JNTUH College of Engineering Hyderabad (Autonomous), Hyderabad – 500085.

Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

English for Research Paper Writing

What is Research?

Research is a process of systematic inquiry that entails collection of data; documentation of

critical information; and analysis and interpretation of that data/information, in accordance
with suitable methodologies set by specific professional fields and academic disciplines. It is
conducted to evaluate the validity of a hypothesis or an interpretive framework; to assemble a
body of substantive knowledge and findings for sharing them in appropriate manners; and to
generate questions for further inquiries.

Key Skills to Write a Title

Let us discuss the most basic and important aspect of a research paper—the title. Writing a
research paper title may seem a simple task, but it requires some serious thought. It might
come as a surprise to most people that an author, having successfully written a detailed
account of his/her research study, experiences a block while attempting to title the research
paper. However, most authors, by virtue of possessing comprehensive details of the research
paper, are perplexed with regard to how to make their research paper title concise without
sacrificing any relevant elements.

When writing a research paper title, authors should realize that despite being repeatedly
warned against it, most people do indeed fall prey to “judging a book by its cover.” This
cognitive bias tends to make readers considerably susceptible to allowing the research paper
title to function as the sole factor influencing their decision of whether to read or skip a
particular paper. Although seeking the professional assistance of a research paper writing
service could help the cause, the author of the paper stands as the best judge for setting the
right tone of his/her research paper.

A good research paper title:

 Condenses the paper’s content in a few words

 Captures the readers’ attention

 The above study material is arranged for the use of M.Tech first year students of JNTUHCEH only.
Source: Research Methodology by Ranjit Kumar
  Differentiates the paper from other papers of the same subject area
 Avoid using abbreviations.
 Use words that create a positive impression and stimulate reader interest.
 Is limited to 10 to 15 substantive words.
 Titles are usually in the form of a phrase, but can also be in the form of a question.
 Use correct grammar and capitalization with all first words and last words capitalized,
including the first word of a subtitle. All nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, and
adverbs that appear between the first and last words of the title are also capitalized.

1] Keep it simple, brief and attractive: The primary function of a title is to provide a

precise summary of the paper’s content. So keep the title brief and clear. Use active verbs
instead of complex noun-based phrases, and avoid unnecessary details. Moreover, a good title
for a research paper is typically around 10 to 12 words long. A lengthy title may seem
unfocused and take the readers’ attention away from an important point.

2] Use appropriate descriptive words: A good research paper title should contain key
words used in the manuscript and should define the nature of the study. Think about terms
people would use to search for your study and include them in your title.

Key Skills to Write an Abstract

The abstract is perhaps the most important section of your manuscript for several reasons.
First, the abstract is the first section that is read by journal editors when deciding whether to
send your manuscript for review. Similarly, once your work is published, it is the first section
that is examined by readers; in many cases, it is the only section of the manuscript that they
will ever read. This is in part because most literature databases index only abstracts, and
access to full-text articles is often restricted.

In this way, the abstract emerges as a tool to communicate your research succinctly while
highlighting its most important facets. The following article describes how to write a great
abstract that will attract maximal attention to your research.

 The above study material is arranged for the use of M.Tech first year students of JNTUHCEH only.
Source: Research Methodology by Ranjit Kumar
1. Write the paper first

Some authors will tell you that you should write the abstract as soon as your research is
complete. However, it is likely that your project has been spread out over months or even
years; thus, the full picture of what you have accomplished may not be fresh in your mind.
Writing the paper first solves this problem, effectively refreshing your memory as you
condense all of the aspects of your work into a single document. The manuscript can then be
used as a guide to write the abstract, which serves as a concise summary of your research

2. Provide introductory background information that leads into a statement of your aim

The first section of your abstract is very valuable real estate. These 1-3 sentences must inform
the reader about why you have undertaken this research.

3. Briefly describe your methodology

The methods section of your abstract is your chance to summarize the basic design of your
study. Excessive detail is unnecessary; however, you should briefly state the key techniques
used.

5. State the conclusion concisely and avoid overstatements

The last 1-2 sentences of your abstract should be devoted to the overall take-home message
of your study: your conclusions. A good way to begin this section is with phrases such as
“Our study revealed that…” or “Overall, we conclude that…”. Then, state your main finding
as concisely as possible.

6. Things to avoid in an abstract

 The above study material is arranged for the use of M.Tech first year students of JNTUHCEH only.
Source: Research Methodology by Ranjit Kumar
 The abstract is meant to be a summary of your research; as such, it usually carries a strict
word count limit. Combining all of the most important aspects of your work into a paragraph
of 250 words or less can be a challenging task. However, knowing what to avoid when
writing the abstract can make the job a little easier.

For example, the abstract should not contain:

 Lengthy background information (readers peruse your abstract to learn about your
current work, not the previous work of other researchers)
 Citations
 Details about routine laboratory procedures
 Undefined abbreviations or acronyms (most journals will provide a list of common
abbreviations/acronyms that do not need to be defined; some journals do not allow the use of
abbreviations/acronyms in the abstract)
 Results or interpretations that are not discussed in the text

Key Skills to Write an Introduction:

The introduction leads the reader from a general research issue or problem to your specific
area of research. It puts your research question in context by explaining the significance of
the research being conducted. This is usually done by summarizing current understanding
(research to date) and background information about the topic. This is followed by a
statement of the purpose of your research issue or problem. This is sometimes followed by a
hypothesis or a set of questions you attempt to answer in your research. You may also explain
your methodology (how you will research this issue) and explain what your study can reveal.
It also may contain a summary of the structure of the rest of the paper.

Components of the Research Paper Introduction:

Component #1: Establish the problem or issue you want to research:

• Highlight the importance of the problem/issue
• Make general statements about the problem/issue,

 The above study material is arranged for the use of M.Tech first year students of JNTUHCEH only.
Source: Research Methodology by Ranjit Kumar
 • Present an overview on current research on the issue or problem
Component #2: Provide an overview of existing thinking about and/or research into your
research problem.
Component #3: Identify a gap, problems or unresolved issues in the existing
knowledge/research that your research can fill or identify a research focus that will be useful:
Component #4: State your research question, your hypothesis and your knowledge claim,
making sure to place your research within the gap in existing knowledge
Component #5: Stress the value and relevance of your research. Why is your research
relevant? What will it contribute to the field (and beyond)? Why should we care about your
research?

 Introduce your topic.

 Create some context and background.
 Tell your reader about the research you plan to carry out.
 State your rationale.
 Explain why your research is important.
 State your hypothesis.

Key Skills to Write a Review of the Literature

A literature review surveys books, scholarly articles, and any other sources relevant to a
particular issue, area of research, or theory, and by so doing, provides a description,
summary, and critical evaluation of these works in relation to the research problem being
investigated. Literature reviews are designed to provide an overview of sources you have
explored while researching a particular topic and to demonstrate to your readers how
your research fits within a larger field of study.

Importance of Literature Review

A literature review may consist of simply a summary of key sources, but in the social
sciences, a literature review usually has an organizational pattern and combines both
summary and synthesis, often within specific conceptual categories . A summary is a
recap of the important information of the source, but a synthesis is a re-organization, or a

 The above study material is arranged for the use of M.Tech first year students of JNTUHCEH only.
Source: Research Methodology by Ranjit Kumar
reshuffling, of that information in a way that informs how you are planning to investigate
a research problem. The analytical features of a literature review might:

 Give a new interpretation of old material or combine new with old interpretations,
 Trace the intellectual progression of the field, including major debates,
 Depending on the situation, evaluate the sources and advise the reader on the
most pertinent or relevant research, or
 Usually in the conclusion of a literature review, identify where gaps exist in how
a problem has been researched to date.
The purpose of a literature review is to:

 Place each work in the context of its contribution to understanding the research
problem being studied.
 Describe the relationship of each work to the others under consideration.
 Identify new ways to interpret prior research.
 Reveal any gaps that exist in the literature.
 Resolve conflicts amongst seemingly contradictory previous studies.
 Identify areas of prior scholarship to prevent duplication of effort.
 Point the way in fulfilling a need for additional research.
 Locate your own research within the context of existing literature [very
important].

Types of Literature Reviews

Argumentative Review
This form examines literature selectively in order to support or refute an argument,
deeply imbedded assumption, or philosophical problem already established in the
literature. The purpose is to develop a body of literature that establishes a contrarian
viewpoint. Given the value-laden nature of some social science research [e.g.,
educational reform; immigration control], argumentative approaches to analyzing the
literature can be a legitimate and important form of discourse. However, note that they
can also introduce problems of bias when they are used to make summary claims of the
sort found in systematic reviews [see below].

 The above study material is arranged for the use of M.Tech first year students of JNTUHCEH only.
Source: Research Methodology by Ranjit Kumar
Integrative Review
Considered a form of research that reviews, critiques, and synthesizes representative
literature on a topic in an integrated way such that new frameworks and perspectives on
the topic are generated. The body of literature includes all studies that address related or
identical hypotheses or research problems. A well-done integrative review meets the
same standards as primary research in regard to clarity, rigor, and replication. This is the
most common form of review in the social sciences.

Historical Review
Few things rest in isolation from historical precedent. Historical literature reviews focus
on examining research throughout a period of time, often starting with the first time an
issue, concept, theory, phenomena emerged in the literature, then tracing its evolution
within the scholarship of a discipline. The purpose is to place research in a historical
context to show familiarity with state-of-the-art developments and to identify the likely
directions for future research.

Methodological Review

A review does not always focus on what someone said [findings], but how they came
about saying what they say [method of analysis]. Reviewing methods of analysis
provides a framework of understanding at different levels [i.e. those of theory,
substantive fields, research approaches, and data collection and analysis techniques],
how researchers draw upon a wide variety of knowledge ranging from the conceptual
level to practical documents for use in fieldwork in the areas of ontological and
epistemological consideration, quantitative and qualitative integration, sampling,
interviewing, data collection, and data analysis. This approach helps highlight ethical
issues which you should be aware of and consider as you go through your own study.

Systematic Review

This form consists of an overview of existing evidence pertinent to a clearly formulated

research question, which uses pre-specified and standardized methods to identify and
critically appraise relevant research, and to collect, report, and analyze data from the
studies that are included in the review. The goal is to deliberately document, critically
evaluate, and summarize scientifically all of the research about a clearly defined research
problem. Typically it focuses on a very specific empirical question, often posed in a

 The above study material is arranged for the use of M.Tech first year students of JNTUHCEH only.
Source: Research Methodology by Ranjit Kumar
cause-and-effect form, such as "To what extent does A contribute to B?" This type of
literature review is primarily applied to examining prior research studies in clinical
medicine and allied health fields, but it is increasingly being used in the social sciences.

Theoretical Review

The purpose of this form is to examine the corpus of theory that has accumulated in
regard to an issue, concept, theory, phenomena. The theoretical literature review helps to
establish what theories already exist, the relationships between them, to what degree the
existing theories have been investigated, and to develop new hypotheses to be tested.
Often this form is used to help establish a lack of appropriate theories or reveal that
current theories are inadequate for explaining new or emerging research problems. The
unit of analysis can focus on a theoretical concept or a whole theory or framework.

 The above study material is arranged for the use of M.Tech first year students of JNTUHCEH only.
Source: Research Methodology by Ranjit Kumar