Have you been asked to write a research analysis paper but don’t know where to start? If you’re like most students, you may have never written a research paper before and feel a bit intimidated by the prospect. But don’t worry – writing a research analysis paper is not as difficult as it sounds.
In this article, we’ll walk you through the process of writing a research analysis paper, step by step. We’ll start by discussing what a research analysis paper is and what it is not. Then we’ll give you some tips on how to choose a good topic for your paper. After that, we’ll provide an outline of what your paper should include, and finally, we’ll offer some advice on how to write your paper so that it is clear, concise, and interesting.
What Is a Research Analysis Paper?
A research analysis paper is a type of academic writing that requires you to analyze an argument or a problem. Your goal in this type of paper is to use your critical thinking skills to evaluate the claims made in the text and to determine whether or not they are valid. To do this effectively, you will need to do your research on the topic.
A research analysis paper is not a paper that simply summarizes the text. Instead, it is a critical evaluation of the argument made in the text. To write a good research analysis paper, you will need to have strong analytical skills and be able to back up your claims with evidence.
Outline: Research Analysis Paper
Your research analysis paper should include the following sections:
- Introduction
- Background Information
- Analysis of the Argument or Problem
- Conclusion
How to Write Your Research Analysis Paper
Now that you know what a research analysis paper is and what it should include, let’s take a look at how to write it.
The introduction of your research analysis paper should be brief and to the point. It should introduce the topic of the paper and state the position that you will be taking.
The background information section should provide a brief overview of the topic of the paper.
The analysis of the argument or problem section should discuss the claims made in the text and analyze them critically.
The conclusion should summarize your findings and state whether or not you agree with the argument made in the text.
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How to Analyze a Research Article
When you are assigned a research article to analyze in a research analysis paper, there are specific steps you can take to make sure you understand it thoroughly. Here are the steps involved in analyzing the research article:
Read and understand the topic:
The first step is to read and understand the paper. This means reading it carefully, making sure you understand all of the concepts and terms used. Follow these steps to read and understand the research topic:
- Read the paper once for a general understanding
- Read it again, taking notes on key concepts and terms
- Identify the research question or hypothesis being tested
- Summarize the methods used to collect data
- Outline the results of the study
- Discuss the implications of the findings
By following these steps, you will be able to understand the research article better and be able to write a more comprehensive analysis of it.
Understand the methodology:
Next, you need to understand the research methodology used in the study. This includes understanding how the study was conducted and what data was collected. It is important to understand how the study was conducted so that you can assess the quality of the data and the results.
Once you understand the research methodology, you need to assess the quality of the data. This includes looking at how the data was collected and analyzed. You should also look at any limitations of the study.
Evaluate the results:
After you understand the methodology and results, it is important to critically evaluate the results. This means asking questions such as whether the results are statistically significant and whether they support the hypotheses being tested.
It is also important to consider whether the study has any limitations. For example, did the researchers use a convenience sample? This means that they only sampled people who were readily available and may not be representative of the population as a whole.
Another limitation to consider is whether the study was longitudinal or cross-sectional. Longitudinal studies follow participants over time, while cross-sectional studies only collect data at one point in time. Longitudinal studies are generally considered more reliable than cross-sectional studies because they can provide information on causality.
When critiquing a research paper, it is important to consider both the strengths and limitations of the study. By doing this, you will be able to put the results into context and determine whether they apply to your research.
Make conclusions:
Once you have critically evaluated the results, you can start to conclude the findings of the study. This means determining what the results mean for theory and practice. For example, if a study found that a new intervention is effective, you might conclude that the intervention should be implemented in clinical settings.
When concluding, it is important to consider the implications of the findings. For example, if a study found that a particular intervention is effective, you should consider whether there are any ethical implications of implementing the intervention. You should also think about how the findings might be applied in other contexts or with different populations.
After you have concluded the findings of the study, you can start to write the paper. The first step is to write an introduction, which should include a brief overview of the research being critiqued. The introduction should also state the purpose of the paper and provide an overview of the main points that will be discussed.
Research Analysis Paper: Key Questions
When writing a research analysis paper, one has to consider a couple of questions based on each part of a research paper.
Paper Title
The questions that need to be considered when analyzing the title are:
- What is the research question?
- What are the objectives of the study?
- What is the hypothesis being tested?
- What are the independent and dependent variables?
- What is the population being studied?
- What is the sample size?
- What is the sampling method?
- What type of study is it (e.g., observational, experimental)?
- Is the study valid and reliable?
- Are there any biases in the study?
Abstract
After critically evaluating the title, one moves on to analyze the abstract by asking these questions:
- Does the abstract clearly state the research question?
- Does the abstract clearly state the objectives of the study?
- Does the abstract clearly state the hypotheses being tested?
- Does the abstract clearly state the independent and dependent variables?
- Does the abstract clearly state the population being studied?
- Does the abstract clearly state the sample size?
- Does the abstract clearly state the sampling method?
- Does the abstract clearly state the type of study?
- Is the study valid and reliable?
- Are there any biases in the study?
Introduction
After analyzing both, the title and abstract, it is time to move on and analyze each section of a research paper starting with an introduction by asking these questions:
- What is the background of the study?
- Why is this research important?
- What are the objectives of the study?
- What are the hypotheses being tested?
- What are the independent and dependent variables?
- What is the population being studied?
- What is the sample size?
- What is the sampling method?
- What type of study is it (e.g., observational, experimental)?
- Is the study valid and reliable?
- Are there any biases in the study?
Methods section
The next section that needs to be analyzed is a method section and these are the questions that need to be considered:
- How was the study conducted?
- What data was collected?
- What is the research methodology?
- How were the results analyzed?
- Is the research methodology valid and reliable?
- Are there any biases in the study?
- Are the results statistically significant?
- Do the results support the hypotheses being tested?
- What are the limitations of the study?
Results section
The next section to be analyzed is a results section and these are the questions that need to be considered:
- What are the findings of the study?
- Are the results statistically significant?
- Do the results support the hypotheses being tested?
- What are the limitations of the study?
- What are the implications of the results?
Discussion/Conclusion section
The final section to be analyzed is a discussion section and these are the questions that need to be considered:
- What are the findings of the study?
- Are the results statistically significant?
- Do the results support the hypotheses being tested?
- What are the limitations of the study?
- What are the implications of the results?
- What are your thoughts on the study?
- What are its strengths and weaknesses?
- How does this study impact the field of research?
- What are the next steps for this research?
- What are the implications of the findings?
- What are your thoughts on the study?
- How does this study impact the field of research?
- What are the next steps for this research?
- What are the implications of the findings?
- Is there anything that you would like to add?
References:
- Where did the information in the paper come from?
Now that you have a better understanding of how to analyze a research article, it is time to put this knowledge into practice. Use these tips to write a research analysis paper that is both informative and well-written. Good luck!
References
- Analysis in Research Papers | Collegewide Writing Center
- Writing Critical Analysis Papers1
- Tips for Writing Policy Papers – Stanford Law School
- Analysis – Using Evidence – Academic Guides – Walden
- Tips for writing analytic research papers – Projects at Harvard
- EDU 532: Research Analysis Paper Example – StudentShare
- 10 Steps of the Research Process – Trocaire College Libraries
- Types of academic writing – The University of Sydney
- Sample student research critique paper – University of West Georgia