Research articles are the main way to communicate your findings and ideas to your peers and the public. But how do you write a research article that is engaging, not boring or confusing? How do you make your readers care about your topic and your contribution? In this article, you will learn some tips and strategies to write a research article that is clear, concise, and captivating.
Before you start writing, you need to identify who your audience is and what they expect from your article. Are you writing for a general or a specific audience? Are you writing for experts or novices? Are you writing for academics or practitioners? Knowing your audience will help you decide on the tone, style, and level of detail of your article. You will also be able to tailor your message and your arguments to address their needs, interests, and questions.
In our team, we hone in on specifics when identifying our audiences, including the likely age, gender, occupation, learning style and information needs. Sometimes, we create personas of several audience members and make sure that our writing sufficiently addresses their needs.
Think of it as an inverted pyramid! To write something engaging, think of the topic of interest as an inverted pyramid. The overall impact of the work is the biggest row of the pyramid at the top, the second row is the way that impact is achieved now, followed by the ways you developed and its distinction from current ways in the third row. As you descend down and the pyramid becomes narrower, your research goals are defined in more details including the methodology applied. That’s a way a good story can be communicated and you get a more effective research paper.
In my experience as a research in different subject areas, the most important aspect of your entire research is knowing the background of the study before you dive into it. It’s as important to understand why you wish to do this article, what is your objective and what you hope to address through these research questions. For project management, research plays a pivotal role in understanding the context, the work conducted and the approaches taken in that respective line of study. There’s a need for more project management staff to have the capacity to undertake or be taught how to research that will enable them to understand how each approach works in activity implementation.
I’ve written over 1000 articles in 10 years with 100+ of them garnering more than 1M+ views each. Here’s why clients come back to us to get writing and blogs done: 1. We start with research and have all of that data in one doc. 2. We prepare a consumable structure of the blog and add stats where required. 3. We add context whether possible through real life experiences, gifs and any other media. Headline and cover image are the 2 most imp things to make sure that your well researched article is also read by your target audience. So spend time on it!
Understanding your audience's background, interests, and knowledge helps tailor your content to resonate with them, making it more engaging and accessible. It's worth mentioning that using clear language and avoiding jargon can contribute to making your content accessible to a diverse audience
Your title is the first thing that your readers will see, and it will influence their decision to read your article or not. Therefore, you want to choose a title that is catchy, informative, and relevant. A catchy title is one that grabs the attention of your readers and arouses their curiosity. An informative title is one that summarizes the main point or question of your article. A relevant title is one that reflects the current trends, issues, or gaps in your field or discipline.
A catchy title is great, it catches your eye. But it isn't the be all and end all. Sometimes you want a clear title that will take you straight to what the reader wants. Don't worry if you can't think of a catchy title. I wasn't able to think of a catchy title for my research and it didn't make it any less valuable. What's important is conducting and writing a quality piece of research. ??
In my view and in some cases, a catchy title could elicit a high level of intrigue when a sensible keyword that echoes a common phenomenon is added. For example, using 'schizophrenic behavior' for describing a specific behavior of amphiphilic polymers.
Writing a engaging research article involves not only presenting your findings and analysis but also capturing your readers' interest and keeping them engaged throughout. Remember that an engaging research article not only communicates the findings but also captures the reader's attention and sustains their interest from start to finish.
As I mentioned earlier, there are three types of readers: in-depth readers, skimmers, and headline readers. Therefore, the title plays a crucial role, much like the appearance of food before eating. No matter how delicious your dish is, its visual appeal is key. Similarly, make your title appetizing to entice readers to taste and digest your words
Most articles state a study's finding in the title to maximise the chance that audiences learn the key message. You can also add a sense of the method, for example: "Chocolate ice cream is the most popular food among children: results of a representative survey". You could flip the title as a question, but it risks audiences not learning the finding unless they read the article, for example: "Ever wondered what the most popular food is among children?"
Your abstract is the second thing that your readers will see, and it will provide them with a brief overview of your article. Your abstract should be clear, concise, and coherent. A clear abstract is one that states the purpose, methods, results, and implications of your research. A concise abstract is one that uses simple and precise language and avoids unnecessary details or jargon. A coherent abstract is one that follows a logical structure and flows smoothly from one sentence to another.
In my experience, it is easier to write the abstract at the very last stage, when all other parts of the article are ready. Similar to the main article, the abstract should contain all the necessary parts of the research storyline. A brief background where the main research question(s) is presented, followed by a few sentences on the methods, key results, and main conclusion(s). Most of the time, the reader only gets free access to the abstract. Therefore, while being clear and concise, the abstract should touch on every important aspect of the research.
I use structure to make my abstract clear and informative for the reader. I use the structure below ?? Background: Aims: Method: Results: Conclusion: A clear sentence for each point summarising the study.
Writing a good abstract takes time and effort. Don't underestimate the amount of work that goes into an abstract that makes you want to read the full article. Practice (and revisions) makes perfect.
Start with the problem your research is trying to solve. Really focus on the gap that your research is trying to fill that would resonate with the audience you are writing for (also on an emotional basis). Once you have done this, teaser how you have or were aiming to solve the mentioned problem by mentioning methods, results and outcome.
An abstract serves as a synopsis of your paper, summarizing its purpose, methods, and results for the academic audience. A well-crafted abstract, concise and sophisticated, can indeed encourage readers to engage with your work and extract key details
Your article should have a clear and consistent structure that guides your readers through your research process and findings. The typical structure of a research article consists of four main sections: introduction, methods, results, and discussion. Each section should have a specific function and content. Your introduction should introduce your topic, background, research gap, research question, and objectives. Your methods should describe how you conducted your research, including your design, data collection, and data analysis. Your results should present and summarize your main findings, using tables, figures, or graphs if necessary. Your discussion should interpret and explain your results, answer your research question, discuss the limitations, and suggest the implications and recommendations of your research.
In the dynamic realm of research communication, an effective structure is the compass that guides readers through your exploration. The four key pillars of a research article—introduction, methods, results, and discussion—orchestrate a symphony of insights. Interpret your results with the sagacity of a storyteller. ?? Mastering the Art of Impactful Structure: A research article, akin to a symphony, requires a harmonious structure. Introduce with flair, articulate methods with precision, unveil results with elegance, and discuss with insight.
It is crucial to seamlessly connect sentences within a paragraph, employing the right adverbs to ensure a smooth flow and coherence. Every article tells a story. The key lies in ensuring the coherence of the narrative with logical transitions. Each passage should logically connect to the next. This smoothness enables the reader to enjoy the narrative journey.
Research articles are, in general, written in the IMRaD format: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. Introduction: delineates background, research gap, and research question(s). Methods: describes tools and techniques, experimental processes, calculations, inclusion/exclusion criteria, timeline, etc. Results: provides scientific evidence for the conclusion. Should be presented in this order - results for primary objectives, results for secondary objectives. Discussion: it is the logical bridge connecting the pool of evidence (results) and the conclusion(s). It should also highlight the strengths and limitations of the study. Conclusions: concludes the research outcomes and gives perspectives for future research.
In most journals, it's impossible to follow one's own formats as they have their own guidelines. The format that I prefer is that the author('s) should not distribute their findings in many parts, which might cause difficulty in finding the intended data. Any researcher should be prepared to share their data in a way that is reproducible.
Depending on who is reviewing your work, there may be specific requirements on how to structure the work. If so then follow strict guidelines and ask questions along the way if you need to.
Your language is the main tool to communicate your research and to engage your readers. You should use effective language that is clear, concise, and captivating. Clear language is one that avoids ambiguity, confusion, or misinterpretation. You should use simple and direct sentences, active voice, and appropriate terminology. Concise language is one that avoids redundancy, wordiness, or filler words. You should use short and specific words, transitions, and modifiers. Captivating language is one that appeals to the emotions, values, or interests of your readers. You should use rhetorical devices, examples, anecdotes, or questions.
Language is the key through which we get our message across. Often, in research, investigators make the mistake of thinking that they can skip over fundamental concepts because they are talking to other experts. This is a common misconception, as I found out in my experience. Assume that your reader knows the basics (i.e., they are a scientist like you) but nothing more. Although I wouldn't suggest the use of rhetorical devices or anecdotes in a scientific paper, I would strongly recommend to avoid jargon. Make the text concise and clear. Remind your audience how and why you reached a certain conclusion. Think of them as peer-level interlocutors you are chatting with over coffee, not teachers you are presenting your work to!
I agree with the part that the sentences should be direct and objective. Repetitive sentences should be avoided as a lot of researchers reading the paper could be non-native English speakers.
One of the best ways to engage is to ensure that your writing has a clear throughline. It is much easier to convey your ideas if you are taking your audience on a journey through the writing. Some may call this a storytelling approach. Early on in the writing, draw your reader in with a clear statement on the research, including the ultimate conclusion. Signpost the writing throughout to keep the reader interested in reaching your conclusion. At the end, be concise to summarize the take home points for your audience.
Use clear simple language so that everyone is able to understand your work. While simple language is important, it is very important to use language relevant to the research and audit intended to reach.
Your article is not finished until you revise and edit it. Revising and editing are essential steps to improve the quality and clarity of your article. Revising is the process of reviewing and improving the content, structure, and argument of your article. You should check if your article is relevant, coherent, and persuasive. Editing is the process of correcting and polishing the grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style of your article. You should check if your article is accurate, consistent, and readable. You can use tools, such as Grammarly or Hemingway, to help you with editing. You can also ask for feedback from your peers, mentors, or editors to help you with revising and editing.
Whenever you sit down to write your article, make it a habit to read it from the beginning beforehand. This is very important. Anytime you look at it you will find a word that can be replaced, a typo to eliminate, a sentence which does not sound very clear.
It's your responsibility to ensure your audience understands your key communication messages. You may find it useful to share a few paragraphs with a friend, neighbour, colleague, family member; anyone with fresh eyes. The 'think out loud' method can also be used, where someone reads your in sections and verbally describes their understanding and the major takeaways. Anything that aligns your words to the intended message will strengthen your article.
When writing a research paper, showing empathy toward future readers is crucial. Here are some ways authors can demonstrate empathy in their writing: - Consider that readers may come from diverse backgrounds and may not be experts in the area covered by the research paper. - Offer sufficient background information and context for the research. Help the readers understand the significance of the work without assuming they are already familiar with all the details of the topic. - Clearly define any technical terms or concepts that might be unfamiliar to a broader audience. This helps readers who may not be experts in your field grasp your paper's key ideas. - Anticipate potential questions or concerns the readers might have.
as an upcoming researcher, remember that even research articles can tell a compelling story. Start with a 'Hook' in your abstract to grab attention. Set the 'Setting' by contextualizing your research within the broader field. Introduce the 'Characters,' or stakeholders, and clarify the 'Conflict' or problem you're solving. Take the reader on a 'Journey' through your methods and findings, leading to the 'Climax'—your key discoveries. Wrap up with a 'Resolution,' summarizing implications and next steps. Use simple language and visual aids to make your points clear and impactful.
Framing your research as a story is a powerful way to engage your audience and make even complex topics relatable. Here's how you can incorporate this approach: 1. Plot (Methodology): Start by introducing the 'villain' - the challenge or problem you're addressing (e.g., common bean diseases reducing crop yields). Then introduce the 'heroes' - your research methods (e.g., AI-powered disease detection system). 2. Characters (Research Elements): Give your research elements distinct personalities. 3. Rising Action (Results): Build suspense by presenting your findings. 4. Climax (Conclusion): Conclude by emphasizing the impact of your research (e.g., potential to improve crop production).
When I began my research career, I read many articles to learn about the current research status. My adviser gave me golden advice to read the abstract and conclusion first. If you can get the idea of the paper from there, then only you should read the complete article. I have found it very useful. I believe any author must emphasize providing clear and concise information about their work in synergy between abstract and conclusion.
Consider audience. It is also important to consider how you want your work to be perceived and used in the future. Consider originality of work and intent for why you conducted the research.