Academic Resources

Have you ever been confused about which words to capitalize in the title of your manuscript? You have probably seen titles where only the first word is capitalized (so-called “sentence case”), titles where all words seem to be capitalized (“title case”), and also titles that look like combinations of the two. And you might have […]

A research paper is usually more concise and succinct than an essay, because, if it is written well, it focuses on one specific question, describes the method that was used to answer that one question, describes and explains the results, and guides the reader in a logical way from the introduction to the discussion without going on tangents or digging into not absolutely relevant topics. The conclusion section at the end of a research manuscript should therefore not start with a long-winded repetition of what was done and why and how, but rather get to the point in as few words as possible. Instead of beginning with “In conclusion, in this study, we investigated the effect of stress on the brain using fMRI…”, you should try to find a way to incorporate the repetition of the essential (and only the essential) details into the summary of the key points. “The findings of this fMRI study on the effect of stress on the brain suggest that…” or “While it has been known for a long time that stress has an effect on the brain, the findings of this fMRI study show that, surprisingly…” would be better ways to start a conclusion. 

Researchers and readers are first introduced to your journal article through its title and images. Think about when you browse social media, news sites, or online magazines. What makes you stop skimming and encourages you to read the content? The captivating title or a cool image, of course! The same principle is true for journal […]

As a researcher, you know you need to provide a background for your study and a clear rationale and to formulate the statement of the problem in a way that leaves no doubt that your work is relevant and important. You also need to guide the reader carefully through your story from beginning to end […]

What is a thesis statement? A thesis statement summarizes the main idea of a paper or an essay. Similar to the statement of the problem in research, it prepares the reader for what is to come and ties together the evidence and examples that are presented and the arguments and claims that are made later. […]

We publish because we want to share our knowledge and because we want recognition for our work. We acknowledge people’s ideas and findings by providing citations. Unfortunately, however, the rules regarding this common practice are not always easy to decipher, even for the best of us! We have published a number of other articles that […]

Why Should You Paraphrase? “Paraphrasing” is expressing the meaning of someone else’s words in your own words instead of quoting directly. Paraphrasing is applied both by the author of the text and by paper editors during the revision process. By paraphrasing effectively, you can: save space and keep your study more focused distill complex information […]

What is a Literature Review A literature review is an objective, concise, critical summary of published research literature relevant to a topic being researched in an article. A literature review does NOT: A literature review does not simply reference and list all of the material you have cited in your paper. Presenting material that is […]

Writing an Abstract to Target Researchers Research paper abstracts have alwaysplayed a crucial role in explaining your study quickly and succinctly to journal editors and researchers and prompting them to read further. But with the ubiquity of online publication databases, writing a compelling abstract is even more important today than it was in the days […]

What is the Results section and what does it do? The Results section of a scientific research paper represents the core findings of a study derived from the methods applied to gather and analyze information. It presents these findings in a logical sequence without bias or interpretation from the author, setting up the reader for […]

Using the Correct Verb Tense–Critical to Making an Impact on the Reader When writing an academic paper,writers should follow the accepted grammar and style conventions: not only to abide by the institutional and domain standards, but to communicate clearly to readers what was studied, when it took place, and from what perspective you arediscussing your […]

The Most Useful Transition Words for Research Papers Whatdo transitions do? A transition is a change from one idea to another idea in writing or speaking and can be achieved using transition terms or phrases. These transitions are usually placed at the beginning of sentences, independent clauses, and paragraphs and thus establish a specific relationship […]