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Research Summary – Structure, Examples and Writing Guide

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Research Summary

Research Summary

Definition:

A research summary is a brief and concise overview of a research project or study that highlights its key findings, main points, and conclusions. It typically includes a description of the research problem, the research methods used, the results obtained, and the implications or significance of the findings. It is often used as a tool to quickly communicate the main findings of a study to other researchers, stakeholders, or decision-makers.

Structure of Research Summary

The Structure of a Research Summary typically include:

  • Introduction : This section provides a brief background of the research problem or question, explains the purpose of the study, and outlines the research objectives.
  • Methodology : This section explains the research design, methods, and procedures used to conduct the study. It describes the sample size, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques.
  • Results : This section presents the main findings of the study, including statistical analysis if applicable. It may include tables, charts, or graphs to visually represent the data.
  • Discussion : This section interprets the results and explains their implications. It discusses the significance of the findings, compares them to previous research, and identifies any limitations or future directions for research.
  • Conclusion : This section summarizes the main points of the research and provides a conclusion based on the findings. It may also suggest implications for future research or practical applications of the results.
  • References : This section lists the sources cited in the research summary, following the appropriate citation style.

How to Write Research Summary

Here are the steps you can follow to write a research summary:

  • Read the research article or study thoroughly: To write a summary, you must understand the research article or study you are summarizing. Therefore, read the article or study carefully to understand its purpose, research design, methodology, results, and conclusions.
  • Identify the main points : Once you have read the research article or study, identify the main points, key findings, and research question. You can highlight or take notes of the essential points and findings to use as a reference when writing your summary.
  • Write the introduction: Start your summary by introducing the research problem, research question, and purpose of the study. Briefly explain why the research is important and its significance.
  • Summarize the methodology : In this section, summarize the research design, methods, and procedures used to conduct the study. Explain the sample size, data collection methods, and data analysis techniques.
  • Present the results: Summarize the main findings of the study. Use tables, charts, or graphs to visually represent the data if necessary.
  • Interpret the results: In this section, interpret the results and explain their implications. Discuss the significance of the findings, compare them to previous research, and identify any limitations or future directions for research.
  • Conclude the summary : Summarize the main points of the research and provide a conclusion based on the findings. Suggest implications for future research or practical applications of the results.
  • Revise and edit : Once you have written the summary, revise and edit it to ensure that it is clear, concise, and free of errors. Make sure that your summary accurately represents the research article or study.
  • Add references: Include a list of references cited in the research summary, following the appropriate citation style.

Example of Research Summary

Here is an example of a research summary:

Title: The Effects of Yoga on Mental Health: A Meta-Analysis

Introduction: This meta-analysis examines the effects of yoga on mental health. The study aimed to investigate whether yoga practice can improve mental health outcomes such as anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life.

Methodology : The study analyzed data from 14 randomized controlled trials that investigated the effects of yoga on mental health outcomes. The sample included a total of 862 participants. The yoga interventions varied in length and frequency, ranging from four to twelve weeks, with sessions lasting from 45 to 90 minutes.

Results : The meta-analysis found that yoga practice significantly improved mental health outcomes. Participants who practiced yoga showed a significant reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as stress levels. Quality of life also improved in those who practiced yoga.

Discussion : The findings of this study suggest that yoga can be an effective intervention for improving mental health outcomes. The study supports the growing body of evidence that suggests that yoga can have a positive impact on mental health. Limitations of the study include the variability of the yoga interventions, which may affect the generalizability of the findings.

Conclusion : Overall, the findings of this meta-analysis support the use of yoga as an effective intervention for improving mental health outcomes. Further research is needed to determine the optimal length and frequency of yoga interventions for different populations.

References :

  • Cramer, H., Lauche, R., Langhorst, J., Dobos, G., & Berger, B. (2013). Yoga for depression: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Depression and anxiety, 30(11), 1068-1083.
  • Khalsa, S. B. (2004). Yoga as a therapeutic intervention: a bibliometric analysis of published research studies. Indian journal of physiology and pharmacology, 48(3), 269-285.
  • Ross, A., & Thomas, S. (2010). The health benefits of yoga and exercise: a review of comparison studies. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 16(1), 3-12.

Purpose of Research Summary

The purpose of a research summary is to provide a brief overview of a research project or study, including its main points, findings, and conclusions. The summary allows readers to quickly understand the essential aspects of the research without having to read the entire article or study.

Research summaries serve several purposes, including:

  • Facilitating comprehension: A research summary allows readers to quickly understand the main points and findings of a research project or study without having to read the entire article or study. This makes it easier for readers to comprehend the research and its significance.
  • Communicating research findings: Research summaries are often used to communicate research findings to a wider audience, such as policymakers, practitioners, or the general public. The summary presents the essential aspects of the research in a clear and concise manner, making it easier for non-experts to understand.
  • Supporting decision-making: Research summaries can be used to support decision-making processes by providing a summary of the research evidence on a particular topic. This information can be used by policymakers or practitioners to make informed decisions about interventions, programs, or policies.
  • Saving time: Research summaries save time for researchers, practitioners, policymakers, and other stakeholders who need to review multiple research studies. Rather than having to read the entire article or study, they can quickly review the summary to determine whether the research is relevant to their needs.

Characteristics of Research Summary

The following are some of the key characteristics of a research summary:

  • Concise : A research summary should be brief and to the point, providing a clear and concise overview of the main points of the research.
  • Objective : A research summary should be written in an objective tone, presenting the research findings without bias or personal opinion.
  • Comprehensive : A research summary should cover all the essential aspects of the research, including the research question, methodology, results, and conclusions.
  • Accurate : A research summary should accurately reflect the key findings and conclusions of the research.
  • Clear and well-organized: A research summary should be easy to read and understand, with a clear structure and logical flow.
  • Relevant : A research summary should focus on the most important and relevant aspects of the research, highlighting the key findings and their implications.
  • Audience-specific: A research summary should be tailored to the intended audience, using language and terminology that is appropriate and accessible to the reader.
  • Citations : A research summary should include citations to the original research articles or studies, allowing readers to access the full text of the research if desired.

When to write Research Summary

Here are some situations when it may be appropriate to write a research summary:

  • Proposal stage: A research summary can be included in a research proposal to provide a brief overview of the research aims, objectives, methodology, and expected outcomes.
  • Conference presentation: A research summary can be prepared for a conference presentation to summarize the main findings of a study or research project.
  • Journal submission: Many academic journals require authors to submit a research summary along with their research article or study. The summary provides a brief overview of the study’s main points, findings, and conclusions and helps readers quickly understand the research.
  • Funding application: A research summary can be included in a funding application to provide a brief summary of the research aims, objectives, and expected outcomes.
  • Policy brief: A research summary can be prepared as a policy brief to communicate research findings to policymakers or stakeholders in a concise and accessible manner.

Advantages of Research Summary

Research summaries offer several advantages, including:

  • Time-saving: A research summary saves time for readers who need to understand the key findings and conclusions of a research project quickly. Rather than reading the entire research article or study, readers can quickly review the summary to determine whether the research is relevant to their needs.
  • Clarity and accessibility: A research summary provides a clear and accessible overview of the research project’s main points, making it easier for readers to understand the research without having to be experts in the field.
  • Improved comprehension: A research summary helps readers comprehend the research by providing a brief and focused overview of the key findings and conclusions, making it easier to understand the research and its significance.
  • Enhanced communication: Research summaries can be used to communicate research findings to a wider audience, such as policymakers, practitioners, or the general public, in a concise and accessible manner.
  • Facilitated decision-making: Research summaries can support decision-making processes by providing a summary of the research evidence on a particular topic. Policymakers or practitioners can use this information to make informed decisions about interventions, programs, or policies.
  • Increased dissemination: Research summaries can be easily shared and disseminated, allowing research findings to reach a wider audience.

Limitations of Research Summary

Limitations of the Research Summary are as follows:

  • Limited scope: Research summaries provide a brief overview of the research project’s main points, findings, and conclusions, which can be limiting. They may not include all the details, nuances, and complexities of the research that readers may need to fully understand the study’s implications.
  • Risk of oversimplification: Research summaries can be oversimplified, reducing the complexity of the research and potentially distorting the findings or conclusions.
  • Lack of context: Research summaries may not provide sufficient context to fully understand the research findings, such as the research background, methodology, or limitations. This may lead to misunderstandings or misinterpretations of the research.
  • Possible bias: Research summaries may be biased if they selectively emphasize certain findings or conclusions over others, potentially distorting the overall picture of the research.
  • Format limitations: Research summaries may be constrained by the format or length requirements, making it challenging to fully convey the research’s main points, findings, and conclusions.
  • Accessibility: Research summaries may not be accessible to all readers, particularly those with limited literacy skills, visual impairments, or language barriers.

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  • Research Summary: What Is It & How To Write One

Angela Kayode-Sanni

Introduction

A research summary is a requirement during academic research and sometimes you might need to prepare a research summary during a research project for an organization.

Most people find a research summary a daunting task as you are required to condense complex research material into an informative, easy-to-understand article most times with a minimum of 300-500 words.

In this post, we will guide you through all the steps required to make writing your research summary an easier task. 

What is a Research Summary?

A research summary is a piece of writing that summarizes the research of a specific topic into bite-size easy-to-read and comprehend articles. The primary goal is to give the reader a detailed outline of the key findings of a research.

It is an unavoidable requirement in colleges and universities. To write a good research summary, you must understand the goal of your research, as this would help make the process easier. 

A research summary preserves the structure and sections of the article it is derived from.

Research Summary or Abstract: What’s The Difference?

The Research Summary and Abstract are similar, especially as they are both brief, straight to the point, and provide an overview of the entire research paper. However, there are very clear differences.

To begin with, a Research summary is written at the end of a research activity, while the Abstract is written at the beginning of a research paper. 

A Research Summary captures the main points of a study, with an emphasis on the topic, method , and discoveries, an Abstract is a description of what your research paper would talk about and the reason for your research or the hypothesis you are trying to validate.

Let us take a deeper look at the difference between both terms.

What is an Abstract?

An abstract is a short version of a research paper. It is written to convey the findings of the research to the reader. It provides the reader with information that would help them understand the research, by giving them a clear idea about the subject matter of a research paper. It is usually submitted before the presentation of a research paper.

What is a Summary?

A summary is a short form of an essay, a research paper, or a chapter in a book. A research summary is a narration of a research study, condensing the focal points of research to a shorter form, usually aligned with the same structure of the research study, from which the summary is derived.

What Is The Difference Between an Abstract and a Summary?

An abstract communicates the main points of a research paper, it includes the questions, major findings, the importance of the findings, etc.

An abstract reflects the perceptions of the author about a topic, while a research summary reflects the ideology of the research study that is being summarized.

Getting Started with a Research Summary

Before commencing a research summary, there is a need to understand the style and organization of the content you plan to summarize. There are three fundamental areas of the research that should be the focal point:

  • When deciding on the content include a section that speaks to the importance of the research, and the techniques and tools used to arrive at your conclusion.
  • Keep the summary well organized, and use paragraphs to discuss the various sections of the research.
  • Restrict your research to 300-400 words which is the standard practice for research summaries globally. However, if the research paper you want to summarize is a lengthy one, do not exceed 10% of the entire research material.

Once you have satisfied the requirements of the fundamentals for starting your research summary, you can now begin to write using the following format:

  • Why was this research done?   – A clear description of the reason the research was embarked on and the hypothesis being tested.
  • Who was surveyed? – Your research study should have details of the source of your information. If it was via a survey, you should document who the participants of the survey were and the reason that they were selected.
  • What was the methodology? – Discuss the methodology, in terms of what kind of survey method did you adopt. Was it a face-to-face interview, a phone interview, or a focus group setting?
  • What were the key findings? – This is perhaps the most vital part of the process. What discoveries did you make after the testing? This part should be based on raw facts free from any personal bias.
  • Conclusion – What conclusions did you draw from the findings?
  • Takeaways and action points – This is where your views and perception can be reflected. Here, you can now share your recommendations or action points.
  • Identify the focal point of the article –  In other to get a grasp of the content covered in the research paper, you can skim the article first, in a bid to understand the most essential part of the research paper. 
  • Analyze and understand the topic and article – Writing a summary of a research paper involves being familiar with the topic –  the current state of knowledge, key definitions, concepts, and models. This is often gleaned while reading the literature review. Please note that only a deep understanding ensures efficient and accurate summarization of the content.
  • Make notes as you read – Highlight and summarize each paragraph as you read. Your notes are what you would further condense to create a draft that would form your research summary.

How to Structure Your Research Summary

  • Title – This highlights the area of analysis, and can be formulated to briefly highlight key findings.
  • Abstract – this is a very brief and comprehensive description of the study, required in every academic article, with a length of 100-500 words at most. 
  • Introduction – this is a vital part of any research summary, it provides the context and the literature review that gently introduces readers to the subject matter. The introduction usually covers definitions, questions, and hypotheses of the research study. 
  • Methodology –This section emphasizes the process and or data analysis methods used, in terms of experiments, surveys, sampling, or statistical analysis. 
  • Results section – this section lists in detail the results derived from the research with evidence obtained from all the experiments conducted.
  • Discussion – these parts discuss the results within the context of current knowledge among subject matter experts. Interpretation of results and theoretical models explaining the observed results, the strengths of the study, and the limitations experienced are going to be a part of the discussion. 
  • Conclusion – In a conclusion, hypotheses are discussed and revalidated or denied, based on how convincing the evidence is.
  • References – this section is for giving credit to those who work you studied to create your summary. You do this by providing appropriate citations as you write.

Research Summary Example 1

Below are some defining elements of a sample research summary.

Title – “The probability of an unexpected volcanic eruption in Greenwich”

Introduction – this section would list the catastrophic consequences that occurred in the country and the importance of analyzing this event. 

Hypothesis –  An eruption of the Greenwich supervolcano would be preceded by intense preliminary activity manifesting in advance, before the eruption.

Results – these could contain a report of statistical data from various volcanic eruptions happening globally while looking critically at the activity that occurred before these events. 

Discussion and conclusion – Given that Greenwich is now consistently monitored by scientists and that signs of an eruption are usually detected before the volcanic eruption, this confirms the hypothesis. Hence creating an emergency plan outlining other intervention measures and ultimately evacuation is essential. 

Research Summary Example 2

Below is another sample sketch.

Title – “The frequency of extreme weather events in the UK in 2000-2008 as compared to the ‘60s”

Introduction – Weather events bring intense material damage and cause pain to the victims affected.

Hypothesis – Extreme weather events are more frequent in recent times compared to the ‘50s

Results – The frequency of several categories of extreme events now and then are listed here, such as droughts, fires, massive rainfall/snowfalls, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, etc.

Discussion and conclusion – Several types of extreme events have become more commonplace in recent times, confirming the hypothesis. This rise in extreme weather events can be traced to rising CO2 levels and increasing temperatures and global warming explain the rising frequency of these disasters. Addressing the rising CO2 levels and paying attention to climate change is the only to combat this phenomenon.

A research summary is the short form of a research paper, analyzing the important aspect of the study. Everyone who reads a research summary has a full grasp of the main idea being discussed in the original research paper. Conducting any research means you will write a summary, which is an important part of your project and would be the most read part of your project.

Having a guideline before you start helps, this would form your checklist which would guide your actions as you write your research summary. It is important to note that a Research Summary is different from an Abstract paper written at the beginning of a research paper, describing the idea behind a research paper.

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Research Summary: What is it & how to write one

research summary

The Research Summary is used to report facts about a study clearly. You will almost certainly be required to prepare a research summary during your academic research or while on a research project for your organization.

If it is the first time you have to write one, the writing requirements may confuse you. The instructors generally assign someone to write a summary of the research work. Research summaries require the writer to have a thorough understanding of the issue.

This article will discuss the definition of a research summary and how to write one.

What is a research summary?

A research summary is a piece of writing that summarizes your research on a specific topic. Its primary goal is to offer the reader a detailed overview of the study with the key findings. A research summary generally contains the article’s structure in which it is written.

You must know the goal of your analysis before you launch a project. A research overview summarizes the detailed response and highlights particular issues raised in it. Writing it might be somewhat troublesome. To write a good overview, you want to start with a structure in mind. Read on for our guide.

Why is an analysis recap so important?

Your summary or analysis is going to tell readers everything about your research project. This is the critical piece that your stakeholders will read to identify your findings and valuable insights. Having a good and concise research summary that presents facts and comes with no research biases is the critical deliverable of any research project.

We’ve put together a cheat sheet to help you write a good research summary below.

Research Summary Guide

  • Why was this research done?  – You want to give a clear description of why this research study was done. What hypothesis was being tested?
  • Who was surveyed? – The what and why or your research decides who you’re going to interview/survey. Your research summary has a detailed note on who participated in the study and why they were selected. 
  • What was the methodology? – Talk about the methodology. Did you do face-to-face interviews? Was it a short or long survey or a focus group setting? Your research methodology is key to the results you’re going to get. 
  • What were the key findings? – This can be the most critical part of the process. What did we find out after testing the hypothesis? This section, like all others, should be just facts, facts facts. You’re not sharing how you feel about the findings. Keep it bias-free.
  • Conclusion – What are the conclusions that were drawn from the findings. A good example of a conclusion. Surprisingly, most people interviewed did not watch the lunar eclipse in 2022, which is unexpected given that 100% of those interviewed knew about it before it happened.
  • Takeaways and action points – This is where you bring in your suggestion. Given the data you now have from the research, what are the takeaways and action points? If you’re a researcher running this research project for your company, you’ll use this part to shed light on your recommended action plans for the business.

LEARN ABOUT:   Action Research

If you’re doing any research, you will write a summary, which will be the most viewed and more important part of the project. So keep a guideline in mind before you start. Focus on the content first and then worry about the length. Use the cheat sheet/checklist in this article to organize your summary, and that’s all you need to write a great research summary!

But once your summary is ready, where is it stored? Most teams have multiple documents in their google drives, and it’s a nightmare to find projects that were done in the past. Your research data should be democratized and easy to use.

We at QuestionPro launched a research repository for research teams, and our clients love it. All your data is in one place, and everything is searchable, including your research summaries! 

Authors: Prachi, Anas

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Research Summary Structure, Samples, Writing Steps, and Useful Suggestions

Updated 13 Jun 2024

What is a Research Summary and Why Is It Important?

A research summary is a type of paper designed to provide a brief overview of a given study - typically, an article from a peer-reviewed academic journal. It is a frequent type of task encountered in US colleges and universities, both in humanitarian and exact sciences, which is due to how important it is to teach students to properly interact with and interpret scientific literature and in particular, academic papers, which are the key way through which new ideas, theories, and evidence are presented to experts in many fields of knowledge. A research summary typically preserves the structure/sections of the article it focuses on. Get the grades you want with our professional research paper helper .

How to Write a Research Summary – Typical Steps

Follow these clear steps to help avoid typical mistakes and productivity bottlenecks, allowing for a more efficient through your writing process:

  • Skim the article in order to get a rough idea of the content covered in each section and to understand the relative importance of content, for instance, how important different lines of evidence are (this helps you understand which sections you should focus on more when reading in detail). Make sure you understand the task and your professor's requirements before reading the article. In this step, you can also decide whether to write a summary by yourself or ask for a cheap research paper writing service instead.
  • Analyze and understand the topic and article. Writing a summary of a research paper involves becoming very familiar with the topic – sometimes, it is impossible to understand the content without learning about the current state of knowledge, as well as key definitions, concepts, models. This is often performed while reading the literature review. As for the paper itself, understanding it means understanding analysis questions, hypotheses, listed evidence, how strongly this evidence supports the hypotheses, as well as analysis implications. Keep in mind that only a deep understanding allows one to efficiently and accurately summarize the content.
  • Make notes as you read. You could highlight or summarize each paragraph with a brief sentence that would record the key idea delivered in it (obviously, some paragraphs deserve more attention than others). However, be careful not to engage in extensive writing while still reading. This is important because, while reading, you might realize that some sections you initially considered important might actually be less important compared to information that follows. As for underlining or highlighting – do these only with the most important evidence, otherwise, there is little use in “coloring” everything without distinction.
  • Assemble a draft by bringing together key evidence and notes from each paragraph/ section. Make sure that all elements characteristic of a research summary are covered (as detailed below).
  • Find additional literature for forming or supporting your critical view (this is if your critical view/position is required), for instance, judgments about limitations of the study or contradictory evidence.
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Research Summary Structure

The research summary format resembles that found in the original paper (just a concise version of it). Content from all sections should be covered and reflected upon, regardless of whether corresponding headings are present or not. Key structural elements of any research summary are as follows:

  • Title – it announces the exact topic/area of analysis and can even be formulated to briefly announce key finding(s) or argument(s) delivered.
  • Abstract – this is a very concise and comprehensive description of the study, present virtually in any academic article (the length varies greatly, typically within 100-500 words). Unlike an academic article, your research summary is expected to have a much shorter abstract.
  • Introduction – this is an essential part of any research summary which provides necessary context (the literature review) that helps introduce readers to the subject by presenting the current state of the investigation, an important concept or definition, etc. This section might also describe the subject’s importance (or might not, for instance, when it is self-evident). Finally, an introduction typically lists investigation questions and hypotheses advanced by authors, which are normally mentioned in detail in any research summary (obviously, doing this is only possible after identifying these elements in the original paper).
  • Methodology – regardless of its location, this section details experimental methods or data analysis methods used (e.g. types of experiments, surveys, sampling, or statistical analysis). In a research summary, many of these details would have to be omitted; hence, it is important to understand what is most important to mention.
  • Results section – this section lists in detail evidence obtained from all experiments with some primary data analysis, conclusions, observations, and primary interpretations being made. It is typically the largest section of any analysis paper, so, it has to be concisely rewritten, which implies understanding which content is worth omitting and worth keeping.
  • Discussion – this is where results are being discussed in the context of current knowledge among experts. This section contains interpretations of results, theoretical models explaining the observed results, study strengths and especially limitations, complementary future exploration to be undertaken, conclusions, etc. All these are important elements that need to be conveyed in a summary.
  • Conclusion – in the original article, this section could be absent or merged with “Discussion”. Specific research summary instructions might require this to be a standalone section. In a conclusion, hypotheses are revisited and validated or denied, based on how convincing the evidence is (key lines of evidence could be highlighted).
  • References – this section is for mentioning those cited works directly in your summary – obviously, one has to provide appropriate citations at least for the original article (this often suffices). Mentioning other works might be relevant when your critical opinion is also required (supported with new unrelated evidence).

Note that if you need some model research summary papers done before you start writing yourself (this will help familiarize you with essay structure and various sections), you could simply recruit our company by following the link provided below.

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Research Summary Writing Tips

Below is a checklist of useful research paper tips worth considering when writing research summaries:

  • Make sure you are always aware of the bigger picture/ direction. You need to keep in mind a complete and coherent picture of the story delivered by the original article. It might be helpful to reread or scan it quickly to remind yourself of the declared goals, hypotheses, key evidence, and conclusions – this awareness offers a constant sense of direction, which ensures that no written sentence is out of context. It is useful doing this even after you have written a fourth, a third, or half of the paper (to make sure no deviation occurs).
  • Consider writing a detailed research outline before writing the draft – it might be of great use when structuring your paper. A research summary template is also very likely to help you structure your paper.
  • Sketch the main elements of the conclusion before writing it. Do this for a number of reasons: validate/invalidate hypotheses; enumerate key evidence supporting or invalidating them, list potential implications; mention the subject’s importance; mention study limitations and future directions for research. In order to include them all, it is useful having them written down and handy.
  • Consider writing the introduction and discussion last. It makes sense to first list hypotheses, goals, questions, and key results. Latter, information contained in the introduction and discussion can be adapted as needed (for instance, to match a preset word count limit). Also, on the basis of already written paragraphs, you can easily generate your discussion with the help of a conclusion tool ; it works online and is absolutely free of charge. Apart from this, follow a natural order.
  • Include visuals – you could summarize a lot of text using graphs or charts while simultaneously improving readability.
  • Be very careful not to plagiarize. It is very tempting to “borrow” or quote entire phrases from an article, provided how well-written these are, but you need to summarize your paper without plagiarizing at all (forget entirely about copy-paste – it is only allowed to paraphrase and even this should be done carefully). The best way to stay safe is by formulating your own thoughts from scratch.
  • Keep your word count in check. You don’t want your summary to be as long as the original paper (just reformulated). In addition, you might need to respect an imposed word count limit, which requires being careful about how much you write for each section.
  • Proofread your work for grammar, spelling, wordiness, and formatting issues (feel free to use our convert case tool for titles, headings, subheadings, etc.).
  • Watch your writing style – when summarizing content, it should be impersonal, precise, and purely evidence-based. A personal view/attitude should be provided only in the critical section (if required).
  • Ask a colleague to read your summary and test whether he/she could understand everything without reading the article – this will help ensure that you haven’t skipped some important content, explanations, concepts, etc.

For additional information on formatting, structure, and for more writing tips, check out these research paper guidelines on our website. Remember that we cover most research papers writing services you can imagine and can offer help at various stages of your writing project, including proofreading, editing, rewriting for plagiarism elimination, and style adjustment.

Research Summary Example 1

Below are some defining elements of a sample research summary written from an imaginary article.

Title – “The probability of an unexpected volcanic eruption in Yellowstone” Introduction – this section would list those catastrophic consequences hitting our country in  case of a massive eruption and the importance of analyzing this matter. Hypothesis –  An eruption of the Yellowstone supervolcano would be preceded by intense precursory activity manifesting a few weeks up to a few years in advance. Results – these could contain a report of statistical data from multiple volcanic eruptions happening worldwide looking specifically at activity that preceded these events (in particular, how early each type of activity was detected). Discussion and conclusion – Given that Yellowstone is continuously monitored by scientists and that signs of an eruption are normally detected much in advance and at least a few days in advance, the hypothesis is confirmed. This could find application in creating emergency plans detailing an organized evacuation campaign and other response measures.

Research Summary Example 2

Below is another sample sketch, also from an imaginary article.

Title – “The frequency of extreme weather events in US in 2000-2008 as compared to the ‘50s” Introduction – Weather events bring immense material damage and cause human victims. Hypothesis – Extreme weather events are significantly more frequent nowadays than in the ‘50s Results – these could list the frequency of several categories of extreme events now and then: droughts and associated fires, massive rainfall/snowfall and associated floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, arctic cold waves, etc. Discussion and conclusion – Several types of extreme events indeed became significantly more frequent recently, confirming this hypothesis. This increasing frequency correlates reliably with rising CO2 levels in atmosphere and growing temperatures worldwide and in the absence of another recent major global change that could explain a higher frequency of disasters but also knowing how growing temperature disturbs weather patterns, it is natural to assume that global warming (CO2) causes this increase in frequency. This, in turn, suggests that this increased frequency of disasters is not a short-term phenomenon but is here to stay until we address CO2 levels.

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Simply create your account in a few clicks, place an order by uploading your instructions, and upload or indicate the article requiring a summary and choose a preferred writer for this task (according to experience, rating, bidding price). Our transparent system puts you in control, allowing you to set priorities as you wish (to our knowledge, few competitors have something equivalent in place). Obviously, we can help with many other essay types such as critical thinking essay, argumentative essay, etc. In particular, the research paper definition article on our website highlights a few popular paper types we work with.

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Writing a Summary – Explanation & Examples

Published by Alvin Nicolas at October 17th, 2023 , Revised On October 17, 2023

In a world bombarded with vast amounts of information, condensing and presenting data in a digestible format becomes invaluable. Enter summaries. 

A summary is a brief and concise account of the main points of a larger body of work. It distils complex ideas, narratives, or data into a version that is quicker to read and easier to understand yet still retains the essence of the original content.

Importance of Summaries

The importance of summarising extends far beyond just making reading more manageable. In academic settings, summaries aid students in understanding and retaining complex materials, from textbook chapters to research articles. They also serve as tools to showcase one’s grasp of the subject in essays and reports. 

In professional arenas, summaries are pivotal in business reports, executive briefings, and even emails where key points need to be conveyed quickly to decision-makers. Meanwhile, summarising skills come into play in our personal lives when we relay news stories to friends, recap a movie plot, or even scroll through condensed news or app notifications on our smartphones.

Why Do We Write Summaries?

In our modern information age, the sheer volume of content available can be overwhelming. From detailed research papers to comprehensive news articles, the quest for knowledge is often met with lengthy and complex resources. This is where the power of a well-crafted summary comes into play. But what drives us to create or seek out summaries? Let’s discuss.

Makes Important Things Easy to Remember

At the heart of summarisation is the goal to understand. A well-written summary aids in digesting complex material. By distilling larger works into their core points, we reinforce the primary messages, making them easier to remember. This is especially crucial for students who need to retain knowledge for exams or professionals prepping for a meeting based on a lengthy report.

Simplification of Complex Topics

Not everyone is an expert in every field. Often, topics come laden with jargon, intricate details, and nuanced arguments. Summaries act as a bridge, translating this complexity into accessible and straightforward content. This is especially beneficial for individuals new to a topic or those who need just the highlights without the intricacies.

Aid in Researching and Understanding Diverse Sources

Researchers, writers, and academics often wade through many sources when working on a project. This involves finding sources of different types, such as primary or secondary sources , and then understanding their content. Sifting through each source in its entirety can be time-consuming. Summaries offer a streamlined way to understand each source’s main arguments or findings, making synthesising information from diverse materials more efficient.

Condensing Information for Presentation or Sharing

In professional settings, there is often a need to present findings, updates, or recommendations to stakeholders. An executive might not have the time to go through a 50-page report, but they would certainly appreciate a concise summary highlighting the key points. Similarly, in our personal lives, we often summarise movie plots, book stories, or news events when sharing with friends or family.

Characteristics of a Good Summary

Crafting an effective summary is an art. It’s more than just shortening a piece of content; it is about capturing the essence of the original work in a manner that is both accessible and true to its intent. Let’s explore the primary characteristics that distinguish a good summary from a mediocre one:

Conciseness

At the core of a summary is the concept of brevity. But being concise doesn’t mean leaving out vital information. A good summary will:

  • Eliminate superfluous details or repetitive points.
  • Focus on the primary arguments, events, or findings.
  • Use succinct language without compromising the message.

Objectivity

Summarising is not about infusing personal opinions or interpretations. A quality summary will:

  • Stick to the facts as presented in the original content.
  • Avoid introducing personal biases or perspectives.
  • Represent the original author’s intent faithfully.

A summary is meant to simplify and make content accessible. This is only possible if the summary itself is easy to understand. Ensuring clarity involves:

  • Avoiding jargon or technical terms unless they are essential to the content. If they are used, they should be clearly defined.
  • Structuring sentences in a straightforward manner.
  • Making sure ideas are presented in a way that even someone unfamiliar with the topic can grasp the primary points.

A jumble of ideas, no matter how concise, will not make for a good summary. Coherence ensures that there’s a logical flow to the summarised content. A coherent summary will:

  • Maintain a logical sequence, often following the structure of the original content.
  • Use transition words or phrases to connect ideas and ensure smooth progression.
  • Group related ideas together to provide structure and avoid confusion.

Steps of Writing a Summary

The process of creating a compelling summary is not merely about cutting down content. It involves understanding, discerning, and crafting. Here is a step-by-step guide to writing a summary that encapsulates the essence of the original work:

Reading Actively

Engage deeply with the content to ensure a thorough understanding.

  • Read the entire document or work first to grasp its overall intent and structure.
  • On the second read, underline or highlight the standout points or pivotal moments.
  • Make brief notes in the margins or on a separate sheet, capturing the core ideas in your own words.

Identifying the Main Idea

Determine the backbone of the content, around which all other details revolve.

  • Ask yourself: “What is the primary message or theme the author wants to convey?”
  • This can often be found in the title, introduction, or conclusion of a piece.
  • Frame the main idea in a clear and concise statement to guide your summary.

List Key Supporting Points

Understand the pillars that uphold the main idea, providing evidence or depth to the primary message.

  • Refer back to the points you underlined or highlighted during your active reading.
  • Note major arguments, evidence, or examples that the author uses to back up the main idea.
  • Prioritise these points based on their significance to the main idea.

Draft the Summary

Convert your understanding into a condensed, coherent version of the original.

  • Start with a statement of the main idea.
  • Follow with the key supporting points, maintaining logical order.
  • Avoid including trivial details or examples unless they’re crucial to the primary message.
  • Use your own words, ensuring you are not plagiarising the original content.

Fine-tune your draft to ensure clarity, accuracy, and brevity.

  • Read your draft aloud to check for flow and coherence.
  • Ensure that your summary remains objective, avoiding any personal interpretations or biases.
  • Check the length. See if any non-essential details can be removed without sacrificing understanding if it is too lengthy.
  • Ensure clarity by ensuring the language is straightforward, and the main ideas are easily grasped.

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Dos and Don’ts of Summarising Key Points

Summarising, while seemingly straightforward, comes with its nuances. Properly condensing content demands a balance between brevity and fidelity to the original work. To aid in crafting exemplary summaries, here is a guide on the essential dos and don’ts:

Use your Own Words

This ensures that you have truly understood the content and are not merely parroting it. It also prevents issues of plagiarism.

Tip: After reading the original content, take a moment to reflect on it. Then, without looking at the source, write down the main points in your own words.

Attribute Sources Properly

Giving credit is both ethical and provides context to readers, helping them trace back to the original work if needed. How to cite sources correctly is a skill every writer should master.

Tip: Use signal phrases like “According to [Author/Source]…” or “As [Author/Source] points out…” to seamlessly incorporate attributions.

Ensure Accuracy of the Summarised Content

A summary should be a reliable reflection of the original content. Distorting or misrepresenting the original ideas compromises the integrity of the summary.

Tip: After drafting your summary, cross-check with the original content to ensure all key points are represented accurately and ensure you are referencing credible sources .

Avoid Copy-Pasting Chunks of Original Content

This not only raises plagiarism concerns but also shows a lack of genuine engagement with the material.

Tip: If a particular phrase or sentence from the original is pivotal and cannot be reworded without losing its essence, use block quotes , quotation marks, and attribute the source.

Do not Inject your Personal Opinion

A summary should be an objective reflection of the source material. Introducing personal biases or interpretations can mislead readers.

Tip: Stick to the facts and arguments presented in the original content. If you find yourself writing “I think” or “In my opinion,” reevaluate the sentence.

Do not Omit Crucial Information

While a summary is meant to be concise, it shouldn’t be at the expense of vital details that are essential to understanding the original content’s core message.

Tip: Prioritise information. Always include the main idea and its primary supports. If you are unsure whether a detail is crucial, consider its impact on the overall message.

Examples of Summaries

Here are a few examples that will help you get a clearer view of how to write a summary. 

Example 1: Summary of a News Article

Original Article: The article reports on the recent discovery of a rare species of frog in the Amazon rainforest. The frog, named the “Emerald Whisperer” due to its unique green hue and the soft chirping sounds it makes, was found by a team of researchers from the University of Texas. The discovery is significant as it offers insights into the biodiversity of the region, and the Emerald Whisperer might also play a pivotal role in understanding the ecosystem balance.

Summary: Researchers from the University of Texas have discovered a unique frog, termed the “Emerald Whisperer,” in the Amazon rainforest. This finding sheds light on the region’s biodiversity and underscores the importance of the frog in ecological studies.

Example 2: Summary of a Research Paper

Original Paper: In a study titled “The Impact of Urbanisation on Bee Populations,” researchers conducted a year-long observation on bee colonies in three urban areas and three rural areas. Using specific metrics like colony health, bee productivity, and population size, the study found that urban environments saw a 30% decline in bee populations compared to rural settings. The research attributes this decline to factors like pollution, reduced green spaces, and increased temperatures in urban areas.

Summary: A study analysing the effects of urbanisation on bee colonies found a significant 30% decrease in bee populations in urban settings compared to rural areas. The decline is linked to urban factors such as pollution, diminished greenery, and elevated temperatures.

Example 3: Summary of a Novel

Original Story: In the novel “Winds of Fate,” protagonist Clara is trapped in a timeless city where memories dictate reality. Throughout her journey, she encounters characters from her past, present, and imagined future. Battling her own perceptions and a menacing shadow figure, Clara seeks an elusive gateway to return to her real world. In the climax, she confronts the shadow, which turns out to be her own fear, and upon overcoming it, she finds her way back, realising that reality is subjective.

Summary: “Winds of Fate” follows Clara’s adventures in a surreal city shaped by memories. Confronting figures from various phases of her life and battling a symbolic shadow of her own fear, Clara eventually discovers that reality’s perception is malleable and subjective.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is a summary.

A summary condenses a larger piece of content, capturing its main points and essence.  It is usually one-fourth of the original content.

What is a summary?

A summary is a concise representation of a larger text or content, highlighting its main ideas and points. It distils complex information into a shorter form, allowing readers to quickly grasp the essence of the original material without delving into extensive details. Summaries prioritise clarity, brevity, and accuracy.

When should I write a summary?

Write a summary when you need to condense lengthy content for easier comprehension and recall. It’s useful in academic settings, professional reports, presentations, and research to highlight key points. Summaries aid in comparing multiple sources, preparing for discussions, and sharing essential details of extensive materials efficiently with others.

How can I summarise a source without plagiarising?

To summarise without plagiarising: Read the source thoroughly, understand its main ideas, and then write the summary in your own words. Avoid copying phrases verbatim. Attribute the source properly. Use paraphrasing techniques and cross-check your summary against the original to ensure distinctiveness while retaining accuracy. Always prioritise understanding over direct replication.

What is the difference between a summary and an abstract?

A summary condenses a text, capturing its main points from various content types like books, articles, or movies. An abstract, typically found in research papers and scientific articles, provides a brief overview of the study’s purpose, methodology, results, and conclusions. Both offer concise versions, but abstracts are more structured and specific.

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Academic sources, also known as scholarly sources or academic references, are materials used by researchers, scholars, and students to support their academic work. These sources are specifically created for use in academic contexts and contribute to the body of knowledge in a particular field of study.

A secondary source refers to any material that interprets, analyses, or reviews information originally presented elsewhere. Unlike primary sources, which offer direct evidence or first-hand testimony, secondary sources work on those original materials, offering commentary, critiques, and perspectives.

The ability to effectively incorporate multiple sources into one’s work is not just a skill, but a necessity. Whether we are talking about research papers, articles, or even simple blog posts, synthesising sources can elevate our content to a more nuanced, comprehensive, and insightful level.

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How to Write a Research Paper Summary

Journal submission: Tips to submit better manuscripts | Paperpal

One of the most important skills you can imbibe as an academician is to know how to summarize a research paper. During your academic journey, you may need to write a summary of findings in research quite often and for varied reasons – be it to write an introduction for a peer-reviewed publication , to submit a critical review, or to simply create a useful database for future referencing.

It can be quite challenging to effectively write a research paper summary for often complex work, which is where a pre-determined workflow can help you optimize the process. Investing time in developing this skill can also help you improve your scientific acumen, increasing your efficiency and productivity at work. This article illustrates some useful advice on how to write a research summary effectively. But, what is research summary in the first place?  

A research paper summary is a crisp, comprehensive overview of a research paper, which encapsulates the purpose, findings, methods, conclusions, and relevance of a study. A well-written research paper summary is an indicator of how well you have understood the author’s work. 

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  • 2. Invest enough time to understand the topic deeply 

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  • Mistakes to avoid while writing your research paper summary 

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Frequently asked questions (faq), how to write a research paper summary.

Writing a good research paper summary comes with practice and skill. Here is some useful advice on how to write a research paper summary effectively.  

1. Determine the focus of your summary

Before you begin to write a summary of research papers, determine the aim of your research paper summary. This will give you more clarity on how to summarize a research paper, including what to highlight and where to find the information you need, which accelerates the entire process. If you are aiming for the summary to be a supporting document or a proof of principle for your current research findings, then you can look for elements that are relevant to your work.

On the other hand, if your research summary is intended to be a critical review of the research article, you may need to use a completely different lens while reading the paper and conduct your own research regarding the accuracy of the data presented. Then again, if the research summary is intended to be a source of information for future referencing, you will likely have a different approach. This makes determining the focus of your summary a key step in the process of writing an effective research paper summary. 

2. Invest enough time to understand the topic deeply

In order to author an effective research paper summary, you need to dive into the topic of the research article. Begin by doing a quick scan for relevant information under each section of the paper. The abstract is a great starting point as it helps you to quickly identify the top highlights of the research article, speeding up the process of understanding the key findings in the paper. Be sure to do a careful read of the research paper, preparing notes that describe each section in your own words to put together a summary of research example or a first draft. This will save your time and energy in revisiting the paper to confirm relevant details and ease the entire process of writing a research paper summary.

When reading papers, be sure to acknowledge and ignore any pre-conceived notions that you might have regarding the research topic. This will not only help you understand the topic better but will also help you develop a more balanced perspective, ensuring that your research paper summary is devoid of any personal opinions or biases. 

3. Keep the summary crisp, brief and engaging

A research paper summary is usually intended to highlight and explain the key points of any study, saving the time required to read through the entire article. Thus, your primary goal while compiling the summary should be to keep it as brief, crisp and readable as possible. Usually, a short introduction followed by 1-2 paragraphs is adequate for an effective research article summary. Avoid going into too much technical detail while describing the main results and conclusions of the study. Rather focus on connecting the main findings of the study to the hypothesis , which can make the summary more engaging. For example, instead of simply reporting an original finding – “the graph showed a decrease in the mortality rates…”, you can say, “there was a decline in the number of deaths, as predicted by the authors while beginning the study…” or “there was a decline in the number of deaths, which came as a surprise to the authors as this was completely unexpected…”.

Unless you are writing a critical review of the research article, the language used in your research paper summaries should revolve around reporting the findings, not assessing them. On the other hand, if you intend to submit your summary as a critical review, make sure to provide sufficient external evidence to support your final analysis. Invest sufficient time in editing and proofreading your research paper summary thoroughly to ensure you’ve captured the findings accurately. You can also get an external opinion on the preliminary draft of the research paper summary from colleagues or peers who have not worked on the research topic. 

Mistakes to avoid while writing your research paper summary

Now that you’ve understood how to summarize a research paper, watch out for these red flags while writing your summary. 

  • Not paying attention to the word limit and recommended format, especially while submitting a critical review 
  • Evaluating the findings instead of maintaining an objective , unbiased view while reading the research paper 
  • Skipping the essential editing step , which can help eliminate avoidable errors and ensure that the language does not misrepresent the findings 
  • Plagiarism, it is critical to write in your own words or paraphrase appropriately when reporting the findings in your scientific article summary 

We hope the recommendations listed above will help answer the question of how to summarize a research paper and enable you to tackle the process effectively. 

Summarize your research paper with Paperpal

Paperpal, an AI academic writing assistant, is designed to support academics at every step of the academic writing process. Built on over two decades of experience helping researchers get published and trained on millions of published research articles, Paperpal offers human precision at machine speed. Paperpal Copilot, with advanced generative AI features, can help academics achieve 2x the writing in half the time, while transforming how they research and write.

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How to summarize a research paper with Paperpal?

To generate your research paper summary, simply login to the platform and use the Paperpal Copilot Summary feature to create a flawless summary of your work. Here’s a step-by-step process to help you craft a summary in minutes:

  • Paste relevant research articles to be summarized into Paperpal; the AI will scan each section and extract key information.
  • In minutes, Paperpal will generate a comprehensive summary that showcases the main paper highlights while adhering to academic writing conventions.
  • Check the content to polish and refine the language, ensure your own voice, and add citations or references as needed.

The abstract and research paper summary serve similar purposes but differ in scope, length, and placement. The abstract is a concise yet detailed overview of the research, placed at the beginning of a paper, with the aim of providing readers with a quick understanding of the paper’s content and to help them decide whether to read the full article. Usually limited to a few hundred words, it highlights the main objectives, methods, results, and conclusions of the study. On the other hand, a research paper summary provides a crisp account of the entire research paper. Its purpose is to provide a brief recap for readers who may want to quickly grasp the main points of the research without reading the entire paper in detail.

The structure of a research summary can vary depending on the specific requirements or guidelines provided by the target publication or institution. A typical research summary includes the following key sections: introduction (including the research question or objective), methodology (briefly describing the research design and methods), results (summarizing the key findings), discussion (highlighting the implications and significance of the findings), and conclusion (providing a summary of the main points and potential future directions).

The summary of a research paper is important because it provides a condensed overview of the study’s purpose, methods, results, and conclusions. It allows you to quickly grasp the main points and relevance of the research without having to read the entire paper. Research summaries can also be an invaluable way to communicate research findings to a broader audience, such as policymakers or the general public.

  When writing a research paper summary, it is crucial to avoid plagiarism by properly attributing the original authors’ work. To learn how to summarize a research paper while avoiding plagiarism, follow these critical guidelines: (1) Read the paper thoroughly to understand the main points and key findings. (2) Use your own words and sentence structures to restate the information, ensuring that the research paper summary reflects your understanding of the paper. (3) Clearly indicate when you are paraphrasing or quoting directly from the original paper by using appropriate citation styles. (4) Cite the original source for any specific ideas, concepts, or data that you include in your summary. (5) Review your summary to ensure it accurately represents the research paper while giving credit to the original authors.

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Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

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When writing a summary, the goal is to compose a concise and objective overview of the original article. The summary should focus only on the article's main ideas and important details that support those ideas.

Guidelines for summarizing an article:

  • State the main ideas.
  • Identify the most important details that support the main ideas.
  • Summarize in your own words.
  • Do not copy phrases or sentences unless they are being used as direct quotations.
  • Express the underlying meaning of the article, but do not critique or analyze.
  • The summary should be about one third the length of the original article. 

Your summary should include:

  • Give an overview of the article, including the title and the name of the author.
  • Provide a thesis statement that states the main idea of the article.
  • Use the body paragraphs to explain the supporting ideas of your thesis statement.
  • One-paragraph summary - one sentence per supporting detail, providing 1-2 examples for each.
  • Multi-paragraph summary - one paragraph per supporting detail, providing 2-3 examples for each.
  • Start each paragraph with a topic sentence.
  • Use transitional words and phrases to connect ideas.
  • Summarize your thesis statement and the underlying meaning of the article.

 Adapted from "Guidelines for Using In-Text Citations in a Summary (or Research Paper)" by Christine Bauer-Ramazani, 2020

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Writing a Summary  (from The University of Arizona Global Campus Writing Center)

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A Complete Guide to Writing a Research Summary

A summary is a key part of any research. So, how should you go about writing one?

You will find many guides on the Internet about writing research. But, any article seldom covers the prospect of writing a research summary. While many things are shortened versions of the original article, there’s much more to research summaries.

From descriptive statistics to writing scientific research, a summary plays a vital role in describing the key ideas within. So, it begs a few questions, such as:

  • What exactly is a research summary?
  • How do you write one?
  • What are some of the tips for writing a good research summary ?

In this guide, we’ll answer all of these questions and explore a few essential factors about research writing. So, let’s jump right into it.

What is a Research Summary?

A research summary is a short, concise summary of an academic research paper. It is often used to summarize the results of an experiment, summarize the major findings and conclusions, and provide a brief overview of the methods and procedures used in the study.

The purpose of a research summary is to provide readers with enough information about an article to decide whether they want to read it in its entirety. It should be no more than two paragraphs long and should include:

  • A brief introduction summarizing why the article was written
  • The main idea of the article
  • The major findings and conclusions
  • An overview of how the study was conducted

In order to write effective research summaries, it is important that you can capture the essential points of the research and provide a concise overview. The key step in writing a good summary is to read through the article and make notes of the key points.

This can be done by underlining or highlighting key phrases in the article. One essential thing is to organize these points into an outline format, which includes an introduction and conclusion paragraph.

Another best and quick way to generate a precise summary of your research paper is to take assistance from the online text summarizer, like Summarizer.org .

The online summarizing tool gets the research paper and creates a precise summary of it by taking the important points.

Finally, you must edit your work for grammar and spelling errors before submitting it for grading.

The purpose of the research summary is to provide a comprehensive sum of everything that’s in the research. This includes a summarization of scientific/literal research, as well as of the writer’s aim and personal thoughts.

As for the summary length, it shouldn’t be more than 10% of the entire content. So, if your research is around 1000-words or so, then your summary should be 100-words. But, considering how most research papers are around 3000-4000 words, it should be 300-400 words.

Key pillars of a Research Summary

The summary of any research doesn’t just include the summarized text of the entire research paper. It includes a few other key things, which we’ll explore later on in this article. But, the purpose of a summary is to give proper insights to the reader, such as:

  • The writer’s intention
  • sources and bases of research
  • the purpose & result.

That’s why it’s important to understand that the summary should tell your reader all these elements. So, the fundamentals of any summary include:

  • Write a section and state the importance of the research paper from your perspective. In this section, you will have to describe the techniques, tools, and sources you employed to get the conclusion.
  • Besides that, it’s also meant to provide a brief and descriptive explanation of the actionable aspect of your research. In other words, how it can be implemented in real life.
  • Treat your research summary like a smaller article or blog. So, each important section of your research should be written within a subheading. However, this is highly optional to keep things organized.
  • As mentioned before, the research summary shouldn’t exceed 300-400 words. But, some research summaries are known to surpass 10000-words. So, try to employ the 10% formula and write one-tenth of the entire length of your research paper.

These four main points allow you to understand how a research summary is different from the research itself. So, it’s like a documentary where research and other key factors are left to the science (research paper), while the narration explains the key points (research summary)

How do you write a Research Summary?

Writing a research summary is a straightforward affair. Yet, it requires some understanding, as it’s not a lengthy process but rather a tricky and technical one. In a research summary, a few boxes must be checked. To help you do just that, here are 6 things you should tend to separately:

A summary’s title can be the same as the title of your primary research. However, putting separate titles in both has a few benefits. Such as:

  • A separate title shifts attention towards the conclusion.
  • A different title can focus on the main point of your research.
  • Using two different titles can provide a better abstract.

Speaking of an abstract, a summary is the abstract of your research. Therefore, a title representing that very thought is going to do a lot of good too. That’s why it’s better if the title of your summary differs from the title of your research paper.

2. Abstract

The abstract is the summarization of scientific or research methods used in your primary paper. This allows the reader to understand the pillars of the study conducted. For instance, there has been an array of astrological research since James Webb Space Telescope started sending images and data.

So, many research papers explain this Telescope’s technological evolution in their abstracts. This allows the reader to differentiate from the astrological research made by previous space crafts, such as Hubble or Chandra .

The point of providing this abstract is to ensure that the reader grasps the standards or boundaries within which the research was held.

3. Introduction

This is the part where you introduce your topic. In your main research, you’d dive right into the technicalities in this part. However, you’ll try to keep things mild in a research summary. Simply because it needs to summarize the key points in your main introduction.

So, a lot of introductions you’ll find as an example will be extensive in length. But, a research summary needs to be as concise as possible. Usually, in this part, a writer includes the basics and standards of investigation.

For instance, if your research is about James Webb’s latest findings , then you’ll identify how the studies conducted by this Telescope’s infrared and other technology made this study possible. That’s when your introduction will hook the reader into the main premise of your research.

4. Methodology / Study

This section needs to describe the methodology used by you in your research. Or the methodology you relied on when conducting this particular research or study. This allows the reader to grasp the fundamentals of your research, and it’s extremely important.

Because if the reader doesn’t understand your methods, then they will have no response to your studies. How should you tend to this? Include things such as:

  • The surveys or reviews you used;
  • include the samplings and experiment types you researched;
  • provide a brief statistical analysis;
  • give a primary reason to pick these particular methods.

Once again, leave the scientific intricacies for your primary research. But, describe the key methods that you employed. So, when the reader is perusing your final research, they’ll have your methods and study techniques in mind.

5. Results / Discussion

This section of your research needs to describe the results that you’ve achieved. Granted, some researchers will rely on results achieved by others. So, this part needs to explain how that happened – but not in detail.

The other section in this part will be a discussion. This is your interpretation of the results you’ve found. Thus, in the context of the results’ application, this section needs to dive into the theoretical understanding of your research. What will this section entail exactly? Here’s what:

  • Things that you covered, including results;
  • inferences you provided, given the context of your research;
  • the theory archetype that you’ve tried to explain in the light of the methodology you employed;
  • essential points or any limitations of the research.

These factors will help the reader grasp the final idea of your research. But, it’s not full circle yet, as the pulp will still be left for the actual research.

6. Conclusion

The final section of your summary is the conclusion. The key thing about the conclusion in your research summary, compared to your actual research, is that they could be different. For instance, the actual conclusion in your research should bring around the study.

However, the research in this summary should bring your own ideas and affirmations to full circle. Thus, this conclusion could and should be different from the ending of your research.

5 Tips for writing a Research Summary

Writing a research summary is easy once you tend to the technicalities. But, there are some tips and tricks that could make it easier. Remember, a research summary is the sum of your entire research. So, it doesn’t need to be as technical or in-depth as your primary work.

Thus, to make it easier for you, here are four tips you can follow:

1. Read & read again

Reading your own work repeatedly has many benefits. First, it’ll help you understand any mistakes or problems your research might have. After that, you’ll find a few key points that stand out from the others – that’s what you need to use in your summary.

So, the best advice anyone can give you is to read your research again and again. This will etch the idea in your mind and allow you to summarize it better.

2. Focus on key essentials in each section

As we discussed earlier, each section of your research has a key part. To write a thoroughly encapsulating summary, you need to focus on and find each such element in your research.

Doing so will give you enough leverage to write a summary that thoroughly condenses your research idea and gives you enough to write a summary out of it.

3. Write the research using a summarizing tool

The best advice you can get is to write a summary using a tool. Condensing each section might be a troublesome experience for some – as it can be time-consuming.

To avoid all that, you can simply take help from an online summarizer. It gets the lengthy content and creates a precise summary of it by using advanced AI technology.

As you can see, the tool condenses this particular section perfectly while the details are light.

Bringing that down to 10% or 20% will help you write each section accordingly. Thus, saving precious time and effort.

4. Word count limit

As mentioned earlier, word count is something you need to follow thoroughly. So, if your section is around 200-word, then read it again. And describe it to yourself in 20-words or so. Doing this to every section will help you write exactly a 10% summary of your research.

5. Get a second opinion

If you’re unsure about quality or quantity, get a second opinion. At times, ideas are in our minds, but we cannot find words to explain them. In research or any sort of creative process, getting a second opinion can save a lot of trouble.

There’s your guide to writing a research summary, folks. While it’s not different from condensing the entire premise of your research, writing it in simpler words will do wonders. So, try to follow the tips, tools, and ideas provided in this article, and write outstanding summaries for your research.

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Strong research questions

Part 2: Chapter 4

Questions to consider

A. What role does questioning play in advancing knowledge?

B. How can well-formulated questions support the development of a thesis ?

C. What are the qualities of a strong research question?

People look for information to answer implied or explicit questions every day. A research question prompts the questioner to do more than find an answer. Consider the differences between the standard  and research questions below.

Standard Question: When and where is that movie showing on Friday? Research Question: How do “sleeper” films end up having outstanding attendance figures? Standard Question: How many children in the U.S. have allergies? Research Question: How does his or her country of birth affect a child’s chances of developing asthma? Standard Question: What year was metformin approved by the U.S. Food and Drug administration? Research Question: Why are nanomedicines, such as doxorubicin, worth developing? Standard Question: Can citizens register to vote at the public library? Research Question: How do public libraries in the United States support democracy? Standard Question: What is the Whorfian Hypothesis? Research Question: Why are linguists interested in the Whorfian hypothesis?

Language in Action

A. Explore “motivation” in a series of standard questions.

B. Extend the questions about “motivation” to those of a research nature.

C. What factors can be added to develop compelling and meaningful research on “motivation”?

The influences of research questions Producing a research question prompts writers to

• define the scope of their interest; • evaluate the feasibility of the inquiry; • determine what sources will be of value; and • establish potential conclusions.

For academic purposes, research questions can be developed for both large and small assignments. A smaller assignment may be research for a class discussion or a blog post; larger assignments may involve conducting research and then delivering it in a lab report, poster, term paper, or article. For large projects, the research question (or questions) will define or at least heavily influence

• the topic, in that research questions effectively narrow the subject; • any hypotheses under consideration; • which information sources are relevant; and • resulting claims or conclusions.

research summary questions

Influence on thesis Within an essay, poster, or term paper, the thesis is the researcher’s response to the research question(s). Developing research questions is effectively specifying that thesis. While perhaps many research questions emerge from the original topic, the primary question addresses those the thesis will answer. For example, a topic that starts out as “desert symbiosis” could eventually lead to “How does the diversity of bacteria in the gut of the Sonoran Desert termite contribute to the termite’s survival?” In turn, the researcher’s thesis will answer that particular research question instead of the numerous other questions that could have come from the desert symbiosis topic. Developing research questions is part of the process establishing clear parameters.

Influence on hypothesis A study that predicts how variables are related will have at least one hypothesis . The research questions will contain the variables that later appear in the hypothesis(es). Despite the strength of their influence on the overall project, research questions do not always appear in the final products (papers or articles) of the research.

Influence on resources The research questions help divide all information sources into two groups: those that are relevant and those that are not.

Influence on research methods Research questions are vital in determining appropriate field research. For instance, when the research question relates to describing the preferences of a group, survey methods may work well. In contrast, research questions that examine a laboratory practice will guide the development of a research method.

Influence on claims or conclusions The research questions reflect whether the investigation is intended to describe a group or situation, to explain or predict outcomes, or to demonstrate cause-and-effect relationship(s) among variables. Those intentions and how comprehensive the inquiry is will determine what claims or conclusions can be made. [1]

Exercise #1

The question frames below provide a context through which to explore possible topics.  Some are more appropriate for initial rather than in-depth exploration. Choose a few that work in your field; modify and complete them to suit your topic. [2]

  • What does ___ mean? (definition)
  • What are the various features of ___? (description)
  • What are the component parts of ___? (simple analysis)
  • How is ___ made or done? (process analysis)
  • How should ___ be made or done? (directional analysis)
  • What is the essential function of ___? (functional analysis)
  • What are the causes of ___? (causal analysis)
  • What are the consequences of ___? (causal analysis)
  • What are the types of ___? (classification)
  • How is ___ like or unlike ___? (comparison)
  • What is the present status of ___? (comparison)
  • What is the significance of ___? (interpretation)
  • What are the facts about ___? (reportage)
  • How did ___ happen? (narration)
  • What kind of person is ___? (characterization/profile)
  • What is the value of ___? (evaluation)
  • What are the essential major points or features of ___? (summary)
  • What case can be made for or against ___? (persuasion)
  • What is the relationship between_____ and the outcome of ____? (explorative)

Review and Reinforce

Research questions typically appear in standard question format and express a relationship between two or more variables; for example, how is A related to B? Research questions also imply possibilities for empirical testing; metaphysical questions are not measurable, and a variable that cannot be clearly defined cannot be tested.

Exercise #2

Identify the variables in these questions.

How does motivation affect participation in graduate level classes?

How does social isolation affect the academic performance of international graduate students?

What common demotivating factors influence the academic performance of international graduate students and how can they be mitigated?

Media Attributions

  • indonesiacovid © USAID_IMAGES is licensed under a CC BY-NC (Attribution NonCommercial) license
  • Adapted from Teaching & Learning, (2018). Choosing & using sources: a guide to academic research. The Ohio State University. https://ohiostate.pressbooks.pub/choosingsources/ ↵
  • Adapted from Frederiksen, L., & Phelps, S. F. (2017). Literature Reviews for Education and Nursing Graduate Students. Open Textbook Library ↵

a unique, new concept, generally presented with persuasive evidence

a prediction established for testing or exploration

in research writing, supportive information deployed as evidence or extension

Sourcing, summarizing, and synthesizing:  Skills for effective research writing  Copyright © 2023 by Wendy L. McBride is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to Write a Research Summary | A Winning Guide for Students

How to Write a Research Summary: Comprehensive Student Guide

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With a Juris Bachelor's degree and a decade of legal practice, Darious Davson excels in creating compelling and authoritative academic papers in Law and Ethics. His work is a testament to his profound knowledge of the legal system and commitment to upholding ethical writing practices. So, this experienced paper writer is your top-tier pick!

A research summary is a short version of a long research paper. It stresses the important points of the original work and introduces the reader to the main results of the work. Hence, the reader can quickly grasp the main idea and conclusion without reading the document. We created this guide to simplify writing a well-researched summary. So, let us explain things simply and clearly.

What is a Research Summary, and Why Is It Important?

Let's start with some basic terminology. A research summary is the short form of the research paper that covers the major aspects of a major research project. It covers the research's main ideas, techniques, findings, and conclusions. The summary is central in that it enables other people to effortlessly understand the essentials of your writing in a short time.

So, what is a research summary? Now you know the answer. Abstracts can help decide whether the full research paper is relevant to their needs. Furthermore, these social channels are frequently used to share the research findings with a general audience who may not have time or need to read the full paper.

When to Write a Summary?

Your research summary should be written after you have completed your research. This is critical because you must be able to present your research findings concisely without leaving anything out. Summaries can be needed when academic materials are being assessed, like in college assignments or science periodicals.

They are effective when submitting research grants or presenting your work at conferences. By summarising your research clearly and concisely, you enable your audience to grasp the information more easily and quickly. This way, your readers will be able to perceive the value of your work and engage with it on a deeper level. As you can see, writing a research paper summary is not rocket science.

Formatting Guidelines for Research Paper Summaries

Properly formatting your research summary is a key point of readability and professionalism. It guarantees that the flow of your summary is kept to the standard of academic writing. Just stick to these rules:

  • Use a clear, readable font like Times New Roman or Arial, size 12.
  • Set margins to 1 inch on all sides.
  • Keep the summary to one page, or about 250-300 words.
  • Use double spacing to enhance readability.
  • Align your text to the left; this makes it easier to read.
  • Include a concise title at the top of your summary.

These guidelines help you build a good summary and help your audience understand your writing. A well-formatted summary allows readers to concentrate on the content, not the arrangement, making your research more effective. So, always try to learn how to summarize a research paper correctly.

Types of Research Paper Summaries

Type Purpose Detail Level Length Typical Use Case
Abstract Provides a concise overview of the entire paper. Great detail in a brief format Usually 150-300 words Academic journals, conferences
Executive Summary Detailed summary focusing on findings and implications. Very detailed Often 1-2 pages Business reports, policy papers
Synopsis Highlights the main points of the paper. Low detail Short, under 100 words Conferences, seminars
Literature Review Summarizes existing research on a topic. Variable detail Variable, often lengthy Used within academic papers
Research Proposal Summary Outlines intended research for approval or funding. Detailed Usually 1-2 pages Grant applications, research proposals

How to Write a Research Summary – Typical Steps

A research summary comprises several steps to produce an understandable and concise article. The summary systematically breaks down the research into bite-size pieces that allow the audience to grasp the study's core aspects. This helps preserve the authenticity and nature of the original research work in a way that is easy to understand.

Read the Text

Reading a research paper before you can start the summary is very important. Begin by reading the whole document thoroughly to get an understanding of the main issues and the objectives of the document. Look for the introductory and concluding paragraphs, which usually contain the major ideas and conclusions. Following this first reading, try to read through the text two or three more times to take a closer look at the research methods, data analysis, and some of the specific findings.

Here is how to write a research summary. Remembering the authors' key phrases and technical words is crucial – these words are like the foundation for understanding the research context accurately. So, master research paper summary writing every day!

Break the Text Down Into Sections

So, the next step is to split it into the logical parts of the paper. This part of the thesis is built around the main issues of the research: the research problem, the methodology, the findings, and the conclusions. This section should be assessed individually and about the overall research to determine the significance of each part.

Spend some time looking for the main idea in each part and trying to understand how they all come together to tell the research story. This process enables readers to comprehend the text better and organize the research summary meaningfully. Segmenting the text so that all key information is present in the summary and that the summarized work accurately represents the research makes this goal possible. Are you not ready to write on your own? Just say, “Write my essay for me!” We are always ready to assist!

Identify the Key Points in Each Section

The key points in each section are identified to create a powerful summary. This is the process of isolating the key details of utmost significance to the findings and the research objectives. So, stick to this research paper summary structure guide:

Introduction Note the research question or thesis statement.
Methodology Summarize the research design, participants, and procedures used.
Results Highlight significant data points and findings.
Discussion Capture the interpretations and implications of the results.
Conclusion Identify the final summarization and recommendations made by the researchers.

By identifying these main ideas, you can be certain that the summary covers the essence of the research, presenting a clear and concise version of the original paper. Now, you know how to write a research summary.

Write the Summary

The research summary is written to combine the main points you selected into a single but comprehensive paragraph. First, the main subject of the research will be set down, as well as its goals. A brief outline of the methodology will follow this to provide an overview of the study results. Last, the crucial results are indicated; only those data directly related to the research purpose.

Discuss the results of this study, and write the final remarks and the summary of the original paper. It is important to stay objective and avoid giving personal views or understanding. So, summarizing a research paper effectively is not that difficult.

Check the Summary Against the Article

Now that you have your summary, you must see if it matches the original article. This comparison makes sure that the summary is in line with the research and that any significant information is not left out or interpretation is not misplaced. Check if the summary keeps the original focus, especially concerning the research aims and outcomes. Here is how to write a research summary correctly.

Writing an effective research paper summary is paramount. Ensure there are no technical term errors and avoid personal interpretations or unnecessary details. This verification might involve reading more than once, concentrating on details such as precision, completeness, and readability. Besides, check out our latest article on mastering the research paper format for students!

Crucial Writing Tips to Follow

To write a good research summary, you must grasp the research content and know the skills that make a summary useful and interesting. Following several writing guidelines will ensure that your conclusion is relevant and brief. As a result, your summary will serve its purpose as a valuable academic tool.

Understand the Assignment

Summarizing research findings is crucial. Before submitting your summary, you should grasp all the assignment requirements. The purpose and the specific requirements are the first steps to figuring out your writing focus and approach. Here is what you should understand:

  • Length: Check the required length to ensure your summary meets the guidelines.
  • Format: Understand the formatting requirements, including font type, size, and margin specifications.
  • Deadline: Know your deadline to manage your time effectively.

Knowledge of these elements helps you firmly establish the basis of your writing. It is a very helpful tool because it structures your work according to the needs of your assignment and ensures that the content of your summary is to the point and at the expected level. Here is how to write a research summary properly.

Identify Key Points

It is important to say that identifying the key points in the research may be the most vital part of writing a research summary. First, scrutinize the original article thoroughly, highlighting the central ideas and major findings. Be meticulous while working on the thesis statement because it is a core part of the paper and represents the essay's main idea. It is also essential to comprehend the methodology since the results are interpreted within the context of the methodology.

Use different research paper summary techniques. While emphasizing the data that directly reinforces the research findings, do not forget to include the results irrelevant to the main conclusion. Ensure you mention the talks about the effects and limitations of the obtained results. A powerful summary focuses on these important aspects.

Paraphrase Succinctly

The skill of paraphrasing is crucial for a research paper. According to the University of Connecticut, this process involves reformulating the original text to create a summary with the same meaning as the original but only in clear and short words. When paraphrasing, try to avoid using too many difficult words and expressions, but at the same time, do not let the main terms of the text and the results escape your attention.

Here is how to write a summary. Use synonyms and reword sentences to produce a text that is not a copy of the original. This prevents plagiarism and makes the content friendly and understandable to audiences of diverse backgrounds.

Focus on Structure

Do you need more research paper summary guidelines? Ok! The structure of a research summarization should allow the reader to read through it effortlessly and easily understand its contents. Begin by presenting an introduction that provides context by mentioning the research subject, purpose, and significance. Besides, you can always start with a proper research summary example. Every part should be presented one after the other, and the story should continue to the end using transitions that will aid the reader in following the summary easily.

Highlight the Significance and Implications

Here is what you should learn before checking research paper summary examples. Research summaries must always be written to highlight the importance of research and its wider implications. This emphasis facilitates readers to perceive how the study is important and related to the field. So, here is what you should do:

  • Describe how the findings contribute to existing knowledge.
  • Suggest how the results can be applied in real-world settings.
  • Indicate potential directions for further investigation.
  • Discuss how the study advances theoretical frameworks or concepts.

And stick to the research paper summary format. This will ensure that your summary reflects the research's outcomes and gives them a central role. It will also help strengthen your summary and make it more interesting and informative, directly linking the study to the wider field context.

Review and Revise

Last but not least, in writing a research summary is the revision and review of the document. This is a crucial step in summarizing, as it helps avoid inaccuracies, ambiguities, and lengthy sentences. First, read your abstract carefully to determine whether it reflects the original research without too much detail. Proofread for all the grammatical issues or phrases that can be misleading to the reader.

Besides, know all the tips for writing a research paper summary. Complying with the correct use of technical terms and formatting guidelines, if any, is essential. Ask a friend or a mentor to edit your summary; a new set of eyes can bring a new perspective and reveal things you would not have noticed.

Writing a Standout Summary: Things to Avoid

While writing a research summary, it's important to watch out for common pitfalls that can erode its quality and effectiveness. These errors will make your summary clearer and have the desired impact. Therefore, paying attention to them will help you summarize the research work precisely and accurately.

Plagiarism is a vital matter to consider when preparing any academic writing, particularly research summaries. It is the act of copying or taking someone else's ideas and expressions and presenting them as one's work without permission or acknowledgement. To avoid plagiarism, ensure that you paraphrase the original text by expressing the ideas in your own words and that the original sentence is unchanged.

So, find a good research summary example. Correct citation of the direct quotations and key concepts borrowed from the source material is also crucial. Utilizing plagiarism detection software may provide a means to verify that your work is plagiarism-free. Knowing and respecting intellectual property rights can safeguard academic integrity and stimulate in-depth knowledge and the true presentation of results.

Excessive Detail

The most common error while writing a summary is including too many details. In this case, a summary will be the most important part of the research, where the researcher only has to pay attention to the objectives, methodology, key outcomes, and conclusions. Avoid the temptation to wade into the pool of minor details and complex data that do not contribute to an overall understanding of the research's main outcomes.

Rather than mixing the two, it is appropriate to find a balance between economy and fullness by considering the details essential for the reader to grasp the significance and impact of the research. Maintaining the brevity and focus of the summary makes it easier to read. It ensures that it is useful to the audience, who may not need or want a superficial amount of detail. Here is how to write a good summary!

Biased Interpretation

Interpretation may be biased, and this can distort factual comprehension. It is seen as a situation when personal opinion or judgment interferes with the presentation of research results. Here is what you need to do:

  • Avoid Personal Opinions: Keep interpretations neutral and based on the data.
  • Stick to the Facts: Refer directly to the research for support.
  • Use Neutral Language: Avoid emotionally charged or suggestive language.

It is essential to be as objective as possible, concentrating only on what the research data and results demonstrate. This method certifies the accuracy of the summary, which reflects the research without being distorted by personal views or external influences. Just stick to the research summary format.

Misrepresentation of Results

Incorrect misinformation in a research summary can grossly skew the perception of the research and its validity. This mistake could be made if the summary is skewed, important data is omitted, or the results are out of context. So, it is mandatory always to portray the research findings accurately and completely. Ensure that the data mentioned in the summary is the same as the data and conclusions of the research article.

Here is how to write a good summary. We should not jump to conclusions unsupported by the original research or leave out the negative results that are important in inferring the whole study's outcome. Accuracy and fidelity in data reproduction make the summary a trustworthy and credible source for academic and professional settings, thus ensuring the research is an authentic and ethical representation.

Incomplete Coverage

Now, you know how to write a summary. An incomplete summary is worthless because it fails to present all the information crucial to learning about the research. This problem can originate from the lack of detail regarding the important results, the failure to describe the research context, or the omission of the implications and limitations of the study. Besides, find a good research summary template for practicing.

The utmost attention should be paid to systematically presenting all research components, including hypothesis, methodology, results, and conclusions. Also, emphasize any limitations or boundaries of the research that make your topic area more effective. In addition to the above, this detail-oriented approach goes beyond the mere credibility of the summary.

What is the purpose of a research paper summary?

You must concisely overview a research study's main ideas, findings, and implications.

How long should a research paper summary be?

It should be about one page long, between 250 and 300 words. However, ask your professor first.

What are the key differences between summarizing and paraphrasing?

Summarizing involves condensing a large amount of information into a brief overview. Paraphrasing is rewording a specific text or idea without significantly shortening it.

How can I ensure objectivity and conciseness in a research paper summary?

You should stick to the facts, use neutral language, and highlight essential points of your research.

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  • Writing Strong Research Questions | Criteria & Examples

Writing Strong Research Questions | Criteria & Examples

Published on October 26, 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on November 21, 2023.

A research question pinpoints exactly what you want to find out in your work. A good research question is essential to guide your research paper , dissertation , or thesis .

All research questions should be:

  • Focused on a single problem or issue
  • Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources
  • Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints
  • Specific enough to answer thoroughly
  • Complex enough to develop the answer over the space of a paper or thesis
  • Relevant to your field of study and/or society more broadly

Writing Strong Research Questions

Table of contents

How to write a research question, what makes a strong research question, using sub-questions to strengthen your main research question, research questions quiz, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about research questions.

You can follow these steps to develop a strong research question:

  • Choose your topic
  • Do some preliminary reading about the current state of the field
  • Narrow your focus to a specific niche
  • Identify the research problem that you will address

The way you frame your question depends on what your research aims to achieve. The table below shows some examples of how you might formulate questions for different purposes.

Research question formulations
Describing and exploring
Explaining and testing
Evaluating and acting is X

Using your research problem to develop your research question

Example research problem Example research question(s)
Teachers at the school do not have the skills to recognize or properly guide gifted children in the classroom. What practical techniques can teachers use to better identify and guide gifted children?
Young people increasingly engage in the “gig economy,” rather than traditional full-time employment. However, it is unclear why they choose to do so. What are the main factors influencing young people’s decisions to engage in the gig economy?

Note that while most research questions can be answered with various types of research , the way you frame your question should help determine your choices.

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research summary questions

Research questions anchor your whole project, so it’s important to spend some time refining them. The criteria below can help you evaluate the strength of your research question.

Focused and researchable

Criteria Explanation
Focused on a single topic Your central research question should work together with your research problem to keep your work focused. If you have multiple questions, they should all clearly tie back to your central aim.
Answerable using Your question must be answerable using and/or , or by reading scholarly sources on the to develop your argument. If such data is impossible to access, you likely need to rethink your question.
Not based on value judgements Avoid subjective words like , , and . These do not give clear criteria for answering the question.

Feasible and specific

Criteria Explanation
Answerable within practical constraints Make sure you have enough time and resources to do all research required to answer your question. If it seems you will not be able to gain access to the data you need, consider narrowing down your question to be more specific.
Uses specific, well-defined concepts All the terms you use in the research question should have clear meanings. Avoid vague language, jargon, and too-broad ideas.

Does not demand a conclusive solution, policy, or course of action Research is about informing, not instructing. Even if your project is focused on a practical problem, it should aim to improve understanding rather than demand a ready-made solution.

If ready-made solutions are necessary, consider conducting instead. Action research is a research method that aims to simultaneously investigate an issue as it is solved. In other words, as its name suggests, action research conducts research and takes action at the same time.

Complex and arguable

Criteria Explanation
Cannot be answered with or Closed-ended, / questions are too simple to work as good research questions—they don’t provide enough for robust investigation and discussion.

Cannot be answered with easily-found facts If you can answer the question through a single Google search, book, or article, it is probably not complex enough. A good research question requires original data, synthesis of multiple sources, and original interpretation and argumentation prior to providing an answer.

Relevant and original

Criteria Explanation
Addresses a relevant problem Your research question should be developed based on initial reading around your . It should focus on addressing a problem or gap in the existing knowledge in your field or discipline.
Contributes to a timely social or academic debate The question should aim to contribute to an existing and current debate in your field or in society at large. It should produce knowledge that future researchers or practitioners can later build on.
Has not already been answered You don’t have to ask something that nobody has ever thought of before, but your question should have some aspect of originality. For example, you can focus on a specific location, or explore a new angle.

Chances are that your main research question likely can’t be answered all at once. That’s why sub-questions are important: they allow you to answer your main question in a step-by-step manner.

Good sub-questions should be:

  • Less complex than the main question
  • Focused only on 1 type of research
  • Presented in a logical order

Here are a few examples of descriptive and framing questions:

  • Descriptive: According to current government arguments, how should a European bank tax be implemented?
  • Descriptive: Which countries have a bank tax/levy on financial transactions?
  • Framing: How should a bank tax/levy on financial transactions look at a European level?

Keep in mind that sub-questions are by no means mandatory. They should only be asked if you need the findings to answer your main question. If your main question is simple enough to stand on its own, it’s okay to skip the sub-question part. As a rule of thumb, the more complex your subject, the more sub-questions you’ll need.

Try to limit yourself to 4 or 5 sub-questions, maximum. If you feel you need more than this, it may be indication that your main research question is not sufficiently specific. In this case, it’s is better to revisit your problem statement and try to tighten your main question up.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

Methodology

  • Sampling methods
  • Simple random sampling
  • Stratified sampling
  • Cluster sampling
  • Likert scales
  • Reproducibility

 Statistics

  • Null hypothesis
  • Statistical power
  • Probability distribution
  • Effect size
  • Poisson distribution

Research bias

  • Optimism bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Implicit bias
  • Hawthorne effect
  • Anchoring bias
  • Explicit bias

The way you present your research problem in your introduction varies depending on the nature of your research paper . A research paper that presents a sustained argument will usually encapsulate this argument in a thesis statement .

A research paper designed to present the results of empirical research tends to present a research question that it seeks to answer. It may also include a hypothesis —a prediction that will be confirmed or disproved by your research.

As you cannot possibly read every source related to your topic, it’s important to evaluate sources to assess their relevance. Use preliminary evaluation to determine whether a source is worth examining in more depth.

This involves:

  • Reading abstracts , prefaces, introductions , and conclusions
  • Looking at the table of contents to determine the scope of the work
  • Consulting the index for key terms or the names of important scholars

A research hypothesis is your proposed answer to your research question. The research hypothesis usually includes an explanation (“ x affects y because …”).

A statistical hypothesis, on the other hand, is a mathematical statement about a population parameter. Statistical hypotheses always come in pairs: the null and alternative hypotheses . In a well-designed study , the statistical hypotheses correspond logically to the research hypothesis.

Writing Strong Research Questions

Formulating a main research question can be a difficult task. Overall, your question should contribute to solving the problem that you have defined in your problem statement .

However, it should also fulfill criteria in three main areas:

  • Researchability
  • Feasibility and specificity
  • Relevance and originality

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Examples

Research Summary

Ai generator.

research summary questions

A research paper analyzes a perspective or argues a point. It is an expanded essay based on your interpretation, evaluation or argument about a certain topic.

According to Sunny Empire State College , “When you write a research paper you build upon what you know about the subject and make a deliberate attempt to find out what experts know. A research paper involves surveying a field of knowledge in order to find the best possible information in that field.” Whatever type of research paper you choose to write, it should present your own ideas backed with others’ (especially experts on the field) information and data.

Every research paper has a research summary. A research summary is a brief overview of what the whole research is about. It is a professional piece of writing that describes your research to the readers. It concisely yet perfectly captures the essence of the research as a whole. You may also see What Should Be in an Executive Summary of a Report?

research summary questions

Fundamentals of a Research Summary

Having a good template for a research summary is nothing if you don’t know its importance and basic function. Before you start writing your research summary, you should first know its fundamentals on the areas you need to pay attention to such as its content, style and organization.

  • The content of your research summary must briefly discuss the techniques and tools used in the research and the importance of the research as a whole. Explain how the research can be of benefit for the people.
  • To organize your research summary, each topic must be discussed in separate paragraphs. How you came up with a factual research must be briefly explained in a separate paragraph.
  • If you have a lengthy research paper, try not to write not more than 10% of the entire paper. If it’s not as lengthy, you should not write more than 300 words in your summary.

However, rules may vary according to your research professor’s standards. This is just the basic fundamentals on how to write your research summary. Also see  Thesis Outline Examples

How to Write a Research Summary

It is apparent that a research summary is a condensed version of the main idea of your research paper. Because of this, it is advised that the summary of your paper is written after you are done with your entire research. This is to ensure that all the added information in your research can be written in your summary as well and all of those that removed can be edited out. Here are a few steps on how to write a research summary:

Read your paper

It should be a fact you should know beforehand; the importance of reading your entire research paper thoroughly to write an effective research summary. Along the way, take notes of the important details and key findings that you want to highlight in your paper. This will help you organize your summary better. Remember that your research summary is a mini-paper of your study and it should contain the main ideas of your entire research.

Write a draft

For your first draft, focus on the content rather than the length of your summary. Your draft is your first outline on what to include in the final summary. Writing a draft ensures you write a clear, thorough and coherent summary of your research paper. Also see  How to Write a Rough Outline

Identify main points

Within your research paper, you must identify the major points that will encourage prospective readers to go through your research paper. These major points must thoroughly and completely explain what the paper is trying to convey.

Separate sections

Identify the differences of the main section in your paper. Write a few sentences describing the main ideas of each section. In short, you should be able to present and thoroughly describe what each main section is focused on. It should have these basic sections:

  • Introduction, brief opening statement
  • Purpose of the study
  • Data gathering method
  • Summary of findings
  • Description of recommendations with actual justification.

Combine Information

All the information you have gathered must be then used to make your summary. Remember that your summary is just an overview of your research paper as a whole. It should be not be more than 10% of your whole paper. Also see  5 Summary Writing Examples and Samples

Making The First Draft

After establishing the basic way of writing a research summary, it is a must to write a first draft. It should follow the flow of the original paper. Here’s a few steps on how to make a first draft:

First, state the research question in the introduction of your summary. This holds the ground as to the summary’s direction. Provide an explanation why your research is interesting and how it can help your target recipients.

Second, state the hypothesis you wish to prove. This will help you and your readers stay grounded on the topic at hand.

Third, briefly discuss the methodology used in your research. Discuss and describe the procedure, materials, participants, design, etc. The analysis of your data must also be included. You may also see  How to Write a Successful Thesis Proposal

Fourth, describe the results and significance of your research. And lastly, briefly discuss the key implications of your research. The results and its interpretation should directly coincide with your hypothesis.

research summary questions

Editing your Research Summary

A research paper is a formal piece of writing. Your summary should be tailored to your expected readers. Say for example the prospective readers are your classmates, so the style of your paper should be clearly understood by them.

Eliminate wordiness. Avoid using unnecessary adjectives and adverbs. Write in a way it would be easier for your readers to understand. It is common for research papers to establish a word count. Avoid elongating your sentences when it has shorter versions.

Being vague in describing and explaining the points of your paper might lead to confusion in your readers part. Use specific, concrete language when presenting results. Use reliable and specific examples and references as well. You should also use scientifically accurate language to help support your claims. Avoid informal words and adjectives to describe the results of your research.

Paraphrase the information you want to include in your research paper. Direct quoting the information you have read from a different source is not oftenly used in formal writings. To give the exact credit for the information you paraphrased, follow the citation format required by your professor.

Reread your paper and let others read it as well. This way minor errors you were not able to notice can be quickly pointed out and corrected.

Research Summary Writing Tips

Your research summary should not be more than 10 pages long or not more than 10% of your original document. This keeps your research summary concise and compact. It should be short enough for your readers to read through but long enough for you to clearly explain your study.

Copy and paste

Avoid simply copy and pasting different parts of your paper into your summary. You should paraphrase parts that you want to include. As most research advisers read through all of your paper, it can easily be identified if you have copy-pasted parts from your research and might give you a bad grade.

Consider the readers

Although not a requirement from your professor, catering your summary to what the readers need is sometimes required. As some studies are given out to different influential people in the field, writing a summary that caters to the readers’ necessities might be required.

Research Article Summary Template

Research Article Summary Template

  • Google Docs

Size: 158 KB

Research Report Executive Summary Template

Research Report Executive Summary Template

Size: 120 KB

Research Summary Example

ExampleResearchSummary 1

Size: 130 KB

Research Summary Sample

Model of short paper summary 2

Size: 486 KB

Research Writing Summary Tips (continuation)

Clarity and organization.

One of the common mistakes in writing a research is publishing an unclear and unpolished summary. Bear in mind that your readers are likely reading about the topic of your research for the first time, avoid unclear and uncertain explanations and a disorganized summary.

Use strong and positive language

Use precise and strong words to help strengthen the foundation of your summary. Your summary should be able to stand alone despite it being a part of the research paper. Once you have convinced your readers with the recommendations regarding the topic of your paper, the readers should be able to find concrete evidence and explanations within your summary. Avoid pleas and biased statements in your summary, but make sure you are able to relay the sense of urgency for the recommendations you have given.

Divide into parts

To make things easier for you, divide your paper into different sections and headings, much like creating an outline. With this in mind, every point should be explained limited to its essence. In this way, you avoid writing too much information about your paper in your summary.

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Research Question Generator: Best Tool for Students

Stuck formulating a research question? Try the tool we’ve made! With our research question generator, you’ll get a list of ideas for an academic assignment of any level. All you need to do is add the keywords you’re interested in, push the button, and enjoy the result!

Now, here comes your inspiration 😃

Please try again with some different keywords.

Why Use Research Question Generator?

The choice of research topic is a vital step in the process of any academic task completion. Whether you’re working on a small essay or a large dissertation, your topic will make it fail or fly. The best way to cope with the naming task and proceed to the writing part is to use our free online tool for title generation. Its benefits are indisputable.

  • The tool generates research questions, not just topics
  • It makes questions focused on your field of interest
  • It’s free and quick in use

Research Question Generator: How to Use

Using our research question generator tool, you won’t need to crack your brains over this part of the writing assignment anymore. All you need to do is:

  • Insert your study topic of interest in the relevant tab
  • Choose a subject and click “Generate topics”
  • Grab one of the offered options on the list

The results will be preliminary; you should use them as an initial reference point and refine them further for a workable, correctly formulated research question.

Research Questions: Types & Examples

Depending on your type of study (quantitative vs. qualitative), you might need to formulate different research question types. For instance, a typical quantitative research project would need a quantitative research question, which can be created with the following formula:

Variable(s) + object that possesses that variable + socio-demographic characteristics

You can choose among three quantitative research question types: descriptive, comparative, and relationship-based. Let's consider each type in more detail to clarify the practical side of question formulation.

Descriptive

As its name suggests, a descriptive research question inquires about the number, frequency, or intensity of something and aims to describe a quantitative issue. Some examples include:

  • How often do people download personal finance apps in 2022?
  • How regularly do Americans go on holidays abroad?
  • How many subscriptions for paid learning resources do UK students make a year?

Comparative

Comparative research questions presuppose comparing and contrasting things within a research study. You should pick two or more objects, select a criterion for comparison, and discuss it in detail. Here are good examples:

  • What is the difference in calorie intake between Japanese and American preschoolers?
  • Does male and female social media use duration per day differ in the USA?
  • What are the attitudes of Baby Boomers versus Millennials to freelance work?

Relationship-based

Relationship-based research is a bit more complex, so you'll need extra work to formulate a good research question. Here, you should single out:

  • The independent variable
  • The dependent variable
  • The socio-demographics of your population of interest

Let’s illustrate how it works:

  • How does the socio-economic status affect schoolchildren’s dropout rates in the UK?
  • What is the relationship between screen time and obesity among American preschoolers?

Research Question Maker FAQ

In a nutshell, a research question is the one you set to answer by performing a specific academic study. Thus, for instance, if your research question is, “How did global warming affect bird migration in California?," you will study bird migration patterns concerning global warming dynamics.

You should think about the population affected by your topic, the specific aspect of your concern, and the timing/historical period you want to study. It’s also necessary to specify the location – a specific country, company, industry sector, the whole world, etc.

A great, effective research question should answer the "who, what, when, where" questions. In other words, you should define the subject of interest, the issue of your concern related to that subject, the timeframe, and the location of your study.

If you don’t know how to write a compelling research question, use our automated tool to complete the task in seconds. You only need to insert your subject of interest, and smart algorithms will do the rest, presenting a set of workable, interesting question suggestions.

Building, Architecture, Outdoors, City, Aerial View, Urban, Office Building, Cityscape

Bioinformatician

  • Madison, Wisconsin
  • SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AND PUBLIC HEALTH/HUMAN ONCOLOGY-GEN
  • Partially Remote
  • Staff-Full Time
  • Staff-Part Time
  • Opening at: Jul 2 2024 at 15:50 CDT
  • Closing at: Jul 16 2024 at 23:55 CDT

Job Summary:

The Zhao laboratory focuses on translating high-throughput molecular data into biological insights and clinical biomarkers for cancer. We primarily generate and analyze NGS data from cancer samples. You will be responsible for designing and executing complex integrated computational research projects. This will include creating and maintaining computational pipelines for a wide variety of NGS data, as well as downstream analysis. You will also work closely with lab members on a variety of exciting and high-impact projects and will have the freedom and autonomy to lead independent research projects. In addition, you will have the opportunity to work with and learn from a multi-disciplinary group of collaborators including clinicians, laboratory scientists, bio-informaticians, and bio-statisticians from around the country to grow your network and skillset. We look forward to working together with you to improve outcomes for patients with cancer.

Responsibilities:

  • 60% Collects and analyzes basic research data, conducts experiments and interviews, and documents results according to established policies and procedures
  • 15% Conducts literature reviews, prepares reports and materials, and disseminates information to appropriate entities and assists with publications
  • 5% Trains individuals and groups on equipment operations, research protocols, and techniques within a specialized laboratory or research area
  • 10% Assists with the development of research methodologies and procedures
  • 5% Identifies concerns and recommends solutions to leadership
  • 5% Assists in developing grant applications and proposals to secure research funding

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. For more information on diversity and inclusion on campus, please visit: Diversity and Inclusion

Required Bachelor's Degree in bioinformatics or related field. Preferred Master's Degree in bioinformatics or related field.

Qualifications:

Required Qualifications: - If Bachelors degree, at least 1 year bioinformatics work experience. - Experience in R, Python, and Linux command line. - Experience in processing Next-gen sequencing data. - Basic background in statistics (e.g. standard statistical tests, simple regression models). Preferred Qualifications: - Publications relevant to omics data analysis. - Experience with DNA sequencing processing pipelines & data analysis. - Experience with RNAseq processing pipelines & data analysis. - Experience with microarray processing pipelines & data analysis. - Experience with ChIP-seq processing pipelines & data analysis. - Experience with scRNAseq processing pipelines & data analysis. - Experience with spatial transcriptomics processing pipelines & data analysis. - Experience with methylation data analysis. - Experience with clinical data analysis. - Experience with public databases such as TCGA, CCLE, GDSC, Depmap, etc. - Experience with machine learning algorithms. Desired Attributes: - Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and in a team-oriented environment. - Evidence of strong organizational and professional writing skills. - Ability to prioritize multiple tasks and assignments. - Excellent written and oral communication and public presentation skills. - Attention to detail.

Full or Part Time: 80% - 100% This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Appointment Type, Duration:

Ongoing/Renewable

Minimum $55,000 ANNUAL (12 months) Depending on Qualifications Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. Benefits information can be found at ( https://hr.wisc.edu/benefits/ ). SMPH Academic Staff Benefits flyer: ( https://uwmadison.box.com/s/r50myohfvfd15bqltljn0g4laubuz7t0 ).

Additional Information:

The successful applicant will be responsible for ensuring eligibility for employment in the United States on or before the effective date of the appointment. University sponsorship is not available for this position.

How to Apply:

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply Now" button. You will be asked to upload a current resume/CV, a cover letter briefly describing your qualifications relevant to the position, and a document listing contact information for three (3) references, including your current/most recent supervisor. References will not be contacted without prior notice.

Kirsten Gragg [email protected] 608-265-3357 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.

Official Title:

Researcher I(RE040)

Department(s):

A53-MEDICAL SCHOOL/HUMAN ONCOLOGY/HUMAN ONCO

Employment Class:

Academic Staff-Renewable

Job Number:

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How To Write a Research Question

Deeptanshu D

Academic writing and research require a distinct focus and direction. A well-designed research question gives purpose and clarity to your research. In addition, it helps your readers understand the issue you are trying to address and explore.

Every time you want to know more about a subject, you will pose a question. The same idea is used in research as well. You must pose a question in order to effectively address a research problem. That's why the research question is an integral part of the research process. Additionally, it offers the author writing and reading guidelines, be it qualitative research or quantitative research.

In your research paper , you must single out just one issue or problem. The specific issue or claim you wish to address should be included in your thesis statement in order to clarify your main argument.

A good research question must have the following characteristics.

research summary questions

  • Should include only one problem in the research question
  • Should be able to find the answer using primary data and secondary data sources
  • Should be possible to resolve within the given time and other constraints
  • Detailed and in-depth results should be achievable
  • Should be relevant and realistic.
  • It should relate to your chosen area of research

While a larger project, like a thesis, might have several research questions to address, each one should be directed at your main area of study. Of course, you can use different research designs and research methods (qualitative research or quantitative research) to address various research questions. However, they must all be pertinent to the study's objectives.

What is a Research Question?

what-is-a-research-question

A research question is an inquiry that the research attempts to answer. It is the heart of the systematic investigation. Research questions are the most important step in any research project. In essence, it initiates the research project and establishes the pace for the specific research A research question is:

  • Clear : It provides enough detail that the audience understands its purpose without any additional explanation.
  • Focused : It is so specific that it can be addressed within the time constraints of the writing task.
  • Succinct: It is written in the shortest possible words.
  • Complex : It is not possible to answer it with a "yes" or "no", but requires analysis and synthesis of ideas before somebody can create a solution.
  • Argumental : Its potential answers are open for debate rather than accepted facts.

A good research question usually focuses on the research and determines the research design, methodology, and hypothesis. It guides all phases of inquiry, data collection, analysis, and reporting. You should gather valuable information by asking the right questions.

Why are Research Questions so important?

Regardless of whether it is a qualitative research or quantitative research project, research questions provide writers and their audience with a way to navigate the writing and research process. Writers can avoid "all-about" papers by asking straightforward and specific research questions that help them focus on their research and support a specific thesis.

Types of Research Questions

types-of-research-question

There are two types of research: Qualitative research and Quantitative research . There must be research questions for every type of research. Your research question will be based on the type of research you want to conduct and the type of data collection.

The first step in designing research involves identifying a gap and creating a focused research question.

Below is a list of common research questions that can be used in a dissertation. Keep in mind that these are merely illustrations of typical research questions used in dissertation projects. The real research questions themselves might be more difficult.

Research Question Type

Question

Descriptive 

What are the properties of A?

Comparative 

What are the similarities and distinctions between A and B?

Correlational

What can you do to correlate variables A and B?

Exploratory

What factors affect the rate of C's growth? Are A and B also influencing C?

Explanatory

What are the causes for C? What does A do to B? What's causing D?

Evaluation

What is the impact of C? What role does B have? What are the benefits and drawbacks of A?

Action-Based

What can you do to improve X?

Example Research Questions

examples-of-research-question

The following are a few examples of research questions and research problems to help you understand how research questions can be created for a particular research problem.

Problem

Question

Due to poor revenue collection, a small-sized company ('A') in the UK cannot allocate a marketing budget next year.

What practical steps can the company take to increase its revenue?

Many graduates are now working as freelancers even though they have degrees from well-respected academic institutions. But what's the reason these young people choose to work in this field?

Why do fresh graduates choose to work for themselves rather than full-time? What are the benefits and drawbacks of the gig economy? What do age, gender, and academic qualifications do with people's perceptions of freelancing?

Steps to Write Research Questions

steps-to-write-a-research-question

You can focus on the issue or research gaps you're attempting to solve by using the research questions as a direction.

If you're unsure how to go about writing a good research question, these are the steps to follow in the process:

  • Select an interesting topic Always choose a topic that interests you. Because if your curiosity isn’t aroused by a subject, you’ll have a hard time conducting research around it. Alos, it’s better that you pick something that’s neither too narrow or too broad.
  • Do preliminary research on the topic Search for relevant literature to gauge what problems have already been tackled by scholars. You can do that conveniently through repositories like Scispace , where you’ll find millions of papers in one place. Once you do find the papers you’re looking for, try our reading assistant, SciSpace Copilot to get simple explanations for the paper . You’ll be able to quickly understand the abstract, find the key takeaways, and the main arguments presented in the paper. This will give you a more contextual understanding of your subject and you’ll have an easier time identifying knowledge gaps in your discipline.

     Also: ChatPDF vs. SciSpace Copilot: Unveiling the best tool for your research

  • Consider your audience It is essential to understand your audience to develop focused research questions for essays or dissertations. When narrowing down your topic, you can identify aspects that might interest your audience.
  • Ask questions Asking questions will give you a deeper understanding of the topic. Evaluate your question through the What, Why, When, How, and other open-ended questions assessment.
  • Assess your question Once you have created a research question, assess its effectiveness to determine if it is useful for the purpose. Refine and revise the dissertation research question multiple times.

Additionally, use this list of questions as a guide when formulating your research question.

Are you able to answer a specific research question? After identifying a gap in research, it would be helpful to formulate the research question. And this will allow the research to solve a part of the problem. Is your research question clear and centered on the main topic? It is important that your research question should be specific and related to your central goal. Are you tackling a difficult research question? It is not possible to answer the research question with a simple yes or no. The problem requires in-depth analysis. It is often started with "How" and "Why."

Start your research Once you have completed your dissertation research questions, it is time to review the literature on similar topics to discover different perspectives.

Strong  Research Question Samples

Uncertain: How should social networking sites work on the hatred that flows through their platform?

Certain: What should social media sites like Twitter or Facebook do to address the harm they are causing?

This unclear question does not specify the social networking sites that are being used or what harm they might be causing. In addition, this question assumes that the "harm" has been proven and/or accepted. This version is more specific and identifies the sites (Twitter, Facebook), the type and extent of harm (privacy concerns), and who might be suffering from that harm (users). Effective research questions should not be ambiguous or interpreted.

Unfocused: What are the effects of global warming on the environment?

Focused: What are the most important effects of glacial melting in Antarctica on penguins' lives?

This broad research question cannot be addressed in a book, let alone a college-level paper. Focused research targets a specific effect of global heating (glacial  melting), an area (Antarctica), or a specific animal (penguins). The writer must also decide which effect will have the greatest impact on the animals affected. If in doubt, narrow down your research question to the most specific possible.

Too Simple: What are the U.S. doctors doing to treat diabetes?

Appropriately complex: Which factors, if any, are most likely to predict a person's risk of developing diabetes?

This simple version can be found online. It is easy to answer with a few facts. The second, more complicated version of this question is divided into two parts. It is thought-provoking and requires extensive investigation as well as evaluation by the author. So, ensure that a quick Google search should not answer your research question.

How to write a strong Research Question?

how-to-write-a-strong-research-question

The foundation of all research is the research question. You should therefore spend as much time as necessary to refine your research question based on various data.

You can conduct your research more efficiently and analyze your results better if you have great research questions for your dissertation, research paper , or essay .

The following criteria can help you evaluate the strength and importance of your research question and can be used to determine the strength of your research question:

  • Researchable
  • It should only cover one issue.
  • A subjective judgment should not be included in the question.
  • It can be answered with data analysis and research.
  • Specific and Practical
  • It should not contain a plan of action, policy, or solution.
  • It should be clearly defined
  • Within research limits
  • Complex and Arguable
  • It shouldn't be difficult to answer.
  • To find the truth, you need in-depth knowledge
  • Allows for discussion and deliberation
  • Original and Relevant
  • It should be in your area of study
  • Its results should be measurable
  • It should be original

Conclusion - How to write Research Questions?

Research questions provide a clear guideline for research. One research question may be part of a larger project, such as a dissertation. However, each question should only focus on one topic.

Research questions must be answerable, practical, specific, and applicable to your field. The research type that you use to base your research questions on will determine the research topic. You can start by selecting an interesting topic and doing preliminary research. Then, you can begin asking questions, evaluating your questions, and start your research.

Now it's easier than ever to streamline your research workflow with SciSpace ResearchGPT . Its integrated, comprehensive end-to-end platform for research allows scholars to easily discover, read, write and publish their research and fosters collaboration.

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Supplemental Evidence and Data Request on Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

A Notice by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality on 07/02/2024

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Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), HHS.

Request for supplemental evidence and data submission.

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is seeking scientific information submissions from the public. Scientific information is being solicited to inform our review on Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review, which is currently being conducted by AHRQ's Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) Program. Access to published and unpublished pertinent scientific information will improve the quality of this review.

Submission Deadline on or before August 1, 2024.

Email submissions: [email protected]

Print submissions:

Mailing Address: Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, ATTN: EPC SEADs Coordinator, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop 06E53A, Rockville, MD 20857.

Shipping Address (FedEx, UPS, etc.): Center for Evidence and Practice Improvement, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, ATTN: EPC SEADs Coordinator, 5600 Fishers Lane, Mail Stop 06E77D, Rockville, MD 20857.

Kelly Carper, telephone: 301-427-1656 or email: [email protected] .

The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality has commissioned the Evidence-based Practice Centers (EPC) Program to complete a review of the evidence for Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. AHRQ is conducting this review pursuant to section 902 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. 299a .

The EPC Program is dedicated to identifying as many studies as possible that are relevant to the questions for each of its reviews. In order to do so, we are supplementing the usual manual and electronic database searches of the literature by requesting information from the public ( e.g., details of studies conducted). We are looking for studies that report on Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review. The entire research protocol is available online at: https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/​products/​ped-mindfulness/​protocol

This is to notify the public that the EPC Program would find the following information on Mindfulness-Based Interventions for Mental Health and Wellbeing in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review helpful:

A list of completed studies that your organization has sponsored for this topic. In the list, please indicate whether results are available on ClinicalTrials.gov along with the ClinicalTrials.gov trial number.

For completed studies that do not have results on ClinicalTrials.gov, a summary, including the following elements, if relevant: study number, study period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, inclusion and exclusion criteria, primary and secondary outcomes, baseline characteristics, number of patients screened/eligible/enrolled/lost to follow-up/withdrawn/analyzed, effectiveness/efficacy, and safety results.

A list of ongoing studies that your organization has sponsored for this topic. In the list, please provide the ClinicalTrials.gov trial number or, if the trial is not registered, the protocol for the study including, if relevant, a study number, the study period, design, methodology, indication and diagnosis, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and primary and secondary outcomes.

Description of whether the above studies constitute ALL Phase II and above clinical trials sponsored by your organization for this topic and an index outlining the relevant information in each submitted file.

Your contribution is very beneficial to the Program. Materials submitted must be publicly available or able to be made public. Materials that are considered confidential; marketing materials; study types not included in the review; or information on topics not included in the review cannot be used by the EPC Program. This is a voluntary request for information, and all costs for complying with this request must be borne by the submitter.

The draft of this review will be posted on AHRQ's EPC Program website and available for public comment for a period of 4 weeks. If you would like to be notified when the draft is posted, please sign up for the email list at: https://effectivehealthcare.ahrq.gov/​email-updates .

The review will answer the following questions. This information is provided as background. AHRQ is not requesting that the public provide answers to these questions.

KQ 1. What are the benefits and harms of mindfulness-based interventions in the general child and adolescent populations?

KQ 2. What are the benefits and harms of mindfulness-based interventions in children and adolescents diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression?

KQ 3. What are the benefits and harms of mindfulness-based interventions in children and adolescents with a chronic condition who are at risk for elevated symptoms of anxiety and/or depression? Start Printed Page 54823

PICOTS (Populations, Interventions, Comparators, Outcomes, Timing, and Setting)

 Inclusion criteriaExclusion criteriaPopulationKQ 1. Children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years known anxiety and/or depression KQ 2. Children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years a diagnosis of depression and/or anxiety KQ 3. Children and adolescents aged 3 to 18 years a chronic condition who are at risk for elevated symptoms of or being diagnosed with anxiety and/or depression Definition of chronic physical conditions: Medical physical conditions ( conditions that primarily affect the body's systems and functions) that persist for one year or longer and require ongoing medical attention, limit activities of daily living, or bothStudies with ≥20% of participants in the following groups and do not report findings by population. • In institutions ( psychiatric inpatients, long-term care facilities). • Diagnosed with advanced neurodevelopmental disorders ( severe autism spectrum disorders [for example, level 3 on DSM-5], severe attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder [ based on DSM-5 definition], severe learning disorders [ more than 2 standard deviations below the mean in one or more areas of cognitive processing related to the specific learning disorder]). • With major behavioral or emotional dysregulation ( conduct disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder). • With substance use disorder. We will exclude studies with MBIs designed and/or administered only to parents/caregivers, as well as interventions administered by parents/caregivers. We will exclude studies designed to treat test or sports performance anxiety, anxiety associated with medical/dental procedures and with interventions for specific high-risk exposures such as for post-sexual assault or another traumatic event.InterventionsKQ 1-3 In addition to the minimum requirements identified above: • Mindfulness-based intervention, provided alone or in addition to other therapies • Mindfulness is the primary component for multicomponent interventions (as a part of behavioral and similar non-pharmacological strategies), meaning that the intervention must be centered around mindfulness ( the majority of the sessions or focus are mindfulness-based) • A mindfulness instructor ( therapist, teacher) must have some training in providing mindfulness. We do not specify the required minimum training • Clear specification of repeated practice ( more than one session with an instructor, or repeated self-directed exercises after at least one initial session with an instructor) Examples of other therapies include structured mindfulness programs and mindfulness-based therapies such as: • Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction • Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Components of programs, if they are intentionally used to promote mindfulness principles and meet other criteria, may include: • Relaxation techniques • Meditation • Mindful breathing • Guided imagery • VisualizationPharmacologic interventions or traditional psychotherapies alone ( cognitive-behavioral therapy, play therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, parent-child interaction therapy) and integrative therapies alone including acupuncture/acupressure, expressive therapies, exercise, yoga, Tai Chi, biofeedback, hypnotherapy, massage, chiropractic care, homeopathy, diets ( gluten-free diet), traditional Chinese medicine, and Ayurveda.ComparatorsKQ 1. Usual care, enhanced usual care, waitlist control, sham, attention control, or no active intervention KQ 2-3. Usual care, enhanced usual care, waitlist control, sham, attention control, no active intervention, or conventional therapies ( pharmacotherapy for anxiety and/or depression [see Table 2], behavioral interventions  )Other interventions not listed in the “included” list. Other mindfulness-based interventions ( comparative effectiveness of MBIs).OutcomesKQ 1-3 Primary outcomes (children and adolescents outcomes)Other outcomes, parent/caregiver outcomes. • Quality of life ( PedsQL, KIDSCREEN, CHQ, ITQOL, PQ-LES-Q) • General and social functioning ( SDQ, SSIS, CGI-I, CGAS), including behavior problems ( ECBI, CBCL, SDQ), coping skills ( CSI-CA, CCSC, RSQ), executive functioning ( BRIEF), academic performance ( WIAT, Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Achievement) • Disability ( VABS, FDI, days of missed school) • Depression ( CDI, BDI, MFQ, CES-D, CDRS-R, RADS, PHQ-A, PI-ED), diagnosis (KQs 2 and 3 only), and remission and response (KQs 1 and 3) • Anxiety ( SCARED, MASC, SCAS, CAIS, GAD-7, PHQ-A, PI-ED), diagnosis (KQs 2 and 3 only), and remission and response (KQs 1 and 3) • Any reported adverse events or unintended negative consequences attributed to treatment Additional outcomes (children and adolescents outcomes) • Acceptance of experiences in the present moment ( CAMM) • Autonomic arousal ( SCL, HRV) • Executive functioning ( BRIEF) • Subjective well-being ( PANAS-C, SLSS) • Substance useStart Printed Page 54824 • Psychological flexibility ( AFQ-Y, AAQ) • Healthcare utilizationTiming• A minimum of 4 weeks since the beginning of the intervention or baseline assessment (if the intervention start cannot be determined) for all outcomes except for harmsMid-intervention assessment times. • We will extract harms reported at any followup, regardless of the duration since the intervention start or baseline assessmentSettingKQ 1-3 • Administered in outpatient health care or community settings ( schools, residential)In-patient, ED/EMS, and psychiatric subacute settings ( partial hospitalization programs, intensive outpatient programs). • Trials conducted in countries rated as “very high” on the 2019 Human Development Index (as defined by the United Nations Development Program)Study Design• Randomized controlled trials (individually or site-randomized), with individually randomized trials reporting outcomes for a minimum of 10 participants per treatment armOther study designs. • Period 1 data from crossover RCTs • Published in English-language • Published in 2010 or laterAbbreviations: AAQ = Acceptance and Action Questionnaire; AFQ-Y = Avoidance and Fusion Questionnaire for Youth; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; BRIEF = Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function; CAIS = Child Anxiety Impact Scale; CAMM = Child and Adolescent Mindfulness Measure; CBCL = Child Behavior Checklist; CCSC = Children's Coping Strategies Checklist; CDI = Children's Depression Inventory; CDRS-R = Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised; CES-D = Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale; CGAS = Children's Global Assessment Scale; CGI-I = Clinical Global Impression-Improvement Scale; CHQ = Child Health Questionnaire; CSI-CA = Coping Strategies Inventory for Children and Adolescents; ED/EMS = emergency department/emergency medical services; ECBI = Eyberg Child Behavior Inventory; FDI = Functional Disability Inventory Child Form; GAD-7 = Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale; HRV = heart rate variability; ITQOL = Infant/Toddler Quality of Life Questionnaire; KQ = Key Question; MASC = Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; MFQ = Mood and Feelings Questionnaire; NA = not applicable; PedsQL = Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory; PHQ-A = Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents; PICOTS = population, interventions, comparators, outcomes, timing, and setting; PI-ED = Paediatric Index of Emotional Distress; PQ-LES-Q = Perceived Quality of Life Scale; RADS = Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale; RSQ = Responses to Stress Questionnaire; SCARED = Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders; SCAS = Spence Children's Anxiety Scale; SCL = Skin Conductance Level; SDQ = Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; SLSS = Students' Life Satisfaction Scale; SSIS = Social Skills Improvement System; PANAS-C = Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children; SWLS = Satisfaction with Life Scale; VABS = Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scales; WIAT = Wechsler Individual Achievement Test; WISC = Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children.  These are reviewed in other AHRQ systematic reviews.  We defined behavioral interventions as nonpharmacologic strategies intended to enhance outcomes by modifying behavior and/or ways of thinking ( cognitive behavioral therapy, coping skills training, behavioral therapy, biofeedback, dialectical behavioral therapy).

Dated: June 27, 2024.

Marquita Cullom,

Associate Director.

[ FR Doc. 2024-14573 Filed 7-1-24; 8:45 am]

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  1. Research Summary

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  2. How to Write a Research Question in 2024: Types, Steps, and Examples

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  3. How to Write a Good Research Question (w/ Examples)

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  4. How to Write a Summary of a Research Paper

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  5. How To Write A Research Summary

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  6. Summary of research questions, hypotheses, and key findings

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  4. Literature Review Preparation Creating a Summary Table

  5. [Job talk/PhD research summary] Robot Learning to Interact in Human Spaces

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COMMENTS

  1. Research Summary

    The Structure of a Research Summary typically include: Introduction: This section provides a brief background of the research problem or question, explains the purpose of the study, and outlines the research objectives. Methodology: This section explains the research design, methods, and procedures used to conduct the study.

  2. How To Write A Research Summary

    A research summary is a brief yet concise version of the research paper for a targeted audience. Read more to find out about structure of a research summary, tips to write a good research summary, and common mistakes to write a research summary. ... SciSpace Copilot also enables you to highlight text, clip math and tables, and ask any question ...

  3. PDF How to Summarize a Research Article

    A research article usually has seven major sections: Title, Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, and References. The first thing you should do is to decide why you need to summarize the article. If the purpose of the summary is to take notes to later remind yourself about the article you may want to write a longer summary ...

  4. Research Summary: What Is It & How To Write One

    A research summary is a piece of writing that summarizes the research of a specific topic into bite-size easy-to-read and comprehend articles. The primary goal is to give the reader a detailed outline of the key findings of a research. It is an unavoidable requirement in colleges and universities. To write a good research summary, you must ...

  5. Research Summary: What is it & how to write one

    A research summary is a piece of writing that summarizes your research on a specific topic. Its primary goal is to offer the reader a detailed overview of the study with the key findings. A research summary generally contains the article's structure in which it is written. You must know the goal of your analysis before you launch a project.

  6. How to Write a Summary

    When to write a summary. Step 1: Read the text. Step 2: Break the text down into sections. Step 3: Identify the key points in each section. Step 4: Write the summary. Step 5: Check the summary against the article. Other interesting articles. Frequently asked questions about summarizing.

  7. Research Summary- Structure, Examples, and Writing tips

    A research summary is a type of paper designed to provide a brief overview of a given study - typically, an article from a peer-reviewed academic journal. ... As for the paper itself, understanding it means understanding analysis questions, hypotheses, listed evidence, how strongly this evidence supports the hypotheses, as well as analysis ...

  8. 10 Research Question Examples to Guide your Research Project

    The first question asks for a ready-made solution, and is not focused or researchable. The second question is a clearer comparative question, but note that it may not be practically feasible. For a smaller research project or thesis, it could be narrowed down further to focus on the effectiveness of drunk driving laws in just one or two countries.

  9. A Beginner's Guide On Research Summary Writing

    A research summary is a crucial piece of writing that serves as an insightful overview of your research on a specific topic. As a researcher, it is essential to provide your reader with a detailed summary of the key findings from your study. When crafting a research summary, it is important to consider the structure of the article and the goal ...

  10. Writing a Summary

    The research attributes this decline to factors like pollution, reduced green spaces, and increased temperatures in urban areas. Summary: A study analysing the effects of urbanisation on bee colonies found a significant 30% decrease in bee populations in urban settings compared to rural areas. The decline is linked to urban factors such as ...

  11. How to Write a Research Paper Summary

    1. Determine the focus of your summary. Draft a research paper summary in minutes with Paperpal. Click here to start writing! 2. Invest enough time to understand the topic deeply. 3. Keep the summary crisp, brief and engaging. Use Paperpal to summarize your research paper.

  12. Article Summaries, Reviews & Critiques

    When writing a summary, the goal is to compose a concise and objective overview of the original article. The summary should focus only on the article's main ideas and important details that support those ideas. Guidelines for summarizing an article: State the main ideas. Identify the most important details that support the main ideas.

  13. PDF Research-to-Practice How-to-Summarize Guide

    E. Research Methodology (Summary) In paragraph form, describe the basic elements of your research design. Use words that lay practitioners will understand. Word Limit: About 200 words for each separate experiment or study that is described (up to 500 words if three or more experiments or separate studies were conducted).

  14. Six elements a research summary should include

    Having a few questions top of mind while you draft your summary can really help to structure your thoughts and make sure you include the most important aspects of the research. In short, every academic summary should cover 'the why', 'the how', 'the who' and 'the what' of a study. Asking yourself the following six questions as ...

  15. A Complete Guide to Writing a Research Summary

    In this guide, we'll answer all of these questions and explore a few essential factors about research writing. So, let's jump right into it. What is a Research Summary? A research summary is a short, concise summary of an academic research paper. It is often used to summarize the results of an experiment, summarize the major findings and ...

  16. Strong research questions

    In contrast, research questions that examine a laboratory practice will guide the development of a research method. Influence on claims or conclusions The research questions reflect whether the investigation is intended to describe a group or situation, to explain or predict outcomes, or to demonstrate cause-and-effect relationship(s) among ...

  17. The Writing Center

    Research questions should not be answerable with a simple "yes" or "no" or by easily-found facts. They should, instead, require both research and analysis on the part of the writer. They often begin with "How" or "Why.". Begin your research. After you've come up with a question, think about the possible paths your research ...

  18. PDF Summarizing a Research Article

    Stay focused on the research question, be concise, and avoid generalities. The Methods summary is often the most difficult part to edit. See the questions under 'Reading interactively' to help you decide what is important to include. Edit for style. Write to an intelligent, interested, naive, and slightly lazy audience (e.g., yourself, your

  19. Research Summary: Samples, Examples, And Steps To Write

    Research Summary Examples. The question "How do you write a summary for a research paper" is one of the most popular requests in searching engines. As has been mentioned above, you need to look at some examples of research summary to clarify all issues. They will help you check the structure, length, and extra detail.

  20. How to Write a Research Summary

    The research summary is written to combine the main points you selected into a single but comprehensive paragraph. First, the main subject of the research will be set down, as well as its goals. A brief outline of the methodology will follow this to provide an overview of the study results.

  21. Article Summarizer

    Scholarcy's AI summarization tool is designed to generate accurate, reliable article summaries. Our summarizer tool is trained to identify key terms, claims, and findings in academic papers. These insights are turned into digestible Summary Flashcards. Scroll in the box below to see the magic ⤸. The knowledge extraction and summarization ...

  22. Writing Strong Research Questions

    A good research question is essential to guide your research paper, dissertation, or thesis. All research questions should be: Focused on a single problem or issue. Researchable using primary and/or secondary sources. Feasible to answer within the timeframe and practical constraints. Specific enough to answer thoroughly.

  23. Research Summary

    Here's a few steps on how to make a first draft: First, state the research question in the introduction of your summary. This holds the ground as to the summary's direction. Provide an explanation why your research is interesting and how it can help your target recipients. Second, state the hypothesis you wish to prove.

  24. Research Question Generator: Tool for Academic Purposes

    Using our research question generator tool, you won't need to crack your brains over this part of the writing assignment anymore. All you need to do is: Insert your study topic of interest in the relevant tab. Choose a subject and click "Generate topics". Grab one of the offered options on the list. The results will be preliminary; you ...

  25. Bioinformatician

    Job Summary: The Zhao laboratory focuses on translating high-throughput molecular data into biological insights and clinical biomarkers for cancer. We primarily generate and analyze NGS data from cancer samples. You will be responsible for designing and executing complex integrated computational research projects. This will include creating and maintaining computational pipelines for a wide ...

  26. Research Question: Definition, Types, Examples, Quick Tips

    A research question is: Clear: It provides enough detail that the audience understands its purpose without any additional explanation. Focused: It is so specific that it can be addressed within the time constraints of the writing task. Succinct: It is written in the shortest possible words.

  27. SEC.gov

    The Securities and Exchange Commission today adopted rules to enhance and standardize climate-related disclosures by public companies and in public offerings.

  28. Supplemental Evidence and Data Request on Mindfulness-Based

    SUMMARY: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) is seeking scientific information submissions from the public. ... The EPC Program is dedicated to identifying as many studies as possible that are relevant to the questions for each of its reviews.