Role of the Conclusion
The conclusion plays a very important role in a research paper.
It characterizes one of the key steps of writing a research paper.
Principally, the conclusion works to remind the reader about the core findings arrived at as well as arguments advanced in the research paper.
It also seeks to bring forward the significance of the study.
By doing both, the research paper should be able to generate an impactful and memorable impression on the reader.
It is therefore imperative to understand what constitutes a good research paper conclusion.
Features of a Good Conclusion
As illustrated in all good conclusion examples for research paper, the conclusion should exhibit numerous features, including:
1. Should encompass the final word on the issue in the research paper: In this, the conclusion should provide you with the opportunity to leave a lasting impression on the reader.
This can be achieved, for example, by listing the main points covered in the analysis and findings sections.
2. Should summarize thoughts and state the study’s larger implications: The conclusion presents you the chance to concisely place the study within the larger context of past research on the topic being explored.
In so doing, the conclusion should answer the questions “so what”?
3. Should demonstrate the importance of ideas in the research paper: As illustrated in common conclusion examples for research paper, the conclusion should stipulate the significance of the findings arrived at in the study.
You should as such highlight the importance of the research study conducted in a concise manner.
4. Should stipulate expanded or new ways of looking at the research problem: The conclusion also provides you with the opportunity to highlight creative approaches as well as new insights through which you can align or frame the research problem with the results of your study.
Note that you should however not introduce new information in the conclusion.
How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper
Just like the introduction or body, the conclusion constitutes a vital part of the research paper structure- whether a 10 page research paper or even a shorter one.
By observing the respective steps, writing a conclusion for a research paper is quite a straight forward task.
As illustrated in good conclusion examples for research paper, the writing process encompasses 5 key steps, elaborated below:
1. Restating the Topic
Restating the research topic should be the first step when it comes to writing a conclusion for a research paper.
This should be done in a brief and concise manner, where usually one sentence is enough.
You should remember to state why the topic under study is important.
Importantly, include only the most vital information.
2. Restating the Thesis
After you have restated the topic, you should go ahead and restate the research paper thesis.
This is usually done by recapping the thesis in the introductory part of the research paper.
It is important to ensure that the thesis does not appear exactly as it is in the introduction. Instead, you should word it differently without distorting meaning or bearing.
The restated thesis should also be brief and concise- usually one sentence.
3. Summarizing the Main Points
As depicted in common conclusion examples for research paper, this step entails summing up the main points advanced in the research paper.
Although it should cover the whole research paper, you should only include core arguments and key facts presented in the paper.
You should not add any other information other than that on the argument and facts- No new information should be introduced.
The summarized points should effectively capture the importance of the research topic and study.
To effectively summarize the points, it is advisable to go through the research paper once again before or when compiling the points.
4. Stating the Results or Significance
This is another key step when it comes to writing the conclusion.
As demonstrated in good conclusion examples for research paper, the step should expound on the significance of the points that have been summarized.
You should be able to tie the key points to the topic or a wider body of knowledge around the topic.
This can be done by discussing the impacts of the topic on a specific outcome or previous knowledge.
5. Concluding the Thoughts
This is the last step when writing a research paper conclusion.
Conclusion of the thoughts may take the form of a call to action or questions that provoke thought about the argument presented in the research paper.
As well, it could be used to highlight questions that were unanswered in the body of the research, i.e., to beseech further studies.
A Checklist for a Conclusion
When writing a research paper conclusion, there are a few checklist items you could observe to ensure that the conclusion meets the expected standards.
As evidenced in good conclusion examples for research paper, these items include:
1. Whether the thesis has been restated.
Note that the thesis should not be repeated verbatim.
It should be restated in a way that it reminds the reader of the arguments made and solutions presented.
2. Whether the research paper’s main points have been addressed and logically assembled.
The conclusion is where you gather all the key points in order to create the bigger picture.
From the conclusion, the reader should be able to see the larger implications of the topic under study.
3. Whether you have reminded the reader of the topic’s importance.
It is necessary to remind the reader of the significance of the topic.
The findings of the research paper should be placed within the context of true social change.
4. Whether there is a sense of closure.
It is important to ensure that the reader has a clear feeling that the research paper has come to an end.
You have to make sure that the reader is not left hanging, with expectations that the research paper continues or where they are left asking whether something was left out.
Importantly, the ending should be natural.
5. Whether new information is presented in the conclusion.
As earlier noted, the research paper conclusion should not include new information.
The conclusion should instead contain information already covered in the research paper.
The only new information allowed is a suggestion for further research.
Conclusion Examples for Research Paper
You can use the below conclusion examples for research paper as templates.
Example 1
Drug and substance abuse in the US is a menace, with figures as high as 22.5 million citizens aged 12 years and above having abused a drug or used a substance for the past one month, in 2011. A relationship between drug abuse/ substance use and mental health has long been established, where for instance, alcohol dependency has a high likelihood of causing various mental disorders, including anxiety and depression. As well, the economic burden of drug abuse and substance use is immense, where costs associated with treatment of drug abuse amounted to about 18 million US dollars in 2001. The drug abuse and substance use menace has generally laid a heavy burden on the family institution, State, and judicial system. Incarceration of mentally ill offenders or drug abusers as a solution has been found deficient in the long-run, which is also the case with inpatient intervention. This is because in both cases, more specifically incarceration, offenders are denied access to the right medication, a case which only intensifies their recidivism rates. There has therefore been a need to device approaches that can adequately address problems associated with conventional approaches to drug abuse management. For this reason, with time, drug courts and mental health courts have become the ultimate solution for drug abusers and mentally ill persons.
Example 2
The god of technology and innovation has succeeded in creating a universe where human live in an easy, convenient, and fast-paced environment. Without a doubt, science has been at the center of human existence, with scientists in a span of a few decades managing to send human beings to the moon and back, develop cures for previously incurable diseases, cultivate genetically modified foods- that promise to save the world form starvation, among many other innovations. All above noted, the best discovery yet is the internet, which has created a virtual world that has transformed the universe into a one small melting pot of socio-political and economic cultures. With all its successes, however, technology and innovation has contributed to the rapid degradation of the environment, whether it is pollution or depletion of natural resources. The real question lies on the ways of maintaining a sustainable business environment through the utilization of sustainable technology and innovations.
