Research Project Overview

General Outline I. Abstract II. Introduction III. Literature Review IV. Methods V. Results VI. Discussion/Conclusion VII. References

Abstract  An abstract is a self-contained, short, and powerful paragraph that describes a larger work.  It may contain the scope, purpose, results, and contents of the work.  While it contains key words found in the larger work, the abstract is an original document.

Introduction  Introduction to the introduction: The opening of the paper.  Context: Here the writer gives a full context of the study and a general overview.  Restatement of the problem: This consists of a restatement of the problem and its significance.  Roadmap: Brief explanation of how the thesis will proceed.

Literature Review  This is a kind of “mini research paper” that gives background on your topic. You can make an assumption about your audience. There is no need to define every single term or elaborate on what is probably general knowledge.  Ideally, this should end where your research begins!

Methods  The method section of a paper provides the methods and procedures used in a research study or experiment.  You should provide detailed information on the research design, participants, equipment, materials, variables, and actions taken by the participants.  The method section should provide enough information to allow other researchers to replicate your experiment or study.

Results  The results section of the research paper is where you report the findings of your study.  The results section should simply state the findings, without bias or interpretation, and arranged in a logical sequence.  The results section should always be written in the past tense. A section describing results [a.k.a., "findings"] is particularly necessary if your paper includes data generated from your own research.

Discussion/Conclusion  The purpose of the discussion is to interpret and describe the significance of your findings in light of what was already known about the research problem being investigated, and to explain any new understanding or fresh insights about the problem after you've taken the findings into consideration.  The discussion should always explain how your study has moved the reader's understanding of the research problem forward from where you left them at the end of the introduction.

References  The references give credit where credit is due.  This follows APA format (6 th edition).