Longer Research Paper

What are the major components of a longer research paper?

Explain the role of methodology in it.

Shishir Prasad Aryal

MPhil 2nd Semester
NOU Roll No.: 75152101
 Presentation Outline
 Introduction

 Types of Journal Articles

 Six Steps in Research Process

 Research Components

 Role of Methodology in LRP

 Introduction
Journal articles are standard write-up on a very specific topics shorter
than books.
A journal is a collection of articles (like a magazine) that is published regularly throughout the
year. Journals present the most recent research, and journal articles are written by experts, for
experts. They may be published in print or online formats, or both. 
Types of Journal Articles:
1. short research articles (sometimes called “short” or “brief”
communications) or Short Reports or Letters
2. Longer Research Paper or Research Paper or Original Research Articles
3. Review Articles,
4. Case Studies Articles
5. Methodologies or Methods Article
 Short Reports or Letter Article
Brief reports of data from original research that editors believe will be
interesting to many researchers, and that will likely stimulate further
research in the field.
As they are relatively short the format is useful for scientists with results
that are time sensitive
This format often has strict length limits, so some experimental details
may not be published until the authors write a full Original
Research manuscript.
These papers are also sometimes called Brief communications.
 Review Article
A comprehensive summary of research on a certain topic,
and a perspective on the state of the field and where it is
heading.
They are often written by leaders in a particular discipline
after invitation from the editors of a journal. 
Reviews are often widely read and highly cited. 
Reviews commonly cite approximately 100 primary
research articles.
 Case studies Articles
These articles report specific instances of interesting
phenomena.
It makes other researchers aware of the possibility
that a specific phenomenon might occur.
This type of study is often used in medicine to report
the occurrence of previously unknown or emerging
pathologies.
 Article
These articles present a new experimental method,
test or procedure.
The method described may either be completely
new, or may offer a better version of an existing
method.
It describes a demonstrable advance on what is
currently available.
 Original Research Article
This is the most common type of journal manuscript used
to publish full reports of data from research.
It may be called an Original Article, Research Article,
Research, or just Article, depending on the journal.
The Original Research format is suitable for many
different fields and different types of studies.
It includes full Introduction, Methods, Results, and
Discussion sections.
They are generally Considered as Longer Research Papers
 LRP: Research Components
During its implementation, a research utilizes certain instruments
and materials and involves a number of, participants, methods
and techniques. All of them are called the research components.
research components include the instruments, materials,
activities, participants, methods and techniques involved a
research
Quantitative research reports use :standard format for
reporting,
Qualitative research articles : more wide-ranging in terms of
organization.
 LRP: Components
The components of a research include the instruments, materials, activities,
participants, methods and techniques involved a research.
Research components :
body sections: Introduction, literature review, method, results, discussion,
and conclusion.
supplementary elements: title, name of the authors, acknowledgments,
references, and appendices.
The advantages :
First, a good understanding of these components enables the readers to get
a more comprehensive understanding of research.
Second, it also promotes the mastery of the skills to write a research report.
 LRP: Components
Title
The title is a very essential component of a research paper because it
serves four things.
First, it predicts content.
Second, it catches the reader's interest.
Third, it reveals the nature or genre (Field) of the manuscript. It reflect
the tone or viewpoint of the piece of writing
Fourth, it contains keywords that will make it easy to access by a
computer search.
Consisting of 4 to 15 words. Longer articles generally need longer titles.
 LRP: Components
Name of author(s)
The purpose of including author’s names in a research article is to specify the
individuals responsible for the research presented in the article.
If a research article is written by more than one person, the most common way of
writing the authors name is by listing the names based on the amount of their
contribution to the work
The second way is by putting the senior author (the one responsible for overseeing the
project) in the last, and the person that did most of the day to day work on the project
is listed first
The third way is to list the authors alphabetically. However, this is no longer very
common
The authors’ e-mail address and institution are put under their names. The purpose is
to provide the readers with a way of contacting the authors and to indicate the
institution(s) at which the research was performed.
 LRP: Components
Abstract
The abstract is the summary of the topic of the paper and the major
findings of the research. It is usually 100-200 words in length,
although there is variation depending on the policy of the journal in
which the article is published. An abstract is usually one paragraph
long, and should concisely summarize why the reported research
was conducted, how it was conducted, what outcomes were
obtained, and what conclusions were drawn. Thus, an abstract
provides maximum information with minimum words, covering (1)
the gist of recent finding of the topic; (2) the Objective; (3) Materials
and Methods; (4) Results; and (5) Conclusions.
 LRP: Components
Key Words

Anywhere from 3 – 10 key words

Keywords are used in research databases for searching
and locating researching articles.
Keywords reflect the major concepts discussed in the
article.
 LRP: Components
The introduction:
Tells readers why we did the study.
Introduction contains information from other relevant articles.
It give the reader background information about the topic of research
and why the study was conducted.
At the end of the introduction there is the purpose of the study, research
questions and hypothesis.
Avoid: it must avoid unnecessary background information and repeating
the same information. Exaggerating the importance of the work and
claiming novelty without a proper literature search should also be
avoided.
 LRP: Components
Literature Review
A literature review is a search, summary and evaluation of the available
past and current literature related to the research problem.
The literature can include articles, abstracts, reviews, monographs,
dissertations, other research reports, textbooks and electronic media,
etc. A literature review should be quite recent so that the research
article will not become out-of-date when it is published.
In general, the reviewer should include sources published in the last 10
years. The only exception here is in situations when authors literally
cannot access recent texts.
 LRP: Components
Purpose of Literature Review
First, it defines what has already been done concerning the research topic.
Secondly, It offers the prospect to detect research strategies and specific data
collection approaches that have or have not been made in the studies of topics
related to yours.
The third, significance of literature review is that your understanding with previous
research helps you interpret your study results.
Finally, literature review also shows your readers that you have an in-depth grasp
of your subject; and that you understand where your own research fits into and
adds to an existing body of agreed knowledge. This can increase your article’s
credibility.
 Longer Research Paper
Methods
Two functions: (1) Shows what was done (2) permits readers to replicate the study
if they desire to do so.
Subsections: Participants, Materials (Instruments), and Design and Procedure.
Context or Setting
Research Design
Participant Sample
Recruitment
Details about the experiment
Study variable
Data Collection and data analysis procedures.
 LRP: Components
Results:
tell readers what we found from doing the study. “let the data
speak for themselves.” only obtained data in the study is
included in the Results section.
Usually information about participants. demographic (Age, sex,
races, nationality,) Experimental group or non experimental
group
Key finding related to the study research question
Figures, table, graph, charts, etc… to help present the data.
 LRP: Components
Discussion
tells "what the findings mean"
In the Discussion section the core findings reported in the Results
section are summarized and interpreted in light of the research
questions.
The findings significance is also evaluated by comparing it to other
relevant findings in the study or to relevant findings of previous studies,
and their implications are examined.
It discusses implications of the findings for future practice research.
It discusses limitation of the study methods.
 LRP: Components
Conclusion
Some journals employs a format that contains a section labeled
“Conclusion” or “Summary.” For other journals, the Conclusion is the
untitled last paragraph of the Discussion.
It should present (1) a concise summary of implications of the findings,
(2) general implications of the study, and (3) suggestions for further
research.
A Conclusion section is the place where the author restates the
contribution of the research, with a particular emphasis on what it
allows others to do; and proposes new research directions to prevent
duplication of effort or to encourage collaboration.
 LRP: Components
Acknowledgments
Recognize and thank those individuals and organizations whose
contributions to the work presented should be valued but do not qualify
for authorship. The list in this section is limited only to those with
significant intellectual assistance and technical help (including with
writing and editing).

References
A list of the source cited in the article (Use APA 7th Edition)
 LRP: Components
Appendices
A research article is basically supposed to be complete without the
appendices. However, it is also appropriate to include appendices when
(1) The incorporation of material in the body of the work would make it
poorly structured;
(2) The material would make the article too long and detailed; and
(3) Although the material is essential but its integration in the body
would clutter or break up the narrative flow of the article, or it
would be distracting to the reader.
 Methodology
"branch of logic that shows how abstract logical principles are to be applied to the
production of knowledge," 1800, from French méthodologie or directly from
Modern Latin methodologia; ( method + -ology)
 The system of methods followed in a particular discipline
 Research methodology is a systematic way to solve a problem.
 It is a science of studying how research is to be carried out.
 The procedures by which researchers go about their work of
describing, explaining and predicting phenomena
 It is the study of methods by which knowledge is gained.
 Its aim is to give the work plan of research.
 LRP: Role of Methodology
 A methodology is a repeatable process. The idea is that if you find a process that works on one
kind of project, the same process (or a variation of it) will work on another similar project.
 A proven methodology should provide a higher probability of success on a project as opposed
to starting a project with no methodology at all. A methodology also provides a vehicle for
capturing lessons learned from one project to the next if it is used correctly,
 The importance is associated with not only the validity of the research itself but also the
means by which others can replicate what we’ve done in the research.
 The research methodology used will give rise to diversities of perception, interoception,
description, conception and even misconception of possible and probable relevancy, validity
and significance toward researchers and readers alike.
 The importance lies on the concrete span of evidencing data and information, interpolation
and extrapolation of concepts, and analytical thought which may influence other minds. The
impact of reading any research is the lasting effect on readers because of the methods used to
garner results. What do you get or learned after reading them?