How to end a Research Paper – Conclusion Paragraphs
Writing a conclusion sounds easy; right? Yeah, summing up the main points, restating the thesis statement, and giving a supporting sentence! That sounds like it, it, but it is not the case.
A conclusion should help your readers understand why your research matters to them after reading the paper. In other words, a conclusion should be a synthesis of the critical points.
In many academic papers, just one paragraph with two or three sentences may be enough, but in some cases, a more extended conclusion is ideal.
When writing a conclusion, we avoid phrases such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or any other related words. They are ideal for oral presentations and not written presentations. Since most readers start by brushing through the conclusion, using the conclusion indicators could irritate the reader, making them disregard the whole paper.
Research Paper conclusion
The conclusion in your research paper plays a vital role in reminding your readers of the impact of your argument. It also helps a reader refocus their attention on the point discussed in your essay and the main research question you are trying to answer.
Listed below are the uses of a conclusion in a research paper.
- Demonstrating the value of your main ideas
- To introduce different ways of thinking about the research problem.
- To present your final thoughts on the issues discussed in the paper.
- Summarizing your thoughts and presenting the overall implication of the study.
- To restate the thesis statement.
Learn how to write a conclusion for a research paper
Remember, you need a conclusion in your paper to restate the main argument. Listed are the standard rules to follow to write an effective conclusion:
- To avoid repetition, do not reiterate the results and the discussion. Instead, give a supportive final thought statement.
- Make your conclusion brief, clear, and use simple language.
- If you haven’t mentioned opportunities for future research in the discussion section, it would be ideal to do that in your conclusion
When writing your conclusion, it is advisable to consider the steps discussed below. Not only help you get started but also make your decision-useful and exciting.
Step 1. Restate your research problem
The research problem may be the question you are trying to answer or a topic you are trying to discuss in detail. Whichever the case, your first step in writing a conclusion should be restating the issue without rephrasing the sentence. You do not give many details since you already did that in the introduction.
Step 2. Restate the thesis
A thesis is mainly the aim of your research. The thesis statement in the conclusion section should not match the one in your introduction. A single sentence will be enough to restate the thesis.
Step 3. Summarize the main ideas of your discussion
We have already seen that it is not wise to introduce any new information in the conclusion section. You should only sum up the main points in your research paper. The purpose of giving a summary is to remind the reader about the importance of the main topic.
Step 4. Give an overall significance of the main points
You can do this by mentioning how the impacts of your research affect a specific outcome, or you can choose to present other findings that will add emphasis on the best way to present the significance of your details.
Step 5. Give your final thoughts and end the paper
These will depend on the type of research you conducted; you may choose to create a call to action or give an idea that will leave the reader thinking further about your argument. Additionally, you may use that chance to answer any question unanswered in the discussion or results section of your paper.
Fast Conclusion Writing tips
Writing a perfect conclusion has never been easy, but with the tips given below in mind, you are out to have a fantastic experience when writing your research paper conclusion.
- Avoid repeating already discussed information.
- Stick to known summarizing format for your conclusion
- Keep your main points, thesis, and summary concise,
- Include only the most relevant points you mention in the discussion section.
- Make use of question and answer style, suggestions, and resolution to support your arguments.
- Resist the urge to apologize
- Make your conclusion short and make use of simple, understandable language.
Have you learned how to write a conclusion for your research paper? I believe, yes. It is now time to take your pen and paper and write that conclusion like a pro. Happy writing!