After months of hard work, dedicated research hours in the library, and innumerable sleepless nights, you are finally close to wrapping up the crown jewel of your academic accomplishment- the research paper. While it is definitely a reason to celebrate, you should never underestimate the significance of the conclusion of a research paper.
In Faryadi (2012) words, writing a conclusion is as tricky as penning down an impeccable introduction. As the last part of the research paper, the conclusion is when the writer has already exhausted his/her intellectual resources. However, the readers often remember the most, and therefore, must also be the best part of your written research. (Holewa,2004).
Unlike what others may have come to believe, the conclusion of a research paper is not simply the summarization of the research paper. It goes way beyond restating the introduction and body of your research. It comprises approximately ten per cent of the word count that should always be finished ‘on a high note.’
Today’s post is for all those newbies out there who are intimidated by how to write a strong research paper conclusion. Here, we will walk you through a golden checklist that you need to tick off as you progress through your overwhelming conclusion writing journey.
- Does The Conclusion Restate The Topic?
One of the primary aspects you need to tick off in your conclusion checklist is restating the topic. If the words of reputed research paper help stalwarts around the world are anything to go by, then it is essential to restate your topic briefly and explain why it is significant. Ensure that this section of the conclusion is concise and clear. We are assuming till now, you have already explained why your arguments are crucial in the body part of your paper. So, you do not need to back up your ideas with new arguments.
Suppose, if you are writing an argumentative research paper advocating remarkable measures to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture, you should restate the topic as follows-
“While the role of cattle in climate change is by now a common knowledge, countries like the Netherlands constantly fail to confront this crucial issue with the urgency it deserves.”
- Does The Conclusion Restate The Thesis Statement?
Once you are done checking this, it is essential to check whether your conclusion restates the thesis statement. The thesis statement should be rephrased from the thesis you have incorporated in the introduction. But, it should never be too identical to the sentence you used originally. Try re-wording your thesis statement in a way that it complements the summary of your paper topic.
Like, an exemplary thesis statement going of the research paper on tuberculosis should look something like this-
“Tuberculosis is a deathly and widespread disease that has impacted millions of people worldwide every year. Due to the alarming rate of the spread of tuberculosis, especially in the third world countries, medical professionals are implementing outstanding strategies for the accurate diagnosis, treatment, and containment of the disease.”
To form a comprehensive idea, have a look at the video below-
- Does The Conclusion Offer A Recommendation?
We have noticed one vital question trending recently on the forum of eminent Research Writing Services “Is it essential to include recommendations in the conclusion of a research paper?” Well, in our opinion, it is absolutely necessary.
While writing your research paper, you might already have made recommendations for future research in the discussion. But the conclusion is a brilliant place to elaborate and look ahead, considering the implications of your findings for theory and practice.
Look at these examples listed below-
- Based on these conclusions, the practitioner should consider…
- In an effort to better comprehend the implications of these results, future studies could address…
- Are The Main Points Summarized In The Conclusion?
The conclusion offers you a unique opportunity to remind readers why you took the approach you did, what you expected to find in your investigation, and how well the results matched your expectations.
Thus, it is essential to make sure that you have not just repeated the summary of each chapter and have drafted your conclusion reflectively. Last but not the least; make sure not to dwell on the limitations of your research at length. Rather, focus on the positives of your work.
Examples-
- While S limits the generalization of the results, this approach offers new insights into T.
- This research also clearly illustrates S, but it also raises the question of T.
- Does Your Research Paper Conclusion Make A Call To Action?
Call-to-action (CTA) is an outstanding tool that may even be helpful to establish a good research paper closure. But, remember this incredible tool is an extra option that is added to your research paper conclusion. However, it depends on the kind of academic project you work on.
Like, if you are writing a research paper on literary criticism or review, you don’t have to include CTA posts. On the other hand, if your research paper is addressing social issues, it would win from having a CTA. It could also make your research paper conclusion look more inspiring and persuasive.
Like, for the research paper on tuberculosis, your CTA should be-
“Despite new efforts to contain and diagnose this deathly disease, more research is essential to develop new antibiotics that will treat the most resistant strains of tuberculosis. It should moreover ease away the side effects of the current treatment.”
We recommend checking out this video by Julie Fjelga from Sleek note on Call-To-Action-
- Does The Conclusion Emphasize Your Contributions?
It is significant to make sure that your reader is left with a strong impression of your research contribution to your field of knowledge. Certain unique strategies to achieve this incorporates-
- Try to return your problem statement to describe how your research helps in solving the problem.
- You can also refer back to the literature review and demonstrate how you have addressed a gap in the knowledge.
- Discuss how the findings of your research paper confirm or challenge an existing theory or assumption.
Again, here make sure to refrain from repeating all that you have already covered in the discussion. Pick the most important points and sum them up with a succinct overview that situates the project in the broader context.
- Does The Conclusion Introduce A New Topic Or Include New Points?
This should be one of the vital points to tick off in your research paper conclusion checklist. Whether you are writing a 20 page or 100-page research papers, it is always crucial to make sure your conclusion doesn’t introduce any new ideas. The goal of your conclusion is always to remind your readers of the main points and their significance. This would turn out to be challenging if you bring up new ideas that you haven’t yet explored in your writing.
Wrapping Up,
Regardless of how you choose to end your research paper, ensure you are doing it in such a way that would leave your readers with an outstanding final impression. Following this comprehensive checklist will surely help you craft an elevated conclusion paragraph and will bring the much-needed closure to your writing. Further, it would leave your readers thinking about the ideas presented in the paper.
What are some of the strategies you use to end your research paper on a high note? Leave your feedback in the comments below.
