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Research Paper – Structure, Examples and Writing Guide

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Research Paper

Definition:

Research Paper is a written document that presents the author’s original research, analysis, and interpretation of a specific topic or issue.

It is typically based on Empirical Evidence, and may involve qualitative or quantitative research methods, or a combination of both. The purpose of a research paper is to contribute new knowledge or insights to a particular field of study, and to demonstrate the author’s understanding of the existing literature and theories related to the topic.

Structure of Research Paper

The structure of a research paper typically follows a standard format, consisting of several sections that convey specific information about the research study. The following is a detailed explanation of the structure of a research paper:

The title page contains the title of the paper, the name(s) of the author(s), and the affiliation(s) of the author(s). It also includes the date of submission and possibly, the name of the journal or conference where the paper is to be published.

The abstract is a brief summary of the research paper, typically ranging from 100 to 250 words. It should include the research question, the methods used, the key findings, and the implications of the results. The abstract should be written in a concise and clear manner to allow readers to quickly grasp the essence of the research.

Introduction

The introduction section of a research paper provides background information about the research problem, the research question, and the research objectives. It also outlines the significance of the research, the research gap that it aims to fill, and the approach taken to address the research question. Finally, the introduction section ends with a clear statement of the research hypothesis or research question.

Literature Review

The literature review section of a research paper provides an overview of the existing literature on the topic of study. It includes a critical analysis and synthesis of the literature, highlighting the key concepts, themes, and debates. The literature review should also demonstrate the research gap and how the current study seeks to address it.

The methods section of a research paper describes the research design, the sample selection, the data collection and analysis procedures, and the statistical methods used to analyze the data. This section should provide sufficient detail for other researchers to replicate the study.

The results section presents the findings of the research, using tables, graphs, and figures to illustrate the data. The findings should be presented in a clear and concise manner, with reference to the research question and hypothesis.

The discussion section of a research paper interprets the findings and discusses their implications for the research question, the literature review, and the field of study. It should also address the limitations of the study and suggest future research directions.

The conclusion section summarizes the main findings of the study, restates the research question and hypothesis, and provides a final reflection on the significance of the research.

The references section provides a list of all the sources cited in the paper, following a specific citation style such as APA, MLA or Chicago.

How to Write Research Paper

You can write Research Paper by the following guide:

• Choose a Topic: The first step is to select a topic that interests you and is relevant to your field of study. Brainstorm ideas and narrow down to a research question that is specific and researchable.
• Conduct a Literature Review: The literature review helps you identify the gap in the existing research and provides a basis for your research question. It also helps you to develop a theoretical framework and research hypothesis.
• Develop a Thesis Statement : The thesis statement is the main argument of your research paper. It should be clear, concise and specific to your research question.
• Plan your Research: Develop a research plan that outlines the methods, data sources, and data analysis procedures. This will help you to collect and analyze data effectively.
• Collect and Analyze Data: Collect data using various methods such as surveys, interviews, observations, or experiments. Analyze data using statistical tools or other qualitative methods.
• Organize your Paper : Organize your paper into sections such as Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion. Ensure that each section is coherent and follows a logical flow.
• Write your Paper : Start by writing the introduction, followed by the literature review, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. Ensure that your writing is clear, concise, and follows the required formatting and citation styles.
• Edit and Proofread your Paper: Review your paper for grammar and spelling errors, and ensure that it is well-structured and easy to read. Ask someone else to review your paper to get feedback and suggestions for improvement.
• Cite your Sources: Ensure that you properly cite all sources used in your research paper. This is essential for giving credit to the original authors and avoiding plagiarism.

Research Paper Example

Note : The below example research paper is for illustrative purposes only and is not an actual research paper. Actual research papers may have different structures, contents, and formats depending on the field of study, research question, data collection and analysis methods, and other factors. Students should always consult with their professors or supervisors for specific guidelines and expectations for their research papers.

Research Paper Example sample for Students:

Title: The Impact of Social Media on Mental Health among Young Adults

Abstract: This study aims to investigate the impact of social media use on the mental health of young adults. A literature review was conducted to examine the existing research on the topic. A survey was then administered to 200 university students to collect data on their social media use, mental health status, and perceived impact of social media on their mental health. The results showed that social media use is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. The study also found that social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) are significant predictors of mental health problems among young adults.

Introduction: Social media has become an integral part of modern life, particularly among young adults. While social media has many benefits, including increased communication and social connectivity, it has also been associated with negative outcomes, such as addiction, cyberbullying, and mental health problems. This study aims to investigate the impact of social media use on the mental health of young adults.

Literature Review: The literature review highlights the existing research on the impact of social media use on mental health. The review shows that social media use is associated with depression, anxiety, stress, and other mental health problems. The review also identifies the factors that contribute to the negative impact of social media, including social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO.

Methods : A survey was administered to 200 university students to collect data on their social media use, mental health status, and perceived impact of social media on their mental health. The survey included questions on social media use, mental health status (measured using the DASS-21), and perceived impact of social media on their mental health. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.

Results : The results showed that social media use is positively associated with depression, anxiety, and stress. The study also found that social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO are significant predictors of mental health problems among young adults.

Discussion : The study’s findings suggest that social media use has a negative impact on the mental health of young adults. The study highlights the need for interventions that address the factors contributing to the negative impact of social media, such as social comparison, cyberbullying, and FOMO.

Conclusion : In conclusion, social media use has a significant impact on the mental health of young adults. The study’s findings underscore the need for interventions that promote healthy social media use and address the negative outcomes associated with social media use. Future research can explore the effectiveness of interventions aimed at reducing the negative impact of social media on mental health. Additionally, longitudinal studies can investigate the long-term effects of social media use on mental health.

Limitations : The study has some limitations, including the use of self-report measures and a cross-sectional design. The use of self-report measures may result in biased responses, and a cross-sectional design limits the ability to establish causality.

Implications: The study’s findings have implications for mental health professionals, educators, and policymakers. Mental health professionals can use the findings to develop interventions that address the negative impact of social media use on mental health. Educators can incorporate social media literacy into their curriculum to promote healthy social media use among young adults. Policymakers can use the findings to develop policies that protect young adults from the negative outcomes associated with social media use.

References :

• Twenge, J. M., & Campbell, W. K. (2019). Associations between screen time and lower psychological well-being among children and adolescents: Evidence from a population-based study. Preventive medicine reports, 15, 100918.
• Primack, B. A., Shensa, A., Escobar-Viera, C. G., Barrett, E. L., Sidani, J. E., Colditz, J. B., … & James, A. E. (2017). Use of multiple social media platforms and symptoms of depression and anxiety: A nationally-representative study among US young adults. Computers in Human Behavior, 69, 1-9.
• Van der Meer, T. G., & Verhoeven, J. W. (2017). Social media and its impact on academic performance of students. Journal of Information Technology Education: Research, 16, 383-398.

Appendix : The survey used in this study is provided below.

Social Media and Mental Health Survey

• How often do you use social media per day?
• Less than 30 minutes
• 30 minutes to 1 hour
• 1 to 2 hours
• 2 to 4 hours
• More than 4 hours
• Which social media platforms do you use?
• Others (Please specify)
• How often do you experience the following on social media?
• Social comparison (comparing yourself to others)
• Cyberbullying
• Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)
• Have you ever experienced any of the following mental health problems in the past month?
• Do you think social media use has a positive or negative impact on your mental health?
• Very positive
• Somewhat positive
• Somewhat negative
• Very negative
• In your opinion, which factors contribute to the negative impact of social media on mental health?
• Social comparison
• In your opinion, what interventions could be effective in reducing the negative impact of social media on mental health?
• Education on healthy social media use
• Counseling for mental health problems caused by social media
• Social media detox programs
• Regulation of social media use

Thank you for your participation!

Applications of Research Paper

Research papers have several applications in various fields, including:

• Advancing knowledge: Research papers contribute to the advancement of knowledge by generating new insights, theories, and findings that can inform future research and practice. They help to answer important questions, clarify existing knowledge, and identify areas that require further investigation.
• Informing policy: Research papers can inform policy decisions by providing evidence-based recommendations for policymakers. They can help to identify gaps in current policies, evaluate the effectiveness of interventions, and inform the development of new policies and regulations.
• Improving practice: Research papers can improve practice by providing evidence-based guidance for professionals in various fields, including medicine, education, business, and psychology. They can inform the development of best practices, guidelines, and standards of care that can improve outcomes for individuals and organizations.
• Educating students : Research papers are often used as teaching tools in universities and colleges to educate students about research methods, data analysis, and academic writing. They help students to develop critical thinking skills, research skills, and communication skills that are essential for success in many careers.
• Fostering collaboration: Research papers can foster collaboration among researchers, practitioners, and policymakers by providing a platform for sharing knowledge and ideas. They can facilitate interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships that can lead to innovative solutions to complex problems.

When to Write Research Paper

Research papers are typically written when a person has completed a research project or when they have conducted a study and have obtained data or findings that they want to share with the academic or professional community. Research papers are usually written in academic settings, such as universities, but they can also be written in professional settings, such as research organizations, government agencies, or private companies.

Here are some common situations where a person might need to write a research paper:

• For academic purposes: Students in universities and colleges are often required to write research papers as part of their coursework, particularly in the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities. Writing research papers helps students to develop research skills, critical thinking skills, and academic writing skills.
• For publication: Researchers often write research papers to publish their findings in academic journals or to present their work at academic conferences. Publishing research papers is an important way to disseminate research findings to the academic community and to establish oneself as an expert in a particular field.
• To inform policy or practice : Researchers may write research papers to inform policy decisions or to improve practice in various fields. Research findings can be used to inform the development of policies, guidelines, and best practices that can improve outcomes for individuals and organizations.
• To share new insights or ideas: Researchers may write research papers to share new insights or ideas with the academic or professional community. They may present new theories, propose new research methods, or challenge existing paradigms in their field.

Purpose of Research Paper

The purpose of a research paper is to present the results of a study or investigation in a clear, concise, and structured manner. Research papers are written to communicate new knowledge, ideas, or findings to a specific audience, such as researchers, scholars, practitioners, or policymakers. The primary purposes of a research paper are:

• To contribute to the body of knowledge : Research papers aim to add new knowledge or insights to a particular field or discipline. They do this by reporting the results of empirical studies, reviewing and synthesizing existing literature, proposing new theories, or providing new perspectives on a topic.
• To inform or persuade: Research papers are written to inform or persuade the reader about a particular issue, topic, or phenomenon. They present evidence and arguments to support their claims and seek to persuade the reader of the validity of their findings or recommendations.
• To advance the field: Research papers seek to advance the field or discipline by identifying gaps in knowledge, proposing new research questions or approaches, or challenging existing assumptions or paradigms. They aim to contribute to ongoing debates and discussions within a field and to stimulate further research and inquiry.
• To demonstrate research skills: Research papers demonstrate the author’s research skills, including their ability to design and conduct a study, collect and analyze data, and interpret and communicate findings. They also demonstrate the author’s ability to critically evaluate existing literature, synthesize information from multiple sources, and write in a clear and structured manner.

Characteristics of Research Paper

Research papers have several characteristics that distinguish them from other forms of academic or professional writing. Here are some common characteristics of research papers:

• Evidence-based: Research papers are based on empirical evidence, which is collected through rigorous research methods such as experiments, surveys, observations, or interviews. They rely on objective data and facts to support their claims and conclusions.
• Structured and organized: Research papers have a clear and logical structure, with sections such as introduction, literature review, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion. They are organized in a way that helps the reader to follow the argument and understand the findings.
• Formal and objective: Research papers are written in a formal and objective tone, with an emphasis on clarity, precision, and accuracy. They avoid subjective language or personal opinions and instead rely on objective data and analysis to support their arguments.
• Citations and references: Research papers include citations and references to acknowledge the sources of information and ideas used in the paper. They use a specific citation style, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago, to ensure consistency and accuracy.
• Peer-reviewed: Research papers are often peer-reviewed, which means they are evaluated by other experts in the field before they are published. Peer-review ensures that the research is of high quality, meets ethical standards, and contributes to the advancement of knowledge in the field.
• Objective and unbiased: Research papers strive to be objective and unbiased in their presentation of the findings. They avoid personal biases or preconceptions and instead rely on the data and analysis to draw conclusions.

Advantages of Research Paper

Research papers have many advantages, both for the individual researcher and for the broader academic and professional community. Here are some advantages of research papers:

• Contribution to knowledge: Research papers contribute to the body of knowledge in a particular field or discipline. They add new information, insights, and perspectives to existing literature and help advance the understanding of a particular phenomenon or issue.
• Opportunity for intellectual growth: Research papers provide an opportunity for intellectual growth for the researcher. They require critical thinking, problem-solving, and creativity, which can help develop the researcher’s skills and knowledge.
• Career advancement: Research papers can help advance the researcher’s career by demonstrating their expertise and contributions to the field. They can also lead to new research opportunities, collaborations, and funding.
• Academic recognition: Research papers can lead to academic recognition in the form of awards, grants, or invitations to speak at conferences or events. They can also contribute to the researcher’s reputation and standing in the field.
• Impact on policy and practice: Research papers can have a significant impact on policy and practice. They can inform policy decisions, guide practice, and lead to changes in laws, regulations, or procedures.
• Advancement of society: Research papers can contribute to the advancement of society by addressing important issues, identifying solutions to problems, and promoting social justice and equality.

Limitations of Research Paper

Research papers also have some limitations that should be considered when interpreting their findings or implications. Here are some common limitations of research papers:

• Limited generalizability: Research findings may not be generalizable to other populations, settings, or contexts. Studies often use specific samples or conditions that may not reflect the broader population or real-world situations.
• Potential for bias : Research papers may be biased due to factors such as sample selection, measurement errors, or researcher biases. It is important to evaluate the quality of the research design and methods used to ensure that the findings are valid and reliable.
• Ethical concerns: Research papers may raise ethical concerns, such as the use of vulnerable populations or invasive procedures. Researchers must adhere to ethical guidelines and obtain informed consent from participants to ensure that the research is conducted in a responsible and respectful manner.
• Limitations of methodology: Research papers may be limited by the methodology used to collect and analyze data. For example, certain research methods may not capture the complexity or nuance of a particular phenomenon, or may not be appropriate for certain research questions.
• Publication bias: Research papers may be subject to publication bias, where positive or significant findings are more likely to be published than negative or non-significant findings. This can skew the overall findings of a particular area of research.
• Time and resource constraints: Research papers may be limited by time and resource constraints, which can affect the quality and scope of the research. Researchers may not have access to certain data or resources, or may be unable to conduct long-term studies due to practical limitations.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

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13.1 Formatting a Research Paper

Learning objectives.

• Identify the major components of a research paper written using American Psychological Association (APA) style.
• Apply general APA style and formatting conventions in a research paper.

In this chapter, you will learn how to use APA style , the documentation and formatting style followed by the American Psychological Association, as well as MLA style , from the Modern Language Association. There are a few major formatting styles used in academic texts, including AMA, Chicago, and Turabian:

• AMA (American Medical Association) for medicine, health, and biological sciences
• APA (American Psychological Association) for education, psychology, and the social sciences
• Chicago—a common style used in everyday publications like magazines, newspapers, and books
• MLA (Modern Language Association) for English, literature, arts, and humanities
• Turabian—another common style designed for its universal application across all subjects and disciplines

While all the formatting and citation styles have their own use and applications, in this chapter we focus our attention on the two styles you are most likely to use in your academic studies: APA and MLA.

If you find that the rules of proper source documentation are difficult to keep straight, you are not alone. Writing a good research paper is, in and of itself, a major intellectual challenge. Having to follow detailed citation and formatting guidelines as well may seem like just one more task to add to an already-too-long list of requirements.

Following these guidelines, however, serves several important purposes. First, it signals to your readers that your paper should be taken seriously as a student’s contribution to a given academic or professional field; it is the literary equivalent of wearing a tailored suit to a job interview. Second, it shows that you respect other people’s work enough to give them proper credit for it. Finally, it helps your reader find additional materials if he or she wishes to learn more about your topic.

Furthermore, producing a letter-perfect APA-style paper need not be burdensome. Yes, it requires careful attention to detail. However, you can simplify the process if you keep these broad guidelines in mind:

• Work ahead whenever you can. Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” includes tips for keeping track of your sources early in the research process, which will save time later on.
• Get it right the first time. Apply APA guidelines as you write, so you will not have much to correct during the editing stage. Again, putting in a little extra time early on can save time later.
• Use the resources available to you. In addition to the guidelines provided in this chapter, you may wish to consult the APA website at http://www.apa.org or the Purdue University Online Writing lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu , which regularly updates its online style guidelines.

General Formatting Guidelines

This chapter provides detailed guidelines for using the citation and formatting conventions developed by the American Psychological Association, or APA. Writers in disciplines as diverse as astrophysics, biology, psychology, and education follow APA style. The major components of a paper written in APA style are listed in the following box.

These are the major components of an APA-style paper:

Body, which includes the following:

• Headings and, if necessary, subheadings to organize the content
• In-text citations of research sources
• References page

All these components must be saved in one document, not as separate documents.

The title page of your paper includes the following information:

• Title of the paper
• Author’s name
• Name of the institution with which the author is affiliated
• Header at the top of the page with the paper title (in capital letters) and the page number (If the title is lengthy, you may use a shortened form of it in the header.)

List the first three elements in the order given in the previous list, centered about one third of the way down from the top of the page. Use the headers and footers tool of your word-processing program to add the header, with the title text at the left and the page number in the upper-right corner. Your title page should look like the following example.

The next page of your paper provides an abstract , or brief summary of your findings. An abstract does not need to be provided in every paper, but an abstract should be used in papers that include a hypothesis. A good abstract is concise—about one hundred fifty to two hundred fifty words—and is written in an objective, impersonal style. Your writing voice will not be as apparent here as in the body of your paper. When writing the abstract, take a just-the-facts approach, and summarize your research question and your findings in a few sentences.

In Chapter 12 “Writing a Research Paper” , you read a paper written by a student named Jorge, who researched the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets. Read Jorge’s abstract. Note how it sums up the major ideas in his paper without going into excessive detail.

Write an abstract summarizing your paper. Briefly introduce the topic, state your findings, and sum up what conclusions you can draw from your research. Use the word count feature of your word-processing program to make sure your abstract does not exceed one hundred fifty words.

Depending on your field of study, you may sometimes write research papers that present extensive primary research, such as your own experiment or survey. In your abstract, summarize your research question and your findings, and briefly indicate how your study relates to prior research in the field.

Margins, Pagination, and Headings

APA style requirements also address specific formatting concerns, such as margins, pagination, and heading styles, within the body of the paper. Review the following APA guidelines.

Use these general guidelines to format the paper:

• Set the top, bottom, and side margins of your paper at 1 inch.
• Use double-spaced text throughout your paper.
• Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a legible size (10- to 12-point).
• Use continuous pagination throughout the paper, including the title page and the references section. Page numbers appear flush right within your header.
• Section headings and subsection headings within the body of your paper use different types of formatting depending on the level of information you are presenting. Additional details from Jorge’s paper are provided.

Begin formatting the final draft of your paper according to APA guidelines. You may work with an existing document or set up a new document if you choose. Include the following:

• Your title page
• The abstract you created in Note 13.8 “Exercise 1”
• Correct headers and page numbers for your title page and abstract

APA style uses section headings to organize information, making it easy for the reader to follow the writer’s train of thought and to know immediately what major topics are covered. Depending on the length and complexity of the paper, its major sections may also be divided into subsections, sub-subsections, and so on. These smaller sections, in turn, use different heading styles to indicate different levels of information. In essence, you are using headings to create a hierarchy of information.

The following heading styles used in APA formatting are listed in order of greatest to least importance:

• Section headings use centered, boldface type. Headings use title case, with important words in the heading capitalized.
• Subsection headings use left-aligned, boldface type. Headings use title case.
• The third level uses left-aligned, indented, boldface type. Headings use a capital letter only for the first word, and they end in a period.
• The fourth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are boldfaced and italicized.
• The fifth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are italicized and not boldfaced.

Visually, the hierarchy of information is organized as indicated in Table 13.1 “Section Headings” .

Table 13.1 Section Headings

A college research paper may not use all the heading levels shown in Table 13.1 “Section Headings” , but you are likely to encounter them in academic journal articles that use APA style. For a brief paper, you may find that level 1 headings suffice. Longer or more complex papers may need level 2 headings or other lower-level headings to organize information clearly. Use your outline to craft your major section headings and determine whether any subtopics are substantial enough to require additional levels of headings.

Working with the document you developed in Note 13.11 “Exercise 2” , begin setting up the heading structure of the final draft of your research paper according to APA guidelines. Include your title and at least two to three major section headings, and follow the formatting guidelines provided above. If your major sections should be broken into subsections, add those headings as well. Use your outline to help you.

Because Jorge used only level 1 headings, his Exercise 3 would look like the following:

Citation Guidelines

In-text citations.

Throughout the body of your paper, include a citation whenever you quote or paraphrase material from your research sources. As you learned in Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , the purpose of citations is twofold: to give credit to others for their ideas and to allow your reader to follow up and learn more about the topic if desired. Your in-text citations provide basic information about your source; each source you cite will have a longer entry in the references section that provides more detailed information.

In-text citations must provide the name of the author or authors and the year the source was published. (When a given source does not list an individual author, you may provide the source title or the name of the organization that published the material instead.) When directly quoting a source, it is also required that you include the page number where the quote appears in your citation.

This information may be included within the sentence or in a parenthetical reference at the end of the sentence, as in these examples.

Epstein (2010) points out that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (p. 137).

Here, the writer names the source author when introducing the quote and provides the publication date in parentheses after the author’s name. The page number appears in parentheses after the closing quotation marks and before the period that ends the sentence.

Addiction researchers caution that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (Epstein, 2010, p. 137).

Here, the writer provides a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence that includes the author’s name, the year of publication, and the page number separated by commas. Again, the parenthetical citation is placed after the closing quotation marks and before the period at the end of the sentence.

As noted in the book Junk Food, Junk Science (Epstein, 2010, p. 137), “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive.”

Here, the writer chose to mention the source title in the sentence (an optional piece of information to include) and followed the title with a parenthetical citation. Note that the parenthetical citation is placed before the comma that signals the end of the introductory phrase.

David Epstein’s book Junk Food, Junk Science (2010) pointed out that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (p. 137).

Another variation is to introduce the author and the source title in your sentence and include the publication date and page number in parentheses within the sentence or at the end of the sentence. As long as you have included the essential information, you can choose the option that works best for that particular sentence and source.

Citing a book with a single author is usually a straightforward task. Of course, your research may require that you cite many other types of sources, such as books or articles with more than one author or sources with no individual author listed. You may also need to cite sources available in both print and online and nonprint sources, such as websites and personal interviews. Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting” , Section 13.2 “Citing and Referencing Techniques” and Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provide extensive guidelines for citing a variety of source types.

Writing at Work

APA is just one of several different styles with its own guidelines for documentation, formatting, and language usage. Depending on your field of interest, you may be exposed to additional styles, such as the following:

• MLA style. Determined by the Modern Languages Association and used for papers in literature, languages, and other disciplines in the humanities.
• Chicago style. Outlined in the Chicago Manual of Style and sometimes used for papers in the humanities and the sciences; many professional organizations use this style for publications as well.
• Associated Press (AP) style. Used by professional journalists.

References List

The brief citations included in the body of your paper correspond to the more detailed citations provided at the end of the paper in the references section. In-text citations provide basic information—the author’s name, the publication date, and the page number if necessary—while the references section provides more extensive bibliographical information. Again, this information allows your reader to follow up on the sources you cited and do additional reading about the topic if desired.

The specific format of entries in the list of references varies slightly for different source types, but the entries generally include the following information:

• The name(s) of the author(s) or institution that wrote the source
• The year of publication and, where applicable, the exact date of publication
• The full title of the source
• For books, the city of publication
• For articles or essays, the name of the periodical or book in which the article or essay appears
• For magazine and journal articles, the volume number, issue number, and pages where the article appears
• For sources on the web, the URL where the source is located

The references page is double spaced and lists entries in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If an entry continues for more than one line, the second line and each subsequent line are indented five spaces. Review the following example. ( Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting” , Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provides extensive guidelines for formatting reference entries for different types of sources.)

In APA style, book and article titles are formatted in sentence case, not title case. Sentence case means that only the first word is capitalized, along with any proper nouns.

Key Takeaways

• Following proper citation and formatting guidelines helps writers ensure that their work will be taken seriously, give proper credit to other authors for their work, and provide valuable information to readers.
• Working ahead and taking care to cite sources correctly the first time are ways writers can save time during the editing stage of writing a research paper.
• APA papers usually include an abstract that concisely summarizes the paper.
• APA papers use a specific headings structure to provide a clear hierarchy of information.
• In APA papers, in-text citations usually include the name(s) of the author(s) and the year of publication.
• In-text citations correspond to entries in the references section, which provide detailed bibliographical information about a source.

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.

How Long Should a Research Paper Be?

How Long Should A Research Paper Be? An Overview

In short, research paper's average length can range from 1,500 words for research proposals and case studies - all the way to 100,000 words for large dissertations.

Research, by its nature of being complex, requires a careful and thorough elucidation of facts, notions, information, and the like - which is all reflected in its most optimal length.

Thus, one of the critical points that you need to focus on when writing either a complex research paper or a less complex research paper is your objective and how you can relay the latter in a particular context. Say you are writing a book review. Since you will only need to synthesize information from other sources to solidify your claim about a certain topic, you will perhaps use paraphrasing techniques, which offer a relatively lower word count when compared to a full-blown descriptive research paper.

Even when both types of research differ in word counts, they can effectively attain their objectives, given the different contexts in which they are written and constructed. 

Certainly, when asked about how long is a research paper, it surely depends on the objective or the type of research you will be using. Carrying out these objectives will warrant you to do certain paper writing tasks and techniques that are not necessarily long or short when you compare them to other research types. 

At Studyfy, we care for the attainment of your research objectives. We understand that achieving such will contribute to the success of your research completion. While maintaining the ideal word count for a research paper, you are in a meaningful position to understand the various elements that can enrich your paper, even if it looks overwhelming.

How Long Should the Introduction of a Research Paper Be?

The research introduction section most likely occupies approximately 30-40% of the entire research paper.

The introduction of a regular academic paper can total 1750-2000 words depending on the research type and complexity of the research niche or topic. That is why, in writing this section, you must enrich the content of your paper while maintaining readability and coherence for the benefit of your readers.

The introduction houses the background of the study. This is the part of the paper where the entire context of the paper is established. We all know that the research context is important as it helps the readers understand why the paper is even conducted in the first place. Thus, the impression of having a well-established context can only be found in the introduction. Now that we know the gravity of creating a good introduction, let us now ask how long this section should be.

Generally speaking, the paper’s introduction is the longest among all the sections. Aside from establishing the context, the introduction must house the historical underpinnings of the study (important for case studies and ethnographic research), salient information about all the variables in the study (including their relationship with other variables), and related literature and studies that can provide insight into the novelty and peculiarities of the current research project.

To better understand the general composition of your research introduction, you may refer to the breakdown of this section below:

• Context Establishment and Introduction of Key Terms. In this subsection, you will articulate the background (historical, social, economic, psychological, etc.) of the study, including the ecosystem and the niche of your study interest. Furthermore, key terms found as variables in your study must be properly defined operationally and theoretically, if necessary. This comprises 20% of the introduction, or about 350-500 words.
• Related Literature and Studies. This is the subsection where you will criticize and integrate existing literature and studies to highlight the research gap that you intend to fill in. This comprises 25% of the introduction or about 450-600 words.
• Thesis statement. This part of the introduction can only be a paragraph or a couple of sentences, as this needs to be straightforward in relaying the identified research gap of the researchers. This comprises 5% of the introduction or about 90-100 words.
• Objectives or Research Questions. This subsection should outline the aims of the study, especially highlighting the inquiries that concern the relationship between the variables and how the research will progress to fill in the identified gaps. This comprises 5% of the introduction or about 90-100 words.

Theoretical and/or Conceptual Framework. These frameworks, when better assisted with a visual representation, guide the entire research process and provide a structure for understanding the relationship between the variables in the study. This comprises 10% of the introduction or about 180-200 words.

Elements of Good Research Writing Process– While Maintaining the Ideal Word Count!

• Clarity of Purpose . All types of writing, whether long or short, have its clarity of purpose as the heart of the text. In research, it is manifested through the inclusion of a research question or hypothesis. A good research paper does not repeat these elements without a purpose in mind. Though they can be emphasized throughout the development of the paper, the manner of doing it must be in a logical and purposeful way. 

To guide you in writing process of doing so, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• Is the research question or hypothesis clearly stated?
• Does the introduction provide a clear overview of the purpose of the study?
• Does the purpose of the study repeat purposefully in the latter sections of the paper?
• Does the purpose of the study repeat logically in the latter sections of the paper?

2. Literature Review . When appending related literature and studies to your paper, the question must not revolve around whether you have supplied a lot of these pieces of information, making your article wordy and ideal. While the literature review adds a significant ‘chunk’ to your paper, with some paper formats even allotting a specific section for it, we must carefully consider what and how we can integrate them. It subsequently entails a critical analysis of a piece of literature or study and logically places it beside information that you desire to contest. As they say, a good literature review identifies knowledge gaps, highlights the author’s familiarity with the topic, and provides an overview of the research areas that show a disparity of agreement. In order to have these characteristics, you can ask yourself the following questions:

• Have I integrated relevant literature in my review?
• Have I placed it logically within a specific piece of information based on my presumption?
• Do they identify a concept or piece of information that is otherwise unknown to the field?
• Have I critically analyzed existing research to identify the research gap?

3. Logical Flow. Research will not be whole without its parts. Researchers must know how to tie everything together and ensure that each part is functional in itself and supplements with other parts. When dealing with a large body of text, the logical flow of the paper might be a considerable concern. Along with the confusion brought about by the wordiness and complexity of the topic, your readers might get lost because of incoherence and inconsistencies with the presentation of ideas, leading to them not reading your paper any further. Thus, while ensuring that you get the word count that you want, you might want to ask yourself these questions first:

• Does the introduction progress logically from the general background to the specific research question?
• Do the transition devices between sections and individual paragraphs of the body facilitate a smooth flow of ideas?
• Is there a clear hierarchy of ideas, with each paragraph contributing to the overall argument?
• Have I organized ideas in a way that makes the document easy to track?
• Have I pursued a logical sequence of presenting information?

4. Language Use and Style. Developing an academic language throughout your paper and maintaining a formal style of paper writing are all the more important in research writing process, and mind you, it can also help you increase your word count in a sustainable way! Incorporating this form of language and style into your paper entails more than just adding incoherent or overly manufactured words that may be viewed as fillers.

Strategies and known practices are said to hit multiple objectives without compromising the quality of the paper. You may expand your points by providing detailed explanations, introducing sufficient pieces of evidence that supports your claims, addressing counterargument through the presentation of related literature or studies, or clarifying complex concepts through chunking. To better understand these techniques, some of these questions might be helpful for you:

• Is the language clear and concise?
• Have I avoided unnecessary jargon or complex sentences or paragraphs?
• Have I avoided repetition or redundancy in the document?
• Have I expanded on key points by providing more detailed explanations and examples?
• Have I discussed nuances, variations, or exceptions to your results?
• Have I clarified some complex concepts or theories by chunking them into more detailed explanations?

How Long Should a Paragraph Be in a Research Paper?

For the research paper introduction section, a typical paragraph count will be 12-15, excluding the literature review section. Each subsection has 1-2 individual paragraphs. The mentioned section, on the other hand, can have paragraphs totaling 10-20. The conclusion section, on the other hand, is considered ideal if it has 5-7 paragraphs. 

The paragraph count differs from one research type to another and even from one paper section to another. While it is worth deciding how long should a paragraph be in a research paper, it is more important to take note of the importance of ideas that should be included in each paragraph within a certain section. Take the review of the literature section as an example. The number of literature in the paper is said to be equal to the number of paragraphs allotted for the section. The reason lies in the uniformity of importance these pieces of literature hold, provided that they are closely associated with the research gap. 

Do you feel like you need to pay for a research paper in hopes of finding a model article with the right paragraph count? Look no further, as Studyfy has its in-house research paper writing service that houses professionals and experts for your academic paper writing help. Its reasonable price– no deadline markup nor additional hidden charges– is tantamount to the expertise each writer has put into their work.

How Long Should a Conclusion Be in a Research Paper?

A concluding section, then, must only comprise 5% of the total word count of the paper, translating to approximately 400 words. This measly allocation may put you into a flimsy situation, especially if you do not know how to manage your vocabulary well and you keep on adding filler words that can sacrifice the importance of this section. Ditch the nonsense and construct your conclusion in a concise yet enriching way.

In concluding a research paper, it is important to always synthesize the big chunks of information examined in the data analysis and discussion. As worn out as the reader may look after reaching this point, the conclusion must act as a “mellow point” for them, entrusting them only with important pointers of the study. Sometimes, the conclusion part of the paper, even though less wordy than its preceding sections, may be difficult to construct, as you still need to have a basis– a scaffold– to refer to, and synthesizing, just like analyzing and evaluating data, is just as hard and laborious.

Through its superb essay writing services , plus applying top-notch quality assurance to academic papers like research articles, Studyfy can help you achieve the best for last with an effective, meaningful, and content-rich conclusion. Your readers will not think twice about using your study as a model for their own works!

How Long is a Research Paper in terms of its Various Types?

As mentioned in the first part of the article, the word count of an academic paper is dependent on the type of research you wish to conduct. While the general word count has been given, we cannot deny the fact that this threshold is only an estimation. There might be a time when you are tasked to create a research article that is different from a standard IMRAD-structured (Introduction, Methodology, Results, Analysis, Discussion) research paper. You are in for a treat, as we will provide you with a cheat sheet for the word count of several types of write-ups in the realm of research:

Research Proposal

Specific Purpose/s: A preliminary outline that contains the research question, minimal literature review, methodology, and significance of the research undertaking.

"Word Count Range: 1500-3000 words"

Review Article

Specific Purpose/s: Review bodies of literature about an overarching topic or niche, analyze a particular section, synthesize according to certain themes, and identify knowledge gaps from the findings.

"Word Count Range: 5000-10,000 words"

Meta-Analysis

Specific Purpose/s: Involves the use of statistical analyses of multiple studies to provide a quantitative synthesis of the evidence.

"Word Count Range: 5000-15,000 words"

Specific Purpose/s: Presents an in-depth and intrusive analysis of a specific case, one which aims to illustrate a broader concept or novel phenomenon.

"Word Count Range: 1500-5000 words"

Conference Paper

Specific Purpose/s: Presents a brief introduction, salient research findings, and implications connected to a given theme by a conference or colloquium.

"Word Count Range: 2000-5000 words"

Dissertation

Specific Purpose/s: Regarded as a terminal scholarly requirement for doctorate students, this is an in-depth discussion of an otherwise original research finding, often written in chapters. It contributes significantly to the body of knowledge of a particular study of interest.

"Word Count Range: 50,000-100,000 words (depending on the institution)"

Are you contemplating buying research papers of different types? Studyfy got your back! Its roster of writers and editing experts leaves no space for errors, ensuring that both quality and quantity– that’s right: content and word count are not compromised. The variety of expertise within ensures that all research and scholarly works are delivered to your liking. Pay less– no hidden charges and markups while you enjoy the best quality of writing with Studyfy.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the introduction in a research paper.

AThe introduction takes up about 30-40% of the entire paper since the context and research background should be specified and further discussed. For a general academic paper with 4000 words, the introduction must be approximately 1500 words. You can do the math for the rest!

How long is a research paper, considering that there are many of them?

There is no one-size-fits-all guideline in determining the word count of a plethora of research papers in the world. Although there is an accepted word count range for each research type (as presented in the previous section), there are several factors that should likewise be considered in determining the word count: specific guidelines set by the institution you are working with, the complexity of the topic, audience, and depth of analysis. 

Do I have to include all of the prescribed subsections of the introduction to increase the word count?

While the prescribed subsections have significant functions in the research paper introduction, some of them are not required to be included. The decisions depend on the type of research you wish to conduct and the external guidelines that you might need to follow. Some disciplines, such as social sciences, require a research article to have a theoretical framework, whereas others do not. Some research papers follow the standard IMRAD paper format that infuses the literature review section into the introduction, while the Germanic Thesis paper format, for example, regards the former as a separate section.

How do I increase my word count without compromising the quality of my research paper?

The dilemma of choosing quality over quantity has long been debunked: you do not have to choose in the first place. All you need is a set of writing strategies and techniques that will target those two birds using one stone. You may provide more detail to some ambiguous or novel terms. You can add additional works of literature to some concepts that promote abstraction. You may include examples or empirical pieces of evidence to create a more concrete representation of a concept or theory. Lastly, you may use subheadings to efficiently allocate word count for your chosen discussion topics.

Why is it important to track the word count of a research paper?

There are various reasons why we need to do it. Some institutions that publish scholarly journals follow certain guidelines in word count as one of the primary requirements. A specified limit enables researchers to allocate the number of words to several sections of their writing efficiently. Most institutions also use paper length as a predictor of publication cost. The longer the word count is, the costlier the publication will be. Lastly, reading engagement is affected by word count, as readers tend to shy away from reading an article that is long, boring, and insubstantial. 

Can a writing service help me achieve my goals of writing within the right word count range?

Certainly! Studyfy offers several academic services, including writing services and research papers for sale . Understanding your various writing needs, writers can cater to the needed style, word count, formatting, and any other aspects so that you can have the best quality write-up without having to fear extra charges and big markups.

Writing an Argumentative Research Paper

• Library Resources
• Books & EBooks
• What is an Argumentative Research Essay?
• Choosing a Topic
• How to Write a Thesis Statement Libguide
• Structure & Outline
• Types of Sources
• OER Resources
• Copyright, Plagiarism, and Fair Use

Examples of argumentative essays

Skyline College libguides: MLA Sample Argumentative Papers

Ebooks in Galileo

Video Tutorial

Structure & Outline

Usually written in the five-paragraph structure, the argumentative essay format consists of an introduction, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

A works cited page or reference page (depending on format) will be included at the end of the essay along with in-text citations within the essay.

When writing an argumentative research essay, create an outline to structure the research you find as well as help with the writing process. The outline of an argumentative essay should include an introduction with thesis statement, 3 main body paragraphs with supporting evidence and opposing viewpoints with evidence to disprove, along with an conclusion.

The example below is just a basic outline and structure

I. Introduction: tells what you are going to write about. Basic information about the issue along with your thesis statement.

 A. Basic information

B. Thesis Statement

II. Body 1 : Reason 1 write about the first reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

A. supporting evidence 

B. Supporting evidence 

II. Body 2 .: Reason 2 write about the third reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

A. supporting evidence

III. Body 3 : Reason 3 write about the fourth reason that proves your claim on the issue and give supporting evidence

IV. Counter arguments and responses. Write about opposing viewpoints and use evidence to refute their argument and persuade audience in your direction or viewpoint

A. Arguments from other side of the issue

B. Refute the arguments

V. Conclusion

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How To Write an 8 Page Paper: A Guide

Students are often worried about the  length of research  writing when it comes to assigned papers. There are many factors that determine how long a research paper should be. 

These include your grade level, the topic and the depth of the research, among many others. Naturally, you’re asked for a specific word count or number of pages in your prompt. 

In this article, we will explore how to write an 8 page paper for your next assignment. We’ll focus on the following; 

• 10 steps of writing an 8 page long research. 
• How to structure and organize a paper. 
• Outline Template and Example. 
• 6 common mistakes to avoid. 

Table of Contents

How To Write 8 Page Paper: 8 Step Guide

An 8-page long research paper is moderately lengthy. For many of you, it may be the longest research paper yet. Viewing it this way,  writing a research  paper might seem intimidating. 

So you’ll need to change your approach to this mission. Dividing this big task into manageable steps will make it easier to tackle. This section provides you with calculated steps on how to write an 8 page paper.

Understanding The Instruction

Imagine trying to assemble your Ikea shelf without any visual or verbal instruction. You’ll naturally mess it up, one way or the other. Many students make the mistake of neglecting the prompt. 

The success of your paper depends on your understanding of these instructions. So before you  start a research paper , read your prompt thoroughly. These guidelines will highlight all the technical requirements, including; 

• Formatting style 
• Required word count
• Any visual or imagery requirements 
• Length of paragraphs 
• Line spacing 
• Deadlines 
• Method of submission 

Thus, carefully review your instruction document for at least 15-20 minutes. This helps you determine when and how to follow all the requirements.

Choosing A Topic

Choosing the right  research paper topics  is a hassle on its own. Each topic has its own scope and research capacities. Here are some key factors to register while picking your topic. 

• Your interest in the topic 
• The amount of relevant information available on the topic. 
• Authentic sources for that information. (less reliable information can damage your credibility) 
• Consider the depth of the topic. 

If you happen to like a vague topic, try focusing on a specific aspect. This way, you can narrow down your research to meet the requirements. 

Listing Relevant Research Studies

Once you’ve picked a satisfactory topic, collect the relevant research studies done on it. This step will familiarize you with the existing literature on the subject. Additionally, you can pinpoint the exact areas that require more research.

This step will help you narrow down your topic if you haven’t already. You can look for these studies on online platforms or search engines like; 

• Google Scholar
• Find Your Answer
• ResearchGate

You can read related books, journals, research publications, and articles for your paper. Remember to stay on the relevant studies and refrain from exhausting yourself with extraneous readings.

Making Notes

When preparing to compose a research paper, taking notes will help you succeed. Making notes will assist you in filtering your data and keeping tabs on the most authentic and relevant information. 

Your note-taking method can vary from others and should suit you. However, here are some common ways that many students adopt. 

• Highlighting information by using a spreadsheet or notebook.
• Flag the sources of information to form references.
• Make mind maps and flowcharts or any other diagram technique. 
• Make solid bullet points to add to your paper. 
• Write down all your ideas that emerge from the research. 

These notes will showcase which points add value to your argument. Keep those of the highest validity and reliability. This is especially great for your next step, which is making outlines. 

Making an Outline

Make an  outline  that will serve as your investigation’s outer face. It helps you understand the concept behind this entire exploration. This outline must follow all the rules from your prompt. 

You can have your professor help you with writing an outline. Another way to create an outline is to follow an exemplary paper. You can fashion your paper similar to your example. However, make sure to add some original value and not copy someone’s entire work.

Adjusting Information

In this step, you will notice your research paper coming to life. You can start by assembling all the information you have highlighted within the outline. Students have polarized opinions about this step. 

While many treat it like a puzzle game, others are left confused. In case of perplexity, you can look for help in various areas;

• You can ask your instructor to guide you
• You can challenge yourself to learn by copying the sequence of your exemplary paper. 
• You can opt for  paper writing help  and get professional writers to help you. 

It’s not necessary to add all the details at once. It might take multiple attempts to adjust all the information in the outline. 

Writing Draft

You can start working on your first draft according to your blueprint (outline). Try to write in chunks and give yourself enough breaks to stay fresh. Remember your work reflects your state of mind. 

Try to incorporate proper  citation  and formatting techniques in this step. Make sure you follow the recommended citation method. 

Editing and making changes is the last of this guide on how to write an 8 page paper. In this stage, you will work towards finalizing your research article. It might seem like this step only requires a spelling or grammar check. 

Yet there’s more than meets the eye. This step requires you to; 

• Polish your content and use appropriate vocabulary/ jargon. 
• Focus on structure and format. 
• Use the proper citation method. 
• Fix spelling, punctuation and grammatical errors. 
• Get a fresh pair of eyes to review your work. This could be your professor or peers. (make appropriate changes according to their suggestions) 

By following these steps, you can compose impactful research. Remember running low on time doesn’t mean you’re out of options. Ask for help and guidance from your peers and professors. If you still feel clueless, get a good  research paper writer  who helps you learn. 

*Note: You can follow these same steps with minor adjustments depending on the length of your research. 

How to Write an 8 Page Paper: Organization

Now that you have understood how to write an 8 page paper, let’s move on to structure. Learning how to  organize your research paper  is another crucial step you shouldn’t skip.

Research writing goes through a General-Specific-General format. 

It’s an ideal way to structure your paper. The investigation points will give a reader a precise meaning when the structure is in a flow. Let us explain how to follow these instructions in a detailed overview.

How to Write an 8 page paper: Introduction

In the  introduction , you will start with a general statement like, establishing the background. You will also add; 

• The research problem
• Importance of the topic
• A glimpse of what makes your work unique

*Remember introduction and literature review are two different sections. Don’t confuse one with the other. 

Purpose of Paper

After the intro, you’ll jump to the purpose of your research paper. This section encompasses your 

• Thesis statement 

Try to establish an outline of the intentions behind the paper.

Literature Review 

Your next task is writing your  literature review  for the paper. This section will include your; 

• Identification of gaps and trends in prior research.
• Methodologies 
• The key finding of the paper 
• Selection of relevant sources 

How to Write an 8 page paper: Methods

The methods section focuses on information design, procedures and approaches. The writers add the assumptions, collection data, and other relevant information. 

Results 

The result is next in the structuring of your 8 page research paper. It encompasses the main findings, your arguments, and the achievements of your paper. 

How to Write an 8 Page Paper: Discussion/ Conclusion

The final segment of your paper is the  conclusion  and discussion section. It interprets or extends results and draws inferences. This section points to applications or wider implications of the investigations. It ends with recommendations from the writer on how he sees the situation.

How to Write an 8 Page Paper: Outline and Template

The following outline contains an estimated page space for each segment of the structure. It allows adequate space for each part while considering the limitations of length. 

It shows how to adjust each section to complete an 8 page paper without any hiccups. However, you can make changes to suit your data and research.

This is a wrap on our guide on how to write an 8 page paper. We’re positive that this tutorial is helpful for many students. These steps, tips and outline templates will assist you regardless of the length of your paper.

With these guidelines, you can impress your professors and peers. If you need further help, check out related posts and unlock your composition skills. For those who are still struggling, our writers are available for you around the clock. So get in contact without any delays and achieve a top grade.

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• Writing Tips

How Many Paragraphs Should an Essay Have?

• 6-minute read
• 19th May 2023

You have an essay to write. You’ve researched the topic and crafted a strong thesis statement . Now it’s time to open the laptop and start tapping away on the keyboard. You know the required word count, but you’re unsure of one thing: How many paragraphs should you have in the essay? Gee, it would’ve been nice if your professor had specified that, huh?

No worries, friend, because in this post, we’ll provide a guide to how many paragraphs an essay should have . Generally, the number of paragraphs will depend on how many words and how many supporting details you need (more on that later). We’ll also explore the concept of paragraphs if you’re wondering what they’re all about. And remember, paragraphs serve a purpose. You can’t submit an essay without using them!

What Is a Paragraph?

You likely know what a paragraph is, but can you define it properly in plain English? Don’t feel bad if that question made you shake your head. Off the top of our heads, many of us can’t explain what a paragraph is .

A paragraph comprises at least five sentences about a particular topic. A paragraph must begin with a well-crafted topic sentence , which is then followed by ideas that support that sentence. To move the essay forward, the paragraph should flow well, and the sentences should be relevant.

Why Are Paragraphs Important?

Paragraphs expand on points you make about a topic, painting a vivid picture for the reader. Paragraphs break down information into chunks, which are easier to read than one giant, uninterrupted body of text. If your essay doesn’t use paragraphs, it likely won’t earn a good grade!

 How Many Paragraphs Are in an Essay?

As mentioned, the number of paragraphs will depend on the word count and the quantity of supporting ideas required. However, if you have to write at least 1,000 words, you should aim for at least five paragraphs. Every essay should have an introduction and a conclusion. The reader needs to get a basic introduction to the topic and understand your thesis statement. They must also see key takeaway points at the end of the essay.

As a rule, a five-paragraph essay would look like this:

• Introduction (with thesis statement)
• Main idea 1 (with supporting details)
• Main idea 2 (with supporting details)
• Main idea 3 (with supporting details)

Your supporting details should include material (such as quotations or facts) from credible sources when writing the main idea paragraphs.

If you think your essay could benefit from having more than five paragraphs, add them! Just make sure they’re relevant to the topic.

Professors don’t care so much about the number of paragraphs; they want you to satisfy the minimum word requirement. Assignment rubrics rarely state the number of required paragraphs. It will be up to you to decide how many to write, and we urge you to research the assigned topic before writing the essay. Your main ideas from the research will generate most of the paragraphs.

When Should I Start a New Paragraph?

Surprisingly, some students aren’t aware that they should break up some of the paragraphs in their essays . You need to start new paragraphs to keep your reader engaged.

As well as starting a new paragraph after the introduction and another for the conclusion, you should do so when you’re introducing a new idea or presenting contrasting information.

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Starting a paragraph often involves using transitional words or phrases to signal to the reader that you’re presenting a new idea. Failing to use these cues may cause confusion for the reader and undermine your essay’s coherence.

Let’s consider examples of transitional words and phrases in action in a conclusion. Note that the essay is about too much mobile device screen time and that transitional words and phrases can occur later in a paragraph too:

Thanks to “In conclusion” and “Additionally,” the reader clearly knows that they are now in the conclusion stage. They can also follow the logic and development of the essay more easily.

How Do I Know Whether I Have Enough Paragraphs?

While no magic number exists for how many paragraphs you need, you should know when you have enough to satisfy the requirements of the assignment. It helps if you can answer yes to the following questions:

• Does my essay have both an introduction and a conclusion?
• Have I provided enough main ideas with supporting details, including quotes and cited information?
• Does my essay develop the thesis statement?
• Does my essay adequately inform the reader about the topic?
• Have I provided at least one takeaway for the reader?

 Conclusion

Professors aren’t necessarily looking for a specific number of paragraphs in an essay; it’s the word count that matters. You should see the word count as a guide for a suitable number of paragraphs. As a rule, five paragraphs should suffice for a 1,000-word essay. As long as you have an introduction and a conclusion and provide enough supporting details for the main ideas in your body paragraphs, you should be good to go.

Remember to start a new paragraph when introducing new ideas or presenting contrasting information. Your reader needs to be able to follow the essay throughout, and a single, unbroken block of text would be difficult to read. Transitional words and phrases help start new paragraphs, so don’t forget to use them!

As with any writing, we always recommend proofreading your essay after you’ve finished it. This step will help to detect typos, extra spacing, and grammatical errors. A second pair of eyes is always useful, so we recommend asking our proofreading experts to review your essay . They’ll correct your grammar, ensure perfect spelling, and offer suggestions to improve your essay. You can even submit a 500-word document for free!

1. What is a paragraph and what is its purpose?

A paragraph is a group of sentences that expand on a single idea. The purpose of a paragraph is to introduce an idea and then develop it with supporting details.

2. What are the benefits of paragraphs?

Paragraphs make your essay easy to read by providing structure and flow. They let you transition from one idea to another. New paragraphs allow you to tell your reader that you’ve covered one point and are moving on to the next.

3. How many paragraphs does a typical essay have?

An essay of at least 1,000 words usually has five paragraphs. It’s best to use the required word count as a guide to the number of paragraphs you’ll need.

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How Many Paragraphs in a Research Paper: Steps on How to Write

Paragraphs In Research Paper

A research paper is an essay where after exploring a particular topic thoroughly, you can write a detailed essay about it.

In as much as you are allowed to use your thoughts, opinions, ideas, and knowledge, you must also include information from sources, books, journals, internet sites, and interviews in your research.

Therefore, at least 80% of the research paper should be written in your own words. Paragraphs must be detailed and arranged in order to maintain the flow of the essay, with each explaining a new point or contribution.

How Many Body Paragraphs Should a Research Paper Have?

The number of body paragraphs in a research paper depends on the length of the research paper. Some instructors usually hand out a specific length for research papers.

With each paragraph containing five to six sentences, each page should have three paragraphs.

Therefore, a three-page research paper should have nine paragraphs, and a ten-page research paper should have at least 30 paragraphs.

However, some research papers may require longer paragraphs where two paragraphs are enough for every page. As such, a three-page essay and a ten-page essay should have six and twenty paragraphs, respectively.

The paragraphs should always be proportional to your paper length, with shorter paragraphs in short research papers and longer paragraphs in long research paragraphs.

Types of Paragraphs in a Research Paper

1. introduction paragraph.

This is the paragraph where you set up the topic of the paper and the way you are approaching it to the reader. First, you have to introduce the topic. You have to tell the reader what you are writing about using a hooking sentence.

This sentence should grab the attention of the reader and convey the relevance of your topic. Secondly, you have to describe the background of the topic. This usually depends on the approach you are using in your paper and is mostly used in argumentative research.

It is where you review previous research and reveal how yours will fit in.

Thirdly is establishing your research problem. After showing how your research fits in, show the problems it addresses too.

Fourthly, you will have to specify the objectives of your paper. This is what you intend to find out and express in your paper.

Fifthly, you will have to include a brief overview of your paper. In a paper that uses the standard methods of research writing, it is not necessary, but if the structure is not predictable, it is important to describe it for the reader.

The last sentence in the introduction is always the thesis statement. It reveals everything the paper is all about.

2. Body Paragraphs

Arranging ideas and points in body paragraphs is a challenge for many students.

Each paragraph should always cover a different point. If two paragraphs have to explain the same thing, make sure that the approach taken in both is different.

To write a body paragraph, you will first start with a topic sentence to establish the main point of the paragraph. Reading the topic sentence in every body paragraph should provide the reader with the main points of your research.

The next task is unpacking the topic sentence. This is where you explain and discuss the individual parts of the topic sentence. After that, you give evidence to support your data. This is done by providing arguments, data, facts, figures, and quotations from credible sources .

Next, you will have to analyze the evidence. Never leave the evidence hanging. Instead, link it to the ideas you are trying to prove. Also, you will have to prove the objective by tying the body paragraph with the main topic of the research.

Finally, provide a transition to link your body paragraph to the next. The connection should be clear to maintain the flow of the paper.

3. Conclusion Paragraphs

This is the paragraph where you wrap up your thoughts and ideas and leave the reader with an impression.

The first thing to do when writing a conclusion is to remind the reader of your research problem. Paraphrase the research problem to make sure it is not identical to the one in the essay introduction.

Next, you will have to sum up the paper. Summarize what you addressed in the body of the essay and provide the conclusions they lead to. Generally, you have to summarize your overall findings.

After that, you discuss the implications. After formulating the summary of your findings, it is necessary to consider the implications of the broader research.

This is by providing the takeaways from your paper which are either practical or theoretical. For example, you can provide a reasonable call for action or suggest a research topic that is not covered in your paper.

How Many Paragraphs for Each of the Above Types?

Introduction paragraph.

A research paper’s introduction paragraphs depend on the length of the paper. If you are writing a five-page page essay, then the introduction should not take more than half of a page.

Therefore, one or two paragraphs are enough for such a paper. However, when writing a longer essay, the introduction paragraphs should be more in order to introduce everything you will talk about in the essay.

There is always an approximation that the introduction should be 10 percent of the total word count.

If you are writing an 1800-word research paper, then the introduction should be at least 180 words which translates to two introduction paragraphs.

Body Paragraphs

The shortest research paper usually has five paragraphs. Therefore, you are supposed to have three body paragraphs and one each for the introduction and conclusion.

However, this varies depending on the length of the research paper. For example, an 1800-word research paper should at least have 16 body paragraphs.

Research papers should have one or two paragraphs that summarize everything that has been written in the paper. Making it too long may lead to repetition.

However, for longer essays, more paragraphs can be required to summarize the key findings and their significance. One can also use the 10% rule. A conclusion with 10% of the total word count is proportional to the essay length.

To add to that, professional empirical research articles usually have conclusions that range from five to six paragraphs.

 On the other hand, novice and student research papers usually have two to three conclusion paragraphs.

How Long Should a Paragraph Be in a Research Paper?

The introduction paragraph of an essay should at least have five or six sentences that build up to the thesis statement at the end.

The first sentence should introduce the topic. The second should provide background information. The third should show the problem being addressed. The fourth should provide the objectives.

Lastly, the fifth should provide the overview, and the thesis statement should come last.

The body paragraphs of an essay should have six to seven sentences. These should contain sentences that introduce the main topic of the paragraph and unpack it.

Further sentences should provide evidence of the topic. Additionally, other sentences should analyze the evidence and prove the objective of the research paper. The last sentence should be a link to the body paragraph of the next

Lastly, the conclusion paragraphs should have five to six sentences. The average number of words should be between 75 to 85 words.

These paragraphs should not only be long enough to summarise your research paper but also short enough to avoid repetition of what is already written in the paper.

The sentences in the conclusion should be brief and straight to the point because there is nothing new that should be introduced. Every sentence should reflect the main idea of the essay.

James Lotta

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Paragraph Length: Data from 9,830 Research Papers

I analyzed a random sample of 9,830 full-text research papers, uploaded to PubMed Central between the years 2016 and 2021, to answer the question:

How long should a paragraph be in a research paper?

I used the BioC API to download the data (see the References section below).

Paragraph length

Our sample of 9,830 research articles had 325,500 paragraphs. The following table summarizes the length of these paragraphs::

From these data we can conclude that:

• The median paragraph length is 4 sentences (or 109 words), and most paragraphs are between 2 and 6 sentences (or 65 and 167 words).
• A paragraph can be just one sentence long. In fact, 13% (n=42,349) of all paragraphs in our sample were 1 sentence long.
• 90% of paragraphs were between 19 and 286 words (1 and 11 sentences). So, a paragraph shorter than 19 words can be considered too short; and a paragraph longer than 286 words (or 11 sentences) can be considered too long.

Paragraph length in each section of the research paper

A research paper is usually divided into 4 sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. The following table shows the median paragraph length for each of these sections:

The Discussion section has slightly longer paragraphs than other sections with a median of 5 sentences and 131 words.

Paragraph length in different types of studies

The data suggests that paragraph length did not differ for different study designs. Review papers (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) had almost the same paragraph length (median=103 words) as original research papers (median=110 words).

• Comeau DC, Wei CH, Islamaj Doğan R, and Lu Z. PMC text mining subset in BioC: about 3 million full text articles and growing,  Bioinformatics , btz070, 2019.

Further reading

• Can a Research Title Be a Question? Real-World Examples
• How Long Should a Research Paper Be? Data from 61,519 Examples
• How Many References to Cite? Based on 96,685 Research Papers
• How Old Should References Be? Based on 3,823,919 Examples

• Learning Tips
• Exam Guides
• School Life

How Many Paragraphs in an Essay, Research Paper or in Pages

• by Joseph Kenas
• January 18, 2024

For many students, deciding the number of paragraphs to be included in their research papers can be a big challenge.

Various factors determine the number of paragraphs in a research paper as we shall discuss later in this article. However, before exploring that, it is important to have an informed estimate on the number of paragraphs that should be contained in a research paper. 

How Many Paragraphs in an Essay or Research Paper?

As aforementioned, various factors can determine the number of paragraphs in a research paper. However, to have an informed estimate, we have to consider the structure of a typical research paper. 

The number of paragraphs in an essay or paper depends on its length in terms of pages. For instance, there should be 3 paragraphs in a 1-page essay or 5 paragraphs for a 2-page one. This includes an introduction paragraph, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Essays longer than that have more paragraphs depending on the length and the instructions from your faculty.

Longer research papers have many paragraphs compared to short essays. A typical research paper contains an introduction, literature review section, methodology section, findings and discussions section, and finally the conclusion.

For college or undergraduate research papers, your introduction and the conclusion should be made of a single paragraph each. Therefore, the introduction and the conclusion will account for 2 paragraphs in your research paper.

Now, the literature review should  review  credible and recent sources that relate to your research topic.

You are required to identify at least 3 sources and review them within the literature review section while making sure that you relate them to your research topic.

Therefore, if we assume that the review of each source will take 1 paragraph, then you are supposed to have a minimum of 3 paragraphs within the literature review.

When it comes to the methodology section, you are supposed to present the different strategies you will use to gather your research data.

Methods of data collection include but are not limited to experiments, interviews, sampling, questionnaires, observation, and so on. Here, you should be clear and succinct concerning the methods of data collection so that the reader can understand.

Furthermore, you should provide the population of the study, the variables of the methodologies, and other important research information.

You should also connect the methodologies to the research hypothesis or main claim. As such, the methodology section will take about 2 paragraphs for a college-level research paper.

The findings and discussion section should contain more paragraphs compared to the rest of the sections. This is because you are discussing the findings of your research and relating them to your topic and original claims. This section should not be less than 4 paragraphs in length.

Therefore, if we add the 2 paragraphs for the introduction and the conclusion, 3 paragraphs for the literature review, 2 paragraphs for the methodology, and 4 paragraphs for the findings and discussions, you will have a total of 11 paragraphs.

Depending on the content you will be writing, a research paper will have between 10 and 12 paragraphs. 

You should note that this is for a short research paper. A research paper may be more than 20 pages and therefore the number of paragraphs will increase.

However, the basic structure of a research paper should act as a guideline. The number of paragraphs provided above is a minimum. 

Factors Determining the Number of Paragraphs in a Paper

1. professor’s instructions.

The professor’s instructions are key in determining the number of paragraphs in a research paper. They may be very specific in terms of their number due to the research paper structure they give you.

They may provide the basic or typical essay structure and specify the number of paragraphs required for each section. 

2. The Length of the Paper

This is an obvious determinant of the number of paragraphs in a research paper. If the research paper tackles a complex topic, it will be longer.

Check out our word to pages converter tool that can help you know the number of pages so that you can monitor the length of your paper.

A longer research paper will have more paragraphs while shorter research papers will have fewer paragraphs.

If your professor or instructor requires you to submit a long research paper, let’s say 15 pages and more, the paper will have more paragraphs.  

3. The Size of the Paragraphs

The size of the paragraph is also a determinant of the number of paragraphs in a research paper. It should be noted that body paragraphs contain individual claims that are supported with evidence within a single paragraph.

If you have a claim that needs further elaboration and more supporting evidence, you may be forced to write a longer paragraph that may consume more space within a page.

Therefore, if the size of your paragraphs is larger, your research paper will contain fewer paragraphs because they are consuming more space within the paper.

However, if the size of the paragraphs is smaller, then there will be more paragraphs in your search paper. 

4. Personal Preference

At times, your professor may give you the freedom to come up with your research paper. This will include the number of pages, the structure, the number of paragraphs, and even the topic.

In this case, you will craft your research paper based on your preference. You may decide to include more paragraphs that contain more claims to support your argument or even fewer paragraphs.

You may decide to write larger or smaller paragraphs depending on the content you are including in your paragraphs. In the end, you may have more or fewer paragraphs. 

5. Formatting Style

As aforementioned, there is a basic or typical formatting style for college-level research papers. When following such a formatting style, then a research paper will have a minimum of 12 paragraphs.

However, some research paper formats will require you to include more paragraphs in the form of the abstract.

Background of study that comes after the introduction, data analysis that comes after the research methodology, and limitations plus the future scope of your research.

This will add more paragraphs to your research paper. 

6. Number of Graphics in the Essay

Some research papers will require you to represent your data in a graphical format so that your readers can easily understand the data. Good research papers should contain a few graphics.

You should remember that graphics are not part of the text hence they are not part of a paragraph. Be mindful that everything counts. Even spaces do count as characters when you are writing an essay or a paper.

Though this is the case, they still occupy some space within the research paper. As such, the more the graphics in the paper, the lesser the paragraphs, and vice versa. 

FAQs on Paragraphs in an Essay

How many paragraphs are in an essay.

To respond to this question, it should be noted that an essay is less complex compared to a research paper because it tackles simpler topics and doesn’t require too much research. An essay does not need to be divided into sections like in research papers. As such, they have fewer paragraphs compared to research papers. 

Typically, an essay will contain 1 paragraph for the introduction, 3 paragraphs for the body, and 1 paragraph for the conclusion, making the total number of paragraphs to be 5. However, depending on the topic, the number of body paragraphs may increase. 

How many sentences are in a paragraph?

A paragraph should have between 4 and 6 complete sentences. However, the number of sentences in a paragraph is determined by the length of an individual sentence within the paragraph. The longer it is, the fewer the sentences will be, and vice versa. 

How many paragraphs are 10 pages double-spaced?

When calculating this, it is assumed that a double-spaced page should contain 3 paragraphs. Therefore, if there are 10 pages, there will be a total of 30 paragraphs in the paper. 

How many sentences is a paragraph in college?

A college-level paragraph should contain adequate details to support individual claims. As such, it should contain more, well-constructed sentences. When this is considered, such a paragraph should have a minimum of 5 sentences to adequately discuss and support a claim. 

Joseph is a freelance journalist and a part-time writer with a particular interest in the gig economy. He writes about schooling, college life, and changing trends in education. When not writing, Joseph is hiking or playing chess.

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How to Write an 8 Page Paper: Time Needed for Fast Research

How to Craft an 8-Page Paper

An 8-page paper is a short type of essay, written on a topic or an issue. The paper explores the issue or subject matter analytically organizing it in one significant movement. It moves forward intending to substantiate the main point with facts, opinions, ideas, and logical explanations.

The paper intends to prove that the point of view held by the author is valid regardless of the counterarguments by opposing views.

Before starting your 8-page paper, consider using these tips to build a paper that is concise and well-written.

How to Write an 8 Page Paper

1) choose an interesting topic.

Choose a topic that interests and challenges you. Your attitude towards the topic may well determine the amount of effort and enthusiasm you put into your research. Focus on a limited aspect, e.g. narrow it down from “Religion” to “World Religion” to “Buddhism.”

Obtain teacher approval for your topic before embarking on full-scale research. If you are uncertain as to what it entails to complete the assignment or project, re-read your assignment sheet carefully or ask your teacher.

Select a subject you can manage. Avoid subjects that are too technical, learned, or specialized. Avoid topics that have only a very narrow range of source materials.

2) Write your thesis

Your thesis statement is also where you state your position on the topic of your essay. Write your thesis statement in a separate sentence. It should be clear and specific. If it is not clear and specific, you will have difficulty writing your paper and supporting your argument.

Because this is a research paper, there should not be any remarks that you make that cannot require the support of facts from your research. To correct this, you need to limit your thesis statement.

3) Do research

Before you can write your paper, you have to have something to write about. Start with a general idea, then start researching it. It is much easier to write a paper if you already have a topic picked out.  So, pick one that catches your attention and has good sources available.

Doing research means doing experiments and analyzing data that you collect during these experiments or by literature review and analysis of previous works made by other authors on the same topic.

Go online, head to the library, search an academic database, or read newspapers. You can also ask a reference librarian. Know which sources are acceptable to your teacher.

Does your teacher want a certain number of primary sources and secondary sources? Has your teacher indicated the age of your references ? Is your teacher picky about what’s considered reliable sources? Can you use Wikipedia? Wikipedia is often a good starting point for learning about a topic, but many teachers will not let you cite it because they want you to find more authoritative sources.

4) Create your outline

The purpose of an outline is to help organize your thoughts so that you can present them clearly and coherently. Without an outline, you might find yourself rambling or going off-topic. Outlines can help you structure information into categories that make it easier to process and recall later on.

The outline does not have many details, and it can change as you do more research.  Better yet, you should have a clear idea of what information will go in each section.

Write short notes in the margins that highlight the main points you want to cover in each section. Don’t worry about perfect grammar or spelling at this point; just get ideas down on paper.

5) Write an introduction

The introduction should grab the reader’s attention and prepare for an explanation of the topic. The reader should finish the introduction thinking that the essay is interesting or has some sort of relevance to their lives.

A good introduction is engaging; it gets the audience thinking about the topic at hand and wondering how you will be proving your argument.

A good way to convince your reader that your essay is worthwhile is to provide information that the reader might question or disagree with. Once they are thinking about the topic and wondering why you hold your position, they are more likely to get engaged in the rest of the essay.

A good introduction provides the reader with a brief overview of your topic and an explanation of your thesis. A good introduction is fresh, engaging, and interesting.

6) Set up body paragraphs

Include your topic sentences and some supporting detail for each body paragraph. You should have at least three body paragraphs; you can add more if you want. Make sure that the flow of the paragraphs is logical, and that the transitions between paragraphs are smooth. A rough outline might look like this:

Body Paragraph 2: [Introduce your second main point here.

The body of your paper will contain all of the important information. You should have at least three supporting details for each topic sentence that you write. Each of these supporting details should be a separate paragraph.

7) Conclusion

Needless to say, it is quite important to know how to write a conclusion. No matter what type of paper you are working on, the conclusion recaps all of its major points. In other words, all points that you made in your introduction and body paragraphs should be in the conclusion.

Usually, this section is only one paragraph long, but if permitted by your instructor or your topic is complex, you might make it longer.

At this point, you do not need to mention any new arguments to avoid confusing the reader.

If a certain phrase seems unnatural and difficult for you to write down or if you simply cannot find any worthy words for your work, then use some of the conclusion transition words.

They will help keep everything clear and concise for readers.

8) Cite sources accordingly

Citing sources properly is essential to avoiding plagiarism in your writing. Not citing sources properly could imply that the ideas, information, and phrasing you are using are your own, when they originated with another author.

Citing sources properly can also help readers find the information you used to write your paper and can give credit to the authors of that information?

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 8-page paper word count.

The length of an 8-page paper could vary depending on several factors, such as font size, space between lines, and margins. If you need to use Times New Roman 12 point’s font, it will take approximately 2 pages for 1,000 words and 8 pages for 4000 words.

You will easily calculate how many words you need to write on a specific subject.

Can you write an 8-page paper in 3 hours?

You may write an 8-page paper in 3 hours. Brainstorm for just 10 minutes. Then, organize your thoughts into an outline. Next, write your first draft in 1 hour.

Also, revise and edit your paper in 1 hour. Finally, write your second draft in 30 minutes.

How long does it take to write an 8-page paper double spaced

We believe that anywhere from four to eight hours is pretty good for double spaced, 12-point type, Times New Roman or Arial font, 1-inch margins.

If you are using a font other than Arial or Times New Roman, you will notice a difference in the number of pages you write as well.

8-page essay example topics

• The Growth of Language and its impact on Culture in the USA
• Forbidden Love: A Study of Relationships in Pride and Prejudice, Emma, and Persuasion.
• An Analysis of Consumer Behavior concerning Marketing Of Mobile Phones and Youngsters

When not handling complex essays and academic writing tasks, Josh is busy advising students on how to pass assignments. In spare time, he loves playing football or walking with his dog around the park.

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• How long is an essay? Guidelines for different types of essay

How Long is an Essay? Guidelines for Different Types of Essay

Published on January 28, 2019 by Shona McCombes . Revised on July 23, 2023.

The length of an academic essay varies depending on your level and subject of study, departmental guidelines, and specific course requirements. In general, an essay is a shorter piece of writing than a research paper  or thesis .

In most cases, your assignment will include clear guidelines on the number of words or pages you are expected to write. Often this will be a range rather than an exact number (for example, 2500–3000 words, or 10–12 pages). If you’re not sure, always check with your instructor.

In this article you’ll find some general guidelines for the length of different types of essay. But keep in mind that quality is more important than quantity – focus on making a strong argument or analysis, not on hitting a specific word count.

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Table of contents

Essay length guidelines, how long is each part of an essay, using length as a guide to topic and complexity, can i go under the suggested length, can i go over the suggested length, other interesting articles, here's why students love scribbr's proofreading services.

Discover proofreading & editing

In an academic essay, the main body should always take up the most space. This is where you make your arguments, give your evidence, and develop your ideas.

The introduction should be proportional to the essay’s length. In an essay under 3000 words, the introduction is usually just one paragraph. In longer and more complex essays, you might need to lay out the background and introduce your argument over two or three paragraphs.

The conclusion of an essay is often a single paragraph, even in longer essays. It doesn’t have to summarize every step of your essay, but should tie together your main points in a concise, convincing way.

The suggested word count doesn’t only tell you how long your essay should be – it also helps you work out how much information and complexity you can fit into the given space. This should guide the development of your thesis statement , which identifies the main topic of your essay and sets the boundaries of your overall argument.

A short essay will need a focused, specific topic and a clear, straightforward line of argument. A longer essay should still be focused, but it might call for a broader approach to the topic or a more complex, ambitious argument.

As you make an outline of your essay , make sure you have a clear idea of how much evidence, detail and argumentation will be needed to support your thesis. If you find that you don’t have enough ideas to fill out the word count, or that you need more space to make a convincing case, then consider revising your thesis to be more general or more specific.

The length of the essay also influences how much time you will need to spend on editing and proofreading .

You should always aim to meet the minimum length given in your assignment. If you are struggling to reach the word count:

• Add more evidence and examples to each paragraph to clarify or strengthen your points.
• Make sure you have fully explained or analyzed each example, and try to develop your points in more detail.
• Address a different aspect of your topic in a new paragraph. This might involve revising your thesis statement to make a more ambitious argument.
• Don’t use filler. Adding unnecessary words or complicated sentences will make your essay weaker and your argument less clear.
• Don’t fixate on an exact number. Your marker probably won’t care about 50 or 100 words – it’s more important that your argument is convincing and adequately developed for an essay of the suggested length.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

In some cases, you are allowed to exceed the upper word limit by 10% – so for an assignment of 2500–3000 words, you could write an absolute maximum of 3300 words. However, the rules depend on your course and institution, so always check with your instructor if you’re unsure.

Only exceed the word count if it’s really necessary to complete your argument. Longer essays take longer to grade, so avoid annoying your marker with extra work! If you are struggling to edit down:

• Check that every paragraph is relevant to your argument, and cut out irrelevant or out-of-place information.
• Make sure each paragraph focuses on one point and doesn’t meander.
• Cut out filler words and make sure each sentence is clear, concise, and related to the paragraph’s point.
• Don’t cut anything that is necessary to the logic of your argument. If you remove a paragraph, make sure to revise your transitions and fit all your points together.
• Don’t sacrifice the introduction or conclusion . These paragraphs are crucial to an effective essay –make sure you leave enough space to thoroughly introduce your topic and decisively wrap up your argument.

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
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• Appeal to authority fallacy
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Ten Simple Rules for Writing a Literature Review

Marco pautasso.

1 Centre for Functional and Evolutionary Ecology (CEFE), CNRS, Montpellier, France

2 Centre for Biodiversity Synthesis and Analysis (CESAB), FRB, Aix-en-Provence, France

Literature reviews are in great demand in most scientific fields. Their need stems from the ever-increasing output of scientific publications [1] . For example, compared to 1991, in 2008 three, eight, and forty times more papers were indexed in Web of Science on malaria, obesity, and biodiversity, respectively [2] . Given such mountains of papers, scientists cannot be expected to examine in detail every single new paper relevant to their interests [3] . Thus, it is both advantageous and necessary to rely on regular summaries of the recent literature. Although recognition for scientists mainly comes from primary research, timely literature reviews can lead to new synthetic insights and are often widely read [4] . For such summaries to be useful, however, they need to be compiled in a professional way [5] .

When starting from scratch, reviewing the literature can require a titanic amount of work. That is why researchers who have spent their career working on a certain research issue are in a perfect position to review that literature. Some graduate schools are now offering courses in reviewing the literature, given that most research students start their project by producing an overview of what has already been done on their research issue [6] . However, it is likely that most scientists have not thought in detail about how to approach and carry out a literature review.

Reviewing the literature requires the ability to juggle multiple tasks, from finding and evaluating relevant material to synthesising information from various sources, from critical thinking to paraphrasing, evaluating, and citation skills [7] . In this contribution, I share ten simple rules I learned working on about 25 literature reviews as a PhD and postdoctoral student. Ideas and insights also come from discussions with coauthors and colleagues, as well as feedback from reviewers and editors.

Rule 1: Define a Topic and Audience

How to choose which topic to review? There are so many issues in contemporary science that you could spend a lifetime of attending conferences and reading the literature just pondering what to review. On the one hand, if you take several years to choose, several other people may have had the same idea in the meantime. On the other hand, only a well-considered topic is likely to lead to a brilliant literature review [8] . The topic must at least be:

• interesting to you (ideally, you should have come across a series of recent papers related to your line of work that call for a critical summary),
• an important aspect of the field (so that many readers will be interested in the review and there will be enough material to write it), and
• a well-defined issue (otherwise you could potentially include thousands of publications, which would make the review unhelpful).

Ideas for potential reviews may come from papers providing lists of key research questions to be answered [9] , but also from serendipitous moments during desultory reading and discussions. In addition to choosing your topic, you should also select a target audience. In many cases, the topic (e.g., web services in computational biology) will automatically define an audience (e.g., computational biologists), but that same topic may also be of interest to neighbouring fields (e.g., computer science, biology, etc.).

Rule 2: Search and Re-search the Literature

After having chosen your topic and audience, start by checking the literature and downloading relevant papers. Five pieces of advice here:

• keep track of the search items you use (so that your search can be replicated [10] ),
• keep a list of papers whose pdfs you cannot access immediately (so as to retrieve them later with alternative strategies),
• use a paper management system (e.g., Mendeley, Papers, Qiqqa, Sente),
• define early in the process some criteria for exclusion of irrelevant papers (these criteria can then be described in the review to help define its scope), and
• do not just look for research papers in the area you wish to review, but also seek previous reviews.

The chances are high that someone will already have published a literature review ( Figure 1 ), if not exactly on the issue you are planning to tackle, at least on a related topic. If there are already a few or several reviews of the literature on your issue, my advice is not to give up, but to carry on with your own literature review,

The bottom-right situation (many literature reviews but few research papers) is not just a theoretical situation; it applies, for example, to the study of the impacts of climate change on plant diseases, where there appear to be more literature reviews than research studies [33] .

• discussing in your review the approaches, limitations, and conclusions of past reviews,
• trying to find a new angle that has not been covered adequately in the previous reviews, and
• incorporating new material that has inevitably accumulated since their appearance.

When searching the literature for pertinent papers and reviews, the usual rules apply:

• be thorough,
• use different keywords and database sources (e.g., DBLP, Google Scholar, ISI Proceedings, JSTOR Search, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science), and
• look at who has cited past relevant papers and book chapters.

Rule 3: Take Notes While Reading

If you read the papers first, and only afterwards start writing the review, you will need a very good memory to remember who wrote what, and what your impressions and associations were while reading each single paper. My advice is, while reading, to start writing down interesting pieces of information, insights about how to organize the review, and thoughts on what to write. This way, by the time you have read the literature you selected, you will already have a rough draft of the review.

Of course, this draft will still need much rewriting, restructuring, and rethinking to obtain a text with a coherent argument [11] , but you will have avoided the danger posed by staring at a blank document. Be careful when taking notes to use quotation marks if you are provisionally copying verbatim from the literature. It is advisable then to reformulate such quotes with your own words in the final draft. It is important to be careful in noting the references already at this stage, so as to avoid misattributions. Using referencing software from the very beginning of your endeavour will save you time.

Rule 4: Choose the Type of Review You Wish to Write

After having taken notes while reading the literature, you will have a rough idea of the amount of material available for the review. This is probably a good time to decide whether to go for a mini- or a full review. Some journals are now favouring the publication of rather short reviews focusing on the last few years, with a limit on the number of words and citations. A mini-review is not necessarily a minor review: it may well attract more attention from busy readers, although it will inevitably simplify some issues and leave out some relevant material due to space limitations. A full review will have the advantage of more freedom to cover in detail the complexities of a particular scientific development, but may then be left in the pile of the very important papers “to be read” by readers with little time to spare for major monographs.

There is probably a continuum between mini- and full reviews. The same point applies to the dichotomy of descriptive vs. integrative reviews. While descriptive reviews focus on the methodology, findings, and interpretation of each reviewed study, integrative reviews attempt to find common ideas and concepts from the reviewed material [12] . A similar distinction exists between narrative and systematic reviews: while narrative reviews are qualitative, systematic reviews attempt to test a hypothesis based on the published evidence, which is gathered using a predefined protocol to reduce bias [13] , [14] . When systematic reviews analyse quantitative results in a quantitative way, they become meta-analyses. The choice between different review types will have to be made on a case-by-case basis, depending not just on the nature of the material found and the preferences of the target journal(s), but also on the time available to write the review and the number of coauthors [15] .

Rule 5: Keep the Review Focused, but Make It of Broad Interest

Whether your plan is to write a mini- or a full review, it is good advice to keep it focused 16 , 17 . Including material just for the sake of it can easily lead to reviews that are trying to do too many things at once. The need to keep a review focused can be problematic for interdisciplinary reviews, where the aim is to bridge the gap between fields [18] . If you are writing a review on, for example, how epidemiological approaches are used in modelling the spread of ideas, you may be inclined to include material from both parent fields, epidemiology and the study of cultural diffusion. This may be necessary to some extent, but in this case a focused review would only deal in detail with those studies at the interface between epidemiology and the spread of ideas.

While focus is an important feature of a successful review, this requirement has to be balanced with the need to make the review relevant to a broad audience. This square may be circled by discussing the wider implications of the reviewed topic for other disciplines.

Rule 6: Be Critical and Consistent

Reviewing the literature is not stamp collecting. A good review does not just summarize the literature, but discusses it critically, identifies methodological problems, and points out research gaps [19] . After having read a review of the literature, a reader should have a rough idea of:

• the major achievements in the reviewed field,
• the main areas of debate, and
• the outstanding research questions.

It is challenging to achieve a successful review on all these fronts. A solution can be to involve a set of complementary coauthors: some people are excellent at mapping what has been achieved, some others are very good at identifying dark clouds on the horizon, and some have instead a knack at predicting where solutions are going to come from. If your journal club has exactly this sort of team, then you should definitely write a review of the literature! In addition to critical thinking, a literature review needs consistency, for example in the choice of passive vs. active voice and present vs. past tense.

Rule 7: Find a Logical Structure

Like a well-baked cake, a good review has a number of telling features: it is worth the reader's time, timely, systematic, well written, focused, and critical. It also needs a good structure. With reviews, the usual subdivision of research papers into introduction, methods, results, and discussion does not work or is rarely used. However, a general introduction of the context and, toward the end, a recapitulation of the main points covered and take-home messages make sense also in the case of reviews. For systematic reviews, there is a trend towards including information about how the literature was searched (database, keywords, time limits) [20] .

How can you organize the flow of the main body of the review so that the reader will be drawn into and guided through it? It is generally helpful to draw a conceptual scheme of the review, e.g., with mind-mapping techniques. Such diagrams can help recognize a logical way to order and link the various sections of a review [21] . This is the case not just at the writing stage, but also for readers if the diagram is included in the review as a figure. A careful selection of diagrams and figures relevant to the reviewed topic can be very helpful to structure the text too [22] .

Rule 8: Make Use of Feedback

Reviews of the literature are normally peer-reviewed in the same way as research papers, and rightly so [23] . As a rule, incorporating feedback from reviewers greatly helps improve a review draft. Having read the review with a fresh mind, reviewers may spot inaccuracies, inconsistencies, and ambiguities that had not been noticed by the writers due to rereading the typescript too many times. It is however advisable to reread the draft one more time before submission, as a last-minute correction of typos, leaps, and muddled sentences may enable the reviewers to focus on providing advice on the content rather than the form.

Feedback is vital to writing a good review, and should be sought from a variety of colleagues, so as to obtain a diversity of views on the draft. This may lead in some cases to conflicting views on the merits of the paper, and on how to improve it, but such a situation is better than the absence of feedback. A diversity of feedback perspectives on a literature review can help identify where the consensus view stands in the landscape of the current scientific understanding of an issue [24] .

Rule 9: Include Your Own Relevant Research, but Be Objective

In many cases, reviewers of the literature will have published studies relevant to the review they are writing. This could create a conflict of interest: how can reviewers report objectively on their own work [25] ? Some scientists may be overly enthusiastic about what they have published, and thus risk giving too much importance to their own findings in the review. However, bias could also occur in the other direction: some scientists may be unduly dismissive of their own achievements, so that they will tend to downplay their contribution (if any) to a field when reviewing it.

In general, a review of the literature should neither be a public relations brochure nor an exercise in competitive self-denial. If a reviewer is up to the job of producing a well-organized and methodical review, which flows well and provides a service to the readership, then it should be possible to be objective in reviewing one's own relevant findings. In reviews written by multiple authors, this may be achieved by assigning the review of the results of a coauthor to different coauthors.

Rule 10: Be Up-to-Date, but Do Not Forget Older Studies

Given the progressive acceleration in the publication of scientific papers, today's reviews of the literature need awareness not just of the overall direction and achievements of a field of inquiry, but also of the latest studies, so as not to become out-of-date before they have been published. Ideally, a literature review should not identify as a major research gap an issue that has just been addressed in a series of papers in press (the same applies, of course, to older, overlooked studies (“sleeping beauties” [26] )). This implies that literature reviewers would do well to keep an eye on electronic lists of papers in press, given that it can take months before these appear in scientific databases. Some reviews declare that they have scanned the literature up to a certain point in time, but given that peer review can be a rather lengthy process, a full search for newly appeared literature at the revision stage may be worthwhile. Assessing the contribution of papers that have just appeared is particularly challenging, because there is little perspective with which to gauge their significance and impact on further research and society.

Inevitably, new papers on the reviewed topic (including independently written literature reviews) will appear from all quarters after the review has been published, so that there may soon be the need for an updated review. But this is the nature of science [27] – [32] . I wish everybody good luck with writing a review of the literature.

Acknowledgments

Many thanks to M. Barbosa, K. Dehnen-Schmutz, T. Döring, D. Fontaneto, M. Garbelotto, O. Holdenrieder, M. Jeger, D. Lonsdale, A. MacLeod, P. Mills, M. Moslonka-Lefebvre, G. Stancanelli, P. Weisberg, and X. Xu for insights and discussions, and to P. Bourne, T. Matoni, and D. Smith for helpful comments on a previous draft.

Funding Statement

This work was funded by the French Foundation for Research on Biodiversity (FRB) through its Centre for Synthesis and Analysis of Biodiversity data (CESAB), as part of the NETSEED research project. The funders had no role in the preparation of the manuscript.

Education for Changes

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How many paragraphs should a Research paper have?

by William Christie · January 4, 2023

When you are in your master’s degree you need to write a research paper. It is the final project to submit for completion of your degree. A research paper takes time and deep knowledge of the subject. When you are writing a research paper you may have to follow some guidelines which may include the style, format, and length of it. A research paper is an essay in which you summarize the findings after a thorough study of your subject. So let us know further about, “How many paragraphs should a Research paper have?”.

Quick Takeaways A research paper is an essay in which you summarize the findings after a thorough study of your subject.  There is no fixed number of paragraphs that you need to write in a research paper.  Although on average there are 20 paragraphs in it. 

However, you must read till the end so that you get a better understanding of how many paragraphs should a research paper have.

Table of Contents

What is a research paper?

A research paper is an essay in which you summarize the findings after a thorough study of your subject. You incorporate data from sources including books, journals, interviews, and blogs into your research work. There are a lot of research papers available on Academia.edu from which you can take help from. They are typically lengthier and more in-depth tasks than writing a normal essay.

They intended to evaluate both your writing and scholarly research abilities. It refers to an academic publication that presents the findings of either a novel study or an assessment of previous research. Your essay should concentrate on a key topic that inspires you.

The explanation of this question depends upon what is the length of your research paper. This means that if the length of your paper is long there will be more paragraphs. Also if the length of your paper is short then there will be fewer paragraphs.

Also, your institution may have regulations for submitting the research paper. The number of paragraphs may also vary according to them. For example, they may ask you to conclude in one or 2 paragraphs. Also, it may vary with the research papers that you have considered for writing it. Although, on average the number of paragraphs involved in the research paper is more than 20. You must also take care of a number of paragraphs when you are writing the comic research paper.

Factors to determine the number of paragraphs in the Research paper

The following aspects are the main factor in determining the number of paragraphs in the research paper –

1. Rules and Regulation

As mentioned above every institution and professor has its own rules and regulations. Some professors give you a benchmark of including a specific number of paragraphs, a number of words , or the length of the research paper. On the other hand, you may not get any particular guidelines.

Again the number of paragraphs included in it revolves around the length of the research paper . If the article is longer, it will automatically increase the number of paragraphs in it. If you are writing a mini literature review then you may need to write a short literature review.

3. Own Preferences

Your preference also affects the number of paragraphs included in the paper. When there are no specific guidelines given by your professor to complete it, it’s up to you how to write. 

4. Graphics

While writing a research paper you may n eed to present data in some graphic form. As graphics also take up space in your research paper, it gives a longer look to your paper. So if the paper constitutes more images then the number of paragraphs will decrease and vice versa.

How to know the correct length of the paragraph in the research paper?

Ideally, there should be a minimum of 6-7 sentences in a single paragraph . If any of your lines are longer then you may have fewer lines in your paragraphs and vice versa. This concludes that each para should have at most 100 words in it. There are different factors to knowing the correct length of the paragraphs which are mentioned below-

1. Type of the paragraph

Depending on the sort of paragraph you are writing like a definition paragraph or argumentative paragraph each one has a different goal . Introduction paragraphs are typically short whereas the illustrative paragraphs may be large. Additionally, if a topic has two distinct components, you may need to discuss each separately in a separate paragraph .

Let’s say that the main point of your writing is to provide a thorough analysis of the disease. Now there are factors that you need to mention. You’ll use different paragraphs for the same subject, explaining different factors. It may also depend upon the type of essay included in it like compare and contrast essay.

2. The section of the paper

There are various sections in a research paper like the introduction , literature review, etc. Every section has its own needs. The length of various paragraphs in the literature review section may be longer . On the contrary, the length of the paragraphs in other sections may be smaller. 

3. Proofreading

This is the final result after completing your writing. You must proofread your research paper as it will help you to know if any paragraph needs to change or not. If you find that there are some long paragraphs, break them down and vice versa.

When we are writing a research paper different aspects determine the number of paragraphs included in the paper. Ideally, there are more than 20 paragraphs but it depends upon other aspects. Your rules and regulations, length, and your preferences will determine the number of paragraphs in the essay.

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