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Research Design | Step-by-Step Guide with Examples

Published on 5 May 2022 by Shona McCombes . Revised on 20 March 2023.

A research design is a strategy for answering your research question  using empirical data. Creating a research design means making decisions about:

• Your overall aims and approach
• The type of research design you’ll use
• Your sampling methods or criteria for selecting subjects
• Your data collection methods
• The procedures you’ll follow to collect data
• Your data analysis methods

A well-planned research design helps ensure that your methods match your research aims and that you use the right kind of analysis for your data.

Table of contents

Step 1: consider your aims and approach, step 2: choose a type of research design, step 3: identify your population and sampling method, step 4: choose your data collection methods, step 5: plan your data collection procedures, step 6: decide on your data analysis strategies, frequently asked questions.

• Introduction

Before you can start designing your research, you should already have a clear idea of the research question you want to investigate.

There are many different ways you could go about answering this question. Your research design choices should be driven by your aims and priorities – start by thinking carefully about what you want to achieve.

The first choice you need to make is whether you’ll take a qualitative or quantitative approach.

Qualitative research designs tend to be more flexible and inductive , allowing you to adjust your approach based on what you find throughout the research process.

Quantitative research designs tend to be more fixed and deductive , with variables and hypotheses clearly defined in advance of data collection.

It’s also possible to use a mixed methods design that integrates aspects of both approaches. By combining qualitative and quantitative insights, you can gain a more complete picture of the problem you’re studying and strengthen the credibility of your conclusions.

Practical and ethical considerations when designing research

As well as scientific considerations, you need to think practically when designing your research. If your research involves people or animals, you also need to consider research ethics .

• How much time do you have to collect data and write up the research?
• Will you be able to gain access to the data you need (e.g., by travelling to a specific location or contacting specific people)?
• Do you have the necessary research skills (e.g., statistical analysis or interview techniques)?
• Will you need ethical approval ?

At each stage of the research design process, make sure that your choices are practically feasible.

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Within both qualitative and quantitative approaches, there are several types of research design to choose from. Each type provides a framework for the overall shape of your research.

Types of quantitative research designs

Quantitative designs can be split into four main types. Experimental and   quasi-experimental designs allow you to test cause-and-effect relationships, while descriptive and correlational designs allow you to measure variables and describe relationships between them.

With descriptive and correlational designs, you can get a clear picture of characteristics, trends, and relationships as they exist in the real world. However, you can’t draw conclusions about cause and effect (because correlation doesn’t imply causation ).

Experiments are the strongest way to test cause-and-effect relationships without the risk of other variables influencing the results. However, their controlled conditions may not always reflect how things work in the real world. They’re often also more difficult and expensive to implement.

Types of qualitative research designs

Qualitative designs are less strictly defined. This approach is about gaining a rich, detailed understanding of a specific context or phenomenon, and you can often be more creative and flexible in designing your research.

The table below shows some common types of qualitative design. They often have similar approaches in terms of data collection, but focus on different aspects when analysing the data.

Your research design should clearly define who or what your research will focus on, and how you’ll go about choosing your participants or subjects.

In research, a population is the entire group that you want to draw conclusions about, while a sample is the smaller group of individuals you’ll actually collect data from.

Defining the population

A population can be made up of anything you want to study – plants, animals, organisations, texts, countries, etc. In the social sciences, it most often refers to a group of people.

For example, will you focus on people from a specific demographic, region, or background? Are you interested in people with a certain job or medical condition, or users of a particular product?

The more precisely you define your population, the easier it will be to gather a representative sample.

Sampling methods

Even with a narrowly defined population, it’s rarely possible to collect data from every individual. Instead, you’ll collect data from a sample.

To select a sample, there are two main approaches: probability sampling and non-probability sampling . The sampling method you use affects how confidently you can generalise your results to the population as a whole.

Probability sampling is the most statistically valid option, but it’s often difficult to achieve unless you’re dealing with a very small and accessible population.

For practical reasons, many studies use non-probability sampling, but it’s important to be aware of the limitations and carefully consider potential biases. You should always make an effort to gather a sample that’s as representative as possible of the population.

Case selection in qualitative research

In some types of qualitative designs, sampling may not be relevant.

For example, in an ethnography or a case study, your aim is to deeply understand a specific context, not to generalise to a population. Instead of sampling, you may simply aim to collect as much data as possible about the context you are studying.

In these types of design, you still have to carefully consider your choice of case or community. You should have a clear rationale for why this particular case is suitable for answering your research question.

For example, you might choose a case study that reveals an unusual or neglected aspect of your research problem, or you might choose several very similar or very different cases in order to compare them.

Data collection methods are ways of directly measuring variables and gathering information. They allow you to gain first-hand knowledge and original insights into your research problem.

You can choose just one data collection method, or use several methods in the same study.

Survey methods

Surveys allow you to collect data about opinions, behaviours, experiences, and characteristics by asking people directly. There are two main survey methods to choose from: questionnaires and interviews.

Observation methods

Observations allow you to collect data unobtrusively, observing characteristics, behaviours, or social interactions without relying on self-reporting.

Observations may be conducted in real time, taking notes as you observe, or you might make audiovisual recordings for later analysis. They can be qualitative or quantitative.

Other methods of data collection

There are many other ways you might collect data depending on your field and topic.

If you’re not sure which methods will work best for your research design, try reading some papers in your field to see what data collection methods they used.

Secondary data

If you don’t have the time or resources to collect data from the population you’re interested in, you can also choose to use secondary data that other researchers already collected – for example, datasets from government surveys or previous studies on your topic.

With this raw data, you can do your own analysis to answer new research questions that weren’t addressed by the original study.

Using secondary data can expand the scope of your research, as you may be able to access much larger and more varied samples than you could collect yourself.

However, it also means you don’t have any control over which variables to measure or how to measure them, so the conclusions you can draw may be limited.

As well as deciding on your methods, you need to plan exactly how you’ll use these methods to collect data that’s consistent, accurate, and unbiased.

Planning systematic procedures is especially important in quantitative research, where you need to precisely define your variables and ensure your measurements are reliable and valid.

Operationalisation

Some variables, like height or age, are easily measured. But often you’ll be dealing with more abstract concepts, like satisfaction, anxiety, or competence. Operationalisation means turning these fuzzy ideas into measurable indicators.

If you’re using observations , which events or actions will you count?

If you’re using surveys , which questions will you ask and what range of responses will be offered?

You may also choose to use or adapt existing materials designed to measure the concept you’re interested in – for example, questionnaires or inventories whose reliability and validity has already been established.

Reliability and validity

Reliability means your results can be consistently reproduced , while validity means that you’re actually measuring the concept you’re interested in.

For valid and reliable results, your measurement materials should be thoroughly researched and carefully designed. Plan your procedures to make sure you carry out the same steps in the same way for each participant.

If you’re developing a new questionnaire or other instrument to measure a specific concept, running a pilot study allows you to check its validity and reliability in advance.

Sampling procedures

As well as choosing an appropriate sampling method, you need a concrete plan for how you’ll actually contact and recruit your selected sample.

That means making decisions about things like:

• How many participants do you need for an adequate sample size?
• What inclusion and exclusion criteria will you use to identify eligible participants?
• How will you contact your sample – by mail, online, by phone, or in person?

If you’re using a probability sampling method, it’s important that everyone who is randomly selected actually participates in the study. How will you ensure a high response rate?

If you’re using a non-probability method, how will you avoid bias and ensure a representative sample?

Data management

It’s also important to create a data management plan for organising and storing your data.

Will you need to transcribe interviews or perform data entry for observations? You should anonymise and safeguard any sensitive data, and make sure it’s backed up regularly.

Keeping your data well organised will save time when it comes to analysing them. It can also help other researchers validate and add to your findings.

On their own, raw data can’t answer your research question. The last step of designing your research is planning how you’ll analyse the data.

Quantitative data analysis

In quantitative research, you’ll most likely use some form of statistical analysis . With statistics, you can summarise your sample data, make estimates, and test hypotheses.

Using descriptive statistics , you can summarise your sample data in terms of:

• The distribution of the data (e.g., the frequency of each score on a test)
• The central tendency of the data (e.g., the mean to describe the average score)
• The variability of the data (e.g., the standard deviation to describe how spread out the scores are)

The specific calculations you can do depend on the level of measurement of your variables.

Using inferential statistics , you can:

• Make estimates about the population based on your sample data.
• Test hypotheses about a relationship between variables.

Regression and correlation tests look for associations between two or more variables, while comparison tests (such as t tests and ANOVAs ) look for differences in the outcomes of different groups.

Your choice of statistical test depends on various aspects of your research design, including the types of variables you’re dealing with and the distribution of your data.

Qualitative data analysis

In qualitative research, your data will usually be very dense with information and ideas. Instead of summing it up in numbers, you’ll need to comb through the data in detail, interpret its meanings, identify patterns, and extract the parts that are most relevant to your research question.

Two of the most common approaches to doing this are thematic analysis and discourse analysis .

There are many other ways of analysing qualitative data depending on the aims of your research. To get a sense of potential approaches, try reading some qualitative research papers in your field.

A sample is a subset of individuals from a larger population. Sampling means selecting the group that you will actually collect data from in your research.

For example, if you are researching the opinions of students in your university, you could survey a sample of 100 students.

Statistical sampling allows you to test a hypothesis about the characteristics of a population. There are various sampling methods you can use to ensure that your sample is representative of the population as a whole.

Operationalisation means turning abstract conceptual ideas into measurable observations.

For example, the concept of social anxiety isn’t directly observable, but it can be operationally defined in terms of self-rating scores, behavioural avoidance of crowded places, or physical anxiety symptoms in social situations.

Before collecting data , it’s important to consider how you will operationalise the variables that you want to measure.

The research methods you use depend on the type of data you need to answer your research question .

• If you want to measure something or test a hypothesis , use quantitative methods . If you want to explore ideas, thoughts, and meanings, use qualitative methods .
• If you want to analyse a large amount of readily available data, use secondary data. If you want data specific to your purposes with control over how they are generated, collect primary data.
• If you want to establish cause-and-effect relationships between variables , use experimental methods. If you want to understand the characteristics of a research subject, use descriptive methods.

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How To Choose A Research Topic

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Examples + Free Topic Evaluator

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | April 2024

Choosing the right research topic is likely the  most important decision you’ll make on your dissertation or thesis journey. To make the right choice, you need to take a systematic approach and evaluate each of your candidate ideas across a consistent set of criteria. In this tutorial, we’ll unpack five essential criteria that will help you evaluate your prospective research ideas and choose a winner.

Overview: The “Big 5” Key Criteria

• Topic originality or novelty
• Value and significance
• Access to data and equipment
• Time limitations and implications
• Ethical requirements and constraints

Criterion #1: Originality & Novelty

As we’ve discussed extensively on this blog, originality in a research topic is essential. In other words, you need a clear research gap . The uniqueness of your topic determines its contribution to the field and its potential to stand out in the academic community. So, for each of your prospective topics, ask yourself the following questions:

• What research gap and research problem am I filling?
• Does my topic offer new insights?
• Am I combining existing ideas in a unique way?
• Am I taking a unique methodological approach?

To objectively evaluate the originality of each of your topic candidates, rate them on these aspects. This process will not only help in choosing a topic that stands out, but also one that can capture the interest of your audience and possibly contribute significantly to the field of study – which brings us to our next criterion.

Criterion #2: Value & Significance

Next, you’ll need to assess the value and significance of each prospective topic. To do this, you’ll need to ask some hard questions.

• Why is it important to explore these research questions?
• Who stands to benefit from this study?
• How will they benefit, specifically?

By clearly understanding and outlining the significance of each potential topic, you’ll not only be justifying your final choice – you’ll essentially be laying the groundwork for a persuasive research proposal , which is equally important.

Criterion #3: Access to Data & Equipment

Naturally, access to relevant data and equipment is crucial for the success of your research project. So, for each of your prospective topic ideas, you’ll need to evaluate whether you have the necessary resources to collect data and conduct your study.

Here are some questions to ask for each potential topic:

• Will I be able to access the sample of interest (e.g., people, animals, etc.)?
• Do I have (or can I get) access to the required equipment, at the time that I need it?
• Are there costs associated with any of this? If so, what are they?

Keep in mind that getting access to certain types of data may also require special permissions and legalities, especially if your topic involves vulnerable groups (patients, youths, etc.). You may also need to adhere to specific data protection laws, depending on the country. So, be sure to evaluate these aspects thoroughly for each topic. Overlooking any of these can lead to significant complications down the line.

Criterion #4: Time Requirements & Implications

Naturally, having a realistic timeline for each potential research idea is crucial. So, consider the scope of each potential topic and estimate how long each phase of the research will take — from literature review to data collection and analysis, to writing and revisions. Underestimating the time needed for a research project is extremely common , so it’s important to include buffer time for unforeseen delays.

Remember, efficient time management is not just about the duration but also about the timing . For example, if your research involves fieldwork, there may specific times of the year when this is most doable (or not doable at all).  So, be sure to consider both time and timing for each of your prospective topics.

Criterion #5: Ethical Compliance

Failing to adhere to your university’s research ethics policy is a surefire way to get your proposal rejected . So, you’ll need to evaluate each topic for potential ethical issues, especially if your research involves human subjects, sensitive data, or has any potential environmental impact.

Remember that ethical compliance is not just a formality – it’s a responsibility to ensure the integrity and social responsibility of your research. Topics that pose significant ethical challenges are typically the first to be rejected, so you need to take this seriously. It’s also useful to keep in mind that some topics are more “ethically sensitive” than others , which usually means that they’ll require multiple levels of approval. Ideally, you want to avoid this additional admin, so mark down any prospective topics that fall into an ethical “grey zone”.

If you’re unsure about the details of your university’s ethics policy, ask for a copy or speak directly to your course coordinator. Don’t make any assumptions when it comes to research ethics!

Key Takeaways

In this post, we’ve explored how to choose a research topic using a systematic approach. To recap, the “Big 5” assessment criteria include:

• Topic originality and novelty
• Time requirements
• Ethical compliance

Be sure to grab a copy of our free research topic evaluator sheet here to fast-track your topic selection process. If you need hands-on help finding and refining a high-quality research topic for your dissertation or thesis, you can also check out our private coaching service .

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University of Pittsburgh Library System

• Collections

Course & Subject Guides

How to increase the visibility of your research, introduction, 1. get unique author identifier orcid to distinguish yourself and your work from that of all other researchers., 2. share outputs of your research, 3. create and keep up to date online profile (or a web cv), 4. engage in social networking communities, 6. post on x (formerly twitter).

Activities aimed at promoting research are increasingly important in researchers’ work.  By making your research visible and accessible you increase chances of your research being noticed, used and having impact, thus increasing your own reputation and chances of success in your academic work. 

Researchers are embracing a variety of activities and tools to promote work, connect with other researchers, and engage in scholarly discourse.  Increasingly, the activities related to promoting their research take place at all stages of the research process: from the discovery stage, through analysis and writing process, through to publishing, outreach, and  assessment.  101 Innovations in Scholarly Communication project from University of Utrecht (see below) provides a comprehensive mapping of traditional and newer tools to aid research process.   

In this guide you will find descriptions of six steps to increased visibility and impact of research activity, and recommendations of tools that can help in this process. 

• You can find out more about ORCID, create new ORCID or to link your existing ORCID to University of Pittsburgh information systems here.

Publications, preprints, conference papers and posters, presentations, research data, video, code are all evidence of your research activity.  By making them all publicly accessible you increase your visibility, preserve your outputs and make them available for future use.  Moreover, many research funders in the US and overseas require that both publications and underlying data are made available in open access.  A comprehensive list of open access requirement for US Federal, US private and international funders can be found at Carnegie Mellon University Library website .

Great places to make your research outputs available openly are institutional and subject repositories.   OpenDOAR  is a comprehensive database of open access repositories.     

At the University of Pittsburgh, you can deposit your research outputs in d-Scholarship .  d-Scholarship can ingest many types of research outputs (including publications, pre-prints, working papers, slides and presentations, dissertations, video and some data sets), is committed to ongoing preservation of these outputs, is indexed by Google for improved discoverability and use and provides statistics of use and impact of deposited materials.  

Popular publication subject repositories include:

• AgEcon (Agriculture and Applied Economics) maintained by University of Minnesota's Department of Applied Economics 
• ArXiv   - (pre-prints in  Physics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Quantitative Biology, Quantitative Finance and Statistics)  Currently maintained by Cornell University Library
• CiteSeer  - (Computer and Information Science)  maintained by College of Information Sciences and Technology at Pennsylvania State University
• PhilPapers   - (Philosophy) maintained by the Center for Digital Philosophy at University of Western Ontario
• PubMedCentral   - is a repository for US federally funded research outputs in Medicine.  It is required for all publications supported by NIH (and some other US federal agencies) funding to be deposited in PubMedCentral.   This site explains the mandate and the process.

Research Papers in Economics (Repec)  is a collaborative effort of volunteers in 86 countries  to enhance the dissemination of research in economics and related sciences. It is a bibliographic database of working papers, journal articles, books, books chapters and software components.

• Social Science Research Network  (SSRN)  - aims at early dissemination of social science, business, law and economics research.  It allows for deposit of both abstract of working papers and upcoming publications as well as full text of published outputs. 

Sharing research data 

A comprehensive list of subject specific and general science data repositories can be found here .  General science repositories, such as  figshare ,  Dryad Digital Repository  or Mendeley Data , handle a variety of data and may be appropriate for storage of associated analyses, or experimental-control data, as a supplement to the primary data record. Some data sets can also be deposited in University of Pittsburgh’s institutional repository d-Scholarship.  Find out more about this option here .

Sharing other research outputs

​ Slideshare,   while not exclusive to the research community ,  is great for sharing your presentations.  It supports PowerPoint, PDF, Keynote and OpenDocument file types and provides basic usage statistics. F1000Research is an option for researchers in life sciences.  It allows for free deposit of research posters and presentations ( please note that publishing articles on the website incurs processing fees ).  If you develop code, GitHub  may be a great place to deposit it.      

T hese could be simply your personal and institutional web pages or commercial services allowing you to highlight your professional accomplishments and areas of expertise.  Below you will see a more detailed description of  few such tools.  These tools, apart from simply allowing you to list your research outputs will also provide you with additional information relating to their use and impact (for instance, citation counts, downloads or attention on the social web). 

•  Sign to your Google account, or create one if you don't yet have one. Use a personal account, not an account at your    employer, so that you can keep your profile for as long as you wish.
• Once you've signed in to your Google account, the  Citations sign up form  will ask you to confirm the spelling of your name, and to enter your affiliation, interests, etc. Enter your university email address which would make your profile eligible for inclusion in Google Scholar search results.
• Next, you'll see groups of articles written by people with names similar to yours. Click "Add all articles" next to each article group that is yours, or "See all articles" to add specific articles from that group. If you don't see your articles in these groups, click "Search articles" to do a regular Google Scholar search, and then add your articles one at a time. 
• Once you're done with adding articles, GS will ask you what to do when the article data changes in Google Scholar. You can either have the updates applied to your profile automatically, or you can choose to review them beforehand. In either case, you can always go to your profile and make changes by hand.
• Finally, you will see your profile. This is a good time to add a few finishing touches - upload your professional looking photo, visit your university email inbox and click on the verification link, double check the list of articles, and, once you're completely satisfied, make your profile public. Voila - it's now eligible to appear in Google Scholar when someone searches for your name!

Impactstory gets its data from Altmetric.com, Mendeley and X for tracing impact and CrossRef and ORCID for identity management and metadata.   

Kudos will monitor:

• number of tweets posted by author to promote the publication
• number of Facebook posts by author to promote the publication
• number of times author has sent email to colleagues/friends with link the 
publication page on Kudos or with the link to the article page on the publisher’s site
• number of visits to the publication page on Kudos that is generated by 
sharing activities via email or social media
• total number of visits to publication page on Kudos
• number of times the publication is downloaded from the publisher’s 
site
• number of times the publication’s abstract is clicked on or viewed on the 
publisher’s site
• a score generated by Altmetric.com (which includes tweets, Mendeley and 
CiteULike readership)


A brief YouTube video from Kudos provides more details.   

Another great way to disseminate your research and gain reputation is through active engagement in research networking communities.  These services will allow you to create profiles, showcase your research outputs, identify communities of interest and participate in discussions by posting and answering questions in your network.  All of them will also let you know about impact of your activates in these networks, for instance downloads of your publications, views of your profile and levels of your activity as compared to others in the network.

Blogging is also a great tool for making your research content more visible.  When you write a blog post, you are creating content that can be freely shared via social media.  Blogs content is freely available and not limited by publisher restrictions thus potentially reaching and influencing much wider and diverse audiences.  With a blog you can become part of a network with whom you can share ideas and engage in discourse in your area of interest.  This can enhance your reputation as an expert in your field, allow you to gain valuable feedback on ideas and broaden your professional network. 

Kelly Oaks, a Guardian science writer has the following suggestions for those interested in starting a blog:

• Have a decent profile picture and text - this is how people will find you. 
• Use the X search (or Google search) to find topics that interest you - this will allow you to find and follow people working in your area - and they may, in turn, follow you back.  If someone follows you, unless they are selling snake oil, follow them back.
• Look out for hash tags for events in your field (conferences/seminars).  Follow them, even (some would say, especially) if you aren’t there.  Comment on posts that interest you or where you have something to say.
• Set up search alerts to keep abreast of activity that’s of interest to you.
• Post when your community is most active, and most likely to see your stuff.  Use a service like Buffer to schedule posts if you are normally tied up in labs or classes when your audience is active.
• Make use of X lists to organize people you follow into thematic groups so that you don’t miss key things.

Is the effort of blogging or posting really worth your time?   Read here about experiences of Melissa Terras , Director of University College London Centre for Digital Humanities, who took all of her academic research, including papers that have been available online for years, to the web and found that her audience responded with a huge leap in interest in her work.

• Last Updated: Jan 4, 2024 3:21 PM
• URL: https://pitt.libguides.com/researchvisibility

• How to write a research paper

Last updated

11 January 2024

Reviewed by

With proper planning, knowledge, and framework, completing a research paper can be a fulfilling and exciting experience. 

Though it might initially sound slightly intimidating, this guide will help you embrace the challenge. 

By documenting your findings, you can inspire others and make a difference in your field. Here's how you can make your research paper unique and comprehensive.

• What is a research paper?

Research papers allow you to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of a particular topic. These papers are usually lengthier and more detailed than typical essays, requiring deeper insight into the chosen topic.

To write a research paper, you must first choose a topic that interests you and is relevant to the field of study. Once you’ve selected your topic, gathering as many relevant resources as possible, including books, scholarly articles, credible websites, and other academic materials, is essential. You must then read and analyze these sources, summarizing their key points and identifying gaps in the current research.

You can formulate your ideas and opinions once you thoroughly understand the existing research. To get there might involve conducting original research, gathering data, or analyzing existing data sets. It could also involve presenting an original argument or interpretation of the existing research.

Writing a successful research paper involves presenting your findings clearly and engagingly, which might involve using charts, graphs, or other visual aids to present your data and using concise language to explain your findings. You must also ensure your paper adheres to relevant academic formatting guidelines, including proper citations and references.

Overall, writing a research paper requires a significant amount of time, effort, and attention to detail. However, it is also an enriching experience that allows you to delve deeply into a subject that interests you and contribute to the existing body of knowledge in your chosen field.

• How long should a research paper be?

Research papers are deep dives into a topic. Therefore, they tend to be longer pieces of work than essays or opinion pieces. 

However, a suitable length depends on the complexity of the topic and your level of expertise. For instance, are you a first-year college student or an experienced professional? 

Also, remember that the best research papers provide valuable information for the benefit of others. Therefore, the quality of information matters most, not necessarily the length. Being concise is valuable.

Following these best practice steps will help keep your process simple and productive:

1. Gaining a deep understanding of any expectations

Before diving into your intended topic or beginning the research phase, take some time to orient yourself. Suppose there’s a specific topic assigned to you. In that case, it’s essential to deeply understand the question and organize your planning and approach in response. Pay attention to the key requirements and ensure you align your writing accordingly. 

This preparation step entails

Deeply understanding the task or assignment

Being clear about the expected format and length

Familiarizing yourself with the citation and referencing requirements 

Understanding any defined limits for your research contribution

Where applicable, speaking to your professor or research supervisor for further clarification

2. Choose your research topic

Select a research topic that aligns with both your interests and available resources. Ideally, focus on a field where you possess significant experience and analytical skills. In crafting your research paper, it's crucial to go beyond summarizing existing data and contribute fresh insights to the chosen area.

Consider narrowing your focus to a specific aspect of the topic. For example, if exploring the link between technology and mental health, delve into how social media use during the pandemic impacts the well-being of college students. Conducting interviews and surveys with students could provide firsthand data and unique perspectives, adding substantial value to the existing knowledge.

When finalizing your topic, adhere to legal and ethical norms in the relevant area (this ensures the integrity of your research, protects participants' rights, upholds intellectual property standards, and ensures transparency and accountability). Following these principles not only maintains the credibility of your work but also builds trust within your academic or professional community.

For instance, in writing about medical research, consider legal and ethical norms, including patient confidentiality laws and informed consent requirements. Similarly, if analyzing user data on social media platforms, be mindful of data privacy regulations, ensuring compliance with laws governing personal information collection and use. Aligning with legal and ethical standards not only avoids potential issues but also underscores the responsible conduct of your research.

3. Gather preliminary research

Once you’ve landed on your topic, it’s time to explore it further. You’ll want to discover more about available resources and existing research relevant to your assignment at this stage. 

This exploratory phase is vital as you may discover issues with your original idea or realize you have insufficient resources to explore the topic effectively. This key bit of groundwork allows you to redirect your research topic in a different, more feasible, or more relevant direction if necessary. 

Spending ample time at this stage ensures you gather everything you need, learn as much as you can about the topic, and discover gaps where the topic has yet to be sufficiently covered, offering an opportunity to research it further. 

4. Define your research question

To produce a well-structured and focused paper, it is imperative to formulate a clear and precise research question that will guide your work. Your research question must be informed by the existing literature and tailored to the scope and objectives of your project. By refining your focus, you can produce a thoughtful and engaging paper that effectively communicates your ideas to your readers.

5. Write a thesis statement

A thesis statement is a one-to-two-sentence summary of your research paper's main argument or direction. It serves as an overall guide to summarize the overall intent of the research paper for you and anyone wanting to know more about the research.

A strong thesis statement is:

Concise and clear: Explain your case in simple sentences (avoid covering multiple ideas). It might help to think of this section as an elevator pitch.

Specific: Ensure that there is no ambiguity in your statement and that your summary covers the points argued in the paper.

Debatable: A thesis statement puts forward a specific argument––it is not merely a statement but a debatable point that can be analyzed and discussed.

Here are three thesis statement examples from different disciplines:

Psychology thesis example: "We're studying adults aged 25-40 to see if taking short breaks for mindfulness can help with stress. Our goal is to find practical ways to manage anxiety better."

Environmental science thesis example: "This research paper looks into how having more city parks might make the air cleaner and keep people healthier. I want to find out if more green spaces means breathing fewer carcinogens in big cities."

UX research thesis example: "This study focuses on improving mobile banking for older adults using ethnographic research, eye-tracking analysis, and interactive prototyping. We investigate the usefulness of eye-tracking analysis with older individuals, aiming to spark debate and offer fresh perspectives on UX design and digital inclusivity for the aging population."

6. Conduct in-depth research

A research paper doesn’t just include research that you’ve uncovered from other papers and studies but your fresh insights, too. You will seek to become an expert on your topic––understanding the nuances in the current leading theories. You will analyze existing research and add your thinking and discoveries.  It's crucial to conduct well-designed research that is rigorous, robust, and based on reliable sources. Suppose a research paper lacks evidence or is biased. In that case, it won't benefit the academic community or the general public. Therefore, examining the topic thoroughly and furthering its understanding through high-quality research is essential. That usually means conducting new research. Depending on the area under investigation, you may conduct surveys, interviews, diary studies, or observational research to uncover new insights or bolster current claims.

7. Determine supporting evidence

Not every piece of research you’ve discovered will be relevant to your research paper. It’s important to categorize the most meaningful evidence to include alongside your discoveries. It's important to include evidence that doesn't support your claims to avoid exclusion bias and ensure a fair research paper.

8. Write a research paper outline

Before diving in and writing the whole paper, start with an outline. It will help you to see if more research is needed, and it will provide a framework by which to write a more compelling paper. Your supervisor may even request an outline to approve before beginning to write the first draft of the full paper. An outline will include your topic, thesis statement, key headings, short summaries of the research, and your arguments.

9. Write your first draft

Once you feel confident about your outline and sources, it’s time to write your first draft. While penning a long piece of content can be intimidating, if you’ve laid the groundwork, you will have a structure to help you move steadily through each section. To keep up motivation and inspiration, it’s often best to keep the pace quick. Stopping for long periods can interrupt your flow and make jumping back in harder than writing when things are fresh in your mind.

10. Cite your sources correctly

It's always a good practice to give credit where it's due, and the same goes for citing any works that have influenced your paper. Building your arguments on credible references adds value and authenticity to your research. In the formatting guidelines section, you’ll find an overview of different citation styles (MLA, CMOS, or APA), which will help you meet any publishing or academic requirements and strengthen your paper's credibility. It is essential to follow the guidelines provided by your school or the publication you are submitting to ensure the accuracy and relevance of your citations.

11. Ensure your work is original

It is crucial to ensure the originality of your paper, as plagiarism can lead to serious consequences. To avoid plagiarism, you should use proper paraphrasing and quoting techniques. Paraphrasing is rewriting a text in your own words while maintaining the original meaning. Quoting involves directly citing the source. Giving credit to the original author or source is essential whenever you borrow their ideas or words. You can also use plagiarism detection tools such as Scribbr or Grammarly to check the originality of your paper. These tools compare your draft writing to a vast database of online sources. If you find any accidental plagiarism, you should correct it immediately by rephrasing or citing the source.

12. Revise, edit, and proofread

One of the essential qualities of excellent writers is their ability to understand the importance of editing and proofreading. Even though it's tempting to call it a day once you've finished your writing, editing your work can significantly improve its quality. It's natural to overlook the weaker areas when you've just finished writing a paper. Therefore, it's best to take a break of a day or two, or even up to a week, to refresh your mind. This way, you can return to your work with a new perspective. After some breathing room, you can spot any inconsistencies, spelling and grammar errors, typos, or missing citations and correct them. 

• The best research paper format 

The format of your research paper should align with the requirements set forth by your college, school, or target publication. 

There is no one “best” format, per se. Depending on the stated requirements, you may need to include the following elements:

Title page: The title page of a research paper typically includes the title, author's name, and institutional affiliation and may include additional information such as a course name or instructor's name. 

Table of contents: Include a table of contents to make it easy for readers to find specific sections of your paper.

Abstract: The abstract is a summary of the purpose of the paper.

Methods : In this section, describe the research methods used. This may include collecting data, conducting interviews, or doing field research.

Results: Summarize the conclusions you drew from your research in this section.

Discussion: In this section, discuss the implications of your research. Be sure to mention any significant limitations to your approach and suggest areas for further research.

Tables, charts, and illustrations: Use tables, charts, and illustrations to help convey your research findings and make them easier to understand.

Works cited or reference page: Include a works cited or reference page to give credit to the sources that you used to conduct your research.

Bibliography: Provide a list of all the sources you consulted while conducting your research.

Dedication and acknowledgments : Optionally, you may include a dedication and acknowledgments section to thank individuals who helped you with your research.

• General style and formatting guidelines

Formatting your research paper means you can submit it to your college, journal, or other publications in compliance with their criteria.

Research papers tend to follow the American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), or Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) guidelines.

Here’s how each style guide is typically used:

Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS):

CMOS is a versatile style guide used for various types of writing. It's known for its flexibility and use in the humanities. CMOS provides guidelines for citations, formatting, and overall writing style. It allows for both footnotes and in-text citations, giving writers options based on their preferences or publication requirements.

American Psychological Association (APA):

APA is common in the social sciences. It’s hailed for its clarity and emphasis on precision. It has specific rules for citing sources, creating references, and formatting papers. APA style uses in-text citations with an accompanying reference list. It's designed to convey information efficiently and is widely used in academic and scientific writing.

Modern Language Association (MLA):

MLA is widely used in the humanities, especially literature and language studies. It emphasizes the author-page format for in-text citations and provides guidelines for creating a "Works Cited" page. MLA is known for its focus on the author's name and the literary works cited. It’s frequently used in disciplines that prioritize literary analysis and critical thinking.

To confirm you're using the latest style guide, check the official website or publisher's site for updates, consult academic resources, and verify the guide's publication date. Online platforms and educational resources may also provide summaries and alerts about any revisions or additions to the style guide.

Citing sources

When working on your research paper, it's important to cite the sources you used properly. Your citation style will guide you through this process. Generally, there are three parts to citing sources in your research paper: 

First, provide a brief citation in the body of your essay. This is also known as a parenthetical or in-text citation. 

Second, include a full citation in the Reference list at the end of your paper. Different types of citations include in-text citations, footnotes, and reference lists. 

In-text citations include the author's surname and the date of the citation. 

Footnotes appear at the bottom of each page of your research paper. They may also be summarized within a reference list at the end of the paper. 

A reference list includes all of the research used within the paper at the end of the document. It should include the author, date, paper title, and publisher listed in the order that aligns with your citation style.

10 research paper writing tips:

Following some best practices is essential to writing a research paper that contributes to your field of study and creates a positive impact.

These tactics will help you structure your argument effectively and ensure your work benefits others:

Clear and precise language:  Ensure your language is unambiguous. Use academic language appropriately, but keep it simple. Also, provide clear takeaways for your audience.

Effective idea separation:  Organize the vast amount of information and sources in your paper with paragraphs and titles. Create easily digestible sections for your readers to navigate through.

Compelling intro:  Craft an engaging introduction that captures your reader's interest. Hook your audience and motivate them to continue reading.

Thorough revision and editing:  Take the time to review and edit your paper comprehensively. Use tools like Grammarly to detect and correct small, overlooked errors.

Thesis precision:  Develop a clear and concise thesis statement that guides your paper. Ensure that your thesis aligns with your research's overall purpose and contribution.

Logical flow of ideas:  Maintain a logical progression throughout the paper. Use transitions effectively to connect different sections and maintain coherence.

Critical evaluation of sources:  Evaluate and critically assess the relevance and reliability of your sources. Ensure that your research is based on credible and up-to-date information.

Thematic consistency:  Maintain a consistent theme throughout the paper. Ensure that all sections contribute cohesively to the overall argument.

Relevant supporting evidence:  Provide concise and relevant evidence to support your arguments. Avoid unnecessary details that may distract from the main points.

Embrace counterarguments:  Acknowledge and address opposing views to strengthen your position. Show that you have considered alternative arguments in your field.

7 research tips 

If you want your paper to not only be well-written but also contribute to the progress of human knowledge, consider these tips to take your paper to the next level:

Selecting the appropriate topic: The topic you select should align with your area of expertise, comply with the requirements of your project, and have sufficient resources for a comprehensive investigation.

Use academic databases: Academic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and JSTOR offer a wealth of research papers that can help you discover everything you need to know about your chosen topic.

Critically evaluate sources: It is important not to accept research findings at face value. Instead, it is crucial to critically analyze the information to avoid jumping to conclusions or overlooking important details. A well-written research paper requires a critical analysis with thorough reasoning to support claims.

Diversify your sources: Expand your research horizons by exploring a variety of sources beyond the standard databases. Utilize books, conference proceedings, and interviews to gather diverse perspectives and enrich your understanding of the topic.

Take detailed notes: Detailed note-taking is crucial during research and can help you form the outline and body of your paper.

Stay up on trends: Keep abreast of the latest developments in your field by regularly checking for recent publications. Subscribe to newsletters, follow relevant journals, and attend conferences to stay informed about emerging trends and advancements. 

Engage in peer review: Seek feedback from peers or mentors to ensure the rigor and validity of your research. Peer review helps identify potential weaknesses in your methodology and strengthens the overall credibility of your findings.

• The real-world impact of research papers

Writing a research paper is more than an academic or business exercise. The experience provides an opportunity to explore a subject in-depth, broaden one's understanding, and arrive at meaningful conclusions. With careful planning, dedication, and hard work, writing a research paper can be a fulfilling and enriching experience contributing to advancing knowledge.

How do I publish my research paper? 

Many academics wish to publish their research papers. While challenging, your paper might get traction if it covers new and well-written information. To publish your research paper, find a target publication, thoroughly read their guidelines, format your paper accordingly, and send it to them per their instructions. You may need to include a cover letter, too. After submission, your paper may be peer-reviewed by experts to assess its legitimacy, quality, originality, and methodology. Following review, you will be informed by the publication whether they have accepted or rejected your paper. 

What is a good opening sentence for a research paper? 

Beginning your research paper with a compelling introduction can ensure readers are interested in going further. A relevant quote, a compelling statistic, or a bold argument can start the paper and hook your reader. Remember, though, that the most important aspect of a research paper is the quality of the information––not necessarily your ability to storytell, so ensure anything you write aligns with your goals.

Research paper vs. a research proposal—what’s the difference?

While some may confuse research papers and proposals, they are different documents. 

A research proposal comes before a research paper. It is a detailed document that outlines an intended area of exploration. It includes the research topic, methodology, timeline, sources, and potential conclusions. Research proposals are often required when seeking approval to conduct research. 

A research paper is a summary of research findings. A research paper follows a structured format to present those findings and construct an argument or conclusion.

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• v.13(5); 2017 May

Ten simple rules to make the most out of your undergraduate research career

1 University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, United States of America

2 Department of Cell Biology and Anatomy, College of Medicine, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan

In 2008, the Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR), a national organization founded in 1978 that promotes research opportunities for faculty members and undergraduates, featured 2,800 presenters in their annual undergraduate conference. Today, it has developed to include numerous disciplines ranging from biochemistry to theater and drama, and nearly 10,000 members and over 900 universities have participated in its endeavor to promote undergraduate research [ 1 ]. These statistics not only highlight the prevalence of undergraduates participating in research but also demonstrate the importance of research in undergraduate education.

Many undergraduates have reported numerous benefits from participating in research. In a study involving about 4,500 undergraduates that participated in undergraduate research opportunities sponsored by the National Science Foundation, respondents reported an increased level of understanding, resilience, and confidence in performing research and motivation to apply for graduate school programs [ 2 ]. In another analysis of 76 student interviews from four liberal arts colleges, undergraduates believed they have gained more laboratory (lab) techniques and have developed an attitude to “thinking and working like a scientist” [ 3 ]. These lab techniques and research attitudes are essential, as they help undergraduates develop better research habits and the solid foundation of knowledge and experience needed for their future research careers. For instance, knowing how to manage large datasets effectively, such as large patient genetic datasets and electronic health records, and designing proper algorithms and computational models to analyze data are essential skills for undergraduates interested in computational biology. In addition, unlike classroom learning, undergraduate research provides hands-on experience that allows undergraduates to gain a deeper understanding of the scientific process and to develop better research habits.

Despite the multiple benefits that research offers, undergraduates sometimes struggle and feel overwhelmed with the research process. Some undergraduates may not be familiar with the dynamics of the lab and may be afraid to interact with their lab colleagues and mentors. Other undergraduates may not completely understand the purpose of their work and feel overwhelmed by not knowing the results of their experiments before performing them. These consequences could, in turn, have detrimental effects on the relationship between undergraduates and their lab colleagues and decrease the motivation for undergraduates to pursue research in the future [ 4 – 5 ]. In light of these concerns, we propose ten simple rules constructed from our experiences as a college senior and a professor who has worked with undergraduate researchers that would help undergraduates enjoy and intellectually enrich their research experiences. Although this article may have components that are covered elsewhere [ 6 – 10 ], it extends and refines some advice from earlier articles so that they are more suitable for undergraduates.

Rule 1: Start early

As an undergraduate, you may not know what type of research project you would like to pursue or whether it fits into your future research career. Therefore, it is essential to start early to explore and develop your research interests and goals. Your goal could be to gain more research experience before attending graduate school or to determine whether you prefer working in the industry to working in academia. Or, you might be new to research and hope to determine whether you would incorporate it into your future career or not. Whatever your reason is, be sure to start early to give yourself ample time to reflect on your goals and interests.

Finding the right research lab could take more than emailing several professors or research managers; it might require meeting a member of a lab at a conference or taking a tour of the lab to determine if it is the right fit. You might even consider joining professional research societies or research networks at your university to explore which areas are actively shaping the field and network with other researchers. For instance, the International Society for Computational Biology (ISCB) hosts numerous conferences and forums for computational biologists and students to network and promote their scientific research. It also has a career center for students and researchers to find jobs and be recognized for their talents [ 11 ]. Additionally, if you expect to publish during your undergraduate research career, you might want to start early to ask other professors and students within your department or look up the publication patterns of the potential mentor’s research group on the lab website.

As you become a new member of a lab, you might need some time to acclimate to the new lab environment and determine your commitment to doing research. You may find that life catches you off guard as you start to juggle between classes, jobs, and extracurricular activities, thus causing you to not find enough time to do research. Starting early, such as during your freshman or sophomore year, would provide you with ample time to explore your research goals and interests and participate in meaningful research activities.

Rule 2: Know your foundational knowledge and skills

When you begin searching for undergraduate research positions, it is helpful to have already taken the recommended courses related to your research experience. Many professors would evaluate your knowledge and competence in a particular field to predict your success in the lab. Having the background knowledge in the research area of your chosen lab will help you understand the science behind the studies and experiments that are performed and will serve as useful foundational knowledge should you decide to pursue an independent research project in the future. For instance, while a computational biology lab might have a variety of lab members each with a different set of skills, such as a statistician, bioinformatician, or a software developer, it is helpful to have taken courses in computer science, programming, statistics, and biology before joining the lab. If your lab participates in a lot of programming activities, you might also consider brushing up on your coding and programming skills and taking a variety of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) in computer science and programming [ 12 – 13 ]. Another way to gain more foundational knowledge is to read as much as you can about the topics pertaining to your chosen research lab from peer-reviewed journal articles, especially the papers that your chosen lab has published, or from popular science magazines. Table 1 lists some useful online resources for undergraduates to gain additional background preparation for their research experiences.

While it is important to have the foundational knowledge before entering a lab, you should also remember to provide yourself enough time to do research (Rule 1). The process of finding the right time to do research can be complicated and may require you to seek additional help. For instance, you might consider discussing undergraduate research with potential mentors or advisers within your department. You might even visit the career center or take some research methodology or independent study courses at your university to determine if you are prepared. While starting research in your junior or senior year reduces the likelihood of publishing, you might have more foundational knowledge from your classes and have a more individualized approach to achieve your research goals and interests. Whatever it is you choose to do, make sure that you exploit the resources around you and give yourself enough time to decide when is the right time to do research.

Rule 3: Let passion guide your research interests and goals

Like with many things in life, your interests and passions should help guide you to which research projects and fields you would like to pursue. Being interested in and passionate about the subject matter helps alleviate some of the mental and physical burden you may feel when spending countless hours in the lab. Before accepting an undergraduate research opportunity, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• Is this research opportunity related to my academic interests?
• What kind of research experience am I looking for, and what do I hope to gain from the experience?
• How much time am I willing to commit, and what skills do I have that would contribute to this experience?
• Do the professors whom I work for have similar academic interests as I do?

While many universities host many conferences and discussion forums in which professors, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers present their work, these events are also an opportunity for aspiring undergraduate researchers to meet with presenters and explore their academic interests. Take advantage of them! Exploring the websites of different research labs and other forms of apprenticeship should not be overlooked, as they are opportunities to gauge your interest in those fields and whether the research lab you are interested in is a good fit for you or not.

Moreover, being enthusiastic about the subject matter helps improve the chemistry you have with your lab director or with your research colleagues (Rules 4 and 6). While your colleagues and mentors are always willing to help you, it would make a better impression and would facilitate more dynamic discussions if you care about the topic. Your mentors and lab colleagues are also more motivated to help you with your project.

Rule 4: Build positive relationships with your lab colleagues

As you become a new member of a research team, it is critical to be familiar with the dynamics of the lab and build good relationships with your research colleagues. Every lab has its own unique qualities. Some labs, such as basic science labs, may have a large team of senior researchers or graduate students performing experiments to investigate certain phenomena and developing assays on biofluid samples. Other labs, such as social science labs, may have a large team of graduate or undergraduate research assistants enrolling human participants to investigate a certain phenomenon. You might even have a research lab that involves a lot of collaborative research partnerships, sometimes international, with other labs. This is particularly true for labs that are largely interdisciplinary in nature or require highly technical equipment and expertise, such as a computational biology lab or a particle physics lab. There are also some labs that involve a small team of professors analyzing historical data, such as those in the humanities. Regardless of what type of research lab you are in, try to analyze the dynamics among the lab members, as this would help you acclimate to the new environment. You should also learn the expectations of your lab colleagues, as it would help you establish good research habits. Should you decide to have your own lab in the future, understanding lab dynamics and building good relationships with your research colleagues would help you understand your future undergraduate trainees and become a better mentor. Additionally, you should always treat your lab colleagues with respect as this would improve your relationship with them. They could serve as future collaborators, connections, or resources, as they may have more experience in certain research areas than you. Having occasional discussions or chats with them is another way to build better relationships with your lab colleagues.

Rule 5: Keep an open mind and do not be afraid to ask questions

As an undergraduate, you may not be expected to know how to develop a research question that leads to a significant discovery and is feasible to answer within a limited amount of time. Or, you might be working in a large lab with so many open research questions and projects that you may not have the autonomy to develop your own research project. It is thus important to keep an open mind. Try to learn techniques and obtain new knowledge by having conversations with your senior colleagues. You should also allow your research mentor to guide you and give you advice, such as networking opportunities at professional research societies (Rule 1). Remember that learning how to do scientific research takes some time and effort (Rule 7), and your mentor is there to help you formulate your research project and guide you toward answering that question. Even after you have demonstrated competence in the lab, you should still keep an open mind, as there may be moments where you are inspired with a novel idea that may be relevant to your work. For instance, you might read an interesting news article about a study relevant to your research and wish to incorporate it into your project (Rule 10). Or, you might receive some useful advice from a conversation with a lab colleague and hope to include it into your work (Rule 4).

In addition to keeping an open mind, you should not be afraid to ask your senior colleagues any question regarding your research project or a particular research field. Asking questions is a great way to make an impression and foster open communication with your lab colleagues. It also allows you to learn more about a certain project you might not understand or any networking or presenting opportunity (Rule 9) that may be helpful for your future research career.

Rule 6: Foster open communication with your research mentor and maintain a work/life balance

Research requires a significant amount of your time and energy and may take a mental and physical toll on your health, particularly if you are doing research during the school year. It is thus important to foster open communication with your research mentor. Remember that your mentor is providing you with the time and resources you need to succeed in the lab, so it is essential that you remain honest about your availability and work. Be sure to let your mentor know about your availability and goals working in the lab during the semester. Research should also be equally balanced with other extracurricular activities that you enjoy, as they would help you maintain a good work/life balance and could be helpful for your future career.

Fostering open communication with your mentor also demonstrates your initiative and progress to your mentor. As your research mentors may be busy with teaching and other scholarship endeavors, it is helpful to set up weekly meetings with them to demonstrate your progress and obtain constructive feedback for your work. You will build a stronger connection with your mentor and your mentor will be more likely to help you by writing you a strong letter of recommendation or helping you coauthor a peer-reviewed paper. If you encounter any moment in which the data you have collected do not meet your expectations, you should still discuss your progress with your mentor at least once per week, because you may fall into a vicious cycle in which you work hard to try to produce positive results in vain. During these instances, your mentor may slightly alter your research project so that you would not fall into that trap and lose motivation in doing research.

Rule 7: Learn research by doing it

An important part of learning the scientific research process is to actually perform the research. Without setting up the experiment and testing your hypothesis properly, you will never know the truth about your research question [ 14 ]. As you perform the experiment, you might find an interesting discovery or gain more experience in doing a particular technique. Doing research also helps you develop better research skills and learn how to deal with setbacks. Regardless of what happens after you perform the experiment, try not to grow too attached to your data and do not put much stress on yourself if your study fails to produce significant results. Instead, you should remain confident and learn from your hardships. Be sure to also have open discussions about your results with other scientists or your lab group. While contributing to a peer-reviewed publication is definitely an impressive accomplishment that many undergraduates aspire to achieve, try not to give yourself too much pressure should your research contributions not turn out the way you expected or do not meet the standards required for a peer-reviewed publication.

Another helpful way to learn the scientific research process is to gain different or more diverse research experiences, especially when your interests change or if things do not turn out the way you have expected. These could be in the form of working on a different project in the same lab or transitioning to another lab to develop a different set of skills. For instance, if your goal is to become an experimental biologist to test for particular types of bioactivity of a drug or biomarker at the cellular or molecular level but your research experience thus far has only focused on data mining in large, biological databases, you might consider moving to a lab that focuses on developing high throughput assays that test these biomarkers and drugs. Whatever your choice is, be sure to let your mentor know of your decision and do the necessary background preparation you need to succeed in the next step of your undergraduate research career (Rule 2). You should also thank your former mentor and lab colleagues, as they have invested some time, effort, and resources in you.

Rule 8: Be organized

Good organizational skills facilitate effective research and help you maintain a healthy lifestyle. Having an organized lab notebook or a folder with essential background research papers is critical for analyzing data or generating new ideas or proposals for your research project. Most importantly, being organized will help you tremendously when you present your results in a symposium or peer-reviewed publication, as it allows you to complete work in a timely manner. Good organizational skills also help you avoid being overwhelmed and overscheduling yourself with additional activities and other scholarly pursuits.

Rule 9: Find opportunities to present your work

As an aspiring scientist, you should try to find opportunities to present your work. This could range from having an elevator pitch with a committee member to presenting your work at a conference or in a peer-reviewed paper. These opportunities would not only improve your communication and interpersonal skills and publicize your accomplishments but would also allow you to network with other scientists. Many universities host symposiums during the school semester, and some conferences allow undergraduates to submit an abstract for peer-review. In addition, many summer research programs and postbaccalaureate research programs host poster sessions or other conferences at the end of the research session for students to present their work.

Rule 10: Keep up with the scientific literature

As an undergraduate researcher, it is helpful to keep up with the scientific literature, as it could provide some inspiration for your research project. For example, your research project might involve the role of a certain gene in the development of a disease and you might come across a scientific paper that cited a publicly available genetic database that could be helpful for your project. You might also have recently encountered an issue with your project for which another research group has just found a potential solution. These news items do not have to be peer-reviewed articles; they could include news from a variety of popular scientific news websites or magazines ( Table 1 ). Keeping up with the scientific literature also helps you gain some additional background knowledge and skills you may need to use in your research project (Rule 2).

Undergraduate research is an essential part of undergraduate education, as it offers many opportunities, ranging from developing the attitude to work as a researcher to networking and collaborating with other scientists. It is also fun and intellectually rewarding, as it allows you to uncover the truth about a phenomenon or develop better methods to investigate how the world works. These benefits are often not otherwise available in undergraduate education. Therefore, undergraduate research should be included in one’s undergraduate career if one is interested in pursuing research in the future. We hope that the advice and tips presented in this article will inspire and encourage other undergraduate researchers to enjoy and make the most out of their undergraduate research careers.

Funding Statement

The authors received no specific funding for this work.

How Do You Keep Your Research Innovative?

Single academic journal options are reserved for the most esoteric scientific niches. Beyond that, most fields have several journals competing for an audience, typically one with historical primacy that gave it a head start in bibliometrics, and others that were willing to take on the challenge of competing with it. If you can’t match the legacy and prestige, your best option is to focus on the newest, most cutting-edge research. Your longer-term objective is then to become so enmeshed with the field that researchers start to wonder if the journal is keeping-up with the latest trends, or if the latest trend is established through publication in that journal.

Replication Studies? Forget!

Unless your replication study data are rock solid and challenge an accepted rule of science so convincingly that any journal editor would be a fool to pass on the chance to publish it, most validation studies do not have strong prospects for getting published. The novelty factor just isn’t there, and most editors err on the side of caution based on the assumption that competing journals might publish similar replication studies, which would leave them all in a crowd rather than standing out from that crowd.

The Risk in Chasing Trends

That preoccupation with always standing out from the crowd makes it very difficult for a researcher to predict what an editor will consider to be innovative when the study has been completed and the research paper is ready to submit. Tracking topics that you consider to be “hot” based on current publications risks leaving your paper out in the cold if that topic has cooled by the time you’re ready to submit your findings.

The Pressure to Be Different

So, if replication studies won’t work, and chasing research trends could leave your research behind, what can you do? “Do something original,” is easier said than done. Some experts argue that you should select your journal target first, and then do some detective work on past issues, preferred topics, and the expertise of the editor and editorial board. Just as you would make sure that your resume and skill set would be a good fit for your preferred job, your research study should follow the same approach.

However, the harsh reality is that there may never be a good fit, and you will fall back on doing the study that you can get funded and deal with the challenge of getting the research paper published down the road. Some researchers, however, are not always willing to settle for that reality. Their response is to falsify or even completely fabricate the studies in order to generate research results that demand to be published. Judging by the rise in journal retractions , an increasing number of research teams are deciding that such actions may be the only way to cope with the pressure to publish or perish .

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Your Research Paper: Making it Unique

January 29, 2017

The senior seminar, English 102 research final, final thesis? Sound familiar? Well, these are just a few names given to one of the important papers that you will be asked to do on your road to your degree. You do not get to not choose to do them, everyone that is in line for a degree, no matter the type, will eventually be required to do a research paper.

Although it sounds like a paper that you do not look forward to, the research paper can be a fun way to dig into a subject that you plan to study or that you have had a voice about but have not had the chance to write about.

Making your paper one that is different is the key to a good grade. Irrespective of what kind of a classroom you are in — traditional or EdTech — there is a number of factors that characterize a well-written work. And if you are lucky to be a modern-class student, the process of assessment can turn out to be even more strict for you, though less-biased. So you'd better make use of all the modern technology you have available to dig deep into the subject.

As for traditional learners, your professors read hundreds of these papers a year, so how do you make your paper unique and stand out from the rest? How do you get that extra statement at the end of your paper that your professor writes telling how much they enjoyed reading your paper?

Choosing A Project

The main point of a senior paper is to piggy-back off existing research and arguments of published writers. Students must have a good idea of the subject they are going to write about. They should ask the following questions about the research:

• What type of dialogue has already been written about the texts that you are researching?
• What standing do the scholars associated with the work have in their academic community? Their respect level? Is their input highly respectful?
• Is the research trending now? Is it valuable to society in any way?
• Is there enough research out there on the topic to cover a 15-20-page paper?
• What is the theoretical approach each scholar has taken when it comes to your research if any?

Now that you have chosen your topic and you know what other scholars have written about it, you get the chance to write your own opinion.

Research is not just gleaning information and then pushing recycled information out there. It is critically thinking about the information that has been written and adding your input. Something new that your audience, your professors, have never heard before.

This makes adding your own theories that you identify with. This means taking what you think is more important and writing about that. For instance, are you interested in:

• Language- linguistics, narratology of the issue
• The human nature of the studies and what they represent to our psyche?
• The way literature was reflected or deflected with the use of the research studied?
• Was the literature related to the here and now or did it use history to compare and contrast?
• Has the research been changed so dramatically that it is no longer as important as some present scholars think due to the increase of technology?
• The way the research was received by audiences and is the audience the same as when the issue was first raised?

This may seem like a lot to absorb, but your input is what is going to make your research paper unique to your professor. He or she is looking for your voice as it pertains to the research.

Think critically about the existing scholarly debates and answer the following questions:

• What do you think about present trends on the topic? What are they?
• Are the researchers on the right road in their thinking? Why do you answer yes, or no?
• What is it that you see that they have not seen? How will you get your thoughts across?

If you can answer these questions, you should be able to construct an original thesis. An original thesis leads to a unique paper.

Getting help

If you are stuck remember to see your professor along the way. A research paper can be a daunting task and should be taken on as soon as you receive the assignment. It is not a paper you wait until the last minute to work on. If you start it early you must better result.

Start a study group. Help is always in the numbers. When you have a group of students helping one another on research projects, the risk is lowered that you will be working on the same topic. Good luck!

While being committed to a number of charitable causes, like volunteering at special events or giving free art lessons to children, Marie doesn’t forget her vocation – writing. She can write about almost anything but has focused on time management, motivation, academic and business writing.

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Making Your Research Paper Unique and Authoritative – Useful Tips to Know

Uniqueness and authoritativeness – the two salient qualities of a high-quality research paper.

Actually, both of these are related. When your research paper is unique, it automatically becomes authoritative. And if you strive to make your paper authoritative, you will automatically take care of the uniqueness factor as well.

But how can you make your research paper unique and authoritative? Let’s look at some useful tips that you can follow for that.

• Get your research right

To make your paper authoritative and unique, the first thing that you need to do properly is the research.

Let’s first talk about how proper research can help to make the paper authoritative .

During the research phase, if you are careful about picking the right sources, you can get your hands on some hefty facts and figures, which can later be used to back up the points and arguments in the paper.

And when all the arguments and points are backed up, there will be less conjecture and speculation in the paper. This will automatically increase the authoritativeness.

As an example, if you write a sentence in the following way:

“ There are a lot of species of fish on the planet, ”

…it would sound a lot weaker and unauthoritative as compared to this version of the same sentence:

“ According to World Atlas, there are around 33,600 species of fish in the world.”

Now, just as good research can help in making your paper authoritative, it can also play a role in making it unique. To help you understand this better, we are going to first list some tips about good research that you can follow. And then, we will talk about how each of those tips can help in making the paper unique.

• When researching, gather material from different sources
• Be sure to note down the details of the sources that you use
• Be sure to take ideas from the research material rather than exact words and phrases

So, when you garner material from different sources, you are able to keep your paper from being influenced by a single one. You won’t unknowingly use the same words as a single source, nor will you unintentionally mimic their tone.

Moving on, when you note down the details of the sources, you will be able to cite them properly later on. This will save you from committing source-based plagiarism and compromising the uniqueness of your paper.

And last but not least, when you take ideas rather than content from a source , you automatically reduce the chances of plagiarism. Since you won’t be copying anything verbatim, there won’t be any risk of plagiarizing anything, and this would lead to your paper being unique.

• Add Examples for Your Points

Adding examples is also something that can improve both the uniqueness and authoritativeness of your research paper.

When we say you should add examples in your paper, it basically refers to explanatory things. In other words, when you are explaining some idea or concept in the paper, you can add examples to add some clarity and context to it.

How do examples make your paper authoritative?

Basically, when you add examples in the paper, you make the concepts and the various points in it easy to understand. And when the paper is easy to understand, it automatically becomes more authoritative.

How do examples make your paper unique?

The concepts you discuss in your paper can be somewhat explored beforehand by other writers and authors, but the examples you give will most probably be unique and one-of-a-kind.

In other words, since you’ll be giving the examples according to your own style and knowledge, there won’t be any chances of those same examples already existing elsewhere.

This can add a touch of uniqueness to your paper, and lower the chances of plagiarism.

An Example of an Example

Before we move on, we should give an example of what we mean by giving an example in your paper. (It sounds a little confusing now, but we hope you understand what we mean.)

Suppose you’re discussing the Brownian motion of gas molecules in your paper. You can discuss it like this:

“The Brownian motion of gas molecules is characterized by its random and erratic nature. The molecules in question don’t follow a specific path, instead flying around helter-skelter in the container they’re in as a result of collisions against the walls. An example of a molecule adopting this motion would be that of a pinball in a cabinet without the downward gravitational pull. Just as a pinball decides its course due to the collisions around the walls and objects in the cabinet, the same thing happens with the gas molecules.”

• Organize Your Paper Using Headings and Sub-Headings

This step can make your paper more authoritative. But it does not play too much of a major role in making it unique.

Organizing a paper using headings and sub-headings essentially helps the reader to peruse the content systematically. They can easily find out where everything is being discussed in the paper. If the need arises for them to skip to a particular portion, they can easily do it.

Headings and sub-headings can also give an order and progression to your paper, which can lead to it looking more authoritative. If the same content happens to be written helter-skelter, it will not look as expert and professional if the same content happens is written inside bullets and headings.

Here is how a typical heading and sub-heading progression usually goes:

• Illustrate Your Paper Using Graphs and Visuals

Another way in which you can get your paper to look more authoritative is by illustrating the points you make, not only with examples but by visual representations such as charts and graphs.

Charts and graphs help to convey information in a more easily understandable way. For example, a pie chart or a bar graph showing some statistics can be a lot easy to peruse and understand as compared to the same information in textual form.

Plus, when someone creates a chart out of some information, it shows two things: their own understanding of that information and their skill in conveying it in pictorial form. And both of these things contribute to an increase in the authoritativeness of the whole paper.

To give you an idea of what we mean by the words “graphs and visuals” in the heading, here is an example of some information in textual form followed by its visual representation.

Of all the participants, 10% voted for A, 12% voted for B, 30% voted for C, and 48% voted for D.

Adding visuals can also help in making your paper look more unique. If the visuals you make are your own, they will automatically bring a distinct look to the whole document.

• Always Check for Plagiarism and Remove if Any

Authoritativeness is hard to build, but in its perpetuity, it is delicate. It can be wrecked and destroyed quite easily, and one of the biggest factors that can lead to it is plagiarism .

This entire post is about making your research paper unique and authoritative . When content is unique, it’s not plagiarized. And when content is plagiarized, it’s not unique.

However, for a lot of people, plagiarism can be something not perpetrated deliberately. Rather, owing to the proliferation of online content, it can be something of an accident, albeit with the same consequences.

That is why, even if your content is technically unique, i.e., in the sense that you’ve written it totally on your own, you should still check for plagiarism once you are done writing it. If there is any accidental plagiarism in there, you should remove it.

You see, the person reading your research paper won’t know whether the plagiarism is done deliberately or not. If they happen to run a check on it and find that it contains, say, 10 to 20% plagiarism, they’ll automatically get a bad impression.

This can massively harm the authoritativeness of the entire paper. Shatter, rather.

So, what do you do here?

• Firstly, you check for plagiarism in the paper. This is done quite easily with the aid of an online plagiarism checker . You can find one of these by doing a simple search on the Internet.
• If you take care to pick a reliable tool, it will highlight all the plagiarized parts.
• Once the plagiarized parts are highlighted, the next thing you have to do is alter their wording. By changing the wording, you can eliminate the semblance between the accidentally plagiarized content and the originally published one. Of course, if you don’t want to make these types of changes yourself, you can use an online plagiarism remover instead.
• You can also excise the plagiarized parts from the text completely so that the plagiarism is likewise eliminated.

In This Blog We Will Discuss

There is a lot more stuff that you can try doing to make your research paper look authoritative and unique. However, the tips that we have discussed are some of the main ones that you can implement. 

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Educational resources and simple solutions for your research journey

How to Craft a Strong Research Question (With Research Question Examples)

A sound and effective research question is a key element that must be identified and pinned down before researchers can even begin their research study or work. A strong research question lays the foundation for your entire study, guiding your investigation and shaping your findings. Hence, it is critical that researchers spend considerable time assessing and refining the research question based on in-depth reading and comprehensive literature review. In this article, we will discuss how to write a strong research question and provide you with some good examples of research questions across various disciplines.

Table of Contents

The importance of a research question

A research question plays a crucial role in driving scientific inquiry, setting the direction and purpose of your study, and guiding your entire research process. By formulating a clear and focused research question, you lay the foundation for your investigation, ensuring that your research remains on track and aligned with your objectives so you can make meaningful contribution to the existing body of knowledge. A well-crafted research question also helps you define the scope of your study and identify the appropriate methodologies and data collection techniques to employ.

Key components of a strong research question

A good research question possesses several key components that contribute to the quality and impact of your study. Apart from providing a clear framework to generate meaningful results, a well-defined research question allows other researchers to understand the purpose and significance of your work. So, when working on your research question, incorporate the following elements:

• Specificity : A strong research question should be specific about the main focus of your study, enabling you to gather precise data and draw accurate conclusions. It clearly defines the variables, participants, and context involved, leaving no room for ambiguity.
• Clarity : A good research question is clear and easily understood, so articulate the purpose and intent of your study concisely without being generic or vague. Ensuring clarity in your research question helps both you and your readers grasp the research objective.
• Feasibility : While crafting a research question, consider the practicality of conducting the research and availability of necessary data or access to participants. Think whether your study is realistic and achievable within the constraints of time, resources, and ethical considerations.

How to craft a well-defined research question

A first step that will help save time and effort is knowing what your aims are and thinking about a few problem statements on the area or aspect one wants to study or do research on. Contemplating these statements as one undertakes more progressive reading can help the researcher in reassessing and fine-tuning the research question. This can be done over time as they read and learn more about the research topic, along with a broad literature review and parallel discussions with peer researchers and supervisors. In some cases, a researcher can have more than one research question if the research being undertaken is a PhD thesis or dissertation, but try not to cover multiple concerns on a topic.

A strong research question must be researchable, original, complex, and relevant. Here are five simple steps that can make the entire process easier.

• Identify a broad topic from your areas of interest, something that is relevant, and you are passionate about since you’ll be spending a lot of time conducting your research.
• Do a thorough literature review to weed out potential gaps in research and stay updated on what’s currently being done in your chosen topic and subject area.
• Shortlist possible research questions based on the research gaps or see how you can build on or refute previously published ideas and concepts.
• Assess your chosen research question using the FINER criteria that helps you evaluate whether the research is Feasible, Interesting, Novel, Ethical, and Relevant. 1
• Formulate the final research question, while ensuring it is clear, well-written, and addresses all the key elements of a strong research question.

Examples of research questions

Remember to adapt your research question to suit your purpose, whether it’s exploratory, descriptive, comparative, experimental, qualitative, or quantitative. Embrace the iterative nature of the research process, continually evaluating and refining your question as you progress. Here are some good examples of research questions across various disciplines.

Exploratory research question examples

• How does social media impact interpersonal relationships among teenagers?
• What are the potential benefits of incorporating mindfulness practices in the workplace?

Descriptive research question examples

• What factors influence customer loyalty in the e-commerce industry?
• Is there a relationship between socioeconomic status and academic performance among elementary school students?

Comparative research question examples

• How does the effectiveness of traditional teaching methods compare to online learning platforms in mathematics education?
• What is the impact of different healthcare policies on patient outcomes in various countries?

Experimental research question examples

• What are the effects of a new drug on reducing symptoms of a specific medical condition?
• Does a dietary intervention have an impact on weight loss among individuals with obesity?

Qualitative research question examples

• What are the lived experiences of immigrants adapting to a new culture?
• What factors influence job satisfaction among healthcare professionals?

Quantitative research question examples

• Is there a relationship between sleep duration and academic performance among college students?
• How effective is a specific intervention in reducing anxiety levels among individuals with phobias?

With these simple guidelines and inspiring examples of research questions, you are equipped to embark on your research journey with confidence and purpose. Here’s wishing you all the best for your future endeavors!

References:

• How to write a research question: Steps and examples. Indeed Career Guide. Available online at https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-write-research-questions

Researcher.Life is a subscription-based platform that unifies top AI tools and services designed to speed up, simplify, and streamline a researcher’s journey, from reading to writing, submission, promotion and more. Based on over 20 years of experience in academia, Researcher.Life empowers researchers to put their best research forward and move closer to success.   

Try for free or sign up for the Researcher.Life  All Access Pack , a one-of-a-kind subscription that unlocks full access to an AI academic writing assistant, literature reading app, journal finder, scientific illustration tool, and exclusive discounts on professional services from Editage. Find the best AI tools a researcher needs, all in one place –  Get All Access now at just $25 a month or $199 for a year !  

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• Statement of the Problem

Q: How to find an original research question?

How should I find a unique research question? The topic that I wish to work on has been covered extensively and I find it difficult to settle on an aspect that has not been worked on before.  

Asked on 01 Aug, 2019

Finding a unique and novel research question is the first step to successful publication. An original research question based on a problem that has not been addressed before increases your chances of publication as journals look for original and unique research work.

To find a unique problem in your research area, you will have to conduct an extensive literature search. You can read scientific articles, magazines, editorials, survey reports, etc. Reading a vast amount of literature will familiarize you with the different aspects of your topic and help you identify gaps in research that have remained unaddressed. This can eventually lead you to the unique question you are looking for.

That being said, it may not always be possible for researchers to pick a question that has never been touched upon. A vast amount of research literature is being published each year and a lot of research often overlaps. You should not lose hope if you find it difficult to find a problem that has not been explored before. You can in fact explore further the problems that have been researched already. You can also consider conducting a replication study if you find that interesting. However, note that replication studies may be difficult to publish.

Related reading:

• Expert advice on reading scientific literature as a habit
• Tips for effective literature searching and keeping up with new publications

Answered by Editage Insights on 08 Aug, 2019

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Unique Identifiers for Researchers

Open access.

• First Online: 17 December 2013

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• Martin Fenner 3 &
• Laure Haak 4  

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Two large challenges that researchers face today are discovery and evaluation. We are overwhelmed by the volume of new research works, and traditional discovery tools are no longer sufficient. We are spending considerable amounts of time optimizing the impact—and discoverability—of our research work so as to support grant applications and promotions, and the traditional measures for this are not enough.

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The Mysterious User of Research Data: Knitting Together Science and Technology Studies with Information and Computer Science

Scientific Relevance

Encouraging data citation and discovery with the data citation index.

Megan M. Force & Nigel J. Robinson

• Unique Identifier
• Research Workflow
• Interesting Speakers
• Institutional Repositories
• Identifier Scheme

These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.

The Problem

Research is increasingly global and many interactions do not happen at a personal level anymore, but rather through online tools, from email to videoconferencing and online databases. Researchers have traditionally been identified by their names, but this has never worked reliably because of confusions between popular names (John Smith or Kim Lee), errors in transliteration (e.g. Müller becomes Mueller or Muller), and name changes through marriage. These name issues present an even greater challenge when we try to find out more about researchers who we do not know personally, for example an author of a paper we find interesting or an interesting speaker at a conference, or about the research going on in an institution where we have applied for a job.

Unique Identifiers as a Solution

The only way to uniquely identify a researcher is through an identifier rather than a name. We, of course, use unique identifiers already with usernames for email, social media accounts, institutional accounts, and more. What is missing is a standard unique researcher identifier that is widely used by academic institutions, funders, publishers, and online tools and services for researchers that is embedded in research workflows and that automates the process of connecting researchers and their research. The existing researcher identifier services and social networks for scientists do not fill that gap. Many of the existing solutions are limited to a geographic region or discipline, many researchers and institutions are reluctant to use a commercial service, and some of the open solutions do not have the wide support from the community needed to reach critical mass.

Open Researcher & Contributor ID (ORCID) Footnote 1 is an international, interdisciplinary, open and not-for-profit organization created to solve the researcher name ambiguity problem for the benefit of all stakeholders. ORCID was built with the goal of becoming the universally accepted unique identifier for researchers:

ORCID is a community-driven organization

ORCID is not limited by discipline, institution, or geography

ORCID is an inclusive and transparently governed not-for profit organization

ORCID data and source code are available under recognized open licenses

the ORCID iD is part of institutional, publisher, and funding agency infrastructures.

Furthermore, ORCID recognizes that existing researcher and identifier schemes serve specific communities, and is working to link with, rather than replace, existing infrastructures.

ORCID Registry

The ORCID Registry launched in October 2012, and as of July 2013 more than 200,000 researchers have registered. Use of the Registry is free: individuals may create, edit, and share their ORCID record. ORCID staff, infrastructure, and software development is supported by member fees for organizations embedding the iD into systems.

Many organizations have started to integrate ORCID identifiers into their infrastructure. In early 2013, this includes manuscript submission systems from several publishers (Nature Publishing Group, Copernicus, Hindawi, and others), linkage with other identifier schemes (Scopus, ResearcherID, Faculty of 1,000), and integration with research works databases such as CrossRef and Figshare. The first services building on top of the Registry have also emerged, including altmetrics (see chapter Altmetrics and Other Novel Measures for Scientific Impact ) tools to track the impact of all research outputs linked to a particular ORCID identifier.

One of the stated goals of the ORCID initiative is to facilitate linkage with all research outputs: papers, monographs, books, datasets, software, peer review, clinical trials, patents, grants, etc. By providing a switchboard for this information, ORCID can help raise awareness of—and credit for—important research and scholarly activities and help the research community develop tools and metrics to better understand and evaluate impact. By embedding the ORCID iD in research workflows, ORCID can also help to reduce the time researchers spend on administrative and reporting activities, including publication lists for institutions and funders, submissions to the institutional repository, and more. Unique identifiers for researchers and research outputs can automate much of this reporting, giving researchers more time to do actual research. Widespread adoption of unique researcher identifiers will foster the development of exciting new tools and services for researchers which will make science more collaborative, productive, and interesting.

ORCID: http://orcid.org/ .

This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License, which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.

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Sönke Bartling

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Fenner, M., Haak, L. (2014). Unique Identifiers for Researchers. In: Bartling, S., Friesike, S. (eds) Opening Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-00026-8_21

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Seven Practical Steps to Create Truly Unique Content

Seven Practical Steps to Create Truly Unique Content

First, Claim Your Editorial Calendar Template

What is unique content.

Why is Unique Content Disappearing?

Over-reliance on keyword data, dependency on the skyscraper technique.

Over-Commercialization of Content Marketing

What can writers do to create more unique content.

1. Know Your Audience’s Level of Awareness

2. Study the Existing Pieces of Content and Distill Them

Conduct google insite search.

Ask Your Audience

Check Comments Under Articles

3. Put Your Findings in Perspective and Develop a Hook

4. understand the form your article should take.

5. Craft an Unusual Headline for the Topic

6. Fill It Up With Research

Start with your hypothesis.

Use a Multi-Resource Approach

Google search, double-check your sources, 7. polish it up.

Write With a Knife

Double-check your facts, check the flow, insert your personality, examples of unique content.

Real-life, quality content examples that hone in on being as unique as possible.

“The Skyscraper Technique” by Brian Dean

“7 Emerging Technologies in SEO and Their Applications” by Abdul Ganiy Shehu

“Why B2B marketers need to create less top of funnel content” by Ali Faagba

Harry’s Marketing Examples

Create Your Own Unique Content

June 23, 2021

Ali Faagba is a copywriter and content marketer with a focus on SaaS and B2B. He experiments with blogging at Content Marketing Profit . He’s been featured in Zapier, Search Engine Watch, Entrepreneur, and more.

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6 Common Leadership Styles — and How to Decide Which to Use When

• Rebecca Knight

Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances call for different approaches.

Research suggests that the most effective leaders adapt their style to different circumstances — be it a change in setting, a shift in organizational dynamics, or a turn in the business cycle. But what if you feel like you’re not equipped to take on a new and different leadership style — let alone more than one? In this article, the author outlines the six leadership styles Daniel Goleman first introduced in his 2000 HBR article, “Leadership That Gets Results,” and explains when to use each one. The good news is that personality is not destiny. Even if you’re naturally introverted or you tend to be driven by data and analysis rather than emotion, you can still learn how to adapt different leadership styles to organize, motivate, and direct your team.

Much has been written about common leadership styles and how to identify the right style for you, whether it’s transactional or transformational, bureaucratic or laissez-faire. But according to Daniel Goleman, a psychologist best known for his work on emotional intelligence, “Being a great leader means recognizing that different circumstances may call for different approaches.”

• RK Rebecca Knight is a journalist who writes about all things related to the changing nature of careers and the workplace. Her essays and reported stories have been featured in The Boston Globe, Business Insider, The New York Times, BBC, and The Christian Science Monitor. She was shortlisted as a Reuters Institute Fellow at Oxford University in 2023. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade as an editor and reporter at the Financial Times in New York, London, and Boston.

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Photo by Roman Pohorsky

The tethered-balloon from EPFL of Switzerland carried a payload of instruments sampling and analyzing the composition of Fairbanks’ air in real time. The balloon was brought up and down to collect vertical profiles up to a maximum altitude of 1,200 feet.

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Understanding how Fairbanks pollution differs from that of the Lower 48

• Bill Simpson and Krista Heeringa
• Apr 21, 2024

Fine particulate matter pollution in high latitude cities like Fairbanks is a serious problem for the health of residents during winter. In addition to meteorological conditions that create strong inversions in Fairbanks during winter, chemical reactions among pollutants behave differently in cold, dark conditions compared with locations that are warmer and have more daylight.

In the U.S., passage of the Clean Air Act in the 1970s led to a strong focus on understanding air pollution. As a result of the act, the U.S. overall has some of the world’s best air quality. However, much of what is known about air pollution in the U.S. is the result of studies that have been conducted in mid-latitudes. As Fairbanks grapples with how to clean up our winter air, research that addresses our unique conditions may help in finding the right solutions.

Over 40 air scientists with different expertise in chemistry and atmospheric science, representing 20 research institutions, came to Fairbanks in early 2022 to carry out the Fairbanks Winter Air pollution study. That was done under the umbrella of the Alaskan Layered Pollution And Chemical Analysis project.

The research campaign focused on a range of questions. Some studies examined the relationship between outdoor and indoor air quality, others examined the vertical layers of pollution created by inversions, while others focused on the chemical composition and reactions of air pollution in Fairbanks’ cold and dark conditions. The “Overview of the Alaskan Layered Pollution and Chemical Analysis (ALPACA) Field Experiment,” which was recently published in the scientific journal ACS ES&T Air, describes the questions that were being asked and what measurements were brought to bear on the problem.

Conducting research in Fairbanks presented some unique challenges for this international team of scientists.

Atmospheric scientist Roman Pohorsky, with the Swiss University EPFL, piloted a tethered balloon to study the vertical distribution of pollution. Obtaining these measurements required long hours of standing outside during the coldest time of year.

“It is the type of job where you are quite static, so keeping warm and focused is not easy in these conditions,” Pohorsky noted.

The cold temperatures were also hard on the equipment and required replacing key components such as the balloon’s liner multiple times. Despite these challenges, Pohorsky and his team gained critical insight into how power plumes interacted with surrounding air. Previously, only models were available to investigate how pollution behaves aloft.

Karol Cysneiros with Washington University in St. Louis studies the chemicals in air pollution. Her research in Fairbanks is examining how air pollution changes when it moves from extremely cold outdoor conditions to warm indoor environments.

Preliminary results of Cysneiros’ work indicate that it takes longer than expected for particles in cold temperatures to evaporate when they move indoors, prolonging their potential for holding toxic compounds. Taking these measurements required fabricating a special instrument that samples both particles and gases to analyze their composition.

Cysneiros didn’t sleep much during the six-week research campaign as she monitored her instrument to minimize disruptions in data collection. For her, the effort was worthwhile knowing that the data collected could help address community concerns around air pollution.

“I was really happy to hear that one of the main goals is trying to connect the community to the research itself,” she said.

The tireless efforts of these dozens of scientists have paid off, significantly expanding what is known about how cold and dark conditions affect pollution.

National regulators are also interested in how pollution behaves under cold and dark conditions. The ALPACA study is vividly demonstrating that wintertime Alaska air pollution is different from other airsheds and that solutions and regulations that worked in other locales might not be optimal for Fairbanks.

The results of this study are starting to be published in scientific journals.

The hope is that improving understanding of the pollution and the weather that affects its trapping will help the community to determine appropriate solutions. A number of key early findings have been communicated with Fairbanks through the media, including this and previous columns. Both the links to published results and summary articles can be found on the Fairbanks Winter Air Study website.

This Community Perspective is part of a series of articles on air quality research performed as a part of the University of Alaska Fairbanks-led Fairbanks Winter Air Study ( https://fairair.community.uaf.edu ). The authors are Bill Simpson and Krista Heeringa from the UAF Geophysical Institute and UAF International Arctic Research Center.

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Small Business Trends

300+ catchy balloon business name ideas.

A balloon business can be very successful due to the universal appeal of balloons. Balloons are a popular and affordable way to decorate and celebrate, making them a staple at events of all kinds. And if you are looking to open a balloon business, catchy balloon business names can go a long way in getting the attention of your customers.

But what’s in a name? Well, the right business name can set the tone for your brand. A lso, when starting a balloon business, choosing the right name is crucial for making a memorable impact on your target audience.

So, how to come up with a business name that captures the essence of your balloon business brand and strikes a chord with customers?

In this article, we will tell you how. Here, we explore effective strategies and provide you with a comprehensive list of catchy balloon business name ideas to inspire your naming process.

Let’s get cracking, shall we?

Table of Contents

Best Balloon Business Name Ideas

To get you started, here is the first batch of balloon business names.

• Bounce & Balloons
• Balloon Bash Co.
• Blown Away Balloons
• The Balloon Boutique
• Balloons & Confetti
• Floaty Balloons
• The Balloon Garden
• Balloon Heaven
• Balloon Magic Co.
• Balloon Mania
• Ballooniverse
• Balloon Wishes
• Balloon Wonderland
• Airhead Balloons
• Balloons Away Co.
• Balloon Bashers
• Balloon Bliss
• Big Balloon Co.
• Bubble & Balloons
• Celebration Balloons
• Colorful Clouds Balloons
• Festive Balloons
• Happy Balloons Co.
• High Flyer Balloons
• Hot Air Balloons Co.
• Joyful Balloons
• Party Pop Balloons
• Playful Balloons
• Rainbow Balloons Co.
• Skyward Balloons
• Sparkle & Shine Balloons
• Sunny Day Balloons
• The Balloon Emporium
• The Balloon Experience
• The Balloon Spot
• The Balloon Studio
• The Big Balloon Company
• Whimsical Balloons
• Young Balloons
• Balloons Aplenty
• Balloons R Us
• Balloons to Go
• Balloon Exchange
• Balloons Balloon
• Princess Balloons
• Precious Balloons

Most Catchy Balloon Business Names

These names are memorable, fun, and attention-grabbing, making them perfect for a balloon business.

• Balloons & Bouquets
• Poppy Balloons
• Up, Up & Away Balloons
• Balloon Buzz
• Balloon Bar Co.
• The Balloon Brigade
• Balloon Fiesta
• Balloons Galore

One-Word Balloon Business Name Ideas

One-word business names are simple, memorable, and easy to pronounce, making them ideal for a balloon company. They are also versatile and can be adapted to multiple industries, making them effective for building a strong brand identity. One-word names can create a sense of sophistication and modernity, making them stand out in a crowded market.

• Balloontastic

Unique Balloon Company Names

There are many reasons why you need a unique business name , and top on that list is brand recognition. A unique name always manages to get the attention of consumers. However, coming up with that unique balloon business name is not that easy. Here are some ideas

• Balloonarium
• Confetti Clouds
• Balloon Emporium
• Bubble & Pop
• Balloonscapes
• Whimsical Inflatables
• Kaleidoscope Balloons
• Balloon Boutique
• Pop Art Balloons
• The Balloon Connection
• Balloon Nirvana
• Balloonopolis
• Balloon Forest
• Balloon Arch Angels
• Balloons Without Borders
• Bunches & Balloons
• Balloon Safari
• Balloon Garden
• Balloon Meister
• Balloon Corner

Creative Balloon Business Names

Being creative with your business name is hit or miss. So, there is a fine balance you have to keep to not turn your customers off. These are some very creative business names you can use safely without alienating anyone.

• Balloonatic
• Balloonovation
• Inflatabulous
• Balloonostra
• Balloonsmith
• Balloonzilla
• Ballooney Tunes
• Balloondoggle
• Balloonatic Designs
• Balloonatics Anonymous
• Balloonometry
• Airborne Artistry
• Balloons on Cloud 9
• Balloondock Saints
• Up, Up & Amaze
• Inflatamania
• Ballooniversity
• Balloons & Bubbles
• Balloonoisseur

Names With Use Puns, Alliteration

Using puns and alliteration in business names can create a memorable and catchy brand image that captures the attention of potential customers. These playful and creative naming techniques not only make your business stand out but also evoke positive emotions, making your brand more appealing and unforgettable.

• Bubble Busters
• Pop n’ Party
• Helium Hugs
• Balloon Bazaar
• Inflated Fête
• Ballooney Toons
• Party Poppers
• Balloon Bonanza
• Inflate ‘n Celebrate
• Balloonacious
• Float n’ Fun
• Balloon Bubbles
• Airy Amusements
• Poppy’s Parties
• Balloon Brigade
• Inflate Escape
• Airy Aspirations
• Up, Up & Away
• Balloon Buffet
• Bubble Blast
• Balloonatics
• Soar n’ Celebrate
• Airy Antics
• Balloon Bouquets
• Inflated Intrigue
• Pop n’ Palooza
• Balloon Banquet
• Airy Adventures
• Balloon Blitz
• Inflate Your Imagination
• Balloon-o-rama
• Bounce n’ Balloons
• Balloon Boulevard
• Up, Up & Party
• Balloons Over Broadway
• Inflated Inspiration
• Balloonapalooza

Rhyming Balloon Business Name Ideas

You can have more fun with balloon business names by rhyming words. This can also be tricky so here are some names to inspire you.

• Balloons & Tunes
• Balloons & Moons
• Balloons & Cartoons
• Balloons & Harpoons
• Balloons & Maroons
• Balloons & Typhoons
• Balloons & Buffoons
• Balloons & Baboons
• Balloons & Saloons
• Balloons & Racoons
• Balloons & Bassoons
• Balloons & Doubloons
• Balloons & Cocoon
• Balloons & Fortune
• Balloons & Opportune
• Balloons & Platoon
• Balloons & Dragoon
• Balloons & Lampoon
• Balloons & Sand Dune
• Balloons & Festoon
• Balloons & Monsoon
• Balloons & Pecan Prune
• Balloons & Silver Spoon
• Balloons & Poltroon
• Balloons & Picayune

Tips For Creating Fun Balloon Business Names

When creating a balloon business name, it’s important to strike a balance between being fun and creative while still being professional and memorable. A good balloon business name should reflect your brand’s personality and values while also being easy for customers to remember and associate with your company.

Here are some tips for creating the best balloon business names:

• Keep it simple and easy to remember
• Use puns, alliteration, or rhyming words to make it catchy and fun
• Incorporate your location or specialty in the name
• Consider your target audience and create a name that resonates with them
• Look for inspiration from the balloon itself – its shape, color, and texture can all spark creative ideas for a business name
• Brainstorm with friends or family to generate new and unique ideas
• Conduct market research to ensure that the name you choose isn’t already taken or too similar to another balloon company’s name

Follow these tips and use your creativity to come up with a fun and memorable name that will make your business stand out.

Fun Balloon Business Name Ideas

• Mad Balloons Company
• Zany Zoo Balloons
• High Balloons
• Big Balloons
• Goofy Balloons
• Bright Balloons
• Balloons Mr
• Balloon Attic
• Party Balloons
• Fighting Balloons

Consider SEO When Naming Your Balloon Business

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of optimizing your website and its content to increase visibility and organic traffic through search engine results pages (SERPs). One important aspect of SEO is selecting the right keywords to target in your website’s content, which is also crucial when naming your business. By incorporating relevant keywords in your business name, you can help potential customers find your website more easily through organic searches on search engines like Google or Bing.

When selecting a name for your balloon business, consider including relevant keywords that describe what you offer. For example, if you specialize in creating custom balloon displays for weddings, you may want to include keywords like “wedding,” “custom,” or “display” in your business name. This can help your business appear higher in search engine rankings when someone searches for these specific terms.

In addition to helping with search engine rankings, SEO can also improve the overall user experience on your website. A clear and concise business name that reflects your brand’s values and offerings can help potential customers understand what you offer and make it easier for them to navigate your website.

Ultimately, SEO is important when naming your business because it can help increase brand awareness, drive organic traffic to your website, and ultimately, lead to more conversions and sales. By incorporating relevant keywords and optimizing your website’s content, you can improve your chances of being discovered by potential customers through search engine results.

Balloon Business Name Generator

If you are still at a loss for a name, you can always go to business name generators and see if they can help you come up with something. Here are five sites for business and domain names:

BrandBucket

BrandBucket is a popular business name generator that provides unique, brandable business names and domain names for startups and businesses. Their curated collection of brand names is created by professional branding experts and is suitable for a wide range of industries and businesses.

Namesnack is a business name generator that uses artificial intelligence to generate custom business names based on your industry, values, and style preferences. With their platform, you can easily generate creative and unique business names that stand out and reflect your brand’s personality.

Novanym is a business name generator that specializes in providing unique and memorable brand names for startups and businesses. They offer a wide range of creative business names across different industries and are known for their easy-to-remember and brandable names.

Squadhelp is a business name generator that offers a unique and collaborative approach to generating business names. Their platform allows you to launch a naming contest and receive custom business name suggestions from a community of over 100,000 creatives, ensuring you get the best name possible for your business.

NameMeshis a business name generator that provides a wide range of business name ideas based on your keywords, industry, and style preferences. Their platform allows you to search for domain names and offers suggestions for creative and memorable business names that are available for registration.

These business name generator sites can be helpful resources for generating creative and unique business and domain names for your startup or existing business. With their user-friendly interfaces and advanced algorithms, you can easily find a name that reflects your brand.

The Process of Naming Your Balloon Business

The process of naming your business is very important, as it sets the tone for your brand and helps create a lasting impression on your customers. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to create an unforgettable name for your balloon business, from brainstorming to gathering feedback.

Start With Brainstorming Names for Your Balloon Business

Begin by generating a list of potential names for your business. Consider various aspects like your target audience, the services you offer, and the emotions you want to evoke. Don’t limit yourself at this stage – allow your creativity to flow and come up with as many ideas as possible.

Research Balloon Businesses That Have Intriguing Names

Study other balloon businesses with unique and memorable names. Analyze what makes their names stand out and take note of any patterns or trends. Draw inspiration from these examples to refine your own naming ideas.

Shortlist Your Naming Ideas

After brainstorming, narrow down your list to the top 5-10 names. Consider factors like uniqueness, relevance, and marketability. Eliminate names that are too similar to competitors or difficult to pronounce and spell.

Must be Easy to Remember

Choose a name that is catchy and easy for customers to remember. This will help with word-of-mouth marketing and make it simpler for potential clients to find you online or recommend you to others.

Create a Professional Email Address

Once you’ve chosen a name, create a professional email address using your business name. This not only adds credibility to your brand but also reinforces your business identity in your customers’ minds.

Check for Domain Availability

Before finalizing your name, ensure that a suitable domain is available for your business. A strong online presence is essential, and securing the perfect domain is a vital step in establishing your brand’s digital footprint. This goes along with all the steps when you register your small business .

Try to Make the Name SEO Friendly

Opt for a name that incorporates keywords relevant to your business, as this can help improve your search engine ranking. Research popular search terms in your industry and consider incorporating them into your business name.

Creating a Logo is Essential

Design a captivating logo that reflects your brand identity and resonates with your target audience. Your logo should be visually appealing and complement the name of your business, helping to establish brand recognition.

Ask Your Family And Friends For Feedback

Finally, seek feedback from family and friends on your chosen name and logo. Their insights can help you identify any potential issues and refine your brand identity before officially launching your balloon business.

From birthdays to weddings, balloons add a festive and playful touch that people of all ages love. Additionally, the creativity and customization options of balloon designs make them highly adaptable to any theme or occasion, allowing a balloon business to cater to a wide range of clients and events. With the right marketing and customer service, a balloon business can be a profitable and fulfilling venture.

FAQs About Naming Your Balloon Business

How important is the name of my balloon business.

A: The name of your balloon business is crucial, as it represents your brand identity, sets the tone for your company, and creates a lasting impression on customers. A well-chosen name can help you stand out from the competition and build a strong foundation for your brand.

How can I create a unique name for my balloon business?

To create a unique name, focus on your business’s core values, target audience, and services offered. Brainstorm a list of potential names and ensure they are not too similar to competitors. Consider using puns, alliteration, or a combination of words that evoke the desired emotions and image for your brand.

Should I include keywords related to balloons or events in my business name?

Including relevant keywords in your business name can be beneficial for SEO purposes and help customers understand the nature of your business. However, don’t sacrifice creativity or uniqueness solely for the sake of incorporating keywords.

How can I make sure my balloon business name is easy to remember?

To create a memorable name, choose one that is catchy, easy to spell, and pronounce. Avoid using overly long or complex words, and consider utilizing alliteration or rhyming to make your name more memorable.

Do I need to check for trademark issues when naming my balloon business?

Yes, it’s essential to ensure that your chosen name is not infringing on any existing trademarks. Conduct a trademark search to avoid potential legal issues and ensure your business name is unique within your industry.

How do I know if my chosen domain name is available?

Use domain search tools, such as those provided by domain registrars, to check the availability of your desired domain name. If your preferred domain is taken, consider alternative domain extensions or slight modifications to the name while preserving your brand identity.

Can I change the name of my balloon business after I’ve started it?

While it is possible to change your business name after starting it, doing so can be challenging and may lead to confusion among customers. It’s best to invest time and effort in choosing the right name from the beginning to avoid potential complications down the road.

How do I legally register my balloon business name?

To register your balloon business name, first check the availability and any trademark issues. Then, follow the specific registration process in your country or state, which may include registering a fictitious business name, DBA (Doing Business As), or incorporating your business as an LLC, partnership, or corporation.

Image: Envato Elements

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