How to Write a Research Paper: Structure of Research Article

How to write a research paper or article and structure of research paper or article with word count

1. How to Write a Research Paper
By
Imran Ghaffar Sulehri
Senior Librarian
Pakistan Institute of Fashion and Design (PIFD)
PhD Scholar, DOIM, PU

2. Acknowledgement
This presentations has been prepared with the consultation of various resources, websites
and personal views. So, I acknowledge all the resources.

3. Content to be Covered
What is Research?
Types of Research Papers
Why we Do Research?
How to Start Writing a Research Paper?
Structure of a Research Paper
Ethical Considerations

4. What is Research?
• Creation of new knowledge and/or the use of existing knowledge in a new and creative way
to generate new concepts, methodologies and understandings.
• Discovery of new knowledge through set rules of research paradigms.
• Filling literature Gap. A credible piece of work supported by peer review process and
references with solid authority within its discipline
• Solving literary, academic or practical problems
• Research paper has specific length often prescribed by journals.
• Following a specific writing style

5. Types of Research Papers
According to different writing manuals and journals, there are many types of
research articles;
Reports of original data/ Empirical studies
Review articles
Descriptive articles
Opinion articles
Theoretical articles
Methodological articles
Case studies etc.

6. Why We Do Research?
Job/ Study Requirements/ Promotions
To contribute in an intellectual discussion or debate
To generate new knowledge or to solve problem (Basic/ Applied)
To strengthen your subject area
For implication of your research at political/ scientific/social level or to bring
change
For self recognition, get happiness, To become Authoritative

7. How to Start Writing a Research Paper?
Topic Selection
Identify your Area of Interest
Read Relevant Literature
Identify Gap
Colleagues, seniors, teachers
Research Considerations (population, available literature, data, manageable)
Writing Manuscript
Time for writing
Budget
Initial draft
Follow paper structure
Feedback from colleagues/ experts
Final draft

8. Structure of a Research Paper
Title (Suggested 12 Words)
Author(s) with Institutional affiliation (Maximum 2 Affiliation)
Abstract (Para-graphic/ Structured) (100 to 250 Words)
Keywords (At least Three)
Introduction/ Background (600 to 1200 Words) (Background of topic, importance, strengthen with citations, your Add up)
Problem Statement (Optional) (3 Lines to 3 Pages) (approximately 40 Words to 800 words) (Known, Unknown, to do)
Rationale/ Significance (Optional) (300 to 600 Words) (Importance and Gap)
Research Objectives/ Questions or Hypothesis (As per Required Solution)
Literature Review (800 to 1500 Words) (Thematic, Chronological, Both)
Methods (200 to 500 Words) (Population, Sample, Tool (s), Process of data gathering, Way of Analysis)
Results (800 to 1500 Words) (Demographic characteristics, Result of Analysis, Table, figures, ALL WILL ORGINAL)
Discussion (300 to 500 Words) (Comparison with previous, build arguments, logics, limitation if any)
Conclusion (200 to 300 Words) (Summary, What your study extract and added to existing literature, implication,
recommendations)
References (All cited literature)
Acknowledgement/ Biographical data/ Appendices (100 to 150 Words)

9. Ethical Considerations
Supervisor/ Mentor as co-author (s)
Avoid plagiarism or self plagiarism
Acknowledge Others (citations or personal)
Proof Read and Improve overall contents
Avoid Fake data
Follow Journal Policy/ Formatting