An academic paper is a written document that presents the findings of a research study or scholarly inquiry in a formal manner. It is typically written by researchers or scholars and intended to communicate their research findings to their peers or the academic community. This article will discuss an academic paper’s format, example, and writing guide.
Format of an Academic Paper
An academic paper usually follows a standard structure that consists of the following elements:
- Title: The title should be concise and informative, reflecting the paper’s main topic and purpose.
- Abstract: The abstract is a brief summary of the paper that highlights the research question, methods, results, and conclusions. It should be around 150 to 250 words and written in the past tense.
- Introduction: The introduction provides the background and context of the paper, states the research question and objectives, reviews the relevant literature, and outlines the main argument and structure of the paper.
- Methods: The methods section describes the research design, data collection, and data analysis procedures used to conduct the study. It should provide enough detail for the readers to understand and replicate the study.
- Results: The results section reports the main findings and outcomes of the data analysis, using tables, graphs, charts, and other visual aids to illustrate the data. It should be objective and factual and avoid interpretation or discussion.
- Discussion: The discussion section interprets and evaluates the results, explains how they answer the research question and objectives, discusses the implications and limitations of the study, and suggests directions for future research.
- Conclusion: The conclusion summarizes the main points and contributions of the paper, restates the research question and objectives, and provides a clear and concise answer or solution. It should also highlight the significance and relevance of the study for the field of study and society at large.
- References: The references section lists all the cited sources in the paper, using a consistent and appropriate citation style, such as APA, MLA, Chicago, or Harvard. It should be arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name or title if there is no author.
- Appendices: The appendices section includes any additional or supplementary information that supports the paper, such as raw data, questionnaires, interview transcripts, or code. It should be labelled with letters (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.) and referred to in the main text.
Example of an Academic Paper
To illustrate the format of an academic paper, here is an example of an abstract and an introduction of a paper on the effects of social media on academic performance. The full paper can be accessed from the link below1.
Abstract
Social media has become an integral part of the lives of many students, but its effects on their academic performance are still unclear. This paper aims to investigate the relationship between social media use and academic performance among undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia. A survey was conducted among 200 students from different faculties, using a questionnaire that measured their social media use, academic performance, and other variables. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The results showed that social media use negatively and significantly affected academic performance after controlling for gender, age, and faculty. The results also indicated that the perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and subjective norm of social media influenced social media use. The paper discusses the implications and limitations of the study and suggests directions for future research.
Introduction
Social media is a term that refers to the online platforms and applications that enable users to create and share content and interact and communicate with others (Kaplan & Haenlein, 2010). Some popular social media platforms include Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and WhatsApp. According to the Global Digital Report 2020, there are more than 3.8 billion social media users worldwide, which accounts for almost half of the global population (We Are Social & Hootsuite, 2020). In Malaysia, the number of social media users is estimated to be around 26 million, representing 80% of the total population (We Are Social & Hootsuite, 2020).
Social media has become an integral part of the lives of many students, who use it for various purposes, such as entertainment, information, communication, education, and socialization (Al-Rahmi, Othman, & Yusuf, 2015). However, the effects of social media on students’ academic performance are still unclear and controversial. Some studies have suggested that social media can positively affect academic performance by enhancing learning motivation, engagement, collaboration, and outcomes (Al-Rahmi et al., 2015; Junco, Heiberger, & Loken, 2011; Tess, 2013). On the other hand, some studies have indicated that social media can have negative effects on academic performance, such as distracting attention, reducing concentration, wasting time, and lowering grades (Kirschner & Karpinski, 2010; Lepp, Barkley, & Karpinski, 2015; Paul, Baker, & Cochran, 2012).
Therefore, the main objective of this paper is to investigate the relationship between social media use and academic performance among undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia. Specifically, the paper aims to answer the following research questions:
- What is the level of social media use among undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia?
- What is the level of academic performance among undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia?
- Is there a significant relationship between social media use and academic performance among undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia?
- What factors influence social media use among undergraduate students in a public university in Malaysia?
To answer these research questions, a survey was conducted among 200 students from different faculties, using a questionnaire that measured their social media use, academic performance, and other variables. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis, and multiple regression analysis. The paper is organized as follows: the next section reviews the relevant literature on social media use and academic performance and develops the hypotheses for the study. The following section describes the research methodology, including the sample, instrument, and data analysis. The subsequent section presents and discusses the results of the data analysis. The final section summarizes the main findings and contributions of the paper and provides some recommendations and suggestions for future research.
Writing Guide for an Academic Paper
Writing an academic paper can be a daunting task, but it can also be a rewarding one. Here are some tips and guidelines to help you write an effective and impressive academic paper.
- Plan your paper: Before you start writing, you should plan your paper by defining your research question and objectives, reviewing the relevant literature, and designing your research method. You should also outline your paper’s main structure and argument and allocate the time and resources for each section.