How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper Publication

The conclusion is the last, yet not the easiest part of a research paper. It must
summarize the whole paper and explain its main purpose. This section also
shouldn’t sound too dry. Any conclusion consists of a few elements, so you
can choose different approaches depending on your agenda and the paper
type. We decided to provide you with useful tips on what to do in order to
make your conclusion effective, and what to avoid.

Restate your topic Restate your topic briefly and explain why it’s important.
Make sure that this part of the conclusion is concise and clear. You have
already explained why your arguments are important in a body part of your
paper, and you also don’t need to support your ideas with new arguments.
Usually, the restated topic is only one sentence long.

Restate your thesis statement Once you’ve restated the topic of the research,
you have to restate your thesis statement. Make sure to rewrite it, because it
shouldn’t sound exactly like in the introduction. It must be narrowed and
focused on your topic.

Summarize main points of your paper Remind your readers your key points.
We suggest re-reading the whole body of your paper focusing on the most
important arguments and facts.

Don’t repeat your ideas in the exact same way as in the body. This time, you
don’t need to support each statement. Just provide a brief overview of key
points, and make sure that you don’t add any new details in the conclusion.

Discuss the significance of your points Note that it may be unnecessary for
most papers. However, in some cases. you need to address the importance of
your points in a particular section of the conclusion.

Note that you don’t have to do it in case you’ve already considered this
question in your paper. We suggest explaining the importance of your
arguments in the body part, because the conclusion is aimed only to
summarize everything written before and to draw your readers’ attention to
your topic in a more general context.

Most often, you will need to just restate your topic and thesis statement.
Discuss the future of your subject You have to address the future perspective
of your research and the considered issue. It may be a suggestion or a call to
action.

Note that this part of the introduction is not necessary. For example, you don’t
need to write it when writing a literary research, because you unlikely will find
any possible call to action in this case.

On the other hand, if your paper addresses some important social issues, the
conclusion will only benefit from your thoughts about the possible use of your
research and important needs in this area. Make Your Conclusion Effective
Basic synthesis

As we have mentioned above, the conclusion must summarize the paper. At

the same time, you don’t have to just re-write main points, because such
conclusions are quite banal.

Provide a basic synthesis of everything stated before. While rephrasing your

topic and thesis statement, try to connect them logically so that your
conclusion will sound like a coherent single thought rather than a bunch of
random ideas.

Keep things together The best structure for a research paper includes an
introduction and a conclusion which are linked to each other. This is the “full
circle” method, and here’s how to tie these two sections together: In the
introduction, ask a question. When the whole paper is done, restate this
question in the conclusion, and provide a clear answer. Write a story or an
anecdote in the introduction, but don’t tell how such a story ends. You can do
it in the conclusion section. We suggest using the same images and concepts
in both sections.

Logic is important Sometimes your paper may contain many different or even
opposite points. The conclusion is a perfect place to form a single clear
opinion on your issue. If your thesis contains some question that wasn’t
clearly answered throughout the paper, it must be answered in the conclusion.
While restating your thesis statement, tell your readers whether you still
believe it or results of the research pushed you to change your opinion. If it
seems impossible to give a clear answer now, tell your readers what further
research is needed, or what actions may help answer this question in the
future. Ask readers to draw their own conclusions
Another way to create an impressive conclusion is to ask your readers instead
of providing them with answers. However, note that such a creative approach
may be inappropriate for some kinds of research papers. We suggest trying
this method in case you’re writing a research paper on some social issues or
politics. Your question must be directly related to the central topic and
purpose of the paper.

Give a recommendation If you make a call to action, you have to explain what
actions you consider the most important or effective. You can give certain
recommendations on your topic even in case you don’t make a call to action,
because your thoughts of such a kind may help to better understand the topic
and the general context of your research.

Avoid Common Mistakes Don’t start your conclusion with the words “in
conclusion”, or “in summary”. Such words are unnecessary and they sound
unnatural. You don’t need to say obvious things to write a good conclusion.
Make sure that your thesis is stated not only in the conclusion but also in the
introduction and in the body part of your paper. Your readers must follow your
arguments throughout the entire paper. Don’t present any new arguments nor
details about your research or topic. The introduction is aimed to only
summarize what has been written before. Don’t change the tone of your
paper. If the whole paper was written in the academic tone, don’t make your
conclusion more emotional or informal. Even if the chosen topic is very
important to you, don’t try to make it personal.

In either case, you can end your paper with a story related to the subject and
so illustrate why it’s so important with a particular example. Don’t apologize.
Never express concerns about results of your research or your authority.
Avoid such phrases as “this is only my personal opinion”, or “I don’t know for
sure”. Never use the first person at all. Writing in the first person is too
informal and cannot be used for academic papers.
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