tips how to structure academic article

1. Scholarly
(Academic)
Article
Week 12

2. Scholarly (academic) article
• Scholarly (academic) articles are written by researchers or
experts in a field in order to share the results of their original
research or analysis with other researchers and students.
• These articles often go through a process known as peer review
where the article is reviewed by a group of experts in the field
International platform for scholarly writers

3. The difference….
ACADEMIC ARTICLE VS ESSAY
(ARGUMENTATIVE & EXPOSITORY)?
ACADEMIC ARTICLE VS NEWSPAPER
ARTICLE?

4. Features of academic articles
1. Written by experts of researchers/academic staff;
2. Technical or specialized formal language;
3. Written for professionals;
4. Often - charts, graphs, and diagrams;
5. Long (5+ pages) ...
6. Bibliography (references) included.

5. The style & format of academic articles
• Formal & semi-formal register (no colloquialisms & slang words)
• Professional jargon (very often)
• NO Phrasal verbs & literary metaphors;
• NO pronoun ‘I’ - Refer to yourself in the third person
• NO adverbs used for ‘stylistic purposes’ & aesthetic effect.
• NO Repetition/redundancy;
• NO bullet points

6. The structure
• Abstract - summarizes the whole article;
• Introduction - establishes the context for the research: the research problem, the
importance of the research, and the question or hypothesis;
• Methods/methodology - descriptions of the method(s) used in doing the
research;
• Results section reports the outcomes of the research procedure;
• Discussion interprets the results, explaining them and comparing them to the results
of other experiments.
• Conclusion focuses the reader on what is important about the research, its
contribution to the larger area of study.
• References lists the sources used in the article.

7. 1. Abstract (100-200 words)
Abstract is NOT an introduction!
An abstract is a concise summary of your work. It serves two
purposes:
• To help potential readers determine the relevance of your paper
for their own research;
• To communicate your key findings to those who don’t have
time to read the whole paper.

8. 1. Abstract: a brief summary of your work
Background – 2-3 sentences with general information about the subject. It provides a smooth
transition to the next section.
Goals* & hypothesis* - defining the purpose of your research. What practical or theoretical
problem does the research respond to, or what research question did you aim to answer? After
identifying the problem, state the objective of your research. Use verbs like investigate, test, analyze
or evaluate to describe exactly what you set out to do. (*written in the present or past simple tense)
Methods* -This part should be a description of what you did in one or two sentences (*use past
simple tense as this section refers to completed actions);
Results* - summarize the main research results. (*this part of the abstract can be in the present or
past simple tense.)
Conclusions* - That’s the “lesson” part of the abstract: it should convey outcomes of the study.
what is your answer to the problem or question? The reader should finish with a clear
understanding of the central point that your research has proved or argued. (*Written in the
present simple tense).
Keywords: pick up 5-7 words that reflect the most important ideas/concepts of the research.

9. 2. Introduction: ‘What and What for?’ section
Provides background
information about the topic
of research, with reasoning
for why the study is being
done;
Comments on topicality of
research.
Includes
hypothesis/research
question(s);
Includes Aims (aka goals)
What do I want to achieve
in my research?
Includes
Objectives (aka tasks)
How? What way?
Read more

10. 2. Introduction
• Research question
What you are seeking is to identify a problem, issue or area
which you can research through a single question/small group of
questions. For example: How did Company X and Company Y
develop their successful marketing campaigns …?
• A hypothesis is a statement that can be proved or disproved
It is simply a question that is styled as a statement, which you set
out to prove or disprove:
Marketing campaigns of Company Y & Company X were
successful because….(you state your point to prove it in the
subsequent sections)

11. 2. Introduction: goals /aka aims
• When ready, morph your research question(s) into an
aim(s)/goal(s):
An aim is the precise statement of what you intend to find out/do.
For example:
A research question such as Who has done it …? could be
morphed into:
“The aim of this study is to identify, define and describe who was
responsible for [crime]”.
NB: The aim/goal of your research is to find the answer to the research
question!

12. 2. Introduction: objectives /aka tasks
• Specify your research tasks/objectives.
Whereas the aim/goal specifies what your study will answer, research
tasks/objectives specify how your study will answer it, i.e.,
“To analyze all the Records of prisoners dated by […]
To select all the names marked with ‘conditional early release from
punishment’[..]
NB: Tasks/objectives are ‘the detailed instructions’ on how to achieve
aims/goals.

13. Research question (RQ) & hypothesis (H):
Example
For example, if you are studying the effects of sleep on reflexes, you
might formulate the following research question:
RQs - Is maximum efficiency achieved after eight hours of sleep? What
are the effects of sleep on reflexes? (= the question)
H - ?
e.g.,: Maximum reflex efficiency is achieved after eight hours of sleep.
(the statement).

14. Aims/goals & tasks/objectives: example
Aim:
• To understand the contribution that local governments make to national
level energy policy.
Objectives:
• Conduct a survey of local politicians to solicit responses.
• Conduct desk-research of local government websites to create a database
of local energy policy.
• Interview national level politicians to understand the impact these local
policies have had.

15. 3. Methods – ‘How?’ section
DESCRIBES HOW THE STUDY
WAS DONE
COMMENTS ON
THE DETAILS OF THE
RESEARCH (INCL. SET-UP
AND HOW DATA WAS
COLLECTED.)
QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH
METHODS – MORE
OBJECTIVE
QUALITATIVE RESEARCH
METHODS – LESS OBJECTIVE
MIXED METHODS (A
COMBINATION OF BOTH)

16. 3. Methods: Quantitative research methods
• Based on statistics;
• Expressed in numbers/ graphs;
• Used to test/confirm theories and assumptions. This type of research
can be used to establish generalizable facts about a topic.
Common quantitative methods include
• Surveys/polls with closed-ended questions ( limited number of answers e.g.,
‘multiple choice’ quiz);
• Experiments;
• Observations recorded as numbers.
Try https://www.ferendum.com/ to create a poll & share it.

17. Example of Quantitative research method

18. 3. Methods: Qualitative research methods
• Based on personal observations/interpretations;
• Expressed in words;
• Makes you gather insights on topics that are not understood/discovered
properly.
Common qualitative methods are:
• Interviews/surveys with open-ended questions (free form);
• Observations described in words;
• In-depth literature reviews that explore concepts and theories.

19. Qualitative research method: interviews

20. Quantitative research Qualitative Research
Focuses on testing theories/hypotheses Focuses on exploring ideas and formulating a
theory or hypothesis
Analyzed through statistical analysis Analyzed by summarizing and interpreting
Mainly expressed in numbers, graphs and tables Mainly expressed in words
Closed (multiple choice) questions Open-ended questions, discussions
Key terms: testing, measurement, objectivity,
replicability
Key terms: understanding, context, complexity,
subjectivity

21. 4. Results: ‘Look here!’ section
Presentation of the data you’ve collected.
This section often includes charts, tables and graphs (if your
method is quantitative) or interview’s results (if you’ve picked
up a qualitative method).
Present the information objectively – no preliminary
conclusions in this section!

22. 5. Discussion: ‘So What?’ section
the analysis of the
data you’ve collected
The analysis of how
the study relates to
existing knowledge of
the topic.
Evaluate whether the
results of your study
answered the research
question / proved the
hypothesis stated in
your introduction.

23. 6. Conclusion: The ‘Wrapping up’ section
(sometimes merged with ‘discussion’)
Wrap up the article
by discussing how
your study adds to
the existing
knowledge on the
topic
Outline potential
research for further
studies
The conclusion is
intended to help the
reader understand
why your research
should matter to
them after they have
finished reading the
paper.
A conclusion is not
merely a re-
statement of your
research
problem/question….
…..but a synthesis of
key points.

24. 7. References – APA formatting style
• List of resources (articles, books, journals, etc.) that authors consulted when
developing their research.
• For further information on APA formatting, visit Academic writing1 course page for
the previous (FALL 2020) term and touch up your memory.
Please follow the link:
https://estudijas.rtu.lv/course/view.php?id=133305&notifyeditingon=1
and find the section ‘APA formatting’. If you cannot access it, text me +371 29524008.

25. Instructions
Step 1: Create a ‘skeleton’:
Formulate your hypothesis/research question(s);
Set your aims/goals and tasks/objectives;
Pick up the research method & conduct the
preliminary research (e.g., conduct a survey);
Write a brief outline and upload it by April 27.

26. Instructions
Conduct
For a qualitative method, conduct
surveys/interviews with open-ended questions
(free discussions etc,).
Use
For a quantitative method, use free software i.e.,
https://www.ferendum.com/ to create a survey
with close-ended questions (i.e., ‘multiple
choice’).
Don’t forget
to identify your research method (qualitative vs
quantitative or both)
Include at least 3 in-text citations (+references);
Stick to APA formatting style
Step 2
Start writing your article
(max: 1500 words + references; min: ---) Abstract
included

27. Instructions
Step 3
When ready, write an abstract
(150 words) summarizing all the
key points/sections of your work
& add 5-7 keywords in italics.
Be ready with your first draft by
May 19. Use peerreview.lv
platform to upload it (at least 30
min BEFORE the lecture).

28. Additional info: Hypothesis & research statement
• A hypothesis is a statement that can be proved or disproved. It is more
often used in quantitative research and predicts the relationship
between variables.
= ‘Question in a form of a statement’ or ‘the statement called into
question’
• A thesis/research statement is a direct sentence that summarizes the
main claim of research.
= ‘A short one-sentence summary of what the research is about/intends to
prove’. It is more often used in qualitative research.