Methodology Matters

CRAFTING THE STRUCTURE OF YOUR RESEARCH ABSTRACT
PURPOSE AND MOTIVATION
• Identity your purpose and motivation for doing this research.
o What made you decide to do this study or project?
o Why is this study important to your field or to the lay reader?
o Why should someone read your entire paper?
PROBLEM
• Explain the specific problem you are addressing.
o What is your research trying to better understand or what problem is it trying to solve?
o What is the scope of your study - does it try to explain something general or specific?
o What is your central claim or argument?
APPROACH
• Discuss your approach; include methods and materials.
o Detail your research - methods/type of the study, variables, and extent of work
o Briefly present evidence to support your claim
o Highlight your most important sources
RESULTS
• Summarize your results.
o What did your study yield in concrete terms?
o How did results compare to your hypothesis?
o Were there highly unexpected outcomes or were they largely predicted?
CONCLUSION
• State your conclusion.
o What are the exact effects of these results on my field or the wider world?
o What other kinds of studies would yield further solutions to problems?
o What other information is needed to expand knowledge in this area?

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