role in a research paper

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11.1 The Purpose of Research Writing

Learning objectives.

• Identify reasons to research writing projects.
• Outline the steps of the research writing process.

Why was the Great Wall of China built? What have scientists learned about the possibility of life on Mars? What roles did women play in the American Revolution? How does the human brain create, store, and retrieve memories? Who invented the game of football, and how has it changed over the years?

You may know the answers to these questions off the top of your head. If you are like most people, however, you find answers to tough questions like these by searching the Internet, visiting the library, or asking others for information. To put it simply, you perform research.

Whether you are a scientist, an artist, a paralegal, or a parent, you probably perform research in your everyday life. When your boss, your instructor, or a family member asks you a question that you do not know the answer to, you locate relevant information, analyze your findings, and share your results. Locating, analyzing, and sharing information are key steps in the research process, and in this chapter, you will learn more about each step. By developing your research writing skills, you will prepare yourself to answer any question no matter how challenging.

Reasons for Research

When you perform research, you are essentially trying to solve a mystery—you want to know how something works or why something happened. In other words, you want to answer a question that you (and other people) have about the world. This is one of the most basic reasons for performing research.

But the research process does not end when you have solved your mystery. Imagine what would happen if a detective collected enough evidence to solve a criminal case, but she never shared her solution with the authorities. Presenting what you have learned from research can be just as important as performing the research. Research results can be presented in a variety of ways, but one of the most popular—and effective—presentation forms is the research paper . A research paper presents an original thesis, or purpose statement, about a topic and develops that thesis with information gathered from a variety of sources.

If you are curious about the possibility of life on Mars, for example, you might choose to research the topic. What will you do, though, when your research is complete? You will need a way to put your thoughts together in a logical, coherent manner. You may want to use the facts you have learned to create a narrative or to support an argument. And you may want to show the results of your research to your friends, your teachers, or even the editors of magazines and journals. Writing a research paper is an ideal way to organize thoughts, craft narratives or make arguments based on research, and share your newfound knowledge with the world.

Write a paragraph about a time when you used research in your everyday life. Did you look for the cheapest way to travel from Houston to Denver? Did you search for a way to remove gum from the bottom of your shoe? In your paragraph, explain what you wanted to research, how you performed the research, and what you learned as a result.

Research Writing and the Academic Paper

No matter what field of study you are interested in, you will most likely be asked to write a research paper during your academic career. For example, a student in an art history course might write a research paper about an artist’s work. Similarly, a student in a psychology course might write a research paper about current findings in childhood development.

Having to write a research paper may feel intimidating at first. After all, researching and writing a long paper requires a lot of time, effort, and organization. However, writing a research paper can also be a great opportunity to explore a topic that is particularly interesting to you. The research process allows you to gain expertise on a topic of your choice, and the writing process helps you remember what you have learned and understand it on a deeper level.

Research Writing at Work

Knowing how to write a good research paper is a valuable skill that will serve you well throughout your career. Whether you are developing a new product, studying the best way to perform a procedure, or learning about challenges and opportunities in your field of employment, you will use research techniques to guide your exploration. You may even need to create a written report of your findings. And because effective communication is essential to any company, employers seek to hire people who can write clearly and professionally.

Writing at Work

Take a few minutes to think about each of the following careers. How might each of these professionals use researching and research writing skills on the job?

• Medical laboratory technician
• Small business owner
• Information technology professional
• Freelance magazine writer

A medical laboratory technician or information technology professional might do research to learn about the latest technological developments in either of these fields. A small business owner might conduct research to learn about the latest trends in his or her industry. A freelance magazine writer may need to research a given topic to write an informed, up-to-date article.

Think about the job of your dreams. How might you use research writing skills to perform that job? Create a list of ways in which strong researching, organizing, writing, and critical thinking skills could help you succeed at your dream job. How might these skills help you obtain that job?

Steps of the Research Writing Process

How does a research paper grow from a folder of brainstormed notes to a polished final draft? No two projects are identical, but most projects follow a series of six basic steps.

These are the steps in the research writing process:

• Choose a topic.
• Plan and schedule time to research and write.
• Conduct research.
• Organize research and ideas.
• Draft your paper.
• Revise and edit your paper.

Each of these steps will be discussed in more detail later in this chapter. For now, though, we will take a brief look at what each step involves.

Step 1: Choosing a Topic

As you may recall from Chapter 8 “The Writing Process: How Do I Begin?” , to narrow the focus of your topic, you may try freewriting exercises, such as brainstorming. You may also need to ask a specific research question —a broad, open-ended question that will guide your research—as well as propose a possible answer, or a working thesis . You may use your research question and your working thesis to create a research proposal . In a research proposal, you present your main research question, any related subquestions you plan to explore, and your working thesis.

Step 2: Planning and Scheduling

Before you start researching your topic, take time to plan your researching and writing schedule. Research projects can take days, weeks, or even months to complete. Creating a schedule is a good way to ensure that you do not end up being overwhelmed by all the work you have to do as the deadline approaches.

During this step of the process, it is also a good idea to plan the resources and organizational tools you will use to keep yourself on track throughout the project. Flowcharts, calendars, and checklists can all help you stick to your schedule. See Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , Section 11.2 “Steps in Developing a Research Proposal” for an example of a research schedule.

Step 3: Conducting Research

When going about your research, you will likely use a variety of sources—anything from books and periodicals to video presentations and in-person interviews.

Your sources will include both primary sources and secondary sources . Primary sources provide firsthand information or raw data. For example, surveys, in-person interviews, and historical documents are primary sources. Secondary sources, such as biographies, literary reviews, or magazine articles, include some analysis or interpretation of the information presented. As you conduct research, you will take detailed, careful notes about your discoveries. You will also evaluate the reliability of each source you find.

Step 4: Organizing Research and the Writer’s Ideas

When your research is complete, you will organize your findings and decide which sources to cite in your paper. You will also have an opportunity to evaluate the evidence you have collected and determine whether it supports your thesis, or the focus of your paper. You may decide to adjust your thesis or conduct additional research to ensure that your thesis is well supported.

Remember, your working thesis is not set in stone. You can and should change your working thesis throughout the research writing process if the evidence you find does not support your original thesis. Never try to force evidence to fit your argument. For example, your working thesis is “Mars cannot support life-forms.” Yet, a week into researching your topic, you find an article in the New York Times detailing new findings of bacteria under the Martian surface. Instead of trying to argue that bacteria are not life forms, you might instead alter your thesis to “Mars cannot support complex life-forms.”

Step 5: Drafting Your Paper

Now you are ready to combine your research findings with your critical analysis of the results in a rough draft. You will incorporate source materials into your paper and discuss each source thoughtfully in relation to your thesis or purpose statement.

When you cite your reference sources, it is important to pay close attention to standard conventions for citing sources in order to avoid plagiarism , or the practice of using someone else’s words without acknowledging the source. Later in this chapter, you will learn how to incorporate sources in your paper and avoid some of the most common pitfalls of attributing information.

Step 6: Revising and Editing Your Paper

In the final step of the research writing process, you will revise and polish your paper. You might reorganize your paper’s structure or revise for unity and cohesion, ensuring that each element in your paper flows into the next logically and naturally. You will also make sure that your paper uses an appropriate and consistent tone.

Once you feel confident in the strength of your writing, you will edit your paper for proper spelling, grammar, punctuation, mechanics, and formatting. When you complete this final step, you will have transformed a simple idea or question into a thoroughly researched and well-written paper you can be proud of!

Review the steps of the research writing process. Then answer the questions on your own sheet of paper.

• In which steps of the research writing process are you allowed to change your thesis?
• In step 2, which types of information should you include in your project schedule?
• What might happen if you eliminated step 4 from the research writing process?

Key Takeaways

• People undertake research projects throughout their academic and professional careers in order to answer specific questions, share their findings with others, increase their understanding of challenging topics, and strengthen their researching, writing, and analytical skills.
• The research writing process generally comprises six steps: choosing a topic, scheduling and planning time for research and writing, conducting research, organizing research and ideas, drafting a paper, and revising and editing the paper.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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• Online Guide to Writing

Planning and Writing a Research Paper

Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research

As a researcher and writer, your point of view, your thinking, and how you use sources in your writing are all related. Your point of view depends on the research question you posed. Take a look at the following thinking and writing categories discussed here.

Thinking and Writing Categories

Synthesizer.

In your role as synthesizer, you research the thinking of various experts and relay that information to your reader. Your job here becomes one of drawing together the opinions and positions of the experts under a specific theme or thesis. 

Here are some examples of research questions that might call for synthesizing :

According to the experts, what are the specific causes of global warming?

What is the current thinking on how high unemployment rates affect the minimum hourly wage? 

PROBLEM SOLVER

For this role, you play the detective, seeking information that will lead to a satisfactory answer to your research question. Sometimes you might find the answer in your reading. Other times, you might be required to analyze the information and draw conclusions about what the answers may be. 

The following research “problems” call for a detective to solve them:

What is the best solution to Fishtown’s groundwater pollution problem?

Who is the narrator in Coleridge’s “Kubla Khan”?

You may remember that much college writing involves analysis. That holds true for your research assignments as well. In your role as analyst, you might be called upon to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of a particular argument or to apply analysis to primary sources or other data. 

Here are a few examples of questions that require analysis:

In the controversy over the tobacco industry’s advertising, is the industry being treated unfairly? What are the issues?

How did Bell Atlantic’s corporate culture contribute to its breakup?

FIELD/LABORATORY RESEARCHER

Here, you pose a research question and then design and conduct a research study or an experiment to answer it. The research paper will then report the results in scientific format. 

Here are some examples: 

What is the value of family therapy in the treatment of teenage drug and alcohol addiction?

What is the demographic profile of your classmates?

REVIEWER OF CONTROVERSY OR ADVOCATE OF A POSITION

In a research assignment, you may be asked simply to report the facts about a controversy or to review a controversy and take a position. In the first case, you are asked to demonstrate that you understand the underlying controversy surrounding a particular topic. In this role, you would be asked to relate the issues in the controversy, giving a balanced view of each. You would include both the strengths and weaknesses of both sides.

What are the issues surrounding euthanasia for terminally ill patients?

What are the arguments for treating Microsoft as a monopoly?

In the advocate role, you would review the issues and then argue for the position you support.

Should forest habitats of endangered species be harvested?

Should the national deficit be paid off?

Key Takeaways

• Always keep in mind that your assignment instructions will guide you in which role you need to take for your research paper.
•  When in doubt, do not hesitate to reach out to your professor for guidance.  

Mailing Address: 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783 This work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . © 2022 UMGC. All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites.

Table of Contents: Online Guide to Writing

Chapter 1: College Writing

How Does College Writing Differ from Workplace Writing?

What Is College Writing?

Why So Much Emphasis on Writing?

Chapter 2: The Writing Process

Doing Exploratory Research

Getting from Notes to Your Draft

Introduction

Prewriting - Techniques to Get Started - Mining Your Intuition

Prewriting: Targeting Your Audience

Prewriting: Techniques to Get Started

Prewriting: Understanding Your Assignment

Rewriting: Being Your Own Critic

Rewriting: Creating a Revision Strategy

Rewriting: Getting Feedback

Rewriting: The Final Draft

Techniques to Get Started - Outlining

Techniques to Get Started - Using Systematic Techniques

Thesis Statement and Controlling Idea

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Freewriting

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Summarizing Your Ideas

Writing: Outlining What You Will Write

Chapter 3: Thinking Strategies

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone: Style Through Vocabulary and Diction

Critical Strategies and Writing

Critical Strategies and Writing: Analysis

Critical Strategies and Writing: Evaluation

Critical Strategies and Writing: Persuasion

Critical Strategies and Writing: Synthesis

Developing a Paper Using Strategies

Kinds of Assignments You Will Write

Patterns for Presenting Information

Patterns for Presenting Information: Critiques

Patterns for Presenting Information: Discussing Raw Data

Patterns for Presenting Information: General-to-Specific Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Specific-to-General Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Summaries and Abstracts

Supporting with Research and Examples

Writing Essay Examinations

Writing Essay Examinations: Make Your Answer Relevant and Complete

Writing Essay Examinations: Organize Thinking Before Writing

Writing Essay Examinations: Read and Understand the Question

Chapter 4: The Research Process

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Ask a Research Question

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Cite Sources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Collect Evidence

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Draw Conclusions

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Find a Topic and Get an Overview

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Manage Your Resources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Outline

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Survey the Literature

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Work Your Sources into Your Research Writing

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Human Resources

Research Resources: What Are Research Resources?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Electronic Resources

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Print Resources

Structuring the Research Paper: Formal Research Structure

Structuring the Research Paper: Informal Research Structure

The Nature of Research

The Research Assignment: How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated?

The Research Assignment: When Is Research Needed?

The Research Assignment: Why Perform Research?

Chapter 5: Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Giving Credit to Sources

Giving Credit to Sources: Copyright Laws

Giving Credit to Sources: Documentation

Giving Credit to Sources: Style Guides

Integrating Sources

Practicing Academic Integrity

Practicing Academic Integrity: Keeping Accurate Records

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Paraphrasing Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Quoting Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Summarizing Your Sources

Types of Documentation

Types of Documentation: Bibliographies and Source Lists

Types of Documentation: Citing World Wide Web Sources

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - APA Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - CSE/CBE Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - Chicago Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - MLA Style

Types of Documentation: Note Citations

Chapter 6: Using Library Resources

Finding Library Resources

Chapter 7: Assessing Your Writing

How Is Writing Graded?

How Is Writing Graded?: A General Assessment Tool

The Draft Stage

The Draft Stage: The First Draft

The Draft Stage: The Revision Process and the Final Draft

The Draft Stage: Using Feedback

The Research Stage

Using Assessment to Improve Your Writing

Chapter 8: Other Frequently Assigned Papers

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Reaction Papers

Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Adapting the Argument Structure

Writing Arguments: Purposes of Argument

Writing Arguments: References to Consult for Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Anticipate Active Opposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Determine Your Organization

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Develop Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Introduce Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - State Your Thesis or Proposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Write Your Conclusion

Writing Arguments: Types of Argument

Appendix A: Books to Help Improve Your Writing

Dictionaries

General Style Manuals

Researching on the Internet

Special Style Manuals

Writing Handbooks

Appendix B: Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing

Collaborative Writing: Assignments to Accompany the Group Project

Collaborative Writing: Informal Progress Report

Collaborative Writing: Issues to Resolve

Collaborative Writing: Methodology

Collaborative Writing: Peer Evaluation

Collaborative Writing: Tasks of Collaborative Writing Group Members

Collaborative Writing: Writing Plan

General Introduction

Peer Reviewing

Appendix C: Developing an Improvement Plan

Working with Your Instructor’s Comments and Grades

Appendix D: Writing Plan and Project Schedule

Devising a Writing Project Plan and Schedule

Reviewing Your Plan with Others

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A publication of the harvard college writing program.

Harvard Guide to Using Sources 

• The Honor Code

A Source's Role in Your Paper

When you begin to draft your paper, you will need to decide what role each of your sources will play in your argument. In other words, you will need to figure out what you're going to  do  with the source in your paper. As you consider what role each source will play in your paper, you should begin by thinking about the role that source played in your research process. How did the source shape your thinking about the topic when you encountered it? If a source provided you with context for a particular problem or issue, then it may well do the same thing for your reader. If a source provided you with evidence that supports your claim, then you will probably want to lay out that evidence to your reader and explain how it leads you to the position you've staked out in your paper. If a source made an argument that challenged your own argument and made you refine your thinking, then you'll likely want to introduce that source in your paper as a counterargument before explaining why you have concluded that your own argument is stronger. On the other hand, if a source offered evidence or ideas that complicated your own thinking and made you shift your argument, you should explain how the source has led you to your new position.

Does your assignment include instructions on source use?

Some assignments will ask you to respond in a specific way to a source. For example, you might be asked to test a theory developed in one source by using a body of evidence found in another source. Or you might be asked to respond to a claim or assumption laid out in a particular source. Other assignments may specify the number of sources you should use, but will not include instructions on how you should use those sources.

Does the source provide context or background information about your topic?

A source can orient you to the historical context of an issue or idea, review the literature on a topic, or provide other background information. If you found background information in a source, you may decide to use parts of it in your paper to orient your reader in a similar way. Remember that even sources you use for background information or context must be cited in your paper.

Has the source shaped your argument by raising a question, suggesting a line of thinking, or providing a provocative quotation?

Some sources will help you develop your thinking on a topic by raising questions you hadn't considered or making claims that shape your thinking.

Does the source serve as an authoritative voice in support of your claim?

If an authoritative source supports your claim, you'll want to cite it in your paper. However, if a source makes the same argument you're making, you will need to ask yourself what your paper is adding to what that source has already said (see the plagiarism section  of this Guide for a discussion of what to do if you find a source late in the process that is making the same argument as you are). Ask yourself these questions: Are you extending or complicating the source's claim in some way? Are you bringing new evidence to bear on the source's idea?

Does the source provide evidence for your claim?

A source may provide data that supports a claim you're making. You will use this source in your paper as evidence for your claim, integrating the relevant passages or data into your own argument and explaining its significance.

Does the source make a counterargument that you will disagree with or take a position that complicates your own position?

Rather than leaving out sources that disagree with you, make sure to include those sources and explain why you disagree with them or how they complicate your own position. Doing so strengthens your position by showing that you can respond to ideas that seem to challenge or contradict your own.

Remember that a source can—and often will—play more than one role in your argument. Each time you mention a source in your paper, you should review these questions and make sure you have a clear sense of what you're doing with that source in your paper.

• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• 9. The Conclusion
• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Reading Research Effectively
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Applying Critical Thinking
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Research Process Video Series
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Insiderness
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Generative AI and Writing
• USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
• Bibliography

The conclusion is intended to help the reader understand why your research should matter to them after they have finished reading the paper. A conclusion is not merely a summary of the main topics covered or a re-statement of your research problem, but a synthesis of key points derived from the findings of your study and, if applicable, where you recommend new areas for future research. For most college-level research papers, two or three well-developed paragraphs is sufficient for a conclusion, although in some cases, more paragraphs may be required in describing the key findings and their significance.

Conclusions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Conclusions. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University.

Importance of a Good Conclusion

A well-written conclusion provides you with important opportunities to demonstrate to the reader your understanding of the research problem. These include:

• Presenting the last word on the issues you raised in your paper . Just as the introduction gives a first impression to your reader, the conclusion offers a chance to leave a lasting impression. Do this, for example, by highlighting key findings in your analysis that advance new understanding about the research problem, that are unusual or unexpected, or that have important implications applied to practice.
• Summarizing your thoughts and conveying the larger significance of your study . The conclusion is an opportunity to succinctly re-emphasize  your answer to the "So What?" question by placing the study within the context of how your research advances past research about the topic.
• Identifying how a gap in the literature has been addressed . The conclusion can be where you describe how a previously identified gap in the literature [first identified in your literature review section] has been addressed by your research and why this contribution is significant.
• Demonstrating the importance of your ideas . Don't be shy. The conclusion offers an opportunity to elaborate on the impact and significance of your findings. This is particularly important if your study approached examining the research problem from an unusual or innovative perspective.
• Introducing possible new or expanded ways of thinking about the research problem . This does not refer to introducing new information [which should be avoided], but to offer new insight and creative approaches for framing or contextualizing the research problem based on the results of your study.

Bunton, David. “The Structure of PhD Conclusion Chapters.” Journal of English for Academic Purposes 4 (July 2005): 207–224; Conclusions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Kretchmer, Paul. Twelve Steps to Writing an Effective Conclusion. San Francisco Edit, 2003-2008; Conclusions. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Assan, Joseph. "Writing the Conclusion Chapter: The Good, the Bad and the Missing." Liverpool: Development Studies Association (2009): 1-8.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  General Rules

The general function of your paper's conclusion is to restate the main argument . It reminds the reader of the strengths of your main argument(s) and reiterates the most important evidence supporting those argument(s). Do this by clearly summarizing the context, background, and necessity of pursuing the research problem you investigated in relation to an issue, controversy, or a gap found in the literature. However, make sure that your conclusion is not simply a repetitive summary of the findings. This reduces the impact of the argument(s) you have developed in your paper.

When writing the conclusion to your paper, follow these general rules:

• Present your conclusions in clear, concise language. Re-state the purpose of your study, then describe how your findings differ or support those of other studies and why [i.e., what were the unique, new, or crucial contributions your study made to the overall research about your topic?].
• Do not simply reiterate your findings or the discussion of your results. Provide a synthesis of arguments presented in the paper to show how these converge to address the research problem and the overall objectives of your study.
• Indicate opportunities for future research if you haven't already done so in the discussion section of your paper. Highlighting the need for further research provides the reader with evidence that you have an in-depth awareness of the research problem but that further investigations should take place beyond the scope of your investigation.

Consider the following points to help ensure your conclusion is presented well:

• If the argument or purpose of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize the argument for your reader.
• If, prior to your conclusion, you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the end of your paper to describe your main points and explain their significance.
• Move from a detailed to a general level of consideration that returns the topic to the context provided by the introduction or within a new context that emerges from the data [this is opposite of the introduction, which begins with general discussion of the context and ends with a detailed description of the research problem]. 

The conclusion also provides a place for you to persuasively and succinctly restate the research problem, given that the reader has now been presented with all the information about the topic . Depending on the discipline you are writing in, the concluding paragraph may contain your reflections on the evidence presented. However, the nature of being introspective about the research you have conducted will depend on the topic and whether your professor wants you to express your observations in this way. If asked to think introspectively about the topics, do not delve into idle speculation. Being introspective means looking within yourself as an author to try and understand an issue more deeply, not to guess at possible outcomes or make up scenarios not supported by the evidence.

II.  Developing a Compelling Conclusion

Although an effective conclusion needs to be clear and succinct, it does not need to be written passively or lack a compelling narrative. Strategies to help you move beyond merely summarizing the key points of your research paper may include any of the following:

• If your essay deals with a critical, contemporary problem, warn readers of the possible consequences of not attending to the problem proactively.
• Recommend a specific course or courses of action that, if adopted, could address a specific problem in practice or in the development of new knowledge leading to positive change.
• Cite a relevant quotation or expert opinion already noted in your paper in order to lend authority and support to the conclusion(s) you have reached [a good source would be from your literature review].
• Explain the consequences of your research in a way that elicits action or demonstrates urgency in seeking change.
• Restate a key statistic, fact, or visual image to emphasize the most important finding of your paper.
• If your discipline encourages personal reflection, illustrate your concluding point by drawing from your own life experiences.
• Return to an anecdote, an example, or a quotation that you presented in your introduction, but add further insight derived from the findings of your study; use your interpretation of results from your study to recast it in new or important ways.
• Provide a "take-home" message in the form of a succinct, declarative statement that you want the reader to remember about your study.

III. Problems to Avoid

Failure to be concise Your conclusion section should be concise and to the point. Conclusions that are too lengthy often have unnecessary information in them. The conclusion is not the place for details about your methodology or results. Although you should give a summary of what was learned from your research, this summary should be relatively brief, since the emphasis in the conclusion is on the implications, evaluations, insights, and other forms of analysis that you make. Strategies for writing concisely can be found here .

Failure to comment on larger, more significant issues In the introduction, your task was to move from the general [the field of study] to the specific [the research problem]. However, in the conclusion, your task is to move from a specific discussion [your research problem] back to a general discussion framed around the implications and significance of your findings [i.e., how your research contributes new understanding or fills an important gap in the literature]. In short, the conclusion is where you should place your research within a larger context [visualize your paper as an hourglass--start with a broad introduction and review of the literature, move to the specific analysis and discussion, conclude with a broad summary of the study's implications and significance].

Failure to reveal problems and negative results Negative aspects of the research process should never be ignored. These are problems, deficiencies, or challenges encountered during your study. They should be summarized as a way of qualifying your overall conclusions. If you encountered negative or unintended results [i.e., findings that are validated outside the research context in which they were generated], you must report them in the results section and discuss their implications in the discussion section of your paper. In the conclusion, use negative results as an opportunity to explain their possible significance and/or how they may form the basis for future research.

Failure to provide a clear summary of what was learned In order to be able to discuss how your research fits within your field of study [and possibly the world at large], you need to summarize briefly and succinctly how it contributes to new knowledge or a new understanding about the research problem. This element of your conclusion may be only a few sentences long.

Failure to match the objectives of your research Often research objectives in the social and behavioral sciences change while the research is being carried out. This is not a problem unless you forget to go back and refine the original objectives in your introduction. As these changes emerge they must be documented so that they accurately reflect what you were trying to accomplish in your research [not what you thought you might accomplish when you began].

Resist the urge to apologize If you've immersed yourself in studying the research problem, you presumably should know a good deal about it [perhaps even more than your professor!]. Nevertheless, by the time you have finished writing, you may be having some doubts about what you have produced. Repress those doubts! Don't undermine your authority as a researcher by saying something like, "This is just one approach to examining this problem; there may be other, much better approaches that...." The overall tone of your conclusion should convey confidence to the reader about the study's validity and realiability.

Assan, Joseph. "Writing the Conclusion Chapter: The Good, the Bad and the Missing." Liverpool: Development Studies Association (2009): 1-8; Concluding Paragraphs. College Writing Center at Meramec. St. Louis Community College; Conclusions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Conclusions. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Freedman, Leora  and Jerry Plotnick. Introductions and Conclusions. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Leibensperger, Summer. Draft Your Conclusion. Academic Center, the University of Houston-Victoria, 2003; Make Your Last Words Count. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin Madison; Miquel, Fuster-Marquez and Carmen Gregori-Signes. “Chapter Six: ‘Last but Not Least:’ Writing the Conclusion of Your Paper.” In Writing an Applied Linguistics Thesis or Dissertation: A Guide to Presenting Empirical Research . John Bitchener, editor. (Basingstoke,UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), pp. 93-105; Tips for Writing a Good Conclusion. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Kretchmer, Paul. Twelve Steps to Writing an Effective Conclusion. San Francisco Edit, 2003-2008; Writing Conclusions. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Writing: Considering Structure and Organization. Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College.

Writing Tip

Don't Belabor the Obvious!

Avoid phrases like "in conclusion...," "in summary...," or "in closing...." These phrases can be useful, even welcome, in oral presentations. But readers can see by the tell-tale section heading and number of pages remaining that they are reaching the end of your paper. You'll irritate your readers if you belabor the obvious.

Assan, Joseph. "Writing the Conclusion Chapter: The Good, the Bad and the Missing." Liverpool: Development Studies Association (2009): 1-8.

Another Writing Tip

New Insight, Not New Information!

Don't surprise the reader with new information in your conclusion that was never referenced anywhere else in the paper. This why the conclusion rarely has citations to sources. If you have new information to present, add it to the discussion or other appropriate section of the paper. Note that, although no new information is introduced, the conclusion, along with the discussion section, is where you offer your most "original" contributions in the paper; the conclusion is where you describe the value of your research, demonstrate that you understand the material that you’ve presented, and position your findings within the larger context of scholarship on the topic, including describing how your research contributes new insights to that scholarship.

Assan, Joseph. "Writing the Conclusion Chapter: The Good, the Bad and the Missing." Liverpool: Development Studies Association (2009): 1-8; Conclusions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina.

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Writing the title and abstract for a research paper: Being concise, precise, and meticulous is the key

Milind s. tullu.

Department of Pediatrics, Seth G.S. Medical College and KEM Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

This article deals with formulating a suitable title and an appropriate abstract for an original research paper. The “title” and the “abstract” are the “initial impressions” of a research article, and hence they need to be drafted correctly, accurately, carefully, and meticulously. Often both of these are drafted after the full manuscript is ready. Most readers read only the title and the abstract of a research paper and very few will go on to read the full paper. The title and the abstract are the most important parts of a research paper and should be pleasant to read. The “title” should be descriptive, direct, accurate, appropriate, interesting, concise, precise, unique, and should not be misleading. The “abstract” needs to be simple, specific, clear, unbiased, honest, concise, precise, stand-alone, complete, scholarly, (preferably) structured, and should not be misrepresentative. The abstract should be consistent with the main text of the paper, especially after a revision is made to the paper and should include the key message prominently. It is very important to include the most important words and terms (the “keywords”) in the title and the abstract for appropriate indexing purpose and for retrieval from the search engines and scientific databases. Such keywords should be listed after the abstract. One must adhere to the instructions laid down by the target journal with regard to the style and number of words permitted for the title and the abstract.

Introduction

This article deals with drafting a suitable “title” and an appropriate “abstract” for an original research paper. Because the “title” and the “abstract” are the “initial impressions” or the “face” of a research article, they need to be drafted correctly, accurately, carefully, meticulously, and consume time and energy.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 ] Often, these are drafted after the complete manuscript draft is ready.[ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 9 , 10 , 11 ] Most readers will read only the title and the abstract of a published research paper, and very few “interested ones” (especially, if the paper is of use to them) will go on to read the full paper.[ 1 , 2 ] One must remember to adhere to the instructions laid down by the “target journal” (the journal for which the author is writing) regarding the style and number of words permitted for the title and the abstract.[ 2 , 4 , 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 12 ] Both the title and the abstract are the most important parts of a research paper – for editors (to decide whether to process the paper for further review), for reviewers (to get an initial impression of the paper), and for the readers (as these may be the only parts of the paper available freely and hence, read widely).[ 4 , 8 , 12 ] It may be worth for the novice author to browse through titles and abstracts of several prominent journals (and their target journal as well) to learn more about the wording and styles of the titles and abstracts, as well as the aims and scope of the particular journal.[ 5 , 7 , 9 , 13 ]

The details of the title are discussed under the subheadings of importance, types, drafting, and checklist.

Importance of the title

When a reader browses through the table of contents of a journal issue (hard copy or on website), the title is the “ first detail” or “face” of the paper that is read.[ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 13 ] Hence, it needs to be simple, direct, accurate, appropriate, specific, functional, interesting, attractive/appealing, concise/brief, precise/focused, unambiguous, memorable, captivating, informative (enough to encourage the reader to read further), unique, catchy, and it should not be misleading.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 12 ] It should have “just enough details” to arouse the interest and curiosity of the reader so that the reader then goes ahead with studying the abstract and then (if still interested) the full paper.[ 1 , 2 , 4 , 13 ] Journal websites, electronic databases, and search engines use the words in the title and abstract (the “keywords”) to retrieve a particular paper during a search; hence, the importance of these words in accessing the paper by the readers has been emphasized.[ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 12 , 14 ] Such important words (or keywords) should be arranged in appropriate order of importance as per the context of the paper and should be placed at the beginning of the title (rather than the later part of the title, as some search engines like Google may just display only the first six to seven words of the title).[ 3 , 5 , 12 ] Whimsical, amusing, or clever titles, though initially appealing, may be missed or misread by the busy reader and very short titles may miss the essential scientific words (the “keywords”) used by the indexing agencies to catch and categorize the paper.[ 1 , 3 , 4 , 9 ] Also, amusing or hilarious titles may be taken less seriously by the readers and may be cited less often.[ 4 , 15 ] An excessively long or complicated title may put off the readers.[ 3 , 9 ] It may be a good idea to draft the title after the main body of the text and the abstract are drafted.[ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Types of titles

Titles can be descriptive, declarative, or interrogative. They can also be classified as nominal, compound, or full-sentence titles.

Descriptive or neutral title

This has the essential elements of the research theme, that is, the patients/subjects, design, interventions, comparisons/control, and outcome, but does not reveal the main result or the conclusion.[ 3 , 4 , 12 , 16 ] Such a title allows the reader to interpret the findings of the research paper in an impartial manner and with an open mind.[ 3 ] These titles also give complete information about the contents of the article, have several keywords (thus increasing the visibility of the article in search engines), and have increased chances of being read and (then) being cited as well.[ 4 ] Hence, such descriptive titles giving a glimpse of the paper are generally preferred.[ 4 , 16 ]

Declarative title

This title states the main finding of the study in the title itself; it reduces the curiosity of the reader, may point toward a bias on the part of the author, and hence is best avoided.[ 3 , 4 , 12 , 16 ]

Interrogative title

This is the one which has a query or the research question in the title.[ 3 , 4 , 16 ] Though a query in the title has the ability to sensationalize the topic, and has more downloads (but less citations), it can be distracting to the reader and is again best avoided for a research article (but can, at times, be used for a review article).[ 3 , 6 , 16 , 17 ]

From a sentence construct point of view, titles may be nominal (capturing only the main theme of the study), compound (with subtitles to provide additional relevant information such as context, design, location/country, temporal aspect, sample size, importance, and a provocative or a literary; for example, see the title of this review), or full-sentence titles (which are longer and indicate an added degree of certainty of the results).[ 4 , 6 , 9 , 16 ] Any of these constructs may be used depending on the type of article, the key message, and the author's preference or judgement.[ 4 ]

Drafting a suitable title

A stepwise process can be followed to draft the appropriate title. The author should describe the paper in about three sentences, avoiding the results and ensuring that these sentences contain important scientific words/keywords that describe the main contents and subject of the paper.[ 1 , 4 , 6 , 12 ] Then the author should join the sentences to form a single sentence, shorten the length (by removing redundant words or adjectives or phrases), and finally edit the title (thus drafted) to make it more accurate, concise (about 10–15 words), and precise.[ 1 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 9 ] Some journals require that the study design be included in the title, and this may be placed (using a colon) after the primary title.[ 2 , 3 , 4 , 14 ] The title should try to incorporate the Patients, Interventions, Comparisons and Outcome (PICO).[ 3 ] The place of the study may be included in the title (if absolutely necessary), that is, if the patient characteristics (such as study population, socioeconomic conditions, or cultural practices) are expected to vary as per the country (or the place of the study) and have a bearing on the possible outcomes.[ 3 , 6 ] Lengthy titles can be boring and appear unfocused, whereas very short titles may not be representative of the contents of the article; hence, optimum length is required to ensure that the title explains the main theme and content of the manuscript.[ 4 , 5 , 9 ] Abbreviations (except the standard or commonly interpreted ones such as HIV, AIDS, DNA, RNA, CDC, FDA, ECG, and EEG) or acronyms should be avoided in the title, as a reader not familiar with them may skip such an article and nonstandard abbreviations may create problems in indexing the article.[ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 9 , 12 ] Also, too much of technical jargon or chemical formulas in the title may confuse the readers and the article may be skipped by them.[ 4 , 9 ] Numerical values of various parameters (stating study period or sample size) should also be avoided in the titles (unless deemed extremely essential).[ 4 ] It may be worthwhile to take an opinion from a impartial colleague before finalizing the title.[ 4 , 5 , 6 ] Thus, multiple factors (which are, at times, a bit conflicting or contrasting) need to be considered while formulating a title, and hence this should not be done in a hurry.[ 4 , 6 ] Many journals ask the authors to draft a “short title” or “running head” or “running title” for printing in the header or footer of the printed paper.[ 3 , 12 ] This is an abridged version of the main title of up to 40–50 characters, may have standard abbreviations, and helps the reader to navigate through the paper.[ 3 , 12 , 14 ]

Checklist for a good title

Table 1 gives a checklist/useful tips for drafting a good title for a research paper.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 12 ] Table 2 presents some of the titles used by the author of this article in his earlier research papers, and the appropriateness of the titles has been commented upon. As an individual exercise, the reader may try to improvise upon the titles (further) after reading the corresponding abstract and full paper.

Checklist/useful tips for drafting a good title for a research paper

Some titles used by author of this article in his earlier publications and remark/comment on their appropriateness

The Abstract

The details of the abstract are discussed under the subheadings of importance, types, drafting, and checklist.

Importance of the abstract

The abstract is a summary or synopsis of the full research paper and also needs to have similar characteristics like the title. It needs to be simple, direct, specific, functional, clear, unbiased, honest, concise, precise, self-sufficient, complete, comprehensive, scholarly, balanced, and should not be misleading.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 17 ] Writing an abstract is to extract and summarize (AB – absolutely, STR – straightforward, ACT – actual data presentation and interpretation).[ 17 ] The title and abstracts are the only sections of the research paper that are often freely available to the readers on the journal websites, search engines, and in many abstracting agencies/databases, whereas the full paper may attract a payment per view or a fee for downloading the pdf copy.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 14 ] The abstract is an independent and stand-alone (that is, well understood without reading the full paper) section of the manuscript and is used by the editor to decide the fate of the article and to choose appropriate reviewers.[ 2 , 7 , 10 , 12 , 13 ] Even the reviewers are initially supplied only with the title and the abstract before they agree to review the full manuscript.[ 7 , 13 ] This is the second most commonly read part of the manuscript, and therefore it should reflect the contents of the main text of the paper accurately and thus act as a “real trailer” of the full article.[ 2 , 7 , 11 ] The readers will go through the full paper only if they find the abstract interesting and relevant to their practice; else they may skip the paper if the abstract is unimpressive.[ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 ] The abstract needs to highlight the selling point of the manuscript and succeed in luring the reader to read the complete paper.[ 3 , 7 ] The title and the abstract should be constructed using keywords (key terms/important words) from all the sections of the main text.[ 12 ] Abstracts are also used for submitting research papers to a conference for consideration for presentation (as oral paper or poster).[ 9 , 13 , 17 ] Grammatical and typographic errors reflect poorly on the quality of the abstract, may indicate carelessness/casual attitude on part of the author, and hence should be avoided at all times.[ 9 ]

Types of abstracts

The abstracts can be structured or unstructured. They can also be classified as descriptive or informative abstracts.

Structured and unstructured abstracts

Structured abstracts are followed by most journals, are more informative, and include specific subheadings/subsections under which the abstract needs to be composed.[ 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 , 17 , 18 ] These subheadings usually include context/background, objectives, design, setting, participants, interventions, main outcome measures, results, and conclusions.[ 1 ] Some journals stick to the standard IMRAD format for the structure of the abstracts, and the subheadings would include Introduction/Background, Methods, Results, And (instead of Discussion) the Conclusion/s.[ 1 , 2 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 17 , 18 ] Structured abstracts are more elaborate, informative, easy to read, recall, and peer-review, and hence are preferred; however, they consume more space and can have same limitations as an unstructured abstract.[ 7 , 9 , 18 ] The structured abstracts are (possibly) better understood by the reviewers and readers. Anyway, the choice of the type of the abstract and the subheadings of a structured abstract depend on the particular journal style and is not left to the author's wish.[ 7 , 10 , 12 ] Separate subheadings may be necessary for reporting meta-analysis, educational research, quality improvement work, review, or case study.[ 1 ] Clinical trial abstracts need to include the essential items mentioned in the CONSORT (Consolidated Standards Of Reporting Trials) guidelines.[ 7 , 9 , 14 , 19 ] Similar guidelines exist for various other types of studies, including observational studies and for studies of diagnostic accuracy.[ 20 , 21 ] A useful resource for the above guidelines is available at www.equator-network.org (Enhancing the QUAlity and Transparency Of health Research). Unstructured (or non-structured) abstracts are free-flowing, do not have predefined subheadings, and are commonly used for papers that (usually) do not describe original research.[ 1 , 7 , 9 , 10 ]

The four-point structured abstract: This has the following elements which need to be properly balanced with regard to the content/matter under each subheading:[ 9 ]

Background and/or Objectives: This states why the work was undertaken and is usually written in just a couple of sentences.[ 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 ] The hypothesis/study question and the major objectives are also stated under this subheading.[ 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 ]

Methods: This subsection is the longest, states what was done, and gives essential details of the study design, setting, participants, blinding, sample size, sampling method, intervention/s, duration and follow-up, research instruments, main outcome measures, parameters evaluated, and how the outcomes were assessed or analyzed.[ 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 17 ]

Results/Observations/Findings: This subheading states what was found, is longer, is difficult to draft, and needs to mention important details including the number of study participants, results of analysis (of primary and secondary objectives), and include actual data (numbers, mean, median, standard deviation, “P” values, 95% confidence intervals, effect sizes, relative risks, odds ratio, etc.).[ 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 17 ]

Conclusions: The take-home message (the “so what” of the paper) and other significant/important findings should be stated here, considering the interpretation of the research question/hypothesis and results put together (without overinterpreting the findings) and may also include the author's views on the implications of the study.[ 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 17 ]

The eight-point structured abstract: This has the following eight subheadings – Objectives, Study Design, Study Setting, Participants/Patients, Methods/Intervention, Outcome Measures, Results, and Conclusions.[ 3 , 9 , 18 ] The instructions to authors given by the particular journal state whether they use the four- or eight-point abstract or variants thereof.[ 3 , 14 ]

Descriptive and Informative abstracts

Descriptive abstracts are short (75–150 words), only portray what the paper contains without providing any more details; the reader has to read the full paper to know about its contents and are rarely used for original research papers.[ 7 , 10 ] These are used for case reports, reviews, opinions, and so on.[ 7 , 10 ] Informative abstracts (which may be structured or unstructured as described above) give a complete detailed summary of the article contents and truly reflect the actual research done.[ 7 , 10 ]

Drafting a suitable abstract

It is important to religiously stick to the instructions to authors (format, word limit, font size/style, and subheadings) provided by the journal for which the abstract and the paper are being written.[ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 ] Most journals allow 200–300 words for formulating the abstract and it is wise to restrict oneself to this word limit.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 22 ] Though some authors prefer to draft the abstract initially, followed by the main text of the paper, it is recommended to draft the abstract in the end to maintain accuracy and conformity with the main text of the paper (thus maintaining an easy linkage/alignment with title, on one hand, and the introduction section of the main text, on the other hand).[ 2 , 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 ] The authors should check the subheadings (of the structured abstract) permitted by the target journal, use phrases rather than sentences to draft the content of the abstract, and avoid passive voice.[ 1 , 7 , 9 , 12 ] Next, the authors need to get rid of redundant words and edit the abstract (extensively) to the correct word count permitted (every word in the abstract “counts”!).[ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 13 ] It is important to ensure that the key message, focus, and novelty of the paper are not compromised; the rationale of the study and the basis of the conclusions are clear; and that the abstract is consistent with the main text of the paper.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 7 , 9 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 17 , 22 ] This is especially important while submitting a revision of the paper (modified after addressing the reviewer's comments), as the changes made in the main (revised) text of the paper need to be reflected in the (revised) abstract as well.[ 2 , 10 , 12 , 14 , 22 ] Abbreviations should be avoided in an abstract, unless they are conventionally accepted or standard; references, tables, or figures should not be cited in the abstract.[ 7 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 13 ] It may be worthwhile not to rush with the abstract and to get an opinion by an impartial colleague on the content of the abstract; and if possible, the full paper (an “informal” peer-review).[ 1 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 , 17 ] Appropriate “Keywords” (three to ten words or phrases) should follow the abstract and should be preferably chosen from the Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) list of the U.S. National Library of Medicine ( https://meshb.nlm.nih.gov/search ) and are used for indexing purposes.[ 2 , 3 , 11 , 12 ] These keywords need to be different from the words in the main title (the title words are automatically used for indexing the article) and can be variants of the terms/phrases used in the title, or words from the abstract and the main text.[ 3 , 12 ] The ICMJE (International Committee of Medical Journal Editors; http://www.icmje.org/ ) also recommends publishing the clinical trial registration number at the end of the abstract.[ 7 , 14 ]

Checklist for a good abstract

Table 3 gives a checklist/useful tips for formulating a good abstract for a research paper.[ 1 , 2 , 3 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 17 , 22 ]

Checklist/useful tips for formulating a good abstract for a research paper

Concluding Remarks

This review article has given a detailed account of the importance and types of titles and abstracts. It has also attempted to give useful hints for drafting an appropriate title and a complete abstract for a research paper. It is hoped that this review will help the authors in their career in medical writing.

Financial support and sponsorship

Conflicts of interest.

There are no conflicts of interest.

Acknowledgement

The author thanks Dr. Hemant Deshmukh - Dean, Seth G.S. Medical College & KEM Hospital, for granting permission to publish this manuscript.

Get science-backed answers as you write with Paperpal's Research feature

How to Write a Research Paper Introduction (with Examples)

The research paper introduction section, along with the Title and Abstract, can be considered the face of any research paper. The following article is intended to guide you in organizing and writing the research paper introduction for a quality academic article or dissertation.

The research paper introduction aims to present the topic to the reader. A study will only be accepted for publishing if you can ascertain that the available literature cannot answer your research question. So it is important to ensure that you have read important studies on that particular topic, especially those within the last five to ten years, and that they are properly referenced in this section. 1 What should be included in the research paper introduction is decided by what you want to tell readers about the reason behind the research and how you plan to fill the knowledge gap. The best research paper introduction provides a systemic review of existing work and demonstrates additional work that needs to be done. It needs to be brief, captivating, and well-referenced; a well-drafted research paper introduction will help the researcher win half the battle.

The introduction for a research paper is where you set up your topic and approach for the reader. It has several key goals:

• Present your research topic
• Capture reader interest
• Summarize existing research
• Position your own approach
• Define your specific research problem and problem statement
• Highlight the novelty and contributions of the study
• Give an overview of the paper’s structure

The research paper introduction can vary in size and structure depending on whether your paper presents the results of original empirical research or is a review paper. Some research paper introduction examples are only half a page while others are a few pages long. In many cases, the introduction will be shorter than all of the other sections of your paper; its length depends on the size of your paper as a whole.

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Table of Contents

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The introduction in a research paper is placed at the beginning to guide the reader from a broad subject area to the specific topic that your research addresses. They present the following information to the reader

• Scope: The topic covered in the research paper
• Context: Background of your topic
• Importance: Why your research matters in that particular area of research and the industry problem that can be targeted

The research paper introduction conveys a lot of information and can be considered an essential roadmap for the rest of your paper. A good introduction for a research paper is important for the following reasons:

• It stimulates your reader’s interest: A good introduction section can make your readers want to read your paper by capturing their interest. It informs the reader what they are going to learn and helps determine if the topic is of interest to them.
• It helps the reader understand the research background: Without a clear introduction, your readers may feel confused and even struggle when reading your paper. A good research paper introduction will prepare them for the in-depth research to come. It provides you the opportunity to engage with the readers and demonstrate your knowledge and authority on the specific topic.
• It explains why your research paper is worth reading: Your introduction can convey a lot of information to your readers. It introduces the topic, why the topic is important, and how you plan to proceed with your research.
• It helps guide the reader through the rest of the paper: The research paper introduction gives the reader a sense of the nature of the information that will support your arguments and the general organization of the paragraphs that will follow. It offers an overview of what to expect when reading the main body of your paper.

What are the parts of introduction in the research?

A good research paper introduction section should comprise three main elements: 2

• What is known: This sets the stage for your research. It informs the readers of what is known on the subject.
• What is lacking: This is aimed at justifying the reason for carrying out your research. This could involve investigating a new concept or method or building upon previous research.
• What you aim to do: This part briefly states the objectives of your research and its major contributions. Your detailed hypothesis will also form a part of this section.

How to write a research paper introduction?

The first step in writing the research paper introduction is to inform the reader what your topic is and why it’s interesting or important. This is generally accomplished with a strong opening statement. The second step involves establishing the kinds of research that have been done and ending with limitations or gaps in the research that you intend to address. Finally, the research paper introduction clarifies how your own research fits in and what problem it addresses. If your research involved testing hypotheses, these should be stated along with your research question. The hypothesis should be presented in the past tense since it will have been tested by the time you are writing the research paper introduction.

The following key points, with examples, can guide you when writing the research paper introduction section:

• Highlight the importance of the research field or topic
• Describe the background of the topic
• Present an overview of current research on the topic

Example: The inclusion of experiential and competency-based learning has benefitted electronics engineering education. Industry partnerships provide an excellent alternative for students wanting to engage in solving real-world challenges. Industry-academia participation has grown in recent years due to the need for skilled engineers with practical training and specialized expertise. However, from the educational perspective, many activities are needed to incorporate sustainable development goals into the university curricula and consolidate learning innovation in universities.

• Reveal a gap in existing research or oppose an existing assumption
• Formulate the research question

Example: There have been plausible efforts to integrate educational activities in higher education electronics engineering programs. However, very few studies have considered using educational research methods for performance evaluation of competency-based higher engineering education, with a focus on technical and or transversal skills. To remedy the current need for evaluating competencies in STEM fields and providing sustainable development goals in engineering education, in this study, a comparison was drawn between study groups without and with industry partners.

• State the purpose of your study
• Highlight the key characteristics of your study
• Describe important results
• Highlight the novelty of the study.
• Offer a brief overview of the structure of the paper.

Example: The study evaluates the main competency needed in the applied electronics course, which is a fundamental core subject for many electronics engineering undergraduate programs. We compared two groups, without and with an industrial partner, that offered real-world projects to solve during the semester. This comparison can help determine significant differences in both groups in terms of developing subject competency and achieving sustainable development goals.

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The purpose of the research paper introduction is to introduce the reader to the problem definition, justify the need for the study, and describe the main theme of the study. The aim is to gain the reader’s attention by providing them with necessary background information and establishing the main purpose and direction of the research.

The length of the research paper introduction can vary across journals and disciplines. While there are no strict word limits for writing the research paper introduction, an ideal length would be one page, with a maximum of 400 words over 1-4 paragraphs. Generally, it is one of the shorter sections of the paper as the reader is assumed to have at least a reasonable knowledge about the topic. 2 For example, for a study evaluating the role of building design in ensuring fire safety, there is no need to discuss definitions and nature of fire in the introduction; you could start by commenting upon the existing practices for fire safety and how your study will add to the existing knowledge and practice.

When deciding what to include in the research paper introduction, the rest of the paper should also be considered. The aim is to introduce the reader smoothly to the topic and facilitate an easy read without much dependency on external sources. 3 Below is a list of elements you can include to prepare a research paper introduction outline and follow it when you are writing the research paper introduction. Topic introduction: This can include key definitions and a brief history of the topic. Research context and background: Offer the readers some general information and then narrow it down to specific aspects. Details of the research you conducted: A brief literature review can be included to support your arguments or line of thought. Rationale for the study: This establishes the relevance of your study and establishes its importance. Importance of your research: The main contributions are highlighted to help establish the novelty of your study Research hypothesis: Introduce your research question and propose an expected outcome. Organization of the paper: Include a short paragraph of 3-4 sentences that highlights your plan for the entire paper

Cite only works that are most relevant to your topic; as a general rule, you can include one to three. Note that readers want to see evidence of original thinking. So it is better to avoid using too many references as it does not leave much room for your personal standpoint to shine through. Citations in your research paper introduction support the key points, and the number of citations depend on the subject matter and the point discussed. If the research paper introduction is too long or overflowing with citations, it is better to cite a few review articles rather than the individual articles summarized in the review. A good point to remember when citing research papers in the introduction section is to include at least one-third of the references in the introduction.

The literature review plays a significant role in the research paper introduction section. A good literature review accomplishes the following: Introduces the topic – Establishes the study’s significance – Provides an overview of the relevant literature – Provides context for the study using literature – Identifies knowledge gaps However, remember to avoid making the following mistakes when writing a research paper introduction: Do not use studies from the literature review to aggressively support your research Avoid direct quoting Do not allow literature review to be the focus of this section. Instead, the literature review should only aid in setting a foundation for the manuscript.

Remember the following key points for writing a good research paper introduction: 4

• Avoid stuffing too much general information: Avoid including what an average reader would know and include only that information related to the problem being addressed in the research paper introduction. For example, when describing a comparative study of non-traditional methods for mechanical design optimization, information related to the traditional methods and differences between traditional and non-traditional methods would not be relevant. In this case, the introduction for the research paper should begin with the state-of-the-art non-traditional methods and methods to evaluate the efficiency of newly developed algorithms.
• Avoid packing too many references: Cite only the required works in your research paper introduction. The other works can be included in the discussion section to strengthen your findings.
• Avoid extensive criticism of previous studies: Avoid being overly critical of earlier studies while setting the rationale for your study. A better place for this would be the Discussion section, where you can highlight the advantages of your method.
• Avoid describing conclusions of the study: When writing a research paper introduction remember not to include the findings of your study. The aim is to let the readers know what question is being answered. The actual answer should only be given in the Results and Discussion section.

To summarize, the research paper introduction section should be brief yet informative. It should convince the reader the need to conduct the study and motivate him to read further. If you’re feeling stuck or unsure, choose trusted AI academic writing assistants like Paperpal to effortlessly craft your research paper introduction and other sections of your research article.

1. Jawaid, S. A., & Jawaid, M. (2019). How to write introduction and discussion. Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia, 13(Suppl 1), S18.

2. Dewan, P., & Gupta, P. (2016). Writing the title, abstract and introduction: Looks matter!. Indian pediatrics, 53, 235-241.

3. Cetin, S., & Hackam, D. J. (2005). An approach to the writing of a scientific Manuscript1. Journal of Surgical Research, 128(2), 165-167.

4. Bavdekar, S. B. (2015). Writing introduction: Laying the foundations of a research paper. Journal of the Association of Physicians of India, 63(7), 44-6.

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• Research Process

Research Team Structure

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Table of Contents

A scientific research team is a group of individuals, working to complete a research project successfully. When run well, the research team members work closely, and have clearly defined roles. Every team member should know their role, and how it plays into the project as a whole. Ultimately, the principal investigator is responsible for every aspect of the project.

In this article, we’ll review research team roles and responsibilities, and the typical structure of a scientific research team. If you are forming a research team, or are part of one, this information can help you ensure smooth operations and effective teamwork.

Team Members

A group of individuals working toward a common goal: that’s what a research team is all about. In this case, the shared goal between team members is the successful research, data analysis, publication and dissemination of meaningful findings. There are key roles that must be laid out BEFORE the project is started, and the “CEO” of the team, namely the Principal Investigator, must provide all the resources and training necessary for the team to successfully complete its mission.

Every research team is structured differently. However, there are five key roles in each scientific research team.

1. Principal Investigator (PI):

this is the person ultimately responsible for the research and overall project. Their role is to ensure that the team members have the information, resources and training they need to conduct the research. They are also the final decision maker on any issues related to the project. Some projects have more than one PI, so the designated individuals are known as Co-Principal Investigators.

PIs are also typically responsible for writing proposals and grant requests, and selecting the team members. They report to their employer, the funding organization, and other key stakeholders, including all legal as well as academic regulations. The final product of the research is the article, and the PI oversees the writing and publishing of articles to disseminate findings.

2. Project or Research Director:

This is the individual who is in charge of the day-to-day functions of the research project, including protocol for how research and data collection activities are completed. The Research Director works very closely with the Principal Investigator, and both (or all, if there are multiple PIs) report on the research.

Specifically, this individual designs all guidelines, refines and redirects any protocol as needed, acts as the manager of the team in regards to time and budget, and evaluates the progress of the project. The Research Director also makes sure that the project is in compliance with all guidelines, including federal and institutional review board regulations. They also usually assist the PI in writing the research articles related to the project, and report directly to the PI.

3. Project Coordinator or Research Associate:

This individual, or often multiple individuals, carry out the research and data collection, as directed by the Research Director and/or the Principal Investigator. But their role is to also evaluate and assess the project protocol, and suggest any changes that might be needed.

Project Coordinators or Research Associates also need to be monitoring any experiments regarding compliance with regulations and protocols, and they often help in reporting the research. They report to the Principal Investigator, Research Director, and sometimes the Statistician (see below).

4. Research Assistant:

This individual, or individuals, perform the day-to-day tasks of the project, including collecting data, maintaining equipment, ordering supplies, general clerical work, etc. Typically, the research assistant has the least amount of experience among the team members. Research Assistants usually report to the Research Associate/Project Coordinator, and sometimes the Statistician.

5. Statistician:

This is the individual who analyzes any data collected during the project. Sometimes they just analyze and report the data, and other times they are more involved in the organization and analysis of the research throughout the entire study. Their primary role is to make sure that the project produces reliable and valid data, and significant data via analysis methodology, sample size, etc. The Statistician reports both to the Principal Investigator and the Research Director.

Research teams may include people with different roles, such as clinical research specialists, interns, student researchers, lab technicians, grant administrators, and general administrative support staff. As mentioned, every role should be clearly defined by the team’s Principal Investigator. Obviously, the more complex the project, the more team members may be required. In such cases, it may be necessary to appoint several Principal Administrators and Research Directors to the research team.

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• Published: 13 May 2024

The effects of social support and parental autonomy support on the mental well-being of university students: the mediating role of a parent–child relationship

• Arif Jameel 1 ,
• Zhiqiang Ma 1 ,
• Mingxing Li 1 , 2 ,
• Abid Hussain 1 ,
• Muhammad Asif 1 &
• Yan Wang 1  

Humanities and Social Sciences Communications volume  11 , Article number:  622 ( 2024 ) Cite this article

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The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the complex response techniques employed to halt its spread, are both detrimental to mental and emotional well-being. Students’ lives have been damaged by social alienation and self-isolation. These effects must be detected, analyzed, and dealt with to make sure the well-being of individuals, specifically students. This research examines the impact of parent–child relationships, parental autonomy support, and social support on enhancing students’ mental well-being using data collected from post-COVID-19. The Potential participants were students from several universities in Pakistan. For this reason, we chose Pakistan’s Punjab province, with 8 prominent institutions, as the primary focus for data collection. A questionnaire was created to gather information from 355 students. For descriptive statistics, SPSS was used, while AMOS structural equation modeling was used to test hypotheses. The findings revealed that social support on mental well-being (standardized β  = 0.43, t  = 7.57, p  < 0.01) and parental autonomy support was significant and positively related to mental well-being (standardized β  = 0.31, t  = 5.016, p  < 0.01), and predicted parent–child relationships. Furthermore, the parent–child relationship strongly mediated the association between social support, parental autonomy support, and students’ mental well-being. This research proposes that good social support and parental autonomy support improve parent–children relationships and contribute to students’ mental well-being.

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Participatory action research

Introduction.

COVID-19 has grown increasingly concerned with mental health and well-being in the past few years. Many research investigations have found that students have higher levels of psychological suffering than the overall people. This psychological tension of this virus among students has had significant and longer-term mental health repercussions, leading to low physical well-being results, including an increase in cardiovascular illnesses and lowly mental health (MH) results. Students suffer from the mental load of this impact more than grownups because they lack the grownup’s ways to cope and physical growth (Rawat and Sehrawat, 2021 ). Students who have a history of MH difficulties are more likely to suffer MH problems amid a crisis (Gavin et al., 2020 ). On the advice of the Emergency Committee, the head of the “World Health Organization (WHO)” stated the novel Coronavirus, also identified as “COVID-19”, is a Health Emergency of Worldwide Distress. COVID-19 has catastrophic impacts on the global business environment, schooling, and humanity (Priya et al., 2021 ). Health professionals designed a complex response plan to stem the spread of COVID-19 from the pandemic’s start. Being isolated or home quarantined was an essential part of the approach. One of the measures authorities have attempted to sluggish the spread of the virus is isolation from society. Isolation from society can affect mental health, increasing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress (Robb et al., 2020 ). There has been a surge in the number of students reporting mental health difficulties in the present years at colleges and universities. The underlying explanation might be university students’ inexperience, as they often struggle to handle stress, mainly when confronted with educational, social, and career-related challenges. Following research, the COVID-19 pandemic increases students’ chances of developing unhappiness and suicidality (Xiong et al., 2021 ). Following the closure of university campuses, students tended to see their educational future as bleak. Isolation from society and a lack of adequate and effective MH assistance exacerbated students’ fragile status. Because of these factors, young individuals pursuing university are now at a higher risk of acquiring MH disorders (Su et al., 2021 ).

Social support is instinctively understood, but ideas about definitions conflict when specific questions are raised. Family practitioners believe that social support is one of the possible keys to an individual’s well-being, especially for those going through significant life transitions or crises (Kaplan et al., 1977 ). The definition of “social support” varies usually among those who have studied it. It has been discussed in a general way as support that is “provided by other people and arises within the context of interpersonal relationships” Cooke et al. ( 1988 ) and as “support accessible to an individual through social ties to other individuals, groups, and the larger community” (Lin et al., 1979 ). Parent–children relations are interpersonal interactions formed by the interaction of parents and Child in blood and genetically related families. Parent–children ties are the first social associations to which individuals are exposed. It influences many facets of personality development, social cognition, and mental well-being (Lu et al., 2020 ). A lower degree of social support, in particular, is connected to greater levels of depressive symptoms (Wang and Peck, 2013 ). Social support refers to the standard of emotional assistance provided by others.

Furthermore, research shows that social support levels are closely related to measures of reduced stress and psychological discomfort, as well as improved well-being (Wang and Peck, 2013 ). Nevertheless, most research on youths’ social support focuses on their families, with relatively little research on their peers’ social support (Oktavia et al., 2019 ). Based on the gaps in existing knowledge, this research intended to determine whether there is a link between parent–child relationships during social seclusion caused by the pandemic and MH. This study additionally explored how social support (SS), parental autonomy support (PAS), and parent–child relationships are related to students’ mental health and well-being. It also looks into the role of the parent–child relationship as a mediator. The outcomes of this investigation are expected to increase understanding of the topic. Despite several research in the field of MH, there is still a literature gap on the roles and linkages of parent–child relationships and their mediator behaviors. This research provides a model for simultaneously investigating the roles and intervening factors. The focus of this investigation is on the following research questions. How can social and parental autonomy support affect students’ MH following COVID-19? How does the parent–children relationship mediate this relationship? Following an exhaustive assessment of the pertinent literature (Akram et al., 2022 ; Li et al., 2022 ), it was discovered that numerous research has been conducted to evaluate parents–children relationships and MH-associated issues, but to the best of our knowledge no research has been performed in Pakistan yet to determine the answers to these study topics will be provided utilizing a single theoretical model. Based on the available literature, the present study initially posits that social and parental autonomy support favorably promotes the student’s mental well-being and positively connects with a parent–child relationship in Pakistan. The study also hypothesizes that the parent–child relationship impacts the mental well-being of the students and mediates the connection between social support, parental autonomy support, and mental well-being. The research could have subsequent contributions: To begin, the research provides a detailed and systematic investigation of the concepts of the parents–children relationship, social support, parental autonomy support, and mental well-being. Second, by integrating the parents–children relationship, the study enhances the comprehensive analytical model that investigates the association between SS, PAS, and mental well-being. The model of the research describes the theoretical viewpoint in an innovative manner. Furthermore, the work has both practical and theoretical ramifications.

Literature review

Social support and mental well-being of students.

Social support is instinctively understood, but ideas about definitions conflict when specific questions are raised. Family practitioners believe that social support is one of the possible keys to an individual’s well-being, especially for those going through significant life transitions or crises (Kaplan et al., 1977 ; Wilcox and Vernberg, 1985 ). The definition of “social support” varies usually among those who have studied it. It has been discussed in a general way as support that is “provided by other people and arises within the context of interpersonal relationships” Cooke et al. ( 1988 ) and as “support accessible to an individual through social ties to other individuals, groups, and the larger community” (Lin et al., 1979 ).

Multiple research investigations have revealed that several internal elements influence young students’ mental well-being, notably the temperament of the students Ypsilanti et al. ( 2020 ), parental style Rinaldi and Howe ( 2012 ), and peer interaction (Holmes et al., 2016 ). One of the most significant macrosocial elements impacting students’ mental health is social support, which relates to the subjective and objective support they get from their circle of friends and how they utilize it (Shen, 2009 ). “Family support, friend support, and other support” are common sources of social support (Dahlem et al., 1991 , p. 760). Through social bonding, social support may reduce psychological stress and maintain or enhance a person’s mental and physical well-being (Cohen and McKay, 2020 ; Tao et al., 2022 ). Prior studies have found that social support can make parents more positive, enhance their mental and physical wellness, and improve their parenting efficacy (Yan et al., 2023 ). Once parents believe they have access to support and networks of friends, their psychological well-being rises (Chatters et al., 2015 ). Parents with higher social support are more nurturing and consistent in their parenting and less likely to use harsh parenting behaviors across a range of child ages Byrnes and Miller ( 2012 ), and social support may assist parents in managing how they react emotionally to their kids (Marroquín, 2011 ). Social support may also give parents developmental knowledge and advice on proper parenting practices, allowing them to adapt to their expectations and enhance their parenting abilities (Ayala-Nunes et al., 2017 ). A lack of or insufficient social support, on the other hand, maybe an indicator of risk for parental psychological wellness, leading to incorrect parenting behaviors (Belsky and Jaffee, 2015 ; Hu et al., 2023 ). Parents with psychological problems have fewer beneficial relationships with their kids, experience more instances of not positive interactions and enmity, express less efficiently, and are less responsive to their children’s actions (Herwig et al., 2004 ). As a result, parents’ perceived social support influences parenting ideas and conduct, which can impact children’s mental well-being development. As a result, parents’ perceived social support may be favorably related to the mental well-being of their children.

H1: Social support positively related to the mental well-being of students

Parental autonomy support and mental well-being of students

Following the self-determination theory Ryan and Deci ( 2000 ), “autonomy” is the fundamental cognitive or emotional need that leads to optimum growth and functioning, for instance, higher levels of educational accomplishment and improved psychological well-being of students (Vasquez et al., 2016 ). Parental support has been proven in studies to increase autonomy in young people (Inguglia et al., 2015 ). Parental autonomy support (PAS) refers to parents promoting emerging adolescents’ growing desires for independence, like liberty of expression, pondering, and making decisions (Soenens et al., 2007 ). Numerous research concentrating on European societies have found that parental autonomy support is connected with positive psychosocial adjustment in individuals (Froiland, 2011 ; Soenens et al., 2007 ). An empirical study, for example, has shown that autonomy support in intimate associations is an important predictor of mental well-being (Arslan and Asıcı, 2022 ; Shamir and Shamir Balderman, 2023 ). Likewise, Kins et al. ( 2009 ) found that PAS is related to greater mental well-being in Belgian young adults. Surprisingly, cross-cultural research found that parental autonomy support is connected to mental well-being in “Chinese and North American” teenagers Lekes et al. ( 2010 ), indicating that PAS benefits people working in a group environment.

Furthermore, according to the latest meta-analysis, the parental autonomy support association is greater when it reflects both parents instead of just moms and dads (Vasquez et al., 2016 ). Accepting this viewpoint, the present research emphasizes PAS. Whereas various research in Western cultures indicates the relationship between PAS and mental well-being, nothing is known about the advantages of “parental autonomy support” in a communal community or the fundamental connection between PAS and mental well-being. Through self-regulatory processes, culture can influence mental well-being, impacting how individuals think, feel, and conduct themselves in pursuit of mental well-being (Siu, Spector, Cooper, and Lu, 2005 ). Thus, we posit that PAS impacts the mental well-being of university students.

H2: Parental autonomy support positively related to the mental well-being of the students

Mediating effect of parent–children relationship

Parent–children connections are interpersonal interactions formed by the interaction of parents and Child in blood and genetically related families. Parent–children ties are the first social associations to which individuals are exposed. It influences many facets of personality development, social cognition, and mental well-being (Lu et al., 2020 ). Greater social interaction has been shown to improve parent–children interactions, increase parent–children warmth, and decrease parent–children animosity (Lippold et al., 2018 ). This might be attributed to two factors. On the one hand, social assistance may significantly enhance children’s quality of family life (Balcells-Balcells et al., 2019 ; Feng et al., 2022 ). Parents might have more time to dedicate to parenting, resulting in improved parent–children interactions. On the other hand, social support has been shown to lower parental stress, promote mental well-being, and favorably affect how parents act (Avila et al., 2015 ; Östberg and Hagekull, 2000 ). Social support can help parents get good parenting counsel and assistance (Dominguez and Watkins, 2003 ). Social support may assist parents in managing their feelings about their children, which leads to improved parenting practices and more parental warmth (Byrnes and Miller, 2012 ). Parent–children relationships and children’s mental well-being are inextricably linked. Parent–children connections are crucial in the development of children. Parent–children connections have a greater influence on the Child than other interpersonal interactions in the family and have a significant impact on the growth of a person’s personality, mental well-being, and adjustment (Nock et al., 2009 ).

Parent–children attachment and intimacy are significant manifestations of parent–children interactions. In the long run, the continuing emotional link between a kid and a caregiver is known as parent–children bonding. A strong bond is a vital basis for children’s healthy development and integration into society, and parent–children bonds remain stable as adolescents age (Juffer et al., 2012 ). It has been demonstrated that young people with solid parent–children bonds acquire more beneficial social abilities, have greater cognitive functioning, and have greater mental and physical wellness (Ranson and Urichuk, 2008 ). Parent–children attachment is the tight, warm relationship between parents and kids, which may be shown in positive interaction behaviors and close sentiments about one another (Chen et al., 2015 ). According to several types of research, the parent–children connection is the foundation of proper child development and the most consistent safeguard for healthy personal growth (Barber et al., 2005 ). Li et al. ( 2022 ) used the parent–child relationship as a mediator in their study to explore the impact of parental mediation on internet addiction. In a nutshell, students who have close, warm parent–children connections experience less externalizing and internalizing difficulties Lamborn and Felbab ( 2003 ), have a lower incidence of suicide ideation Harris and Molock ( 2000 ), and have improved psychological well-being. Thus, parent–children relationships may act as a mediating variable between SS, PAS, and the mental well-being of students.

H3: Parents–children relationship mediates the association between social support and the mental well-being of the students

H4: Parents–children relationship mediates the association between parental autonomy support and the mental well-being of the students

Figure 1 depicts the hypothesized study model. The direct impacts of SS and PAS on the mental well-being of university students were investigated first, followed by studying the other linkages and indirect effects among social support, parental autonomy support, parent–children relationships, and the mental well-being of the students.

Hypothesized model.

Materials and methods

Sampling technique and data collection.

The Potential participants were students from several universities in Pakistan. For this reason, we chose Pakistan’s Punjab province, with 8 prominent institutions as the primary focus. Due to Covid 19, it was projected that the majority of the students would remain at home and endure some form of psychological disorder with their families. To gather data on the research variables, we employed a validated questionnaire that was distributed to assistance desks/information desks of the selected institutions for self-rated replies. The datagathering period was from April to May (2023). Data were collected on-site. We used snowball sampling since the datagathering was connected to extremely subtle and individual concerns, such as mental well-being, social support, and parent–child relationships.

Furthermore, we requested assistance from the directorates of student affairs at the respective institutions in determining the target participants. We accompanied the recommendations offered by different scholars, such as those who recommended: “every item must be represented employing five samples,” that “samples of three hundred shall be regarded as appropriate,” who suggested that “the size of it ought to be twenty times bigger than the expected factors,” and who suggested that “ N  = 100–150” is adequate for conducting SEM (Anderson and Gerbing, 1988 ). Based on these scholars’ suggestions and the usual response percentage, we selected a sample size of 467 out of 355 that were found legitimate (response percentage of 76%). Male respondents comprised 55 percent, whereas female participants comprised 45 percent. Obtained surveys were utilized for research.

Measurement development

Each scale utilized in this investigation was taken and slightly modified from prior studies and had previously been authenticated by the researchers. Teti and Gelfand ( 1991 ) established the “Parent–Child Relationship” Scale, which is commonly used to measure the closeness of adolescents to their parents (Chen et al., 2015 ). It is made up of ten questions that relate to teenagers’ sentiments about their parents. Adolescents in this study were given questions like, “How openly do you talk with your parents?” The questions about perceived friend support were modified, and the sample construct was “I can count on my friends when things go wrong.”

Similarly, the study’s scale constructs of other people’s support were changed, and its example construct was “There is a special person in my life who cares about my feelings.” In this research, we assessed parental autonomy support developed by Soenens et al. ( 2007 ). It has five items: “My parents let me plan for things I want to do.” Furthermore, the assessment questions of mental well-being are measured by the five‐item scale of the World Health Organization. This scale was adapted from the study of (De Wit et al., 2007 ). Its three aspects, namely cognitive, emotional, and psychological health, were altered, and its construct was “I’ve been feeling optimistic about the future.” All of the constructs were measured on a “five-point Likert scale.” The Alpha for social support was 0.93. The Alpha value for parental autonomy support was 0.92. The Alpha for parent–child relationship was 0.90, and for mental well-being was 0.90.

Common method bias (CMB)

Since the data is collected all at once from a single source, bias concerns might surface and cast doubt on the study’s validity. The Harman single-factor test investigated the bias problem (Harman and Harman, 1976 ). The results demonstrated that each element of the suggested model could be separated into four variables, the first of which only explained 38.78% of the variation. According to this statistical value, normal biases must be lower than 50%. Therefore, our statistical data are free from prejudice.

Data analysis

We used Analysis of moment structures 25.0 to asses study hypotheses utilizing structural equation modeling (Shaffer et al., 2016 ). We used the two-step SEM technique Anderson and Gerbing ( 1988 ) recommended, beginning with CFA, to guarantee model adequacy. After that, an ultimate theoretical model was evaluated to evaluate the connections among every variable. Several fit indicators, such as 2/df, the CFI, TLI, the standardized root mean square residual (SRMR), and the root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA), were employed in the confirmatory factor analysis.

Descriptive statistics

The values for the mean, standard deviation, AVE, and Pearson’s correlations for each observed variable are displayed in Table 1 . The standard deviations ranged from 0.84 to 1.31, whereas the mean values were 1.43 to 2.94. Table 1 further reveals that the relationships between all variables analyzed are positive and substantial. Table 2 also indicates the DV of every factor for which the numerical values of average variance extracted are greater than the inter-correlational values, and the values of average variance extracted are also higher than 0.5 (Shaffer et al., 2016 ).

Measurement model

The measurement model in this work was evaluated using CFA Kline ( 2015 ), and Table 3 displays the standard factor loadings, Alpha, and CR of each component.

Social support, Parental autonomy support, Parent–child relationship, and mental well-being of students have Alpha of 0.92, 0.91, 0.90, and 0.88, respectively. These alphas exceed the suggested 0.70 threshold (Hair et al., 1998 ). The standardized factor loadings for Social support ranged from 0.78 to 0.86 for Parental autonomy support, 0.71 to 0.84 for the Parents–children relationship, 0.70 to 0.82, and 0.71 to 0.81 for the mental well-being of students. All factor loadings exceed 0.50 (Hair et al., 1998 ). The composite reliability (CR) ranges from 0.87 to 0.92 for Social support, Parental autonomy support, Parents–children relationship, and mental well-being of students, which is above the recommended value of 0.60 (Bagozzi et al., 1991 ).

In addition, we ran a serial-wise confirmatory factor analysis to ensure the model recognized different structures. The hypothesized 4-factor measurement model (Social support, Parental autonomy support, Parents–children relationship, and mental well-being of students) offered an appropriate fit to the data: χ 2  = 2693.55, Df = 946, χ 2 /df = 2.847, CFI = 0.92, TLI = 0.91, RMSEA = 0.05 and SRMR 0.04 (Table 3 ). The hypothesized 4-factor measurement model is the most suitable in each other models in Table 3 .

Table 3 shows that all observed items load the respective latent variables significantly. Other CFA models were contrasted with the proposed four-factor model. The validities are demonstrated by Table 4 ’s fit indices, providing a strong basis for evaluating the proposed four-factor model.

Hypotheses testing

We utilized a thorough structural equation modeling model with maximum likelihood estimation to analyze momentum structures and assess the study’s hypotheses. Simultaneously, hypotheses 1–2 (shown in Table 5 ) were supported by correlations (provided in Table 1 ) and SEM findings.

There is a strong positive correlation between students’ mental health and social support, as Hypothesis 1 suggests. Tables 1 and 5 provide the evidence we discovered supporting H1 (standardized β  = 0.43, t  = 7.57, p  < 0.01). According to the second hypothesis, there will be a beneficial correlation between students’ mental health and PAS. With standardized β  = 0.31, t  = 5.016, and p  < 0.01, H2 was supported.

H3 of our research uncovers that the ‘parents–children relationship significantly performs a mediating role in the association between social support and mental well-being of the students.’ Table 6 shows that when parent–child relationships are present, the β coefficient from social support and students’ mental health turns insignificant ( β  = 0.041; S.E. = 0.060; t  = 0.683; CI = −0.061, 1.012), but the indirect beta coefficient has a significant value ( β  = 0.149; S.E. = 0.063; t  = 2.365; CI = 0.337, 0.589). These findings demonstrate the mediating function of the parent–child bond in the association between students’ mental health and social support. The parent–child bond also acts as a mediator in the link between PAS and mental health, according to hypothesis 4. Table 6 shows a substantial mediating mechanism and a significant value for the beta coefficient. For H4, there is a substantial indirect correlation ( β  = 0.163; S.E. = 0.062; t  = 2.629; CI = 0.259, 0.352). Parental autonomy support and mental well-being have a direct link that eventually becomes negligible ( β  = 0.008; S.E. = 0.060; t  = 0.133; CI = −0.001, 0.013).

All formulated hypotheses of our study are accepted.

Mental health problems affect 10%–20% of students worldwide. Students’ susceptibility during the COVID-19 pandemic will likely influence this statistic. Poor mental health causes undesirable effects, including suicidal inclinations, behavioral disorders, and psychological abnormalities; hence, studies to remove or decrease the effects of bad mental health are critical. COVID-19 has made the already difficult state of youths and their mental health even more insecure. In the aftermath of a pandemic, the scale of COVID-19 the necessity for excellent research to fight MH concerns has grown exponentially. Keeping this information in mind, we developed our study subject and research questions and included parent–child relationships and linkages with students’ post-COVID-19 mental well-being of the pupils. The current research reviewed the literature on PAS, PSS, and people’s mental well-being after the COVID-19 pandemic. The literature study provided a vision of previous studies on the parent–child connection for mental well-being. According to research, the pandemic and its associated elements, such as quarantine, social isolation, and travel limitations, have been tense for students and other populations. Stress and worry caused by events such as closing schools, joblessness, poor healthcare, and uncertainty in education, job, and individual life have substantially influenced human mental and physical wellness (Pfefferbaum and North, 2020 ). We chose a paradigm that may serve the literature theoretically and practically, considering the significance of parent–child relationships after the pandemic. Prior study on the parent–child relationship has not investigated their role as a mediating variable in a unified model. The present research covers this gap in the literature by assuming that SS is positively linked with the mental well-being of students. The data analysis revealed that SS is substantially and highly positively associated with mental well-being; hence, H1 is accepted, in line with Cohen and McKay ( 2020 ), who discovered that social bonding and social support reduce psychological stress and enhance a person’s mental well-being.

Similarly, H2 investigated the association between parental autonomy support and mental well-being. It is also consistent with previous study findings that parental support has been proven to increase autonomy in young people, ultimately improving mental well-being (Inguglia et al., 2015 ). Because the conclusions indicated substantial values for each of these variables, H2 was also acceptable.

The mediation analysis was performed to determine if H3 and H4 were accepted or rejected. As previously stated in the findings section, mediating analysis was undertaken to check if the mediator increased the influence of independent variables on the dependent variable. Our research findings uncover that the ‘parents–children relationship significantly mediates the association between SS and mental well-being of the students.’ It can be viewed in the results section that the β coefficient from SS and mental well-being of the students turns insignificant in the attendance of the parent–children relationship, whereas the indirect beta coefficient has a significant value; this exhibits that the parent–children relationship plays a mediating role in the association between social support and the mental well-being of the students. Similarly, hypothesis 4 reveals that the parent–child relationship mediates the association between PAS and mental well-being. Table 6 shows that the beta value is significant, indicating a considerable mediation. The indirect association for hypothesis 4 is substantial, but the direct association between PAS and mental well-being turns insignificant. The H3 and H4 of our study are accepted.

Our findings reveal that all the proposed hypotheses were accepted, implying that SS has a good effect on the mental well-being of students and is related to a positive parent–child relationship. The findings then show that parent–child relationships positively influence mental well-being and play the role of mediating variable in the association between SS, PAS, and students’ mental well-being, which is in line with study findings that show that parent–child relationships mitigate the adverse influences of stress and foster mental wellness (Dam et al., 2023 ).

Implications

Our findings have far-reaching implications for medical practitioners, research organizations, and healthcare policymakers. Educational organizations should first become more aware of their students’ extra needs and mental health challenges. Future research should include people from various countries and ethnicities as COVID-19 control tactics and epidemic extent vary per country. Finally, the impacts of COVID-19 on students’ mental health have been overlooked. We urge instructors, higher education organizations, and mental health professionals to provide enough assistance to their students through the pandemic. Providing pupils with education to aid them in building self-efficacy, healthy parent–child relationships, and practical tools to cope with problems could help them handle the amplified stress that COVID-19 involves. It has been observed that durable and successful parent–child relationships were quite beneficial in helping pupils manage their stress. Administrators must appreciate MH practitioners’ function in supporting students seeking mental health support. Students’ capacity to tackle stress and create social support can assist them in escaping the harmful psychological impacts of the coronavirus outbreak. As a result, family, friends, and instructors should develop emotional resilience and enhance positive coping strategies among adolescents by adopting theory-tested treatments or programs. Because of constraints such as social isolation and lockdown, these treatments might be carried out in novel modes, for instance, webinars, online courses, and on-demand movies. Inter-professional probing programs and online mental behavior treatment boost students’ endurance and confidence (Schmutz, 2022 ). Furthermore, increasing social support could offer people a sense of higher psychological stability, reducing their fears and anxiety and helping them to function regularly during the pandemic. If students are urged to directly communicate their experiences and obstacles in their schooling after COVID-19, their morale will grow, and their MH will be preserved.

Limitations and future study

Our study has numerous limitations. For instance, this study relied on quantitative research; future research could use a qualitative or blended methodology to provide more intriguing outcomes. Secondly, the findings of this study were obtained by investigating eight educational institutions in Punjab province. Thirdly, because of the time limitation, we only carried out this study in one provincial unit. This research study might be broadened to other provincial units or nations in the future to generalize the study’s findings. Fourth, we obtained data from eight institutions; next, data from more institutions to be gathered to conduct the study. Finally, the current study included a mediating effect. Still, future studies may focus on using parent–child relationships as moderating variables. We suggest studying the reason for integrating PSS into the cognitive vulnerability model. As a result, new concerns have developed regarding the viability and significance of progressing to an integrative model, etiological paradigms, and innovative prospects for study and practical implementations.

The COVID-19 pandemic and the complex reaction techniques to halt its spread harm psychological and emotional well-being. Students’ lives have been damaged by social alienation and self-isolation. These effects must be detected, analyzed, and dealt with to guarantee the well-being of people like students. As a result, the present research sought to examine the influence of parental-child relationships, PAS, and SS in enhancing students’ mental well-being by gathering data from post-COVID-19. Students enrolling in Pakistani universities provided data. A survey for the survey was created to collect information from 355 students. SPSS was used to compute descriptive statistics, whereas AMOS structural equation modeling was employed to test hypotheses. These findings underlined the importance of the parent–child connection in dealing with complicated unfavorable conditions since it influences their mental results, particularly their psychological health. Optimistic and adverse relationships are opposed. Students who utilized primarily constructive relationship mechanisms with their parents experienced less emotional distress than those who employed more detrimental connection mechanisms with their parents (Budimir et al., 2021 ). Furthermore, the research emphasized the need for social support, such as friends and family, as well as parental autonomy support, in the fight against mental disorders. The findings also revealed that students require not only family support but also help from friends and others to create good relationships with parents to deal with psychological difficulties and stress produced by numerous sources.

Data availability

According to the confidential agreements with the participants, the dataset analyzed during the current study is not publicly available. The raw data supporting the conclusions of this article will be made available by the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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This research is supported by the Jiangsu Funding Program for Excellent Postdoctoral Talent (No. 2022ZB643).

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Arif Jameel, Zhiqiang Ma, Mingxing Li, Abid Hussain, Muhammad Asif & Yan Wang

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AJ, MZ, YW, and ML conceptualized the study; MA and AH conducted the surveys and performed the Analysis; AJ and MZ wrote the first draft of the manuscript; all authors critically discussed the results, revised the manuscript, and have read and approved the manuscript.

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Jameel, A., Ma, Z., Li, M. et al. The effects of social support and parental autonomy support on the mental well-being of university students: the mediating role of a parent–child relationship. Humanit Soc Sci Commun 11 , 622 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-024-03088-0

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Exploring the formation mechanism of new energy vehicle industry-university-research innovation network: the role of structural, cognitive and relational social capital

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The purpose of this paper is to consider the joint action of structural, cognitive and relational social capital, and to explore the formation mechanism of the innovation network of new energy vehicles (NEV). The research data come from China's NEV cooperative invention patent applications from 2001 to 2019. This paper uses the exponential random graph model (ERGM) to study the impact of different dimensions of social capital on the NEV industry-university-research (I-U-R) innovation network. The results show that from the perspective of structural capital, the closed network structure has a positive impact on the formation of NEV I-U-R innovation network. From the perspective of cognitive capital, the homogeneity of knowledge base has a positive effect on the formation of the NEV I-U-R innovation network, and the innovation subjects with the same knowledge base breadth and the same knowledge base depth are more inclined to form a cooperative relationship. For relational capital, institutional environment similarity and organizational structure similarity are important factors affecting the formation of NEV I-U-R innovation network to a similar extent. The findings of this study provide scientific references for promoting the sustainable development of I-U-R innovation network in NEV industry.

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This study is supported by the National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 21BGL064); the social Science Foundation of Heilongjiang province in China (No. 20JYB042); the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (No. 2023M742686); the National Funding for Postdoctoral Researchers' Innovation Program (GZC20231971), and the National Social Science Foundation of China (No. 23CJY070).

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Cao, X., Zhang, X. & Xing, Z. Exploring the formation mechanism of new energy vehicle industry-university-research innovation network: the role of structural, cognitive and relational social capital. Scientometrics (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-024-05050-y

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Received : 26 May 2022

Accepted : 03 May 2024

Published : 27 May 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s11192-024-05050-y

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• Industry-university-research
• Innovation network
• New energy vehicle
• Structural capital
• Cognitive capital
• Relational capital
• Exponential random graph model

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