most of your attention on the body. If your lit review is a standalone piece, the introduction and conclusion take up more space and give you a place to discuss your goals, research methods, and conclusions separately from where you discuss the literature itself.

Introduction:

• An introductory paragraph that explains what your working topic and thesis is
• A forecast of key topics or texts that will appear in the review
• Potentially, a description of how you found sources and how you analyzed them for inclusion and discussion in the review (more often found in published, standalone literature reviews than in lit review sections in an article or research paper)
• Summarize and synthesize: Give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
• Analyze and interpret: Don’t just paraphrase other researchers – add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
• Critically Evaluate: Mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
• Write in well-structured paragraphs: Use transition words and topic sentence to draw connections, comparisons, and contrasts.

Conclusion:

• Summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance
• Connect it back to your primary research question

How should I organize my lit review?

Lit reviews can take many different organizational patterns depending on what you are trying to accomplish with the review. Here are some examples:

• Chronological : The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time, which helps familiarize the audience with the topic (for instance if you are introducing something that is not commonly known in your field). If you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order. Try to analyze the patterns, turning points, and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred (as mentioned previously, this may not be appropriate in your discipline — check with a teacher or mentor if you’re unsure).
• Thematic : If you have found some recurring central themes that you will continue working with throughout your piece, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic. For example, if you are reviewing literature about women and religion, key themes can include the role of women in churches and the religious attitude towards women.
• Qualitative versus quantitative research
• Empirical versus theoretical scholarship
• Divide the research by sociological, historical, or cultural sources
• Theoretical : In many humanities articles, the literature review is the foundation for the theoretical framework. You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts. You can argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach or combine various theorical concepts to create a framework for your research.

What are some strategies or tips I can use while writing my lit review?

Any lit review is only as good as the research it discusses; make sure your sources are well-chosen and your research is thorough. Don’t be afraid to do more research if you discover a new thread as you’re writing. More info on the research process is available in our "Conducting Research" resources .

As you’re doing your research, create an annotated bibliography ( see our page on the this type of document ). Much of the information used in an annotated bibliography can be used also in a literature review, so you’ll be not only partially drafting your lit review as you research, but also developing your sense of the larger conversation going on among scholars, professionals, and any other stakeholders in your topic.

Usually you will need to synthesize research rather than just summarizing it. This means drawing connections between sources to create a picture of the scholarly conversation on a topic over time. Many student writers struggle to synthesize because they feel they don’t have anything to add to the scholars they are citing; here are some strategies to help you:

• It often helps to remember that the point of these kinds of syntheses is to show your readers how you understand your research, to help them read the rest of your paper.
• Writing teachers often say synthesis is like hosting a dinner party: imagine all your sources are together in a room, discussing your topic. What are they saying to each other?
• Look at the in-text citations in each paragraph. Are you citing just one source for each paragraph? This usually indicates summary only. When you have multiple sources cited in a paragraph, you are more likely to be synthesizing them (not always, but often
• Read more about synthesis here.

The most interesting literature reviews are often written as arguments (again, as mentioned at the beginning of the page, this is discipline-specific and doesn’t work for all situations). Often, the literature review is where you can establish your research as filling a particular gap or as relevant in a particular way. You have some chance to do this in your introduction in an article, but the literature review section gives a more extended opportunity to establish the conversation in the way you would like your readers to see it. You can choose the intellectual lineage you would like to be part of and whose definitions matter most to your thinking (mostly humanities-specific, but this goes for sciences as well). In addressing these points, you argue for your place in the conversation, which tends to make the lit review more compelling than a simple reporting of other sources.

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Research Paper – Structure, Examples and Writing Guide

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Research Paper

Definition:

Research Paper is a written document that presents the author’s original research, analysis, and interpretation of a specific topic or issue.

It is typically based on Empirical Evidence, and may involve qualitative or quantitative research methods, or a combination of both. The purpose of a research paper is to contribute new knowledge or insights to a particular field of study, and to demonstrate the author’s understanding of the existing literature and theories related to the topic.

Structure of Research Paper

The structure of a research paper typically follows a standard format, consisting of several sections that convey specific information about the research study. The following is a detailed explanation of the structure of a research paper:

The title page contains the title of the paper, the name(s) of the author(s), and the affiliation(s) of the author(s). It also includes the date of submission and possibly, the name of the journal or conference where the paper is to be published.

The abstract is a brief summary of the research paper, typically ranging from 100 to 250 words. It should include the research question, the methods used, the key findings, and the implications of the results. The abstract should be written in a concise and clear manner to allow readers to quickly grasp the essence of the research.

Introduction

The introduction section of a research paper provides background information about the research problem, the research question, and the research objectives. It also outlines the significance of the research, the research gap that it aims to fill, and the approach taken to address the research question. Finally, the introduction section ends with a clear statement of the research hypothesis or research question.

Literature Review

The literature review section of a research paper provides an overview of the existing literature on the topic of study. It includes a critical analysis and synthesis of the literature, highlighting the key concepts, themes, and debates. The literature review should also demonstrate the research gap and how the current study seeks to address it.

The methods section of a research paper describes the research design, the sample selection, the data collection and analysis procedures, and the statistical methods used to analyze the data. This section should provide sufficient detail for other researchers to replicate the study.

The results section presents the findings of the research, using tables, graphs, and figures to illustrate the data. The findings should be presented in a clear and concise manner, with reference to the research question and hypothesis.

The discussion section of a research paper interprets the findings and discusses their implications for the research question, the literature review, and the field of study. It should also address the limitations of the study and suggest future research directions.

The conclusion section summarizes the main findings of the study, restates the research question and hypothesis, and provides a final reflection on the significance of the research.

The references section provides a list of all the sources cited in the paper, following a specific citation style such as APA, MLA or Chicago.

How to Write Research Paper

You can write Research Paper by the following guide:

• Choose a Topic: The first step is to select a topic that interests you and is relevant to your field of study. Brainstorm ideas and narrow down to a research question that is specific and researchable.
• Conduct a Literature Review: The literature review helps you identify the gap in the existing research and provides a basis for your research question. It also helps you to develop a theoretical framework and research hypothesis.
• Develop a Thesis Statement : The thesis statement is the main argument of your research paper. It should be clear, concise and specific to your research question.
• Plan your Research: Develop a research plan that outlines the methods, data sources, and data analysis procedures. This will help you to collect and analyze data effectively.
• Collect and Analyze Data: Collect data using various methods such as surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments. Analyze data using statistical tools or other qualitative methods.
• Organize your Paper : Organize your paper into sections such as Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Ensure that each section is coherent and follows a logical flow.
• Write your Paper : Start by writing the introduction, followed by the literature review, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. Ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and follows the required formatting and citation styles.
• Edit and Proofread your Paper: Review your paper for grammar and spelling errors, and ensure that it is well-structured and easy to read. Ask someone else to review your paper to get feedback and suggestions for improvement.
• Cite your Sources: Ensure that you properly cite all sources used in your research paper. This is essential for giving credit to the original authors and avoiding plagiarism.

Research Paper Example

Note : The below example research paper is for illustrative purposes only and is not an actual research paper. Actual research papers may have different structures, contents, and formats depending on the field of study, research question, data collection and analysis methods, and other factors. Students should always consult with their professors or supervisors for specific guidelines and expectations for their research papers.

Research Paper Example sample for Students:

Title: The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health among Young Adults

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the impact of social media use on the mental health of young adults. A literature review was conducted to examine the existing research on the topic. A survey was then administered to 200 university students to collect data on their social media use, mental health status, and perceived impact of social media on their mental health. The results showed that social media use is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. The study also found that social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) are significant predictors of mental health problems among young adults.

Introduction: Social media has become an integral part of modern life, particularly among young adults. While social media has many benefits, including increased communication and social connectivity, it has also been associated with negative outcomes, such as addiction, cyberbullying, and mental health problems. This study aims to investigate the impact of social media use on the mental health of young adults.

Literature Review: The literature review highlights the existing research on the impact of social media use on mental health. The review shows that social media use is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health problems. The review also identifies the factors that contribute to the negative impact of social media, including social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO.

Methods : A survey was administered to 200 university students to collect data on their social media use, mental health status, and perceived impact of social media on their mental health. The survey included questions on social media use, mental health status (measured using the DASS-21), and perceived impact of social media on their mental health. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

Results : The results showed that social media use is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. The study also found that social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO are significant predictors of mental health problems among young adults.

Discussion : The study’s findings suggest that social media use has a negative impact on the mental health of young adults. The study highlights the need for interventions that address the factors contributing to the negative impact of social media, such as social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO.

Conclusion : In conclusion, social media use has a significant impact on the mental health of young adults. The study’s findings underscore the need for interventions that promote healthy social media use and address the negative outcomes associated with social media use. Future research can explore the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing the negative impact of social media on mental health. Additionally, longitudinal studies can investigate the long-term effects of social media use on mental health.

Limitations : The study has some limitations, including the use of self-report measures and a cross-sectional design. The use of self-report measures may result in biased responses, and a cross-sectional design limits the ability to establish causality.

Implications: The study’s findings have implications for mental health professionals, educators, and policymakers. Mental health professionals can use the findings to develop interventions that address the negative impact of social media use on mental health. Educators can incorporate social media literacy into their curriculum to promote healthy social media use among young adults. Policymakers can use the findings to develop policies that protect young adults from the negative outcomes associated with social media use.

References :

• Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive medicine reports, 15, 100918.
• Primack, B. A., Shensa, A., Escobar-Viera, C. G., Barrett, E. L., Sidani, J. E., Colditz, J. B., … & James, A. E. (2017). Use of multiple social media platforms and symptoms of depression and anxiety: A nationally-representative study among US young adults. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 1-9.
• Van der Meer, T. G., & Verhoeven, J. W. (2017). Social media and its impact on academic performance of students. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 16, 383-398.

Appendix : The survey used in this study is provided below.

Social Media and Mental Health Survey

• How often do you use social media per day?
• Less than 30 minutes
• 30 minutes to 1 hour
• 1 to 2 hours
• 2 to 4 hours
• More than 4 hours
• Which social media platforms do you use?
• Others (Please specify)
• How often do you experience the following on social media?
• Social comparison (comparing yourself to others)
• Cyberbullying
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
• Have you ever experienced any of the following mental health problems in the past month?
• Do you think social media use has a positive or negative impact on your mental health?
• Very positive
• Somewhat positive
• Somewhat negative
• Very negative
• In your opinion, which factors contribute to the negative impact of social media on mental health?
• Social comparison
• In your opinion, what interventions could be effective in reducing the negative impact of social media on mental health?
• Education on healthy social media use
• Counseling for mental health problems caused by social media
• Social media detox programs
• Regulation of social media use

Thank you for your participation!

Applications of Research Paper

Research papers have several applications in various fields, including:

• Advancing knowledge: Research papers contribute to the advancement of knowledge by generating new insights, theories, and findings that can inform future research and practice. They help to answer important questions, clarify existing knowledge, and identify areas that require further investigation.
• Informing policy: Research papers can inform policy decisions by providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers. They can help to identify gaps in current policies, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and inform the development of new policies and regulations.
• Improving practice: Research papers can improve practice by providing evidence-based guidance for professionals in various fields, including medicine, education, business, and psychology. They can inform the development of best practices, guidelines, and standards of care that can improve outcomes for individuals and organizations.
• Educating students : Research papers are often used as teaching tools in universities and colleges to educate students about research methods, data analysis, and academic writing. They help students to develop critical thinking skills, research skills, and communication skills that are essential for success in many careers.
• Fostering collaboration: Research papers can foster collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers by providing a platform for sharing knowledge and ideas. They can facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships that can lead to innovative solutions to complex problems.

When to Write Research Paper

Research papers are typically written when a person has completed a research project or when they have conducted a study and have obtained data or findings that they want to share with the academic or professional community. Research papers are usually written in academic settings, such as universities, but they can also be written in professional settings, such as research organizations, government agencies, or private companies.

Here are some common situations where a person might need to write a research paper:

• For academic purposes: Students in universities and colleges are often required to write research papers as part of their coursework, particularly in the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. Writing research papers helps students to develop research skills, critical thinking skills, and academic writing skills.
• For publication: Researchers often write research papers to publish their findings in academic journals or to present their work at academic conferences. Publishing research papers is an important way to disseminate research findings to the academic community and to establish oneself as an expert in a particular field.
• To inform policy or practice : Researchers may write research papers to inform policy decisions or to improve practice in various fields. Research findings can be used to inform the development of policies, guidelines, and best practices that can improve outcomes for individuals and organizations.
• To share new insights or ideas: Researchers may write research papers to share new insights or ideas with the academic or professional community. They may present new theories, propose new research methods, or challenge existing paradigms in their field.

Purpose of Research Paper

The purpose of a research paper is to present the results of a study or investigation in a clear, concise, and structured manner. Research papers are written to communicate new knowledge, ideas, or findings to a specific audience, such as researchers, scholars, practitioners, or policymakers. The primary purposes of a research paper are:

• To contribute to the body of knowledge : Research papers aim to add new knowledge or insights to a particular field or discipline. They do this by reporting the results of empirical studies, reviewing and synthesizing existing literature, proposing new theories, or providing new perspectives on a topic.
• To inform or persuade: Research papers are written to inform or persuade the reader about a particular issue, topic, or phenomenon. They present evidence and arguments to support their claims and seek to persuade the reader of the validity of their findings or recommendations.
• To advance the field: Research papers seek to advance the field or discipline by identifying gaps in knowledge, proposing new research questions or approaches, or challenging existing assumptions or paradigms. They aim to contribute to ongoing debates and discussions within a field and to stimulate further research and inquiry.
• To demonstrate research skills: Research papers demonstrate the author’s research skills, including their ability to design and conduct a study, collect and analyze data, and interpret and communicate findings. They also demonstrate the author’s ability to critically evaluate existing literature, synthesize information from multiple sources, and write in a clear and structured manner.

Characteristics of Research Paper

Research papers have several characteristics that distinguish them from other forms of academic or professional writing. Here are some common characteristics of research papers:

• Evidence-based: Research papers are based on empirical evidence, which is collected through rigorous research methods such as experiments, surveys, observations, or interviews. They rely on objective data and facts to support their claims and conclusions.
• Structured and organized: Research papers have a clear and logical structure, with sections such as introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. They are organized in a way that helps the reader to follow the argument and understand the findings.
• Formal and objective: Research papers are written in a formal and objective tone, with an emphasis on clarity, precision, and accuracy. They avoid subjective language or personal opinions and instead rely on objective data and analysis to support their arguments.
• Citations and references: Research papers include citations and references to acknowledge the sources of information and ideas used in the paper. They use a specific citation style, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago, to ensure consistency and accuracy.
• Peer-reviewed: Research papers are often peer-reviewed, which means they are evaluated by other experts in the field before they are published. Peer-review ensures that the research is of high quality, meets ethical standards, and contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field.
• Objective and unbiased: Research papers strive to be objective and unbiased in their presentation of the findings. They avoid personal biases or preconceptions and instead rely on the data and analysis to draw conclusions.

Advantages of Research Paper

Research papers have many advantages, both for the individual researcher and for the broader academic and professional community. Here are some advantages of research papers:

• Contribution to knowledge: Research papers contribute to the body of knowledge in a particular field or discipline. They add new information, insights, and perspectives to existing literature and help advance the understanding of a particular phenomenon or issue.
• Opportunity for intellectual growth: Research papers provide an opportunity for intellectual growth for the researcher. They require critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, which can help develop the researcher’s skills and knowledge.
• Career advancement: Research papers can help advance the researcher’s career by demonstrating their expertise and contributions to the field. They can also lead to new research opportunities, collaborations, and funding.
• Academic recognition: Research papers can lead to academic recognition in the form of awards, grants, or invitations to speak at conferences or events. They can also contribute to the researcher’s reputation and standing in the field.
• Impact on policy and practice: Research papers can have a significant impact on policy and practice. They can inform policy decisions, guide practice, and lead to changes in laws, regulations, or procedures.
• Advancement of society: Research papers can contribute to the advancement of society by addressing important issues, identifying solutions to problems, and promoting social justice and equality.

Limitations of Research Paper

Research papers also have some limitations that should be considered when interpreting their findings or implications. Here are some common limitations of research papers:

• Limited generalizability: Research findings may not be generalizable to other populations, settings, or contexts. Studies often use specific samples or conditions that may not reflect the broader population or real-world situations.
• Potential for bias : Research papers may be biased due to factors such as sample selection, measurement errors, or researcher biases. It is important to evaluate the quality of the research design and methods used to ensure that the findings are valid and reliable.
• Ethical concerns: Research papers may raise ethical concerns, such as the use of vulnerable populations or invasive procedures. Researchers must adhere to ethical guidelines and obtain informed consent from participants to ensure that the research is conducted in a responsible and respectful manner.
• Limitations of methodology: Research papers may be limited by the methodology used to collect and analyze data. For example, certain research methods may not capture the complexity or nuance of a particular phenomenon, or may not be appropriate for certain research questions.
• Publication bias: Research papers may be subject to publication bias, where positive or significant findings are more likely to be published than negative or non-significant findings. This can skew the overall findings of a particular area of research.
• Time and resource constraints: Research papers may be limited by time and resource constraints, which can affect the quality and scope of the research. Researchers may not have access to certain data or resources, or may be unable to conduct long-term studies due to practical limitations.

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Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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Literary Research Paper Structure

A three page PDF that provides a general outline for a literary research paper.  Each point, sub-point, etc. of the outline provides advice on organization and content. 

Writing Academic Prose

Barry Mauer and John Venecek

We discuss the following topics on this page:

Writing Guidelines

The retyping method, the craft of writing, the word “i”.

We also provide the following activities:

Writing Guidelines [Refresher]

Writing academic prose [refresher].

Writing guidelines are standards for achieving consistency, clarity, and precision in your writing, which enables readers to better appreciate your ideas.

Your reader should not have to struggle with prose that is confusing, wordy, vague, or poorly structured. Use these guidelines to keep your writing strong and reader-friendly.

• “F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote  The Great Gatsby ,” is an example of an active voice sentence; “F. Scott Fitzgerald” is the subject and “wrote” is the verb.
• “ The Great Gatsby  was written by F. Scott Fitzgerald” is an example of a passive voice sentence.

Active voice sentences engage the reader. The subject and verb are closer together, which strengthens the logical connection between them. Passive voice sentences typically lead to wordiness. In the examples above, the passive voice sentence contains two extra words. Your sentences should be no longer than necessary to convey the required information; we don’t want readers to work more than necessary. Passive voice sentences are appropriate when the focus is on the object of the sentence. For example, we could say that a literary work “was released as a special edition.” In this example, we are not concerned with who  released the special edition (which would be the subject of the sentence), but only  that  it was released. The most problematic passive voice sentences are those in which a subject is expected but is absent. For example, “ The Great Gatsby  was written” is a complete sentence but is inappropriate for a scholarly paper.

• Use logical connecting words to make the relationships of ideas clear to your reader. Logical connecting words include “because,” “since,” “therefore,” “although,” “however,” “thus,” “if . . . then,” “both . . . and,” “neither . . . nor,” and “from . . . to.”
• Don’t write: “It is obvious that there are many ways in which Zora Neal Hurston’s childhood impacted her writing.”
• Instead: “Zora Neal Hurston’s childhood impacted her writing in many ways.”
• Don’t write: “It is important to know that there is a lot of interest in this text from scholars.”
• Instead: “Scholars show significant interest in this text.”
• Don’t write: “ In  light  of evidence from the end of the eighteenth century about the process of printing, an improvement in technological means was occurring.”
• Instead: “Printing technology improved near the end of the eighteenth century.”
• Don’t write: “Fitzgerald wrote  The Great Gatsby  about a group of fictional characters, focusing on a millionaire (Gatsby) and his obsession with Daisy Buchanan in the Jazz Age. This (???) makes for a great meditation on the American Dream.”
• Instead: Follow “this” or “which” with a specific noun as in “This novel  makes for a great meditation on the American Dream.”
• Without citation
• Don’t write: “Fitzgerald also wrote ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’”.
• Instead: “Fitzgerald also wrote ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.’”
• With Citation
• Don’t write: “Fitzgerald also wrote ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.’” (Zeeber and Kooki, 2012)
• Instead: “Fitzgerald also wrote ‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’” (Zeeber and Kooki, 2012).

Colons and semicolons go outside end quotation marks, unless they are part of the quotation.

• Do not use “their” when you mean “there” or “they’re.”  Homonyms are words with the same sound but different spellings and meanings.
• Know when to put titles in quotation marks or italics.  Titles of essays, short stories, songs, and shorter poems go in quotation marks. Italicize the following: very long poems, book titles, movie titles, television series, comic strips, record album titles, magazines, and newspapers. Do not put your own paper title in quotation marks. Do not end your own title with a period. If your paper’s title includes the title of another work, such as a novel or short story, be sure to italicize or use quotation marks, using the guidelines above.
• Don’t write: “People that live in glass houses should not throw stones.”
• Instead: “People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”
• Don’t write: “Gatsby is a man given to obsession, he thinks about Daisy without stop.”
• Instead: replace the comma with either a semi-colon or a period, or you may simply add a conjunction (such as the word “and”) after the comma. “Gatsby is a man given to obsession; he thinks about Daisy without stop.”
• Don’t write:: “Expecting an important call, the telephone was always at Gatsby’s side.” Telephones don’t “expect.”
• Instead: “Expecting an important call, Gatsby stayed close to the telephone.”
• Don’t write: “Gatsby liked to play and winning.” (Mixes an infinitive, “to play” and a present participle, “winning.”)
• Instead: “Gatsby liked playing and winning” or “Gatsby liked to play and win.”
• Don’t write: “Gatsby was not fully cognizant of the dangers.”
• Instead: “Gatsby was not fully aware of the dangers.”

Scholars should aim to write without reproducing sexist language and stereotypes. See this Guide to nonsexist language  from the University of Arizona.

A collection of handouts about revising your prose can be found in the following link: The Paramedic Method [1]

If the above instructions are too challenging, there is a shortcut. You can learn what good writing is through your fingertips. When Dr. Mauer, one of the authors of this textbook, was a graduate student, his professor told him that his writing style did not meet the standards for graduate-level work. Mauer admitted that his writing needed improvement, but told his professor he “had good ideas.” The professor answered: “If your writing is not clear to your reader, you have no ideas .” This professor provided valuable help; he rewrote the first two pages of Mauer’s paper in his own crystal-clear style and gave Mauer the following assignment: “Retype these two pages, exactly as I have written them, without thinking about it.”

Mauer felt, in his fingers, what it was like to write like a master! He could feel the rhythm of the complex sentences with their dependent clauses, the power of the active verbs, and the flow of the paragraphs. He grasped the placement of the thesis, the structure of the arguments, and the arrangement of the appeals. This assignment did more to help him learn the patterns of good writing than did all his other writing instruction.

We can learn the rules for punctuation, grammar, and structure, and still not know how to write effectively. Just learning the rules is not enough. We needed training to learn the right habits.

If you are struggling to write effective academic prose, do the following:

• Find a published academic essay, the best example of writing you can find in the scholarly literature. If you’re not sure what qualifies, ask your instructor.
• Retype the first two pages.
• Add the following statement: “I did not copy-and-paste this text; I typed all of it myself.” Sign your name.
• Share it with someone else (your instructor, if permitted).

This exercise gets you away from all the emphasis on “rule learning” and the expectation that rules alone will enable you to produce valuable work. You may find it a relief to get away from rules and from the pressure to be original. You are just copying.

If you think this exercise is a kind of cheating or even “plagiarism,” don’t worry; you are not claiming the model essay as your own. You are learning the proper style. The analogy is to a tennis student who learns a swing by copying a master (or having a master move the tennis student’s arm during the swing). All the theory and advice about playing tennis cannot replace the feeling of the swing itself.

The basic skills involved in the craft of scholarly writing are to:

• Anticipate the reader’s need for information, explanation, and context
• Use logical connections between ideas
• Use appropriate, clear, and smooth transitions
• Use sophisticated sentences, appropriate word choice, and professional conventions of written English

The reader should be able to follow your writing without having to ask unnecessary questions about the meaning of a specialized term, the relation of ideas to one another, the identity of a character in a literary work, etc.

A reader should not have to struggle through prose that is vague or has weak sentence structure. No reader wants to confront technical errors such as poor grammar, misspellings, or misuse of punctuation. The best way to write for your reader is to imagine yourself in your reader’s position and anticipate the reader’s need for information. In other words, ask yourself questions while you read your work and try to answer them all. Ask other people to read your work and to indicate where they have unanswered questions. Then answer these questions in your writing.

In literary research papers, there is no hard rule against using the word I unless your instructor makes it a rule. I can be unnecessary. You don’t need to write “I think,” for instance, because your reader assumes your words are your thoughts.

You don’t need to tell us the story of your research process unless doing so is particularly relevant. For instance, if you struggled to obtain a document, and that story is worth telling, you can explain what happened using I. It is better to use the word I if avoiding it would make your prose awkward. For example, if you are describing your own experience with a text (ex.: “I first read The Great Gatsby  in high school”), writing “One first read  The Great Gatsby  in high school” is not going to work.

John Horton explains when using  I  can be not only appropriate but also a good thing. [2]

Writing with the first person ‘I’ can be good for:

• Making a connection between you and the reader, making your writing engaging, affecting and accessible
• Helping you to become more self-aware (or ‘reflexive’) about your decisions, reasoning and ways of working as a researcher
• Disclosing how you are moved, troubled or transformed by research activities, participants, encounters and contexts (Widdowfield, 2000)
• Being more honest and transparent about the messy process of doing (or trying/failing to do) research
• Recognising, disclosing and critically reflecting upon how your identity, background, norms and assumptions (your ‘positionality’) invariably affect research encounters, data and outputs (Rose, 1997)
• Subverting norms of academic writing, acknowledging that you are not an all-knowing, all-seeing, all-confident, neutral, authoritative expert by writing ‘vulnerably – i.e. not as the objective master of all you survey but as someone in the thick of things, experiencing clarity, confusion, joy, boredom, pain and more’ (Crang and Cook, 2007: 175–6)
• Acknowledging the complex processes and encounters involved in any research, and thinking about where (and how) you stand amongst the many interconnected participants, events, bodies, spaces, materialities, discourses, power relations and inequalities that constitute any research setting
• Thinking about how you, as a researcher, have distinctive ethical responsibilities and a duty of care towards research participants
• Developing your own style of writing – or related creative practice – that allows some of your personality, positionality, cares, enthusiasms, culture, community and politics to become more fully part of your work
• And creating a context where others feel able to do some or all of the above.

For more advice and information on Style Guides, click on the following link from The Purdue Online Writing Lab:

• Style Guide Overview

• Includes overviews of the following: The “Paramedic Method” Modified from Lanham, R (2007). Revising Prose , 5th ed, Five Characteristics of Academic and Bureaucratic Prose Adapted from Technical Editing for Scientists , Bruce Jaffee http://jaffeerevises.com/index.htm, Guidelines for Revising Scientific and Technical Prose (modified from materials at The Center for Communication Practices at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Phil Druker’s University of Idaho class and IY Hashimoto’s Whitman College Writing Center) ↵
• Horton, J. (2021). Centring reflexivity, positionality and autoethnographic practices in creative research. In N. von Benzon, M. Holton, C. Wilkinson, & S. Wilkinson (Eds.), Creative Methods for Human Geographers SAGE Publications Ltd. https://uk.sagepub.com/en-gb/eur/creative-methods-for-human-geographers/book266074 ↵

Writing Academic Prose Copyright © 2021 by Barry Mauer and John Venecek is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Write a Literature Research Paper

So, What Is Literature Research Paper? What It All Entails

Are you looking to learn exactly what a literature research paper is? Here we’ll get to talk about this. A literature paper is a scholarly paper that features the current knowledge like substantive findings, as well as methodological and theoretical contributions to a certain topic. Literature papers are meant to provide relevant information regarding a topic and try to recommend any solutions in case any problems have been pointed out. This type of paper requires thorough research, excellent writing skills, and the right approach. It needs to be presented accordingly and in a unique way different from any other copy, mainly to avoid plagiarism.

Advice on How to Write a Good Literature Essay

Do you need the right tips on how to write a top-notch literature paper?

There are many types of literature papers. They include:

• Integrative
• Argumentative
• Methodological review among many others.

How you choose to write your paper greatly helps in determining if it will be a good one or not. Just like every other essay, a literature research paper requires the right approach. You need to sit down, choose a topic, brainstorm on what you’ve chosen, note down the outline, and then finally start crafting your essay.

How to Start a Literature Research Paper: Get All the Details

Looking for killer advice on how you get started on writing your literature research paper for your school project? Let’s take a closer look at how you can begin your piece.

The introduction of every good essay should always be catchy. It needs to capture the attention of your readers. You can start with either a question or a brief story that will have them hooked wanting to continue reading the whole paper. The hook here needs to be unique, showcasing your writing skills. You need to write in a way that appeals and intrigues your readers for them to stay on your paper.

How to Structure a Literature Research Paper

Your essay structure needs to be up to par for the paper to appear presentable and well thought-out.

• The structure of your literature research paper needs to have the topic, your thesis statement, an outline, body, and conclusion. The outline should include your notes well organized, kind of like your well-revised draft or outline.
• You need to ensure you follow the exact structure outlined above. Having a structure for your essay makes things easier when you begin writing it.

Good Literature Research Paper Introduction Paragraph

What would make a good introduction paragraph for your essay? Here’s the advice for you.

When it comes to writing an introduction, this is where most people fail. A good introduction needs to be brief and catchy. You need to be able to craft an introduction that will get your readers hooked on your paper. One thing you must avoid is a long story in your intro. In case you want to start with a story, ensure you keep it short and relevant to the topic you are writing about. The introduction is a very delicate part, and this is where you can win or lose your reader.

Writing a Killer Literature Research Paper Body for Your Essay

Are you looking for the best way to write a great body for your paper? Writing a good essay body requires a lot of research and great writing skills. When choosing your topic, ensure it’s something that will have enough information. Also, ensure the body flows well, having all the relevant facts. By doing this, you will make your paper stand out and in return get rewarded with some good points by your professor.

Writing an Excellent Literature Research Paper Conclusion

Looking for the right tips on how to craft a top-notch conclusion for your essay? When it comes to concluding your essay, you have to make sure that this part stands out. You can do this by making sure you put all the details into place by summarizing all your information accordingly. You can also state any suggestions, solutions, or end with a question. Ensure that the conclusion part is excellent.

Ways on How to Select Best Literature Research Paper Topics?

Are you looking for ways on how to choose great topics for your literature research paper? When selecting a topic, the best option is to go for something you will enjoy writing about. You shouldn’t pick a topic that will bore you while you are in the middle of writing about. The last thing you want is going through the stress of having to write about something you are not enjoying yourself. If you don’t enjoy writing on a certain topic, then it is obvious you will end up producing a shoddy paper. A good tip, in this case, is to choose something you want to learn about as you write. Learning about something excites you and even gives you the enthusiasm of crafting a top-notch paper so that another person can learn about the subject too.

List of Literature Research Paper Topics

Looking for ideas on some good topics to choose for writing a literature research paper? Check out the list below:

• Is “Written on the Body” by Jeanette Winterson a Feminism literature piece?
• Is “The Maid’s Version” by Daniel Woodrell a great work of fiction?
• Does “Harry Potter” by J.K Rowling reflect the idea of a perfect world?
• Is fiction an instrument of propaganda?
• How does literature relate to modern society?
• Humor in children’s literature: Why it really matters?
• What does the book “Dylan Thomas and the Sea” teach?
• The importance of philosophy in literature
• Modernism and postmodernism: the differences and similarities
• Sigmund Freud and early modernism

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