Guidelines for the Structure of a Research Paper [For all students enrolled in upper division courses taught by Professor Lord]
Title, Author
The title should be informative, but brief (15 – 20 words, maximum).Abstract
The abstract is a concise (150 – 200 word) summary of the entire paper, including the questions addressed or the objectives of the paper, the details presented to accomplish the objectives, and the most significant conclusions or implications of the paper.Introduction - (a.k.a. Topic Paragraph)
Provides the background information necessary for the reader to understand the topic of the paper. Generally, the Introduction will start with a broad topic and then narrow the focus. Near the end of the Introduction, you should state your specific topic or the question or questions you will address. You may also want to describe specific objectives or outline the organization of the paper in one or two sentences. All information derived from other sources must be properly documented by citations in the text and references in the Bibliography or Literature Cited section.Body - (Presentation of Facts/Data)
This section would provide all the necessary information–facts, concepts, schools of theory–to adequately develop your topic and address the questions or objectives mentioned in the Introduction. Supporting information can be in the forms of examples, models, data from research, or philosophical arguments presented by others. All information obtained from other sources must be properly documented by citations in the text and references in the References Cited section.Discussion
The Discussion section should synthesize information presented in the Body so the reader understands how it relates to your topic or addresses the questions mentioned in the Introduction. This may be a logical extension of the Body instead of a separate section. If the Body and Discussion are combined, then it is preferable to use topical headings instead of Body and Discussion as headings. In other words, your headings in the paper would be: Introduction, Topic 1, Topic 2, etc., and ending with Conclusions. As with earlier sections, all information derived from other sources must be properly documented by citation in the text and references in the References Cited section.Conclusions
Summarize the paper by restating the main evidence that you presented to meet the objectives or address the question(s) that you raised in the Introduction. Also, mention remaining unanswered questions and possible directions for future research regarding your topic.