C2 Lesson 2: Structuring Academic Essays and Research Papers (Intro to Conventions)
You have mastered the structure of persuasive essays and formal reports. We now turn to the specific genre of academic writing1. This type of writing, used in universities and scholarly journals, follows a set of strict conventions2 to ensure clarity, objectivity, and credibility.
Today, we will learn the most common structure for research papers, often called the IMRaD structure.
The IMRaD Structure: The Blueprint of a Research Paper
IMRaD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. It is a logical framework for presenting original research.
Standard Sections of an Academic Paper
- Abstract: A short (150-250 word) summary of the entire paper, including its purpose, methods, key findings, and conclusion. It is written last.
- Introduction: Provides background information on the topic, identifies a problem or a "gap" in the existing research, and states the paper's thesis or research question.
- Methodology: Explains exactly *how* the research was conducted (e.g., surveys, interviews, experiments, data analysis). It must be detailed enough for another researcher to replicate the study.
- Results / Findings: Presents the objective data that was collected. This section reports the facts without interpretation or discussion.
- Discussion: Interprets and analyzes the results. What do the findings mean? How do they answer the research question? How do they relate to previous research?
- Conclusion: Summarizes the key findings, restates the thesis, acknowledges any limitations of the study, and often suggests areas for future research.
The Importance of Objective Language
Academic writing requires a formal, objective, and impersonal tone. You are a neutral observer reporting on information. Avoid personal opinions (unless in the discussion section, where they must be based on evidence) and use a formal vocabulary.
Academic Phrase Bank
Using these standard phrases will make your writing sound more academic and professional.
- Introduction: "Previous research has established that..."; "However, a gap remains in our understanding of..."; "This paper aims to investigate..."
- Methodology: "A qualitative approach was employed..."; "Data was collected through a series of semi-structured interviews."
- Presenting Findings: "The results indicate a significant correlation between..."; "As illustrated in Figure 1,..."
- Discussion: "These findings suggest that..."; "One possible interpretation of this result is..."; "This appears to contradict the work of..."
- Conclusion: "In conclusion, this study has demonstrated that..."; "A limitation of this research is..."; "Further research is required to..."
Practice Quiz: Which Section?
Read the sentences below. In which section of a research paper would you most likely find each one?
1. "Participants were selected via random sampling from a list of registered voters in Phnom Penh."
Answer: Methodology (It explains how the research was conducted).
2. "While this study provides valuable insights, the small sample size means the results cannot be generalized to the entire population."
Answer: Conclusion (It is acknowledging a limitation of the study).
3. "This finding suggests that the previous theory is incomplete and needs to be revised."
Answer: Discussion (It is interpreting the results and explaining their significance).
Homework: Outline a Research Paper
Your homework is to practice structuring an academic paper. You do not need to do any real research.
Choose ONE of the research questions below:
- What is the impact of smartphone usage on the academic performance of university students in Cambodia?
- What are the primary motivations for international tourists visiting Siem Reap?
Your Task: In your notebook, create a basic outline for a research paper that answers your chosen question. Your outline must include brief, one-sentence notes for each of these sections: Introduction (stating the purpose), Methodology (how you would find information), Results (what you might expect to find), and Discussion (what your results might mean).
Vocabulary Glossary
- Academic Writing: (Noun Phrase) - Khmer: ការសរសេរបែបសិក្សា - The formal style of writing used in universities and scholarly publications. ↩
- Convention: (Noun) - Khmer: សន្និសញ្ញា - A way in which something is usually done; a custom. ↩
- Abstract: (Noun) - Khmer: អរូបី - A short summary of a research paper, article, or speech. ↩
- Methodology: (Noun) - Khmer: វិធីសាស្រ្ត - The specific procedures or techniques used to identify, select, process, and analyze information about a topic. ↩
- To replicate: (Verb) - Khmer: ធ្វើត្រាប់តាម - To make an exact copy of; to reproduce. In science, it refers to repeating a study to see if you get the same results.