Video Content
Last updated
Last updated
Overview
The workshop videos focus on crafting the conclusion section of research articles, providing a comprehensive look at its structure, purpose, and distinction from other sections like the discussion. The presenter delves into various strategies for organising and writing effective conclusions, adapting to disciplinary norms, and aligning with journal guidelines.
Key Aspects Discussed
1. Planning and Structure
Importance of pre-planning the overall structure of a research article is emphasised to ensure cohesiveness and clarity.
The conclusion should be a succinct summary that highlights the research's key findings, implications, and potential for future research.
2. Differentiation Between Conclusion and Discussion
The conclusion section is meant to summarize the study's most significant aspects and evaluate its broader implications, without introducing new research.
Discussion sections should comment on specific results, whereas conclusions should synthesize the overall outcomes and evaluations.
3. "Move and Steps Model" by Yang and Allison
The model outlines three primary moves in a conclusion:
Move 1: Summarize the study by highlighting its significance and advantages within the discipline.
Move 2: Evaluate the study's impact and its positioning within the broader research community.
Move 3: Make deductions from the research, such as recommendations for future studies and pedagogical implications.
4. Writing the Abstract First
A strategy is suggested to write the abstract first to help clarify the main contributions and structure of the paper, guiding the subsequent writing process more efficiently.
5. Practical Assignment and Application
Participants are encouraged to analyse conclusion sections in journals within their fields to understand how the theoretical models are applied in practice.
Recommendations are made to evaluate the structure of conclusions in relation to the journal’s and discipline's norms.
These workshop videos provide invaluable guidance for academic writers on structuring the conclusion section of their research papers. By differentiating between conclusion and discussion, applying structured models like the "Move and Steps Model," and emphasizing the importance of strategic planning and early drafting of the abstract, researchers can enhance the clarity and impact of their studies.
Importance of Abstracts
Abstracts serve as a concise and accurate summary of a research article. They are vital as they represent the entire research, pulling key elements from the study’s introduction, methods, results, and discussion.
Structural Overview
The abstract must be informative and persuasive, serving to attract readers to delve deeper into the article. It should ideally cover all key sections of the research including the study’s background, methodology, main findings, and the implications of these findings.
Models for Writing Abstracts
Two main models are presented for structuring abstracts effectively:
Santos’s Model (1996): This model involves situating the research, presenting the research purpose, describing the methodology, summarising the findings, and discussing the results.
Hyland's Model: Similar to Santos's but includes specific moves like establishing context, stating the research purpose, describing methods, outlining the main findings (products), and concluding with the interpretation of these findings.
Practical Exercise
The presenter suggests an exercise based on "Brown's Eight Questions" from 1994-1995, which encourages detailed thinking about the abstract’s content and helps frame the entire research. These questions focus on identifying the audience, defining the research purpose, describing actions taken, and elucidating the theoretical and practical meanings of the results.
Conclusion and Recommendations
It is recommended that researchers write the abstract first as it helps in framing and planning the text, ensuring that all necessary components are considered and appropriately addressed.