Tips for Organizing a Paper

Abstract

The abstract is a brief (150-200 words), comprehensive summary of the paper. It should provide enough information to give the reader a clear idea of the topics the paper covers, typically including the following: purpose or problem being investigated, design / methodology / approach, findings, practical implications, and contributions of the paper.

Begin the abstract with the most important information and highlight the four or five most important points of the paper. To enable searches in databases, include all the keywords of your research here, as well as in the list of keywords.

Introduction

The introduction section introduces the research by presenting its context or background and explaining the purpose of this paper. This section often includes the definition of relevant terms, a literature review, any hypotheses, and how this paper differs from other studies or papers on this topic.

Body of the paper

The body of the paper often includes the following

• Design/methodology/approach
• Findings/Results
• Practical implications

Include any limitations of the paper here.

Conclusions

Include how the paper advances research in this area. What is unique about it? End with a statement that sums up the conclusion of the paper.