GENERIC ORGANIZATION OF ACADEMIC WRITING

TIT LE : establishes the topic

STATE OF KNO WLED GE : establishes the research territory

- summarize the topic and define relevant terms
- summarize the history of research on the topic, and orchestrate relevant voices and claims
- provide significance: make a claim about the centrality of topic to the discipline, to a tradition of
“Int rodu cti on” \ “ L ite ra tu re Re vie w ”

inquiry in a discipline, or in the world

KN OWLED GE DE FICIT & RE SE ARCH Q UE ST ION : establishes a niche for the present research
- indicate a gap in past research, understanding, or in the world
- pose questions that arise from the gap, and have yet to be answered or yet to be answered
sufficiently/effectively
- present positive justification and/or moral obligation to address questions and fill the gap
- announce present research and situate as occupying the niche

RE SE ARCH CLAIM : the main proposition to be proved or tested

- state the thesis: principle, declarative point of argument that the research proves (thesis) OR
- state the hypothesis: the principle, declarative point of fact that the research tests, and offer
prediction
- provide significance: suggest the implications of this claim

RE SE ARCH SITE & ME THO D : establishes the direction, integrity, and robustness of the research
- indicate physical or theoretical site for research
- indicate the materials, objects, data, texts, variables that the research will investigate
- characterize the research (review? investigation?) and map the procedures, technique, or order in
which the research and analysis will proceed
- provide significance: indicate how the present research is challenging, countering, bridging,
building on, or continuing a tradition of inquiry
“Re sult s & D iscu ssi on”

PRESE NTATIO N & ANALY SIS O F D ATA : answers the research question
“Bod y P ar agr aph s” \

- provide necessary background about theory/research aims/methods/objects of study

- Arts/Theory: logically present, summarize, interpret, and analyze issue/text/idea/object/problem
in conversation with what “they say”
- Science: methodologically present, summarize, interpret, and analyze data; comment on
expected or unexpected finding in conversation with what “they say”

RE SE ARCH FIND ING ( S ) & CO NTRIBU TION : establishes the answers as addressing the knowledge deficit
- evaluate findings/analysis in terms of the knowledge deficit
- reiterate the thesis, which was proven; or articulate the fate of the hypothesis, which was tested
- elaborate on how this finding extends/builds on existing knowledge, or provides new knowledge
- provide significance: evaluate and develop implications of the thesis/findings

LIMITATI ONS & POSSIBILITIE S FO R FUTU RE RE SEARCH : evaluates study and provides new direction
“Con clu sion ”

- acknowledge limitations of research and possible solutions

- suggest further gaps, pose remaining questions
- suggest new areas for research, which present research opened up, or present research
did/could not investigate
- justifications or moral obligations to continue in particular direction or not

© Judith Scholes 2015