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How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper?

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Writing a conclusion for research paper is essential in ensuring that your audience remains with something to think about long after reading the paper. Having made your analysis, it is sometimes a good idea to make a brief conclusion where highlights main points and restates its significance. This article will aim at outlining the guidelines on how to write a conclusion for a research paper that is engaging and compelling. We’ll also consider the pros and cons and some mistakes people make when working on projects.

Understanding the Purpose of a Research Paper Conclusion

Before diving into the writing process, it’s essential to understand the role of a conclusion in a research paper:

  • Summarize key findings
  • Restate the thesis
  • Emphasize the importance of your research
  • Provide closure to your argument
  • Suggest future research directions

When learning how to write a conclusion for a research paper, these are the core purposes you need to focus on.

Steps for Writing a Conclusion for a Research Paper

1. Restate Your Thesis

While writing the conclusion, you should prepare it with a view of reiterating what you have proposed in the thesis statement. This gives the reader a brief and impressive idea of the major conclusion arrived at in your research and serves as a good way of ‘closing’ the paper. However, when focusing on how to write a conclusion for a research paper, do not paraphrase it directly from the first sentence; you need to explain how the argument developed.

2. Summarize Key Points

State the key arguments and evidence that you discussed in your paper in one or two paragraphs. The conclusion should encompass all vital aspects of the thesis that were proved in the summary part of the given paper.

3. Discuss the Implications of Your Research

Explain the broader significance of your findings. How do they contribute to the field of study? What practical applications might they have? This is your opportunity to emphasize the importance of your work.

4. Address Limitations and Future Research

Point out any weaknesses with your findings and outline what other research can be done. This proves that you are a logical thinker and that you are aware that your job does not happen in a vacuum but is part of a large organization. Learning how to write a conclusion for a research paper involves recognizing the need for further exploration in the field.

5. End with a Strong Closing Statement

Conclude by restating the study question and asking a final profound question that enhances the significance of the study. It could be in the form of a conclusion, suggestion, or even further implication of your study.

Tips for Writing an Effective Research Paper Conclusion

  • Keep it concise: Aim for about 10% of your paper’s total length.
  • Avoid introducing new information: The conclusion should wrap up existing ideas, not introduce new ones.
  • Use strong, clear language: Be confident in your statements and avoid hedging language.
  • Maintain a formal tone: While you want to engage your readers, remember that this is academic writing.
  • Proofread carefully: Ensure your conclusion is free from errors and flows smoothly.

Knowing how to write a conclusion for a research paper is not just about summarizing content but ensuring your arguments are presented clearly and with impact.

Common Mistakes to Avoid in Writing a Conclusion for a Research Paper

Here are some of the common mistakes that students make in writing the conclusion for their research papers: 

1. Introducing New Information

In your conclusion you should only restate the points that have already been discussed. Introducing new information just confuses the reader and additionally, it makes your argument weak.

2. Being Too Vague

Do not make generalizations or points of plainly stating the obvious which are irrelevant to your study. Explicitly define what it means that you’ve gathered the particulars and why one should care.

3. Overusing Concluding Phrases

Phrases like “in conclusion,” “to sum up,” and “in summary” are unnecessary and can make your writing seem redundant.

4. Repeating the Introduction

The conclusion is not a second introduction. Some students tend to re-produce an introduction that can be seen as a copy of the evaluative reworded statement. 

How Litero AI Can Help with Writing Conclusion

Writing a conclusion for a research paper can be challenging and time-consuming due to the peculiar difficulty of summarizing the main ideas in a nutshell. Litero AI is intended to solve this problem for students and make their problem-solving experiences much easier. It can assist you in coming up with ideas on what to write at the end of the paper, restating your thesis, and proposing ideas for further research. Using an integrated grammar checker, connected to academic resources, and with an AI writing partner, Litero AI helps to make a stronger conclusive statement.

That means instead of having to spend time on how to write a paper and meeting technological requirements for your conclusion that should assert the relevance of your work, Litero AI will help you do that with less effort. Just think of Litero AI as your helpful assistant, it will be with you throughout the writing process but it will not write for you. It is better to apply it as a method to revise the material written once the flow increases the writing rate.

Litero AI Conclusion Generation Stage?

Conclusion

The research paper’s conclusion is critical in supporting your claims and arguing, as well as leaving the reader or listener with a certain closure. Hence, by repeating your thesis statement, highlighting major findings, and explaining the implications, you are likely to leave a lasting impression on the reader. It is important not to make mistakes such as presenting new material or being too general about what is being presented. When learning how to write a conclusion for a research paper, it’s important to avoid mistakes such as presenting new material or being too general. Using tools such as Litero AI, it is much easier to write the conclusion effectively because everything is clear and concise, and the tools guide you on what to do.