Solid Advice On How To Write A Conclusion For A Research Paper

The conclusion of your research paper should offer a summary of the purpose and the content of your paper without being too dry. All conclusions should have several key elements. Following are ten things to keep in mind when writing a conclusion for your paper.

10 Tips for a Conclusion

• - Part One: Write Basic Conclusion
1. 1. Briefly restate your topic and explain the reason it is so important. Of course, you don’t want to spend lots of time doing this. As long as your paper is good, the topic will be obvious. Typically all you need is one sentence to restate your topic.
2. 2. In addition to restating your topic, you need to restate your thesis- which is the narrowed, focused view on the topic. You should rephrase this from the thesis in the introduction, but not be too similar to the sentence originally used.
3. 3. Offer a brief summary of your main points, reminding the reader of what you told them in the body of your paper. You will need to re-read the topic sentences in each of your major sections of the paper and think of a way to restate each of these points.
4. 4. If your research paper is very basic, you will want to make sure you explain your points in your conclusion. Of course, you won’t need to do this for every paper that you write. If you fully explained your points in the paper, you don’t need to do this in the conclusion.
5. 5. If necessary, state a call to action. Again, this is not necessary for all papers, but more for those that address a particular need.
• - Part Two: Making Your Conclusion Effective
1. 1. The conclusion should be a basic summary- very much like the introduction of the paper. Don’t just repeat everything that you already stated, but rephrase the thesis and the supporting points so that they are all tied together. This will make the paper seem like a complete thought instead of randomly collected ideas.
2. 2. Your introduction and conclusion should be tied together by asking a question in the introduction and answering it in the conclusion. Additionally, you can start a story in your introduction and complete it in the conclusion.
3. 3. Make the conclusion logical by including enough info about the topic to back up your statement, but don’t get too caught up in details. On the other hand, if the paper did not offer an answer to your question, don’t be afraid to let the reader know. Let them know that the answer could still be available and further research is necessary.
4. 4. Ask the reader to come to his or her own conclusion. However, keep in mind that this may not be appropriate for all types of papers. This type of conclusion is more appropriate for those on social issues. Make sure the answer can be found in the information provided in the paper.
5. 5. If you have a call to action, offer your reader recommendations for proceeding with the action. Even without a call, you can still make recommendations to your readers.

When you’re writing a paper, you should know that you must include a conclusion. The conclusion is what brings all the information together and closes your paper. You want to make sure that your conclusion keeps the same tone as your paper and is not too dry or boring. Keep these tips in mind when crafting an effective conclusion for your research paper.