Academic Writing specification

I. Introduction + Literature Review

1. Establish key ideas and findings of research literature and/or real-world context
relevant to your research topic
Indicate importance/recency of relevant literature (very frequently used)
Indicate claims based on research (citing and reviewing research) or common
knowledge (very frequently used)
Define terms and constructs in your research that are not frequently used
(infrequently used)

2. Portray a research problem of uncertainty

One or more of the following statements can be used:

Argue for a real-world problem or need (very frequently used)

Argue that no research was conducted on your topic (frequently used)
Argue that scant research was conducted on your topic (very frequently used)

3. Announce how you will specifically address or fix the research problem

Two or more of the following statements are used:

State the aim/purpose/objective of your research (very frequently used) and/or

describe theoretical and/or real-world contributions of your research (frequently
used)
State research question or hypothesis of your research (frequently used)
Summarize the research design/method of your research (frequently used)
State key findings of your research (infrequently used)
Indicate scope/parameters of your study (infrequently used)
State explicitly the significance or value of your research (infrequently used)
Outline the structure of all sections subsequent to the introduction (very frequently
used)

II. Materials and methods

1. Description of experimental set-up

Overview of experimental set-up (as a brief paragraph, diagram or heading)

Describe the data collection instruments used, in terms of
Materials/apparatus used
Validity and reliability measures taken
 Identify the dependent, independent and controlled variables
Describe the participants of the study, in terms of
Location of the sample
Size of the sample
Traits of the sample
Context of the sample
Ethical issues of sampling

2. A description of experimental steps taken

Describe the steps in the data collection process

Justify the steps in the data collection process, by
Stating the purpose of a specific step taken
Stating the result of a specific step taken
Highlighting advantages and/or disadvantages

3. Description of data analysis procedures

State analysis procedures
Justify the data analysis procedures
Preview results

III. Results and discussion

1. Results

Present meta-textual information

State background information
Restate methodological questions/hypotheses
Restate research questions/hypotheses
Present finding
Direct readers' attention to table or figure
Highlight finding

2. Discussion - Interpret findings

Explanation of finding (suggest reasons; argue for a cause-e ect relationship)
Make a generalization based on finding
Compare with previous findings (and show consistency or inconsistency, with
explanation)
Support from theories
Make an inference (with su cient support from findings and relevant literature)

III Conclusion
Restatement of aims and methodological approach of study
Restate aims of study (research questions/hypotheses)
 Restate key features of research methodology and methods
Summary of findings/conclusions
Review of key findings
Explain or compare
Evaluation of study's contribution
Point out significance of findings (for theory and research development and for
practical applications)
Point out practical applications of your study
Identify limitations (if any)
Recommendations for future research

A. Abstract
Introduction
Research background
Research problem
Research purpose
Methods
State data collection instruments
Identify experimental variables
State experimental steps taken
State data analysis processes
Results and discussion
Present main findings
Comment on findings as an explanation or generalization with comparison
with prior findings, or support from theories
Conclusion
State theoretical/research contributions of the study
State contributions to practice - real-world advice and/or applications

B. Title
Use at least 2 keywords that audience might use to search your paper
Mention the one main idea/subject of your work
It has to be descriptive and precise