writing conclusions in research

Get science-backed answers as you write with Paperpal's Research feature

How to Write a Conclusion for Research Papers (with Examples)

The conclusion of a research paper is a crucial section that plays a significant role in the overall impact and effectiveness of your research paper. However, this is also the section that typically receives less attention compared to the introduction and the body of the paper. The conclusion serves to provide a concise summary of the key findings, their significance, their implications, and a sense of closure to the study. Discussing how can the findings be applied in real-world scenarios or inform policy, practice, or decision-making is especially valuable to practitioners and policymakers. The research paper conclusion also provides researchers with clear insights and valuable information for their own work, which they can then build on and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in the field.

The research paper conclusion should explain the significance of your findings within the broader context of your field. It restates how your results contribute to the existing body of knowledge and whether they confirm or challenge existing theories or hypotheses. Also, by identifying unanswered questions or areas requiring further investigation, your awareness of the broader research landscape can be demonstrated.

Remember to tailor the research paper conclusion to the specific needs and interests of your intended audience, which may include researchers, practitioners, policymakers, or a combination of these.

Table of Contents

What is a conclusion in a research paper, summarizing conclusion, editorial conclusion, externalizing conclusion, importance of a good research paper conclusion, how to write a conclusion for your research paper, research paper conclusion examples.

• How to write a research paper conclusion with Paperpal? 

Frequently Asked Questions

A conclusion in a research paper is the final section where you summarize and wrap up your research, presenting the key findings and insights derived from your study. The research paper conclusion is not the place to introduce new information or data that was not discussed in the main body of the paper. When working on how to conclude a research paper, remember to stick to summarizing and interpreting existing content. The research paper conclusion serves the following purposes: 1

• Warn readers of the possible consequences of not attending to the problem.
• Recommend specific course(s) of action.
• Restate key ideas to drive home the ultimate point of your research paper.
• Provide a “take-home” message that you want the readers to remember about your study.

Types of conclusions for research papers

In research papers, the conclusion provides closure to the reader. The type of research paper conclusion you choose depends on the nature of your study, your goals, and your target audience. I provide you with three common types of conclusions:

A summarizing conclusion is the most common type of conclusion in research papers. It involves summarizing the main points, reiterating the research question, and restating the significance of the findings. This common type of research paper conclusion is used across different disciplines.

An editorial conclusion is less common but can be used in research papers that are focused on proposing or advocating for a particular viewpoint or policy. It involves presenting a strong editorial or opinion based on the research findings and offering recommendations or calls to action.

An externalizing conclusion is a type of conclusion that extends the research beyond the scope of the paper by suggesting potential future research directions or discussing the broader implications of the findings. This type of conclusion is often used in more theoretical or exploratory research papers.

Align your conclusion’s tone with the rest of your research paper. Start Writing with Paperpal Now!  

The conclusion in a research paper serves several important purposes:

• Offers Implications and Recommendations : Your research paper conclusion is an excellent place to discuss the broader implications of your research and suggest potential areas for further study. It’s also an opportunity to offer practical recommendations based on your findings.
• Provides Closure : A good research paper conclusion provides a sense of closure to your paper. It should leave the reader with a feeling that they have reached the end of a well-structured and thought-provoking research project.
• Leaves a Lasting Impression : Writing a well-crafted research paper conclusion leaves a lasting impression on your readers. It’s your final opportunity to leave them with a new idea, a call to action, or a memorable quote.

Writing a strong conclusion for your research paper is essential to leave a lasting impression on your readers. Here’s a step-by-step process to help you create and know what to put in the conclusion of a research paper: 2

• Research Statement : Begin your research paper conclusion by restating your research statement. This reminds the reader of the main point you’ve been trying to prove throughout your paper. Keep it concise and clear.
• Key Points : Summarize the main arguments and key points you’ve made in your paper. Avoid introducing new information in the research paper conclusion. Instead, provide a concise overview of what you’ve discussed in the body of your paper.
• Address the Research Questions : If your research paper is based on specific research questions or hypotheses, briefly address whether you’ve answered them or achieved your research goals. Discuss the significance of your findings in this context.
• Significance : Highlight the importance of your research and its relevance in the broader context. Explain why your findings matter and how they contribute to the existing knowledge in your field.
• Implications : Explore the practical or theoretical implications of your research. How might your findings impact future research, policy, or real-world applications? Consider the “so what?” question.
• Future Research : Offer suggestions for future research in your area. What questions or aspects remain unanswered or warrant further investigation? This shows that your work opens the door for future exploration.
• Closing Thought : Conclude your research paper conclusion with a thought-provoking or memorable statement. This can leave a lasting impression on your readers and wrap up your paper effectively. Avoid introducing new information or arguments here.
• Proofread and Revise : Carefully proofread your conclusion for grammar, spelling, and clarity. Ensure that your ideas flow smoothly and that your conclusion is coherent and well-structured.

Write your research paper conclusion 2x faster with Paperpal. Try it now!

Remember that a well-crafted research paper conclusion is a reflection of the strength of your research and your ability to communicate its significance effectively. It should leave a lasting impression on your readers and tie together all the threads of your paper. Now you know how to start the conclusion of a research paper and what elements to include to make it impactful, let’s look at a research paper conclusion sample.

How to write a research paper conclusion with Paperpal?

A research paper conclusion is not just a summary of your study, but a synthesis of the key findings that ties the research together and places it in a broader context. A research paper conclusion should be concise, typically around one paragraph in length. However, some complex topics may require a longer conclusion to ensure the reader is left with a clear understanding of the study’s significance. Paperpal, an AI writing assistant trusted by over 800,000 academics globally, can help you write a well-structured conclusion for your research paper. 

• Sign Up or Log In: Create a new Paperpal account or login with your details.  
• Navigate to Features : Once logged in, head over to the features’ side navigation pane. Click on Templates and you’ll find a suite of generative AI features to help you write better, faster.  
• Generate an outline: Under Templates, select ‘Outlines’. Choose ‘Research article’ as your document type.  
• Select your section: Since you’re focusing on the conclusion, select this section when prompted.  
• Choose your field of study: Identifying your field of study allows Paperpal to provide more targeted suggestions, ensuring the relevance of your conclusion to your specific area of research. 
• Provide a brief description of your study: Enter details about your research topic and findings. This information helps Paperpal generate a tailored outline that aligns with your paper’s content. 
• Generate the conclusion outline: After entering all necessary details, click on ‘generate’. Paperpal will then create a structured outline for your conclusion, to help you start writing and build upon the outline.  
• Write your conclusion: Use the generated outline to build your conclusion. The outline serves as a guide, ensuring you cover all critical aspects of a strong conclusion, from summarizing key findings to highlighting the research’s implications. 
• Refine and enhance: Paperpal’s ‘Make Academic’ feature can be particularly useful in the final stages. Select any paragraph of your conclusion and use this feature to elevate the academic tone, ensuring your writing is aligned to the academic journal standards. 

By following these steps, Paperpal not only simplifies the process of writing a research paper conclusion but also ensures it is impactful, concise, and aligned with academic standards. Sign up with Paperpal today and write your research paper conclusion 2x faster .  

The research paper conclusion is a crucial part of your paper as it provides the final opportunity to leave a strong impression on your readers. In the research paper conclusion, summarize the main points of your research paper by restating your research statement, highlighting the most important findings, addressing the research questions or objectives, explaining the broader context of the study, discussing the significance of your findings, providing recommendations if applicable, and emphasizing the takeaway message. The main purpose of the conclusion is to remind the reader of the main point or argument of your paper and to provide a clear and concise summary of the key findings and their implications. All these elements should feature on your list of what to put in the conclusion of a research paper to create a strong final statement for your work.

A strong conclusion is a critical component of a research paper, as it provides an opportunity to wrap up your arguments, reiterate your main points, and leave a lasting impression on your readers. Here are the key elements of a strong research paper conclusion: 1. Conciseness : A research paper conclusion should be concise and to the point. It should not introduce new information or ideas that were not discussed in the body of the paper. 2. Summarization : The research paper conclusion should be comprehensive enough to give the reader a clear understanding of the research’s main contributions. 3 . Relevance : Ensure that the information included in the research paper conclusion is directly relevant to the research paper’s main topic and objectives; avoid unnecessary details. 4 . Connection to the Introduction : A well-structured research paper conclusion often revisits the key points made in the introduction and shows how the research has addressed the initial questions or objectives. 5. Emphasis : Highlight the significance and implications of your research. Why is your study important? What are the broader implications or applications of your findings? 6 . Call to Action : Include a call to action or a recommendation for future research or action based on your findings.

The length of a research paper conclusion can vary depending on several factors, including the overall length of the paper, the complexity of the research, and the specific journal requirements. While there is no strict rule for the length of a conclusion, but it’s generally advisable to keep it relatively short. A typical research paper conclusion might be around 5-10% of the paper’s total length. For example, if your paper is 10 pages long, the conclusion might be roughly half a page to one page in length.

In general, you do not need to include citations in the research paper conclusion. Citations are typically reserved for the body of the paper to support your arguments and provide evidence for your claims. However, there may be some exceptions to this rule: 1. If you are drawing a direct quote or paraphrasing a specific source in your research paper conclusion, you should include a citation to give proper credit to the original author. 2. If your conclusion refers to or discusses specific research, data, or sources that are crucial to the overall argument, citations can be included to reinforce your conclusion’s validity.

The conclusion of a research paper serves several important purposes: 1. Summarize the Key Points 2. Reinforce the Main Argument 3. Provide Closure 4. Offer Insights or Implications 5. Engage the Reader. 6. Reflect on Limitations

Remember that the primary purpose of the research paper conclusion is to leave a lasting impression on the reader, reinforcing the key points and providing closure to your research. It’s often the last part of the paper that the reader will see, so it should be strong and well-crafted.

• Makar, G., Foltz, C., Lendner, M., & Vaccaro, A. R. (2018). How to write effective discussion and conclusion sections. Clinical spine surgery, 31(8), 345-346.
• Bunton, D. (2005). The structure of PhD conclusion chapters.  Journal of English for academic purposes ,  4 (3), 207-224.

Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.  

Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!  

Related Reads:

• 5 Reasons for Rejection After Peer Review
• Ethical Research Practices For Research with Human Subjects

7 Ways to Improve Your Academic Writing Process

• Paraphrasing in Academic Writing: Answering Top Author Queries

Preflight For Editorial Desk: The Perfect Hybrid (AI + Human) Assistance Against Compromised Manuscripts

You may also like, how to write the first draft of a..., mla works cited page: format, template & examples, how to write a high-quality conference paper, academic editing: how to self-edit academic text with..., measuring academic success: definition & strategies for excellence, phd qualifying exam: tips for success , ai in education: it’s time to change the..., is it ethical to use ai-generated abstracts without..., what are journal guidelines on using generative ai..., quillbot review: features, pricing, and free alternatives.

• USC Libraries
• Research Guides

Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper

• 9. The Conclusion
• Purpose of Guide
• Design Flaws to Avoid
• Independent and Dependent Variables
• Glossary of Research Terms
• Reading Research Effectively
• Narrowing a Topic Idea
• Broadening a Topic Idea
• Extending the Timeliness of a Topic Idea
• Academic Writing Style
• Applying Critical Thinking
• Choosing a Title
• Making an Outline
• Paragraph Development
• Research Process Video Series
• Executive Summary
• The C.A.R.S. Model
• Background Information
• The Research Problem/Question
• Theoretical Framework
• Citation Tracking
• Content Alert Services
• Evaluating Sources
• Primary Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Tiertiary Sources
• Scholarly vs. Popular Publications
• Qualitative Methods
• Quantitative Methods
• Insiderness
• Using Non-Textual Elements
• Limitations of the Study
• Common Grammar Mistakes
• Writing Concisely
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Footnotes or Endnotes?
• Further Readings
• Generative AI and Writing
• USC Libraries Tutorials and Other Guides
• Bibliography

The conclusion is intended to help the reader understand why your research should matter to them after they have finished reading the paper. A conclusion is not merely a summary of the main topics covered or a re-statement of your research problem, but a synthesis of key points derived from the findings of your study and, if applicable, where you recommend new areas for future research. For most college-level research papers, two or three well-developed paragraphs is sufficient for a conclusion, although in some cases, more paragraphs may be required in describing the key findings and their significance.

Conclusions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Conclusions. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University.

Importance of a Good Conclusion

A well-written conclusion provides you with important opportunities to demonstrate to the reader your understanding of the research problem. These include:

• Presenting the last word on the issues you raised in your paper . Just as the introduction gives a first impression to your reader, the conclusion offers a chance to leave a lasting impression. Do this, for example, by highlighting key findings in your analysis that advance new understanding about the research problem, that are unusual or unexpected, or that have important implications applied to practice.
• Summarizing your thoughts and conveying the larger significance of your study . The conclusion is an opportunity to succinctly re-emphasize  your answer to the "So What?" question by placing the study within the context of how your research advances past research about the topic.
• Identifying how a gap in the literature has been addressed . The conclusion can be where you describe how a previously identified gap in the literature [first identified in your literature review section] has been addressed by your research and why this contribution is significant.
• Demonstrating the importance of your ideas . Don't be shy. The conclusion offers an opportunity to elaborate on the impact and significance of your findings. This is particularly important if your study approached examining the research problem from an unusual or innovative perspective.
• Introducing possible new or expanded ways of thinking about the research problem . This does not refer to introducing new information [which should be avoided], but to offer new insight and creative approaches for framing or contextualizing the research problem based on the results of your study.

Bunton, David. “The Structure of PhD Conclusion Chapters.” Journal of English for Academic Purposes 4 (July 2005): 207–224; Conclusions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Kretchmer, Paul. Twelve Steps to Writing an Effective Conclusion. San Francisco Edit, 2003-2008; Conclusions. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Assan, Joseph. "Writing the Conclusion Chapter: The Good, the Bad and the Missing." Liverpool: Development Studies Association (2009): 1-8.

Structure and Writing Style

I.  General Rules

The general function of your paper's conclusion is to restate the main argument . It reminds the reader of the strengths of your main argument(s) and reiterates the most important evidence supporting those argument(s). Do this by clearly summarizing the context, background, and necessity of pursuing the research problem you investigated in relation to an issue, controversy, or a gap found in the literature. However, make sure that your conclusion is not simply a repetitive summary of the findings. This reduces the impact of the argument(s) you have developed in your paper.

When writing the conclusion to your paper, follow these general rules:

• Present your conclusions in clear, concise language. Re-state the purpose of your study, then describe how your findings differ or support those of other studies and why [i.e., what were the unique, new, or crucial contributions your study made to the overall research about your topic?].
• Do not simply reiterate your findings or the discussion of your results. Provide a synthesis of arguments presented in the paper to show how these converge to address the research problem and the overall objectives of your study.
• Indicate opportunities for future research if you haven't already done so in the discussion section of your paper. Highlighting the need for further research provides the reader with evidence that you have an in-depth awareness of the research problem but that further investigations should take place beyond the scope of your investigation.

Consider the following points to help ensure your conclusion is presented well:

• If the argument or purpose of your paper is complex, you may need to summarize the argument for your reader.
• If, prior to your conclusion, you have not yet explained the significance of your findings or if you are proceeding inductively, use the end of your paper to describe your main points and explain their significance.
• Move from a detailed to a general level of consideration that returns the topic to the context provided by the introduction or within a new context that emerges from the data [this is opposite of the introduction, which begins with general discussion of the context and ends with a detailed description of the research problem]. 

The conclusion also provides a place for you to persuasively and succinctly restate the research problem, given that the reader has now been presented with all the information about the topic . Depending on the discipline you are writing in, the concluding paragraph may contain your reflections on the evidence presented. However, the nature of being introspective about the research you have conducted will depend on the topic and whether your professor wants you to express your observations in this way. If asked to think introspectively about the topics, do not delve into idle speculation. Being introspective means looking within yourself as an author to try and understand an issue more deeply, not to guess at possible outcomes or make up scenarios not supported by the evidence.

II.  Developing a Compelling Conclusion

Although an effective conclusion needs to be clear and succinct, it does not need to be written passively or lack a compelling narrative. Strategies to help you move beyond merely summarizing the key points of your research paper may include any of the following:

• If your essay deals with a critical, contemporary problem, warn readers of the possible consequences of not attending to the problem proactively.
• Recommend a specific course or courses of action that, if adopted, could address a specific problem in practice or in the development of new knowledge leading to positive change.
• Cite a relevant quotation or expert opinion already noted in your paper in order to lend authority and support to the conclusion(s) you have reached [a good source would be from your literature review].
• Explain the consequences of your research in a way that elicits action or demonstrates urgency in seeking change.
• Restate a key statistic, fact, or visual image to emphasize the most important finding of your paper.
• If your discipline encourages personal reflection, illustrate your concluding point by drawing from your own life experiences.
• Return to an anecdote, an example, or a quotation that you presented in your introduction, but add further insight derived from the findings of your study; use your interpretation of results from your study to recast it in new or important ways.
• Provide a "take-home" message in the form of a succinct, declarative statement that you want the reader to remember about your study.

III. Problems to Avoid

Failure to be concise Your conclusion section should be concise and to the point. Conclusions that are too lengthy often have unnecessary information in them. The conclusion is not the place for details about your methodology or results. Although you should give a summary of what was learned from your research, this summary should be relatively brief, since the emphasis in the conclusion is on the implications, evaluations, insights, and other forms of analysis that you make. Strategies for writing concisely can be found here .

Failure to comment on larger, more significant issues In the introduction, your task was to move from the general [the field of study] to the specific [the research problem]. However, in the conclusion, your task is to move from a specific discussion [your research problem] back to a general discussion framed around the implications and significance of your findings [i.e., how your research contributes new understanding or fills an important gap in the literature]. In short, the conclusion is where you should place your research within a larger context [visualize your paper as an hourglass--start with a broad introduction and review of the literature, move to the specific analysis and discussion, conclude with a broad summary of the study's implications and significance].

Failure to reveal problems and negative results Negative aspects of the research process should never be ignored. These are problems, deficiencies, or challenges encountered during your study. They should be summarized as a way of qualifying your overall conclusions. If you encountered negative or unintended results [i.e., findings that are validated outside the research context in which they were generated], you must report them in the results section and discuss their implications in the discussion section of your paper. In the conclusion, use negative results as an opportunity to explain their possible significance and/or how they may form the basis for future research.

Failure to provide a clear summary of what was learned In order to be able to discuss how your research fits within your field of study [and possibly the world at large], you need to summarize briefly and succinctly how it contributes to new knowledge or a new understanding about the research problem. This element of your conclusion may be only a few sentences long.

Failure to match the objectives of your research Often research objectives in the social and behavioral sciences change while the research is being carried out. This is not a problem unless you forget to go back and refine the original objectives in your introduction. As these changes emerge they must be documented so that they accurately reflect what you were trying to accomplish in your research [not what you thought you might accomplish when you began].

Resist the urge to apologize If you've immersed yourself in studying the research problem, you presumably should know a good deal about it [perhaps even more than your professor!]. Nevertheless, by the time you have finished writing, you may be having some doubts about what you have produced. Repress those doubts! Don't undermine your authority as a researcher by saying something like, "This is just one approach to examining this problem; there may be other, much better approaches that...." The overall tone of your conclusion should convey confidence to the reader about the study's validity and realiability.

Assan, Joseph. "Writing the Conclusion Chapter: The Good, the Bad and the Missing." Liverpool: Development Studies Association (2009): 1-8; Concluding Paragraphs. College Writing Center at Meramec. St. Louis Community College; Conclusions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina; Conclusions. The Writing Lab and The OWL. Purdue University; Freedman, Leora  and Jerry Plotnick. Introductions and Conclusions. The Lab Report. University College Writing Centre. University of Toronto; Leibensperger, Summer. Draft Your Conclusion. Academic Center, the University of Houston-Victoria, 2003; Make Your Last Words Count. The Writer’s Handbook. Writing Center. University of Wisconsin Madison; Miquel, Fuster-Marquez and Carmen Gregori-Signes. “Chapter Six: ‘Last but Not Least:’ Writing the Conclusion of Your Paper.” In Writing an Applied Linguistics Thesis or Dissertation: A Guide to Presenting Empirical Research . John Bitchener, editor. (Basingstoke,UK: Palgrave Macmillan, 2010), pp. 93-105; Tips for Writing a Good Conclusion. Writing@CSU. Colorado State University; Kretchmer, Paul. Twelve Steps to Writing an Effective Conclusion. San Francisco Edit, 2003-2008; Writing Conclusions. Writing Tutorial Services, Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning. Indiana University; Writing: Considering Structure and Organization. Institute for Writing Rhetoric. Dartmouth College.

Writing Tip

Don't Belabor the Obvious!

Avoid phrases like "in conclusion...," "in summary...," or "in closing...." These phrases can be useful, even welcome, in oral presentations. But readers can see by the tell-tale section heading and number of pages remaining that they are reaching the end of your paper. You'll irritate your readers if you belabor the obvious.

Assan, Joseph. "Writing the Conclusion Chapter: The Good, the Bad and the Missing." Liverpool: Development Studies Association (2009): 1-8.

Another Writing Tip

New Insight, Not New Information!

Don't surprise the reader with new information in your conclusion that was never referenced anywhere else in the paper. This why the conclusion rarely has citations to sources. If you have new information to present, add it to the discussion or other appropriate section of the paper. Note that, although no new information is introduced, the conclusion, along with the discussion section, is where you offer your most "original" contributions in the paper; the conclusion is where you describe the value of your research, demonstrate that you understand the material that you’ve presented, and position your findings within the larger context of scholarship on the topic, including describing how your research contributes new insights to that scholarship.

Assan, Joseph. "Writing the Conclusion Chapter: The Good, the Bad and the Missing." Liverpool: Development Studies Association (2009): 1-8; Conclusions. The Writing Center. University of North Carolina.

• << Previous: Limitations of the Study
• Next: Appendices >>
• Last Updated: Jun 17, 2024 9:29 AM
• URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide

Reference management. Clean and simple.

How to write an excellent thesis conclusion [with examples]

Restate the thesis

Review or reiterate key points of your work, explain why your work is relevant, a take-away for the reader, more resources on writing thesis conclusions, frequently asked questions about writing an excellent thesis conclusion, related articles.

At this point in your writing, you have most likely finished your introduction and the body of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper . While this is a reason to celebrate, you should not underestimate the importance of your conclusion. The conclusion is the last thing that your reader will see, so it should be memorable.

A good conclusion will review the key points of the thesis and explain to the reader why the information is relevant, applicable, or related to the world as a whole. Make sure to dedicate enough of your writing time to the conclusion and do not put it off until the very last minute.

This article provides an effective technique for writing a conclusion adapted from Erika Eby’s The College Student's Guide to Writing a Good Research Paper: 101 Easy Tips & Tricks to Make Your Work Stand Out .

While the thesis introduction starts out with broad statements about the topic, and then narrows it down to the thesis statement , a thesis conclusion does the same in the opposite order.

• Restate the thesis.
• Review or reiterate key points of your work.
• Explain why your work is relevant.
• Include a core take-away message for the reader.

Tip: Don’t just copy and paste your thesis into your conclusion. Restate it in different words.

The best way to start a conclusion is simply by restating the thesis statement. That does not mean just copying and pasting it from the introduction, but putting it into different words.

You will need to change the structure and wording of it to avoid sounding repetitive. Also, be firm in your conclusion just as you were in the introduction. Try to avoid sounding apologetic by using phrases like "This paper has tried to show..."

The conclusion should address all the same parts as the thesis while making it clear that the reader has reached the end. You are telling the reader that your research is finished and what your findings are.

I have argued throughout this work that the point of critical mass for biopolitical immunity occurred during the Romantic period because of that era's unique combination of post-revolutionary politics and innovations in smallpox prevention. In particular, I demonstrated that the French Revolution and the discovery of vaccination in the 1790s triggered a reconsideration of the relationship between bodies and the state.

Tip: Try to reiterate points from your introduction in your thesis conclusion.

The next step is to review the main points of the thesis as a whole. Look back at the body of of your project and make a note of the key ideas. You can reword these ideas the same way you reworded your thesis statement and then incorporate that into the conclusion.

You can also repeat striking quotations or statistics, but do not use more than two. As the conclusion represents your own closing thoughts on the topic , it should mainly consist of your own words.

In addition, conclusions can contain recommendations to the reader or relevant questions that further the thesis. You should ask yourself:

• What you would ideally like to see your readers do in reaction to your paper?
• Do you want them to take a certain action or investigate further?
• Is there a bigger issue that your paper wants to draw attention to?

Also, try to reference your introduction in your conclusion. You have already taken a first step by restating your thesis. Now, check whether there are other key words, phrases or ideas that are mentioned in your introduction that fit into your conclusion. Connecting the introduction to the conclusion in this way will help readers feel satisfied.

I explored how Mary Wollstonecraft, in both her fiction and political writings, envisions an ideal medico-political state, and how other writers like William Wordsworth and Mary Shelley increasingly imagined the body politic literally, as an incorporated political collective made up of bodies whose immunity to political and medical ills was essential to a healthy state.

Tip: Make sure to explain why your thesis is relevant to your field of research.

Although you can encourage readers to question their opinions and reflect on your topic, do not leave loose ends. You should provide a sense of resolution and make sure your conclusion wraps up your argument. Make sure you explain why your thesis is relevant to your field of research and how your research intervenes within, or substantially revises, existing scholarly debates.

This project challenged conventional ideas about the relationship among Romanticism, medicine, and politics by reading the unfolding of Romantic literature and biopolitical immunity as mutual, co-productive processes. In doing so, this thesis revises the ways in which biopolitics has been theorized by insisting on the inherent connections between Romantic literature and the forms of biopower that characterize early modernity.

Tip: If you began your thesis with an anecdote or historical example, you may want to return to that in your conclusion.

End your conclusion with something memorable, such as:

• a call to action
• a recommendation
• a gesture towards future research
• a brief explanation of how the problem or idea you covered remains relevant

Ultimately, you want readers to feel more informed, or ready to act, as they read your conclusion.

Yet, the Romantic period is only the beginning of modern thought on immunity and biopolitics. Victorian writers, doctors, and politicians upheld the Romantic idea that a "healthy state" was a literal condition that could be achieved by combining politics and medicine, but augmented that idea through legislation and widespread public health measures. While many nineteenth-century efforts to improve citizens' health were successful, the fight against disease ultimately changed course in the twentieth century as global immunological threats such as SARS occupied public consciousness. Indeed, as subsequent public health events make apparent, biopolitical immunity persists as a viable concept for thinking about the relationship between medicine and politics in modernity.

Need more advice? Read our 5 additional tips on how to write a good thesis conclusion.

The conclusion is the last thing that your reader will see, so it should be memorable. To write a great thesis conclusion you should:

The basic content of a conclusion is to review the main points from the paper. This part represents your own closing thoughts on the topic. It should mainly consist of the outcome of the research in your own words.

The length of the conclusion will depend on the length of the whole thesis. Usually, a conclusion should be around 5-7% of the overall word count.

End your conclusion with something memorable, such as a question, warning, or call to action. Depending on the topic, you can also end with a recommendation.

In Open Access: Theses and Dissertations you can find thousands of completed works. Take a look at any of the theses or dissertations for real-life examples of conclusions that were already approved.

In a short paper—even a research paper—you don’t need to provide an exhaustive summary as part of your conclusion. But you do need to make some kind of transition between your final body paragraph and your concluding paragraph. This may come in the form of a few sentences of summary. Or it may come in the form of a sentence that brings your readers back to your thesis or main idea and reminds your readers where you began and how far you have traveled.

So, for example, in a paper about the relationship between ADHD and rejection sensitivity, Vanessa Roser begins by introducing readers to the fact that researchers have studied the relationship between the two conditions and then provides her explanation of that relationship. Here’s her thesis: “While socialization may indeed be an important factor in RS, I argue that individuals with ADHD may also possess a neurological predisposition to RS that is exacerbated by the differing executive and emotional regulation characteristic of ADHD.”

In her final paragraph, Roser reminds us of where she started by echoing her thesis: “This literature demonstrates that, as with many other conditions, ADHD and RS share a delicately intertwined pattern of neurological similarities that is rooted in the innate biology of an individual’s mind, a connection that cannot be explained in full by the behavioral mediation hypothesis.”  

Highlight the “so what”  

At the beginning of your paper, you explain to your readers what’s at stake—why they should care about the argument you’re making. In your conclusion, you can bring readers back to those stakes by reminding them why your argument is important in the first place. You can also draft a few sentences that put those stakes into a new or broader context.

In the conclusion to her paper about ADHD and RS, Roser echoes the stakes she established in her introduction—that research into connections between ADHD and RS has led to contradictory results, raising questions about the “behavioral mediation hypothesis.”

She writes, “as with many other conditions, ADHD and RS share a delicately intertwined pattern of neurological similarities that is rooted in the innate biology of an individual’s mind, a connection that cannot be explained in full by the behavioral mediation hypothesis.”  

Leave your readers with the “now what”  

After the “what” and the “so what,” you should leave your reader with some final thoughts. If you have written a strong introduction, your readers will know why you have been arguing what you have been arguing—and why they should care. And if you’ve made a good case for your thesis, then your readers should be in a position to see things in a new way, understand new questions, or be ready for something that they weren’t ready for before they read your paper.

In her conclusion, Roser offers two “now what” statements. First, she explains that it is important to recognize that the flawed behavioral mediation hypothesis “seems to place a degree of fault on the individual. It implies that individuals with ADHD must have elicited such frequent or intense rejection by virtue of their inadequate social skills, erasing the possibility that they may simply possess a natural sensitivity to emotion.” She then highlights the broader implications for treatment of people with ADHD, noting that recognizing the actual connection between rejection sensitivity and ADHD “has profound implications for understanding how individuals with ADHD might best be treated in educational settings, by counselors, family, peers, or even society as a whole.”

To find your own “now what” for your essay’s conclusion, try asking yourself these questions:

• What can my readers now understand, see in a new light, or grapple with that they would not have understood in the same way before reading my paper? Are we a step closer to understanding a larger phenomenon or to understanding why what was at stake is so important?  
• What questions can I now raise that would not have made sense at the beginning of my paper? Questions for further research? Other ways that this topic could be approached?  
• Are there other applications for my research? Could my questions be asked about different data in a different context? Could I use my methods to answer a different question?  
• What action should be taken in light of this argument? What action do I predict will be taken or could lead to a solution?  
• What larger context might my argument be a part of?  

What to avoid in your conclusion  

• a complete restatement of all that you have said in your paper.  
• a substantial counterargument that you do not have space to refute; you should introduce counterarguments before your conclusion.  
• an apology for what you have not said. If you need to explain the scope of your paper, you should do this sooner—but don’t apologize for what you have not discussed in your paper.  
• fake transitions like “in conclusion” that are followed by sentences that aren’t actually conclusions. (“In conclusion, I have now demonstrated that my thesis is correct.”)
• picture_as_pdf Conclusions

Conclusions

What this handout is about.

This handout will explain the functions of conclusions, offer strategies for writing effective ones, help you evaluate conclusions you’ve drafted, and suggest approaches to avoid.

About conclusions

Introductions and conclusions can be difficult to write, but they’re worth investing time in. They can have a significant influence on a reader’s experience of your paper.

Just as your introduction acts as a bridge that transports your readers from their own lives into the “place” of your analysis, your conclusion can provide a bridge to help your readers make the transition back to their daily lives. Such a conclusion will help them see why all your analysis and information should matter to them after they put the paper down.

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to synthesize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.

Your conclusion can go beyond the confines of the assignment. The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.

Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader’s life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion:

• Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that question and answer it. Here’s how it might go: You: Basically, I’m just saying that education was important to Douglass. Friend: So what? You: Well, it was important because it was a key to him feeling like a free and equal citizen. Friend: Why should anybody care? You: That’s important because plantation owners tried to keep slaves from being educated so that they could maintain control. When Douglass obtained an education, he undermined that control personally. You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself “So What?” as you develop your ideas or your draft.
• Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
• Synthesize, don’t summarize. Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
• Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
• Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help them to apply your info and ideas to their own life or to see the broader implications.
• Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.

Strategies to avoid

• Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
• Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion.
• Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
• Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.
• Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper.
• Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper.

Four kinds of ineffective conclusions

• The “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It” Conclusion. This conclusion just restates the thesis and is usually painfully short. It does not push the ideas forward. People write this kind of conclusion when they can’t think of anything else to say. Example: In conclusion, Frederick Douglass was, as we have seen, a pioneer in American education, proving that education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
• The “Sherlock Holmes” Conclusion. Sometimes writers will state the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion. You might be tempted to use this strategy if you don’t want to give everything away too early in your paper. You may think it would be more dramatic to keep the reader in the dark until the end and then “wow” them with your main idea, as in a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The reader, however, does not expect a mystery, but an analytical discussion of your topic in an academic style, with the main argument (thesis) stated up front. Example: (After a paper that lists numerous incidents from the book but never says what these incidents reveal about Douglass and his views on education): So, as the evidence above demonstrates, Douglass saw education as a way to undermine the slaveholders’ power and also an important step toward freedom.
• The “America the Beautiful”/”I Am Woman”/”We Shall Overcome” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion usually draws on emotion to make its appeal, but while this emotion and even sentimentality may be very heartfelt, it is usually out of character with the rest of an analytical paper. A more sophisticated commentary, rather than emotional praise, would be a more fitting tribute to the topic. Example: Because of the efforts of fine Americans like Frederick Douglass, countless others have seen the shining beacon of light that is education. His example was a torch that lit the way for others. Frederick Douglass was truly an American hero.
• The “Grab Bag” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion includes extra information that the writer found or thought of but couldn’t integrate into the main paper. You may find it hard to leave out details that you discovered after hours of research and thought, but adding random facts and bits of evidence at the end of an otherwise-well-organized essay can just create confusion. Example: In addition to being an educational pioneer, Frederick Douglass provides an interesting case study for masculinity in the American South. He also offers historians an interesting glimpse into slave resistance when he confronts Covey, the overseer. His relationships with female relatives reveal the importance of family in the slave community.

Works consulted

We consulted these works while writing this handout. This is not a comprehensive list of resources on the handout’s topic, and we encourage you to do your own research to find additional publications. Please do not use this list as a model for the format of your own reference list, as it may not match the citation style you are using. For guidance on formatting citations, please see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial . We revise these tips periodically and welcome feedback.

Douglass, Frederick. 1995. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Written by Himself. New York: Dover.

Hamilton College. n.d. “Conclusions.” Writing Center. Accessed June 14, 2019. https://www.hamilton.edu//academics/centers/writing/writing-resources/conclusions .

Holewa, Randa. 2004. “Strategies for Writing a Conclusion.” LEO: Literacy Education Online. Last updated February 19, 2004. https://leo.stcloudstate.edu/acadwrite/conclude.html.

You may reproduce it for non-commercial use if you use the entire handout and attribute the source: The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Make a Gift

Have a language expert improve your writing

Run a free plagiarism check in 10 minutes, generate accurate citations for free.

• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Conclusion

Published on September 6, 2022 by Tegan George and Shona McCombes. Revised on November 20, 2023.

The conclusion is the very last part of your thesis or dissertation . It should be concise and engaging, leaving your reader with a clear understanding of your main findings, as well as the answer to your research question .

In it, you should:

• Clearly state the answer to your main research question
• Summarize and reflect on your research process
• Make recommendations for future work on your thesis or dissertation topic
• Show what new knowledge you have contributed to your field
• Wrap up your thesis or dissertation

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Discussion vs. conclusion, how long should your conclusion be, step 1: answer your research question, step 2: summarize and reflect on your research, step 3: make future recommendations, step 4: emphasize your contributions to your field, step 5: wrap up your thesis or dissertation, full conclusion example, conclusion checklist, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about conclusion sections.

While your conclusion contains similar elements to your discussion section , they are not the same thing.

Your conclusion should be shorter and more general than your discussion. Instead of repeating literature from your literature review , discussing specific research results , or interpreting your data in detail, concentrate on making broad statements that sum up the most important insights of your research.

As a rule of thumb, your conclusion should not introduce new data, interpretations, or arguments.

Receive feedback on language, structure, and formatting

Professional editors proofread and edit your paper by focusing on:

• Academic style
• Vague sentences
• Style consistency

See an example

Depending on whether you are writing a thesis or dissertation, your length will vary. Generally, a conclusion should make up around 5–7% of your overall word count.

An empirical scientific study will often have a short conclusion, concisely stating the main findings and recommendations for future research. A humanities dissertation topic or systematic review , on the other hand, might require more space to conclude its analysis, tying all the previous sections together in an overall argument.

Your conclusion should begin with the main question that your thesis or dissertation aimed to address. This is your final chance to show that you’ve done what you set out to do, so make sure to formulate a clear, concise answer.

• Don’t repeat a list of all the results that you already discussed
• Do synthesize them into a final takeaway that the reader will remember.

An empirical thesis or dissertation conclusion may begin like this:

A case study –based thesis or dissertation conclusion may begin like this:

In the second example, the research aim is not directly restated, but rather added implicitly to the statement. To avoid repeating yourself, it is helpful to reformulate your aims and questions into an overall statement of what you did and how you did it.

Your conclusion is an opportunity to remind your reader why you took the approach you did, what you expected to find, and how well the results matched your expectations.

To avoid repetition , consider writing more reflectively here, rather than just writing a summary of each preceding section. Consider mentioning the effectiveness of your methodology , or perhaps any new questions or unexpected insights that arose in the process.

You can also mention any limitations of your research, but only if you haven’t already included these in the discussion. Don’t dwell on them at length, though—focus on the positives of your work.

• While x limits the generalizability of the results, this approach provides new insight into y .
• This research clearly illustrates x , but it also raises the question of y .

Here's why students love Scribbr's proofreading services

Discover proofreading & editing

You may already have made a few recommendations for future research in your discussion section, but the conclusion is a good place to elaborate and look ahead, considering the implications of your findings in both theoretical and practical terms.

• Based on these conclusions, practitioners should consider …
• To better understand the implications of these results, future studies could address …
• Further research is needed to determine the causes of/effects of/relationship between …

When making recommendations for further research, be sure not to undermine your own work. Relatedly, while future studies might confirm, build on, or enrich your conclusions, they shouldn’t be required for your argument to feel complete. Your work should stand alone on its own merits.

Just as you should avoid too much self-criticism, you should also avoid exaggerating the applicability of your research. If you’re making recommendations for policy, business, or other practical implementations, it’s generally best to frame them as “shoulds” rather than “musts.” All in all, the purpose of academic research is to inform, explain, and explore—not to demand.

Make sure your reader is left with a strong impression of what your research has contributed to the state of your field.

Some strategies to achieve this include:

• Returning to your problem statement to explain how your research helps solve the problem
• Referring back to the literature review and showing how you have addressed a gap in knowledge
• Discussing how your findings confirm or challenge an existing theory or assumption

Again, avoid simply repeating what you’ve already covered in the discussion in your conclusion. Instead, pick out the most important points and sum them up succinctly, situating your project in a broader context.

The end is near! Once you’ve finished writing your conclusion, it’s time to wrap up your thesis or dissertation with a few final steps:

• It’s a good idea to write your abstract next, while the research is still fresh in your mind.
• Next, make sure your reference list is complete and correctly formatted. To speed up the process, you can use our free APA citation generator .
• Once you’ve added any appendices , you can create a table of contents and title page .
• Finally, read through the whole document again to make sure your thesis is clearly written and free from language errors. You can proofread it yourself , ask a friend, or consider Scribbr’s proofreading and editing service .

Here is an example of how you can write your conclusion section. Notice how it includes everything mentioned above:

V. Conclusion

The current research aimed to identify acoustic speech characteristics which mark the beginning of an exacerbation in COPD patients.

The central questions for this research were as follows: 1. Which acoustic measures extracted from read speech differ between COPD speakers in stable condition and healthy speakers? 2. In what ways does the speech of COPD patients during an exacerbation differ from speech of COPD patients during stable periods?

All recordings were aligned using a script. Subsequently, they were manually annotated to indicate respiratory actions such as inhaling and exhaling. The recordings of 9 stable COPD patients reading aloud were then compared with the recordings of 5 healthy control subjects reading aloud. The results showed a significant effect of condition on the number of in- and exhalations per syllable, the number of non-linguistic in- and exhalations per syllable, and the ratio of voiced and silence intervals. The number of in- and exhalations per syllable and the number of non-linguistic in- and exhalations per syllable were higher for COPD patients than for healthy controls, which confirmed both hypotheses.

However, the higher ratio of voiced and silence intervals for COPD patients compared to healthy controls was not in line with the hypotheses. This unpredicted result might have been caused by the different reading materials or recording procedures for both groups, or by a difference in reading skills. Moreover, there was a trend regarding the effect of condition on the number of syllables per breath group. The number of syllables per breath group was higher for healthy controls than for COPD patients, which was in line with the hypothesis. There was no effect of condition on pitch, intensity, center of gravity, pitch variability, speaking rate, or articulation rate.

This research has shown that the speech of COPD patients in exacerbation differs from the speech of COPD patients in stable condition. This might have potential for the detection of exacerbations. However, sustained vowels rarely occur in spontaneous speech. Therefore, the last two outcome measures might have greater potential for the detection of beginning exacerbations, but further research on the different outcome measures and their potential for the detection of exacerbations is needed due to the limitations of the current study.

Checklist: Conclusion

I have clearly and concisely answered the main research question .

I have summarized my overall argument or key takeaways.

I have mentioned any important limitations of the research.

I have given relevant recommendations .

I have clearly explained what my research has contributed to my field.

I have  not introduced any new data or arguments.

You've written a great conclusion! Use the other checklists to further improve your dissertation.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
• Generative AI
• Machine learning
• Reinforcement learning
• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

 (AI) Tools

• Grammar Checker
• Paraphrasing Tool
• Text Summarizer
• AI Detector
• Plagiarism Checker
• Citation Generator

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

• Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the discussion section and results section
• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion …”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g., “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

• A restatement of your research question
• A summary of your key arguments and/or results
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

George, T. & McCombes, S. (2023, November 20). How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Conclusion. Scribbr. Retrieved June 18, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/dissertation/write-conclusion/

Is this article helpful?

Tegan George

Other students also liked, how to write a discussion section | tips & examples, how to write an abstract | steps & examples, how to write a thesis or dissertation introduction, get unlimited documents corrected.

✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts

• Link to facebook
• Link to linkedin
• Link to twitter
• Link to youtube
• Writing Tips

How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper

3-minute read

• 29th August 2023

If you’re writing a research paper, the conclusion is your opportunity to summarize your findings and leave a lasting impression on your readers. In this post, we’ll take you through how to write an effective conclusion for a research paper and how you can:

·   Reword your thesis statement

·   Highlight the significance of your research

·   Discuss limitations

·   Connect to the introduction

·   End with a thought-provoking statement

Rewording Your Thesis Statement

Begin your conclusion by restating your thesis statement in a way that is slightly different from the wording used in the introduction. Avoid presenting new information or evidence in your conclusion. Just summarize the main points and arguments of your essay and keep this part as concise as possible. Remember that you’ve already covered the in-depth analyses and investigations in the main body paragraphs of your essay, so it’s not necessary to restate these details in the conclusion.

Find this useful?

Subscribe to our newsletter and get writing tips from our editors straight to your inbox.

Highlighting the Significance of Your Research

The conclusion is a good place to emphasize the implications of your research . Avoid ambiguous or vague language such as “I think” or “maybe,” which could weaken your position. Clearly explain why your research is significant and how it contributes to the broader field of study.

Here’s an example from a (fictional) study on the impact of social media on mental health:

Discussing Limitations

Although it’s important to emphasize the significance of your study, you can also use the conclusion to briefly address any limitations you discovered while conducting your research, such as time constraints or a shortage of resources. Doing this demonstrates a balanced and honest approach to your research.

Connecting to the Introduction

In your conclusion, you can circle back to your introduction , perhaps by referring to a quote or anecdote you discussed earlier. If you end your paper on a similar note to how you began it, you will create a sense of cohesion for the reader and remind them of the meaning and significance of your research.

Ending With a Thought-Provoking Statement

Consider ending your paper with a thought-provoking and memorable statement that relates to the impact of your research questions or hypothesis. This statement can be a call to action, a philosophical question, or a prediction for the future (positive or negative). Here’s an example that uses the same topic as above (social media and mental health):

Expert Proofreading Services

Ensure that your essay ends on a high note by having our experts proofread your research paper. Our team has experience with a wide variety of academic fields and subjects and can help make your paper stand out from the crowd – get started today and see the difference it can make in your work.

Share this article:

Post A New Comment

Got content that needs a quick turnaround? Let us polish your work. Explore our editorial business services.

9-minute read

How to Use Infographics to Boost Your Presentation

Is your content getting noticed? Capturing and maintaining an audience’s attention is a challenge when...

8-minute read

Why Interactive PDFs Are Better for Engagement

Are you looking to enhance engagement and captivate your audience through your professional documents? Interactive...

7-minute read

Seven Key Strategies for Voice Search Optimization

Voice search optimization is rapidly shaping the digital landscape, requiring content professionals to adapt their...

4-minute read

Five Creative Ways to Showcase Your Digital Portfolio

Are you a creative freelancer looking to make a lasting impression on potential clients or...

How to Ace Slack Messaging for Contractors and Freelancers

Effective professional communication is an important skill for contractors and freelancers navigating remote work environments....

How to Insert a Text Box in a Google Doc

Google Docs is a powerful collaborative tool, and mastering its features can significantly enhance your...

Make sure your writing is the best it can be with our expert English proofreading and editing.

• Privacy Policy

Home » Research Paper Conclusion – Writing Guide and Examples

Research Paper Conclusion – Writing Guide and Examples

Table of Contents

Research Paper Conclusion

Definition:

A research paper conclusion is the final section of a research paper that summarizes the key findings, significance, and implications of the research. It is the writer’s opportunity to synthesize the information presented in the paper, draw conclusions, and make recommendations for future research or actions.

The conclusion should provide a clear and concise summary of the research paper, reiterating the research question or problem, the main results, and the significance of the findings. It should also discuss the limitations of the study and suggest areas for further research.

Parts of Research Paper Conclusion

The parts of a research paper conclusion typically include:

Restatement of the Thesis

The conclusion should begin by restating the thesis statement from the introduction in a different way. This helps to remind the reader of the main argument or purpose of the research.

Summary of Key Findings

The conclusion should summarize the main findings of the research, highlighting the most important results and conclusions. This section should be brief and to the point.

Implications and Significance

In this section, the researcher should explain the implications and significance of the research findings. This may include discussing the potential impact on the field or industry, highlighting new insights or knowledge gained, or pointing out areas for future research.

Limitations and Recommendations

It is important to acknowledge any limitations or weaknesses of the research and to make recommendations for how these could be addressed in future studies. This shows that the researcher is aware of the potential limitations of their work and is committed to improving the quality of research in their field.

Concluding Statement

The conclusion should end with a strong concluding statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader. This could be a call to action, a recommendation for further research, or a final thought on the topic.

How to Write Research Paper Conclusion

Here are some steps you can follow to write an effective research paper conclusion:

• Restate the research problem or question: Begin by restating the research problem or question that you aimed to answer in your research. This will remind the reader of the purpose of your study.
• Summarize the main points: Summarize the key findings and results of your research. This can be done by highlighting the most important aspects of your research and the evidence that supports them.
• Discuss the implications: Discuss the implications of your findings for the research area and any potential applications of your research. You should also mention any limitations of your research that may affect the interpretation of your findings.
• Provide a conclusion : Provide a concise conclusion that summarizes the main points of your paper and emphasizes the significance of your research. This should be a strong and clear statement that leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
• Offer suggestions for future research: Lastly, offer suggestions for future research that could build on your findings and contribute to further advancements in the field.

Remember that the conclusion should be brief and to the point, while still effectively summarizing the key findings and implications of your research.

Example of Research Paper Conclusion

Here’s an example of a research paper conclusion:

Conclusion :

In conclusion, our study aimed to investigate the relationship between social media use and mental health among college students. Our findings suggest that there is a significant association between social media use and increased levels of anxiety and depression among college students. This highlights the need for increased awareness and education about the potential negative effects of social media use on mental health, particularly among college students.

Despite the limitations of our study, such as the small sample size and self-reported data, our findings have important implications for future research and practice. Future studies should aim to replicate our findings in larger, more diverse samples, and investigate the potential mechanisms underlying the association between social media use and mental health. In addition, interventions should be developed to promote healthy social media use among college students, such as mindfulness-based approaches and social media detox programs.

Overall, our study contributes to the growing body of research on the impact of social media on mental health, and highlights the importance of addressing this issue in the context of higher education. By raising awareness and promoting healthy social media use among college students, we can help to reduce the negative impact of social media on mental health and improve the well-being of young adults.

Purpose of Research Paper Conclusion

The purpose of a research paper conclusion is to provide a summary and synthesis of the key findings, significance, and implications of the research presented in the paper. The conclusion serves as the final opportunity for the writer to convey their message and leave a lasting impression on the reader.

The conclusion should restate the research problem or question, summarize the main results of the research, and explain their significance. It should also acknowledge the limitations of the study and suggest areas for future research or action.

Overall, the purpose of the conclusion is to provide a sense of closure to the research paper and to emphasize the importance of the research and its potential impact. It should leave the reader with a clear understanding of the main findings and why they matter. The conclusion serves as the writer’s opportunity to showcase their contribution to the field and to inspire further research and action.

When to Write Research Paper Conclusion

The conclusion of a research paper should be written after the body of the paper has been completed. It should not be written until the writer has thoroughly analyzed and interpreted their findings and has written a complete and cohesive discussion of the research.

Before writing the conclusion, the writer should review their research paper and consider the key points that they want to convey to the reader. They should also review the research question, hypotheses, and methodology to ensure that they have addressed all of the necessary components of the research.

Once the writer has a clear understanding of the main findings and their significance, they can begin writing the conclusion. The conclusion should be written in a clear and concise manner, and should reiterate the main points of the research while also providing insights and recommendations for future research or action.

Characteristics of Research Paper Conclusion

The characteristics of a research paper conclusion include:

• Clear and concise: The conclusion should be written in a clear and concise manner, summarizing the key findings and their significance.
• Comprehensive: The conclusion should address all of the main points of the research paper, including the research question or problem, the methodology, the main results, and their implications.
• Future-oriented : The conclusion should provide insights and recommendations for future research or action, based on the findings of the research.
• Impressive : The conclusion should leave a lasting impression on the reader, emphasizing the importance of the research and its potential impact.
• Objective : The conclusion should be based on the evidence presented in the research paper, and should avoid personal biases or opinions.
• Unique : The conclusion should be unique to the research paper and should not simply repeat information from the introduction or body of the paper.

Advantages of Research Paper Conclusion

The advantages of a research paper conclusion include:

• Summarizing the key findings : The conclusion provides a summary of the main findings of the research, making it easier for the reader to understand the key points of the study.
• Emphasizing the significance of the research: The conclusion emphasizes the importance of the research and its potential impact, making it more likely that readers will take the research seriously and consider its implications.
• Providing recommendations for future research or action : The conclusion suggests practical recommendations for future research or action, based on the findings of the study.
• Providing closure to the research paper : The conclusion provides a sense of closure to the research paper, tying together the different sections of the paper and leaving a lasting impression on the reader.
• Demonstrating the writer’s contribution to the field : The conclusion provides the writer with an opportunity to showcase their contribution to the field and to inspire further research and action.

Limitations of Research Paper Conclusion

While the conclusion of a research paper has many advantages, it also has some limitations that should be considered, including:

• I nability to address all aspects of the research: Due to the limited space available in the conclusion, it may not be possible to address all aspects of the research in detail.
• Subjectivity : While the conclusion should be objective, it may be influenced by the writer’s personal biases or opinions.
• Lack of new information: The conclusion should not introduce new information that has not been discussed in the body of the research paper.
• Lack of generalizability: The conclusions drawn from the research may not be applicable to other contexts or populations, limiting the generalizability of the study.
• Misinterpretation by the reader: The reader may misinterpret the conclusions drawn from the research, leading to a misunderstanding of the findings.

About the author

Muhammad Hassan

Researcher, Academic Writer, Web developer

You may also like

Research Objectives – Types, Examples and...

Ethical Considerations – Types, Examples and...

Table of Contents – Types, Formats, Examples

Assignment – Types, Examples and Writing Guide

Research Approach – Types Methods and Examples

Research Summary – Structure, Examples and...

• Walden University
• Faculty Portal

Writing a Paper: Conclusions

Writing a conclusion.

A conclusion is an important part of the paper; it provides closure for the reader while reminding the reader of the contents and importance of the paper. It accomplishes this by stepping back from the specifics in order to view the bigger picture of the document. In other words, it is reminding the reader of the main argument. For most course papers, it is usually one paragraph that simply and succinctly restates the main ideas and arguments, pulling everything together to help clarify the thesis of the paper. A conclusion does not introduce new ideas; instead, it should clarify the intent and importance of the paper. It can also suggest possible future research on the topic.

An Easy Checklist for Writing a Conclusion

It is important to remind the reader of the thesis of the paper so he is reminded of the argument and solutions you proposed.

Think of the main points as puzzle pieces, and the conclusion is where they all fit together to create a bigger picture. The reader should walk away with the bigger picture in mind.

Make sure that the paper places its findings in the context of real social change.

Make sure the reader has a distinct sense that the paper has come to an end. It is important to not leave the reader hanging. (You don’t want her to have flip-the-page syndrome, where the reader turns the page, expecting the paper to continue. The paper should naturally come to an end.)

No new ideas should be introduced in the conclusion. It is simply a review of the material that is already present in the paper. The only new idea would be the suggesting of a direction for future research.

Conclusion Example

As addressed in my analysis of recent research, the advantages of a later starting time for high school students significantly outweigh the disadvantages. A later starting time would allow teens more time to sleep--something that is important for their physical and mental health--and ultimately improve their academic performance and behavior. The added transportation costs that result from this change can be absorbed through energy savings. The beneficial effects on the students’ academic performance and behavior validate this decision, but its effect on student motivation is still unknown. I would encourage an in-depth look at the reactions of students to such a change. This sort of study would help determine the actual effects of a later start time on the time management and sleep habits of students.

Related Webinar

Didn't find what you need? Email us at [email protected] .

• Previous Page: Thesis Statements
• Next Page: Writer's Block
• Office of Student Disability Services

Walden Resources

Departments.

• Academic Residencies
• Academic Skills
• Career Planning and Development
• Customer Care Team
• Field Experience
• Military Services
• Student Success Advising
• Writing Skills

Centers and Offices

• Center for Social Change
• Office of Academic Support and Instructional Services
• Office of Degree Acceleration
• Office of Research and Doctoral Services
• Office of Student Affairs

Student Resources

• Doctoral Writing Assessment
• Form & Style Review
• Quick Answers
• ScholarWorks
• SKIL Courses and Workshops
• Walden Bookstore
• Walden Catalog & Student Handbook
• Student Safety/Title IX
• Legal & Consumer Information
• Website Terms and Conditions
• Cookie Policy
• Accessibility
• Accreditation
• State Authorization
• Net Price Calculator
• Contact Walden

Walden University is a member of Adtalem Global Education, Inc. www.adtalem.com Walden University is certified to operate by SCHEV © 2024 Walden University LLC. All rights reserved.

How to write a strong conclusion for your research paper

Last updated

17 February 2024

Reviewed by

Short on time? Get an AI generated summary of this article instead

Writing a research paper is a chance to share your knowledge and hypothesis. It's an opportunity to demonstrate your many hours of research and prove your ability to write convincingly.

Ideally, by the end of your research paper, you'll have brought your readers on a journey to reach the conclusions you've pre-determined. However, if you don't stick the landing with a good conclusion, you'll risk losing your reader’s trust.

Writing a strong conclusion for your research paper involves a few important steps, including restating the thesis and summing up everything properly.

Find out what to include and what to avoid, so you can effectively demonstrate your understanding of the topic and prove your expertise.

• Why is a good conclusion important?

A good conclusion can cement your paper in the reader’s mind. Making a strong impression in your introduction can draw your readers in, but it's the conclusion that will inspire them.

• What to include in a research paper conclusion

There are a few specifics you should include in your research paper conclusion. Offer your readers some sense of urgency or consequence by pointing out why they should care about the topic you have covered. Discuss any common problems associated with your topic and provide suggestions as to how these problems can be solved or addressed.

The conclusion should include a restatement of your initial thesis. Thesis statements are strengthened after you’ve presented supporting evidence (as you will have done in the paper), so make a point to reintroduce it at the end.

Finally, recap the main points of your research paper, highlighting the key takeaways you want readers to remember. If you've made multiple points throughout the paper, refer to the ones with the strongest supporting evidence.

• Steps for writing a research paper conclusion

Many writers find the conclusion the most challenging part of any research project . By following these three steps, you'll be prepared to write a conclusion that is effective and concise.

• Step 1: Restate the problem

Always begin by restating the research problem in the conclusion of a research paper. This serves to remind the reader of your hypothesis and refresh them on the main point of the paper. 

When restating the problem, take care to avoid using exactly the same words you employed earlier in the paper.

• Step 2: Sum up the paper

After you've restated the problem, sum up the paper by revealing your overall findings. The method for this differs slightly, depending on whether you're crafting an argumentative paper or an empirical paper.

Argumentative paper: Restate your thesis and arguments

Argumentative papers involve introducing a thesis statement early on. In crafting the conclusion for an argumentative paper, always restate the thesis, outlining the way you've developed it throughout the entire paper.

It might be appropriate to mention any counterarguments in the conclusion, so you can demonstrate how your thesis is correct or how the data best supports your main points.

Empirical paper: Summarize research findings

Empirical papers break down a series of research questions. In your conclusion, discuss the findings your research revealed, including any information that surprised you.

Be clear about the conclusions you reached, and explain whether or not you expected to arrive at these particular ones.

• Step 3: Discuss the implications of your research

Argumentative papers and empirical papers also differ in this part of a research paper conclusion. Here are some tips on crafting conclusions for argumentative and empirical papers.

Argumentative paper: Powerful closing statement

In an argumentative paper, you'll have spent a great deal of time expressing the opinions you formed after doing a significant amount of research. Make a strong closing statement in your argumentative paper's conclusion to share the significance of your work.

You can outline the next steps through a bold call to action, or restate how powerful your ideas turned out to be.

Empirical paper: Directions for future research

Empirical papers are broader in scope. They usually cover a variety of aspects and can include several points of view.

To write a good conclusion for an empirical paper, suggest the type of research that could be done in the future, including methods for further investigation or outlining ways other researchers might proceed.

If you feel your research had any limitations, even if they were outside your control, you could mention these in your conclusion.

After you finish outlining your conclusion, ask someone to read it and offer feedback. In any research project you're especially close to, it can be hard to identify problem areas. Having a close friend or someone whose opinion you value read the research paper and provide honest feedback can be invaluable. Take note of any suggested edits and consider incorporating them into your paper if they make sense.

• Things to avoid in a research paper conclusion

Keep these aspects to avoid in mind as you're writing your conclusion and refer to them after you've created an outline.

Dry summary

Writing a memorable, succinct conclusion is arguably more important than a strong introduction. Take care to avoid just rephrasing your main points, and don't fall into the trap of repeating dry facts or citations.

You can provide a new perspective for your readers to think about or contextualize your research. Either way, make the conclusion vibrant and interesting, rather than a rote recitation of your research paper’s highlights.

Clichéd or generic phrasing

Your research paper conclusion should feel fresh and inspiring. Avoid generic phrases like "to sum up" or "in conclusion." These phrases tend to be overused, especially in an academic context and might turn your readers off.

The conclusion also isn't the time to introduce colloquial phrases or informal language. Retain a professional, confident tone consistent throughout your paper’s conclusion so it feels exciting and bold.

New data or evidence

While you should present strong data throughout your paper, the conclusion isn't the place to introduce new evidence. This is because readers are engaged in actively learning as they read through the body of your paper.

By the time they reach the conclusion, they will have formed an opinion one way or the other (hopefully in your favor!). Introducing new evidence in the conclusion will only serve to surprise or frustrate your reader.

Ignoring contradictory evidence

If your research reveals contradictory evidence, don't ignore it in the conclusion. This will damage your credibility as an expert and might even serve to highlight the contradictions.

Be as transparent as possible and admit to any shortcomings in your research, but don't dwell on them for too long.

Ambiguous or unclear resolutions

The point of a research paper conclusion is to provide closure and bring all your ideas together. You should wrap up any arguments you introduced in the paper and tie up any loose ends, while demonstrating why your research and data are strong.

Use direct language in your conclusion and avoid ambiguity. Even if some of the data and sources you cite are inconclusive or contradictory, note this in your conclusion to come across as confident and trustworthy.

• Examples of research paper conclusions

Your research paper should provide a compelling close to the paper as a whole, highlighting your research and hard work. While the conclusion should represent your unique style, these examples offer a starting point:

Ultimately, the data we examined all point to the same conclusion: Encouraging a good work-life balance improves employee productivity and benefits the company overall. The research suggests that when employees feel their personal lives are valued and respected by their employers, they are more likely to be productive when at work. In addition, company turnover tends to be reduced when employees have a balance between their personal and professional lives. While additional research is required to establish ways companies can support employees in creating a stronger work-life balance, it's clear the need is there.

Social media is a primary method of communication among young people. As we've seen in the data presented, most young people in high school use a variety of social media applications at least every hour, including Instagram and Facebook. While social media is an avenue for connection with peers, research increasingly suggests that social media use correlates with body image issues. Young girls with lower self-esteem tend to use social media more often than those who don't log onto social media apps every day. As new applications continue to gain popularity, and as more high school students are given smartphones, more research will be required to measure the effects of prolonged social media use.

What are the different kinds of research paper conclusions?

There are no formal types of research paper conclusions. Ultimately, the conclusion depends on the outline of your paper and the type of research you’re presenting. While some experts note that research papers can end with a new perspective or commentary, most papers should conclude with a combination of both. The most important aspect of a good research paper conclusion is that it accurately represents the body of the paper.

Can I present new arguments in my research paper conclusion?

Research paper conclusions are not the place to introduce new data or arguments. The body of your paper is where you should share research and insights, where the reader is actively absorbing the content. By the time a reader reaches the conclusion of the research paper, they should have formed their opinion. Introducing new arguments in the conclusion can take a reader by surprise, and not in a positive way. It might also serve to frustrate readers.

How long should a research paper conclusion be?

There's no set length for a research paper conclusion. However, it's a good idea not to run on too long, since conclusions are supposed to be succinct. A good rule of thumb is to keep your conclusion around 5 to 10 percent of the paper's total length. If your paper is 10 pages, try to keep your conclusion under one page.

What should I include in a research paper conclusion?

A good research paper conclusion should always include a sense of urgency, so the reader can see how and why the topic should matter to them. You can also note some recommended actions to help fix the problem and some obstacles they might encounter. A conclusion should also remind the reader of the thesis statement, along with the main points you covered in the paper. At the end of the conclusion, add a powerful closing statement that helps cement the paper in the mind of the reader.

Should you be using a customer insights hub?

Do you want to discover previous research faster?

Do you share your research findings with others?

Do you analyze research data?

Start for free today, add your research, and get to key insights faster

Editor’s picks

Last updated: 18 April 2023

Last updated: 27 February 2023

Last updated: 6 February 2023

Last updated: 15 January 2024

Last updated: 6 October 2023

Last updated: 5 February 2023

Last updated: 16 April 2023

Last updated: 7 March 2023

Last updated: 9 March 2023

Last updated: 12 December 2023

Last updated: 11 March 2024

Last updated: 13 May 2024

Latest articles

Related topics, .css-je19u9{-webkit-align-items:flex-end;-webkit-box-align:flex-end;-ms-flex-align:flex-end;align-items:flex-end;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:wrap;-ms-flex-wrap:wrap;flex-wrap:wrap;-webkit-box-pack:center;-ms-flex-pack:center;-webkit-justify-content:center;justify-content:center;row-gap:0;text-align:center;max-width:671px;}@media (max-width: 1079px){.css-je19u9{max-width:400px;}.css-je19u9>span{white-space:pre;}}@media (max-width: 799px){.css-je19u9{max-width:400px;}.css-je19u9>span{white-space:pre;}} decide what to .css-1kiodld{max-height:56px;display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;}@media (max-width: 1079px){.css-1kiodld{display:none;}} build next, decide what to build next.

Users report unexpectedly high data usage, especially during streaming sessions.

Users find it hard to navigate from the home page to relevant playlists in the app.

It would be great to have a sleep timer feature, especially for bedtime listening.

I need better filters to find the songs or artists I’m looking for.

Log in or sign up

Get started for free

• Resources Home 🏠
• Try SciSpace Copilot
• Search research papers
• Add Copilot Extension
• Try AI Detector
• Try Paraphraser
• Try Citation Generator
• April Papers
• June Papers
• July Papers

How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper

Table of Contents

Writing a conclusion for a research paper is a critical step that often determines the overall impact and impression the paper leaves on the reader. While some may view the conclusion as a mere formality, it is actually an opportunity to wrap up the main points, provide closure, and leave a lasting impression. In this article, we will explore the importance of a well-crafted conclusion and discuss various tips and strategies to help you write an engaging and impactful conclusion for your research paper.

Introduction

Before delving into the specifics of writing a conclusion, it is important to understand why it is such a crucial component of a research paper. The conclusion serves to summarize the main points of the paper and reemphasize their significance. A well-written conclusion can leave the reader satisfied and inspired, while a poorly executed one may undermine the credibility of the entire paper. Therefore, it is essential to give careful thought and attention to crafting an effective conclusion.

When writing a research paper, the conclusion acts as the final destination for the reader. It is the point where all the information, arguments, and evidence presented throughout the paper converge. Just as a traveler reaches the end of a journey, the reader reaches the conclusion to find closure and a sense of fulfillment. This is why the conclusion should not be taken lightly; it is a critical opportunity to leave a lasting impact on the reader.

Moreover, the conclusion is not merely a repetition of the introduction or a summary of the main points. It goes beyond that by providing a deeper understanding of the research findings and their implications. It allows the writer to reflect on the significance of their work and its potential contributions to the field. By doing so, the conclusion elevates the research paper from a mere collection of facts to a thought-provoking piece of scholarship.

In the following sections, we will explore various strategies and techniques for crafting a compelling conclusion. By understanding the importance of the conclusion and learning how to write one effectively, you will be equipped to create impactful research papers.

Structuring the Conclusion

In order to create an effective conclusion, it is important to consider its structure. A well-structured conclusion should begin by restating the thesis statement and summarizing the main points of the paper. It should then move on to provide a concise synthesis of the key findings and arguments, highlighting their implications and relevance. Finally, the conclusion should end with a thought-provoking statement that leaves the reader with a lasting impression.

Additionally, using phrases like "this research demonstrates," "the findings show," or "it is clear that" can help to highlight the significance of your research and emphasize your main conclusions.

Tips for Writing an Engaging Conclusion

Writing an engaging conclusion requires careful consideration and attention to detail. Here are some tips to help you create an impactful conclusion for your research paper:

• Revisit the Introduction: Start your conclusion by referencing your introduction. Remind the reader of the research question or problem you initially posed and show how your research has addressed it.
• Summarize Your Main Points: Provide a concise summary of the main points and arguments presented in your paper. Be sure to restate your thesis statement and highlight the key findings.
• Offer a Fresh Perspective: Use the conclusion as an opportunity to provide a fresh perspective or offer insights that go beyond the main body of the paper. This will leave the reader with something new to consider.
• Leave a Lasting Impression: End your conclusion with a thought-provoking statement or a call to action. This will leave a lasting impression on the reader and encourage further exploration of the research topic.

Addressing Counter Arguments In Conclusion

While crafting your conclusion, you can address any potential counterarguments or limitations of your research. This will demonstrate that you have considered alternative perspectives and have taken them into account in your conclusions. By acknowledging potential counterarguments, you can strengthen the credibility and validity of your research. And by openly discussing limitations, you demonstrate transparency and honesty in your research process.

Language and Tone To Be Used In Conclusion

The language and tone of your conclusion play a crucial role in shaping the overall impression of your research paper. It is important to use clear and concise language that is appropriate for the academic context. Avoid using overly informal or colloquial language that may undermine the credibility of your research. Additionally, consider the tone of your conclusion – it should be professional, confident, and persuasive, while still maintaining a respectful and objective tone.

When it comes to the language used in your conclusion, precision is key. You want to ensure that your ideas are communicated effectively and that there is no room for misinterpretation. Using clear and concise language will not only make your conclusion easier to understand but will also demonstrate your command of the subject matter.

Furthermore, it is important to strike the right balance between formality and accessibility. While academic writing typically requires a more formal tone, you should still aim to make your conclusion accessible to a wider audience. This means avoiding jargon or technical terms that may confuse readers who are not familiar with the subject matter. Instead, opt for language that is clear and straightforward, allowing anyone to grasp the main points of your research.

Another aspect to consider is the tone of your conclusion. The tone should reflect the confidence you have in your research findings and the strength of your argument. By adopting a professional and confident tone, you are more likely to convince your readers of the validity and importance of your research. However, it is crucial to strike a balance and avoid sounding arrogant or dismissive of opposing viewpoints. Maintaining a respectful and objective tone will help you engage with your audience in a more persuasive manner.

Moreover, the tone of your conclusion should align with the overall tone of your research paper. Consistency in tone throughout your paper will create a cohesive and unified piece of writing.

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Writing a Conclusion

When writing a conclusion, there are several common mistakes that researchers often make. By being aware of these pitfalls, you can avoid them and create a more effective conclusion for your research paper. Some common mistakes include:

• Repeating the Introduction: A conclusion should not simply be a reworded version of the introduction. While it is important to revisit the main points, try to present them in a fresh and broader perspective, by foregrounding the implications/impacts of your research.
• Introducing New Information: The conclusion should not introduce any new information or arguments. Instead, it should focus on summarizing and synthesizing the main points presented in the paper.
• Being Vague or General: Avoid using vague or general statements in your conclusion. Instead, be specific and provide concrete examples or evidence to support your main points.
• Ending Abruptly: A conclusion should provide a sense of closure and completeness. Avoid ending your conclusion abruptly or leaving the reader with unanswered questions.

Editing and Revising the Conclusion

Just like the rest of your research paper, the conclusion should go through a thorough editing and revising process. This will help to ensure clarity, coherence, and impact in the conclusion. As you revise your conclusion, consider the following:

• Check for Consistency: Ensure that your conclusion aligns with the main body of the paper and does not introduce any new or contradictory information.
• Eliminate Redundancy: Remove any repetitive or redundant information in your conclusion. Instead, focus on presenting the key points in a concise and engaging manner.
• Proofread for Clarity: Read your conclusion aloud or ask someone else to read it to ensure that it is clear and understandable. Check for any grammatical or spelling errors that may distract the reader.
• Seek Feedback: Consider sharing your conclusion with peers or mentors to get their feedback and insights. This can help you strengthen your conclusion and make it more impactful.

How to Write Conclusion as a Call to Action

Finally, consider using your conclusion as a call to action. Encourage the reader to take further action, such as conducting additional research or considering the implications of your findings. By providing a clear call to action, you can inspire the reader to actively engage with your research and continue the conversation on the topic.

Adapting to Different Research Paper Types

It is important to adapt your conclusion approach based on the type of research paper you are writing. Different research paper types may require different strategies and approaches to writing the conclusion. For example, a scientific research paper may focus more on summarizing the key findings and implications, while a persuasive research paper may emphasize the call to action and the potential impact of the research. Tailor your conclusion to suit the specific goals and requirements of your research paper.

Final Thoughts

A well-crafted conclusion can leave a lasting impression on the reader and enhance the impact of your research. By following the tips and strategies outlined in this article, you can create an engaging and impactful conclusion that effectively summarizes your main points, addresses potential counterarguments, and leaves the reader with a sense of closure and inspiration. Embrace the importance of the conclusion and view it as an opportunity to showcase the significance and relevance of your research.

Important Reads

How To Humanize AI Text In Scientific Articles

Elevate Your Writing Game With AI Grammar Checker Tools

A Guide to Using AI Tools to Summarize Literature Reviews

AI for Essay Writing — Exploring Top 10 Essay Writers

Role of AI in Systematic Literature Review

You might also like

Boosting Citations: A Comparative Analysis of Graphical Abstract vs. Video Abstract

The Impact of Visual Abstracts on Boosting Citations

Introducing SciSpace’s Citation Booster To Increase Research Visibility

• PRO Courses Guides New Tech Help Pro Expert Videos About wikiHow Pro Upgrade Sign In
• EDIT Edit this Article
• EXPLORE Tech Help Pro About Us Random Article Quizzes Request a New Article Community Dashboard This Or That Game Popular Categories Arts and Entertainment Artwork Books Movies Computers and Electronics Computers Phone Skills Technology Hacks Health Men's Health Mental Health Women's Health Relationships Dating Love Relationship Issues Hobbies and Crafts Crafts Drawing Games Education & Communication Communication Skills Personal Development Studying Personal Care and Style Fashion Hair Care Personal Hygiene Youth Personal Care School Stuff Dating All Categories Arts and Entertainment Finance and Business Home and Garden Relationship Quizzes Cars & Other Vehicles Food and Entertaining Personal Care and Style Sports and Fitness Computers and Electronics Health Pets and Animals Travel Education & Communication Hobbies and Crafts Philosophy and Religion Work World Family Life Holidays and Traditions Relationships Youth
• Browse Articles
• Learn Something New
• Quizzes Hot
• This Or That Game
• Train Your Brain
• Explore More
• Support wikiHow
• About wikiHow
• Log in / Sign up
• Education and Communications
• College University and Postgraduate
• Academic Writing
• Research Papers

How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper

Last Updated: May 8, 2024 Approved

This article was co-authored by Christopher Taylor, PhD . Christopher Taylor is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of English at Austin Community College in Texas. He received his PhD in English Literature and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas at Austin in 2014. wikiHow marks an article as reader-approved once it receives enough positive feedback. This article received 43 testimonials and 83% of readers who voted found it helpful, earning it our reader-approved status. This article has been viewed 2,260,825 times.

The conclusion of a research paper needs to summarize the content and purpose of the paper without seeming too wooden or dry. Every basic conclusion must share several key elements, but there are also several tactics you can play around with to craft a more effective conclusion and several you should avoid to prevent yourself from weakening your paper's conclusion. Here are some writing tips to keep in mind when creating a conclusion for your next research paper.

Sample Conclusions

Writing a basic conclusion.

• Do not spend a great amount of time or space restating your topic.
• A good research paper will make the importance of your topic apparent, so you do not need to write an elaborate defense of your topic in the conclusion.
• Usually a single sentence is all you need to restate your topic.
• An example would be if you were writing a paper on the epidemiology of infectious disease, you might say something like "Tuberculosis is a widespread infectious disease that affects millions of people worldwide every year."
• Yet another example from the humanities would be a paper about the Italian Renaissance: "The Italian Renaissance was an explosion of art and ideas centered around artists, writers, and thinkers in Florence."

• A thesis is a narrowed, focused view on the topic at hand.
• This statement should be rephrased from the thesis you included in your introduction. It should not be identical or too similar to the sentence you originally used.
• Try re-wording your thesis statement in a way that complements your summary of the topic of your paper in your first sentence of your conclusion.
• An example of a good thesis statement, going back to the paper on tuberculosis, would be "Tuberculosis is a widespread disease that affects millions of people worldwide every year. Due to the alarming rate of the spread of tuberculosis, particularly in poor countries, medical professionals are implementing new strategies for the diagnosis, treatment, and containment of this disease ."

• A good way to go about this is to re-read the topic sentence of each major paragraph or section in the body of your paper.
• Find a way to briefly restate each point mentioned in each topic sentence in your conclusion. Do not repeat any of the supporting details used within your body paragraphs.
• Under most circumstances, you should avoid writing new information in your conclusion. This is especially true if the information is vital to the argument or research presented in your paper.
• For example, in the TB paper you could summarize the information. "Tuberculosis is a widespread disease that affects millions of people worldwide. Due to the alarming rate of the spread of tuberculosis, particularly in poor countries, medical professionals are implementing new strategies for the diagnosis, treatment, and containment of this disease. In developing countries, such as those in Africa and Southeast Asia, the rate of TB infections is soaring. Crowded conditions, poor sanitation, and lack of access to medical care are all compounding factors in the spread of the disease. Medical experts, such as those from the World Health Organization are now starting campaigns to go into communities in developing countries and provide diagnostic testing and treatments. However, the treatments for TB are very harsh and have many side effects. This leads to patient non-compliance and spread of multi-drug resistant strains of the disease."

• Note that this is not needed for all research papers.
• If you already fully explained what the points in your paper mean or why they are significant, you do not need to go into them in much detail in your conclusion. Simply restating your thesis or the significance of your topic should suffice.
• It is always best practice to address important issues and fully explain your points in the body of your paper. The point of a conclusion to a research paper is to summarize your argument for the reader and, perhaps, to call the reader to action if needed.

• Note that a call for action is not essential to all conclusions. A research paper on literary criticism, for instance, is less likely to need a call for action than a paper on the effect that television has on toddlers and young children.
• A paper that is more likely to call readers to action is one that addresses a public or scientific need. Let's go back to our example of tuberculosis. This is a very serious disease that is spreading quickly and with antibiotic-resistant forms.
• A call to action in this research paper would be a follow-up statement that might be along the lines of "Despite new efforts to diagnose and contain the disease, more research is needed to develop new antibiotics that will treat the most resistant strains of tuberculosis and ease the side effects of current treatments."

• For example, if you are writing a history paper, then you might discuss how the historical topic you discussed matters today. If you are writing about a foreign country, then you might use the conclusion to discuss how the information you shared may help readers understand their own country.

Making Your Conclusion as Effective as Possible

• Since this sort of conclusion is so basic, you must aim to synthesize the information rather than merely summarizing it.
• Instead of merely repeating things you already said, rephrase your thesis and supporting points in a way that ties them all together.
• By doing so, you make your research paper seem like a "complete thought" rather than a collection of random and vaguely related ideas.

• Ask a question in your introduction. In your conclusion, restate the question and provide a direct answer.
• Write an anecdote or story in your introduction but do not share the ending. Instead, write the conclusion to the anecdote in the conclusion of your paper.
• For example, if you wanted to get more creative and put a more humanistic spin on a paper on tuberculosis, you might start your introduction with a story about a person with the disease, and refer to that story in your conclusion. For example, you could say something like this before you re-state your thesis in your conclusion: "Patient X was unable to complete the treatment for tuberculosis due to severe side effects and unfortunately succumbed to the disease."
• Use the same concepts and images introduced in your introduction in your conclusion. The images may or may not appear at other points throughout the research paper.

• Include enough information about your topic to back the statement up but do not get too carried away with excess detail.
• If your research did not provide you with a clear-cut answer to a question posed in your thesis, do not be afraid to indicate as much.
• Restate your initial hypothesis and indicate whether you still believe it or if the research you performed has begun swaying your opinion.
• Indicate that an answer may still exist and that further research could shed more light on the topic at hand.

• This may not be appropriate for all types of research papers. Most research papers, such as one on effective treatment for diseases, will have the information to make the case for a particular argument already in the paper.
• A good example of a paper that might ask a question of the reader in the ending is one about a social issue, such as poverty or government policy.
• Ask a question that will directly get at the heart or purpose of the paper. This question is often the same question, or some version of it, that you may have started with when you began your research.
• Make sure that the question can be answered by the evidence presented in your paper.
• If desired you can briefly summarize the answer after stating the question. You could also leave the question hanging for the reader to answer, though.

• Even without a call to action, you can still make a recommendation to your reader.
• For instance, if you are writing about a topic like third-world poverty, you can various ways for the reader to assist in the problem without necessarily calling for more research.
• Another example would be, in a paper about treatment for drug-resistant tuberculosis, you could suggest donating to the World Health Organization or research foundations that are developing new treatments for the disease.

Avoiding Common Pitfalls

• These sayings usually sound stiff, unnatural, or trite when used in writing.
• Moreover, using a phrase like "in conclusion" to begin your conclusion is a little too straightforward and tends to lead to a weak conclusion. A strong conclusion can stand on its own without being labeled as such.

• Always state the main argument or thesis in the introduction. A research paper is an analytical discussion of an academic topic, not a mystery novel.
• A good, effective research paper will allow your reader to follow your main argument from start to finish.
• This is why it is best practice to start your paper with an introduction that states your main argument and to end the paper with a conclusion that re-states your thesis for re-iteration.

• All significant information should be introduced in the body of the paper.
• Supporting evidence expands the topic of your paper by making it appear more detailed. A conclusion should narrow the topic to a more general point.
• A conclusion should only summarize what you have already stated in the body of your paper.
• You may suggest further research or a call to action, but you should not bring in any new evidence or facts in the conclusion.

• Most often, a shift in tone occurs when a research paper with an academic tone gives an emotional or sentimental conclusion.
• Even if the topic of the paper is of personal significance for you, you should not indicate as much in your paper.
• If you want to give your paper a more humanistic slant, you could start and end your paper with a story or anecdote that would give your topic more personal meaning to the reader.
• This tone should be consistent throughout the paper, however.

• Apologetic statements include phrases like "I may not be an expert" or "This is only my opinion."
• Statements like this can usually be avoided by refraining from writing in the first-person.
• Avoid any statements in the first-person. First-person is generally considered to be informal and does not fit with the formal tone of a research paper.

Community Q&A

You Might Also Like

• ↑ http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/724/04/
• ↑ http://www.crlsresearchguide.org/18_Writing_Conclusion.asp
• ↑ http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/PlanResearchPaper.html#conclusion
• ↑ http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/conclusions/
• ↑ http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/conclude.html

About This Article

To write a conclusion for a research paper, start by restating your thesis statement to remind your readers what your main topic is and bring everything full circle. Then, briefly summarize all of the main points you made throughout your paper, which will help remind your readers of everything they learned. You might also want to include a call to action if you think more research or work needs to be done on your topic by writing something like, "Despite efforts to contain the disease, more research is needed to develop antibiotics." Finally, end your conclusion by explaining the broader context of your topic and why your readers should care about it, which will help them understand why your topic is relevant and important. For tips from our Academic co-author, like how to avoid common pitfalls when writing your conclusion, scroll down! Did this summary help you? Yes No

• Send fan mail to authors

Reader Success Stories

Did this article help you?

Ummay Aimen

Sep 30, 2016

Oct 22, 2017

Sally Larrin

Mar 17, 2018

Maya Loeven

Jun 4, 2017

Featured Articles

Trending Articles

Watch Articles

• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• Do Not Sell or Share My Info
• Not Selling Info

wikiHow Tech Help Pro:

Develop the tech skills you need for work and life

• U.S. Locations
• UMGC Europe
• Learn Online
• Find Answers
• 855-655-8682
• Current Students

Online Guide to Writing and Research

The research process, explore more of umgc.

• Online Guide to Writing

Planning and Writing a Research Paper

Draw Conclusions

As a writer, you are presenting your viewpoint, opinions, evidence, etc. for others to review, so you must take on this task with maturity, courage and thoughtfulness.  Remember, you are adding to the discourse community with every research paper that you write.  This is a privilege and an opportunity to share your point of view with the world at large in an academic setting.

Because research generates further research, the conclusions you draw from your research are important. As a researcher, you depend on the integrity of the research that precedes your own efforts, and researchers depend on each other to draw valid conclusions. 

To test the validity of your conclusions, you will have to review both the content of your paper and the way in which you arrived at the content. You may ask yourself questions, such as the ones presented below, to detect any weak areas in your paper, so you can then make those areas stronger.  Notice that some of the questions relate to your process, others to your sources, and others to how you arrived at your conclusions.

Checklist for Evaluating Your Conclusions

Key Takeaways

• Because research generates further research, the conclusions you draw from your research are important.
• To test the validity of your conclusions, you will have to review both the content of your paper and the way in which you arrived at the content.

Mailing Address: 3501 University Blvd. East, Adelphi, MD 20783 This work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License . © 2022 UMGC. All links to external sites were verified at the time of publication. UMGC is not responsible for the validity or integrity of information located at external sites.

Table of Contents: Online Guide to Writing

Chapter 1: College Writing

How Does College Writing Differ from Workplace Writing?

What Is College Writing?

Why So Much Emphasis on Writing?

Chapter 2: The Writing Process

Doing Exploratory Research

Getting from Notes to Your Draft

Introduction

Prewriting - Techniques to Get Started - Mining Your Intuition

Prewriting: Targeting Your Audience

Prewriting: Techniques to Get Started

Prewriting: Understanding Your Assignment

Rewriting: Being Your Own Critic

Rewriting: Creating a Revision Strategy

Rewriting: Getting Feedback

Rewriting: The Final Draft

Techniques to Get Started - Outlining

Techniques to Get Started - Using Systematic Techniques

Thesis Statement and Controlling Idea

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Freewriting

Writing: Getting from Notes to Your Draft - Summarizing Your Ideas

Writing: Outlining What You Will Write

Chapter 3: Thinking Strategies

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone

A Word About Style, Voice, and Tone: Style Through Vocabulary and Diction

Critical Strategies and Writing

Critical Strategies and Writing: Analysis

Critical Strategies and Writing: Evaluation

Critical Strategies and Writing: Persuasion

Critical Strategies and Writing: Synthesis

Developing a Paper Using Strategies

Kinds of Assignments You Will Write

Patterns for Presenting Information

Patterns for Presenting Information: Critiques

Patterns for Presenting Information: Discussing Raw Data

Patterns for Presenting Information: General-to-Specific Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Problem-Cause-Solution Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Specific-to-General Pattern

Patterns for Presenting Information: Summaries and Abstracts

Supporting with Research and Examples

Writing Essay Examinations

Writing Essay Examinations: Make Your Answer Relevant and Complete

Writing Essay Examinations: Organize Thinking Before Writing

Writing Essay Examinations: Read and Understand the Question

Chapter 4: The Research Process

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Ask a Research Question

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Cite Sources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Collect Evidence

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Decide Your Point of View, or Role, for Your Research

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Draw Conclusions

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Find a Topic and Get an Overview

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Manage Your Resources

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Outline

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Survey the Literature

Planning and Writing a Research Paper: Work Your Sources into Your Research Writing

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Human Resources

Research Resources: What Are Research Resources?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found?

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Electronic Resources

Research Resources: Where Are Research Resources Found? - Print Resources

Structuring the Research Paper: Formal Research Structure

Structuring the Research Paper: Informal Research Structure

The Nature of Research

The Research Assignment: How Should Research Sources Be Evaluated?

The Research Assignment: When Is Research Needed?

The Research Assignment: Why Perform Research?

Chapter 5: Academic Integrity

Academic Integrity

Giving Credit to Sources

Giving Credit to Sources: Copyright Laws

Giving Credit to Sources: Documentation

Giving Credit to Sources: Style Guides

Integrating Sources

Practicing Academic Integrity

Practicing Academic Integrity: Keeping Accurate Records

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Paraphrasing Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Quoting Your Source

Practicing Academic Integrity: Managing Source Material - Summarizing Your Sources

Types of Documentation

Types of Documentation: Bibliographies and Source Lists

Types of Documentation: Citing World Wide Web Sources

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - APA Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - CSE/CBE Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - Chicago Style

Types of Documentation: In-Text or Parenthetical Citations - MLA Style

Types of Documentation: Note Citations

Chapter 6: Using Library Resources

Finding Library Resources

Chapter 7: Assessing Your Writing

How Is Writing Graded?

How Is Writing Graded?: A General Assessment Tool

The Draft Stage

The Draft Stage: The First Draft

The Draft Stage: The Revision Process and the Final Draft

The Draft Stage: Using Feedback

The Research Stage

Using Assessment to Improve Your Writing

Chapter 8: Other Frequently Assigned Papers

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Article and Book Reviews

Reviews and Reaction Papers: Reaction Papers

Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Adapting the Argument Structure

Writing Arguments: Purposes of Argument

Writing Arguments: References to Consult for Writing Arguments

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Anticipate Active Opposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Determine Your Organization

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Develop Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Introduce Your Argument

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - State Your Thesis or Proposition

Writing Arguments: Steps to Writing an Argument - Write Your Conclusion

Writing Arguments: Types of Argument

Appendix A: Books to Help Improve Your Writing

Dictionaries

General Style Manuals

Researching on the Internet

Special Style Manuals

Writing Handbooks

Appendix B: Collaborative Writing and Peer Reviewing

Collaborative Writing: Assignments to Accompany the Group Project

Collaborative Writing: Informal Progress Report

Collaborative Writing: Issues to Resolve

Collaborative Writing: Methodology

Collaborative Writing: Peer Evaluation

Collaborative Writing: Tasks of Collaborative Writing Group Members

Collaborative Writing: Writing Plan

General Introduction

Peer Reviewing

Appendix C: Developing an Improvement Plan

Working with Your Instructor’s Comments and Grades

Appendix D: Writing Plan and Project Schedule

Devising a Writing Project Plan and Schedule

Reviewing Your Plan with Others

By using our website you agree to our use of cookies. Learn more about how we use cookies by reading our  Privacy Policy .

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Welcome to the Purdue Online Writing Lab

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

The Online Writing Lab (the Purdue OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

The On-Campus and Online versions of Purdue OWL assist clients in their development as writers—no matter what their skill level—with on-campus consultations, online participation, and community engagement. The Purdue OWL serves the Purdue West Lafayette and Indianapolis campuses and coordinates with local literacy initiatives. The Purdue OWL offers global support through online reference materials and services.

Social Media

Facebook twitter.

Click through the PLOS taxonomy to find articles in your field.

For more information about PLOS Subject Areas, click here .

Loading metrics

Open Access

Peer-reviewed

Research Article

Exploring the relationship between EFL students’ writing performance and activity theory related influencing factors in the blended learning context

Roles Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Investigation, Methodology, Resources, Validation, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing

* E-mail: [email protected]

Affiliation School of Languages, Literacies and Translation, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Penang, Malaysia

Roles Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

Roles Data curation, Investigation, Methodology, Writing – review & editing

Affiliation School of Foreign Languages and Literatures, Chongqing University of Education, Chongqing, China

• Yuling Wang, 
• Shaidatul Akma Binti Adi Kasuma, 
• Salasiah Binti Che Lah, 

• Published: June 17, 2024
• https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668
• Reader Comments

With the rapid development of technologies, blended learning is widespread in English writing instruction. The effect of blended learning on EFL writing outcomes is affected by various factors. This study examines the relationship between EFL students’ writing performance and influencing factors and the relationship between these factors in a blended learning context based on the Activity Theory. The study used a quantitative method: English argumentative writing tests and questionnaires with 33 undergraduates. The results reveal that EFL students’ argumentative writing performance is significantly and positively correlated with five influencing factors, in descending order of correlation: subject, community, object, rules, and division of labor. Moreover, the findings suggest a significant positive relationship within each factor in the blended learning environment, except for no relationship between rules and division of labor. Furthermore, the research provides useful references and insights for further research and educational practice in blended writing instruction. Due to limitations such as the relatively small sample size, the focus on argumentative writing, and the reliance on quantitative data, this study gives the impression that the results only represent a portion of the population and situation. Therefore, future research could consider enlarging the sample size, adopting a more comprehensive range of writing genres, involving qualitative methods, or expanding the scope of research on the impact of BL on other disciplines.

Citation: Wang Y, Kasuma SABA, Lah SBC, Zhang Q (2024) Exploring the relationship between EFL students’ writing performance and activity theory related influencing factors in the blended learning context. PLoS ONE 19(6): e0305668. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668

Editor: Dawit Dibekulu Alem, Bahir Dar University, ETHIOPIA

Received: April 17, 2024; Accepted: June 3, 2024; Published: June 17, 2024

Copyright: © 2024 Wang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License , which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Data Availability: All relevant data are within the manuscript and its Supporting Information files.

Funding: The author(s) received no specific funding for this work.

Competing interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

1. Introduction

Writing is the most challenging of the four basic linguistic skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) [ 1 ]. The capacity to master writing skills reflects students’ comprehensive ability of language use, so the instruction of writing is an essential component of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teaching. However, traditional EFL writing instruction is one-time writing, meaning the initial draft is the final [ 2 ]. Teachers are the only readers of students’ writing texts, making students accustomed to receiving teachers’ guidance and feeling that they are writing for teachers [ 3 ]. In the meantime, the number of writing texts that need to be corrected is too large for teachers, which leads to untimely feedback [ 4 , 5 ]. As a result, teachers spend much time correcting compositions, but the effect of EFL writing teaching is still not ideal [ 4 ].

Blended learning (BL) aims to maximize teaching results by combining various resources and methods [ 6 , 7 ]. Through online learning platforms, BL encourages students to carry out synchronous and asynchronous interactions and provides a potentially feedback-rich environment, enhancing student learning outcomes and fostering a continuous feedback culture [ 8 – 13 ]. To address the dilemma of traditional teaching, online learning platforms were introduced into the field of tertiary education [ 14 – 16 ], and BL has increased at a rapid rate since the early 21st century [ 17 ].

Despite students holding a positive attitude towards the BL in language learning [ 18 – 23 ], the effectiveness of blending face-to-face instruction and online learning is affected by both the merits and demerits of the two learning modes [ 17 ]. Previous studies [ 24 – 28 ] indicate that students are impacted by several factors in the BL settings, such as motivation, self-regulation skills, and network environment. Moreover, some research focused on time management and teamwork skills in BL mode [ 29 , 30 ].

Unlike the previous research, we designed survey items for five factors based on the Activity Theory (AT) [ 31 ]. The five factors, including the subject (the person who writes), the object (the purpose or task of writing), the community (the social environment in which the writing takes place), the rules (the norms and standards), and the division of labor (the distribution of tasks and responsibilities in writing activities), contribute to an understanding of EFL students’ writing activities. These factors interact with each other to form a dynamic system that affects the writing process and outcome [ 31 ]. Through analyzing these factors, we can gain insight into the nature of the writing activity and what influences the writing outcome in BL contexts.

Though few studies have attempted to investigate the relationship between EFL writing performance and various influencing factors, as far as researchers’ knowledge is concerned, no research has been conducted on the relationship between EFL students’ writing performance and the influencing factors in BL contexts based on Activity Theory. Thus, this study examines the relationship between five influencing factors (subject, object, rules, community, and division of labor) and EFL students’ writing performance, and it also explores the relationships among these influencing factors in a blended learning context. This research may help educators and teachers further understand the influencing factors of BL and provide information for instructors to design more efficient lessons of EFL writing. Also, the research results can provide a scientific basis for policymakers to promote the optimization of BL in EFL writing instruction.

2. Literature review

2.1. blended efl writing learning.

The original BL refers to the study mode integrating online learning and face-to-face teaching [ 32 ]. To meet trainees’ desires regarding place and time, enterprises explored the mix of online and face-to-face training [ 33 ]. Subsequently, this teaching mode was implemented step by step in higher education, as well as in EFL writing instruction. Previous studies [ 6 , 27 , 34 ] have demonstrated the overall effectiveness of BL on EFL writing.

Artifacts like the internet, videos, computers, mobile, and online resources are usually used by teachers to improve EFL students’ writing outcomes. According to Afilina’s [ 35 ], Karo et al.’s [ 36 ], and Sianna’s [ 37 ] findings, employing these artifacts can provide a comfortable and active writing atmosphere, increase self-confidence, and improve learning outcomes. Similarly, Park and Jung’s [ 38 ] study indicates that using videos in EFL writing instructions can stimulate students’ motivation, participation, and overall achievement. Also, Andres et al. [ 39 ] concluded that using videos with cultural content in EFL writing courses can improve vocabulary, transitional words, punctuation, linguistic structures, and ideas. Moreover, Rahimi and Fathi [ 40 ] engaged Wiki in an EFL writing course and found that it can improve writing performance, self-regulation, and self-efficacy. Therefore, involving online resources in traditional face-to-face teaching is suitable for EFL writing instruction.

Although studies about blended EFL writing learning centred around the advantages of BL, there are some challenges. For instance, compared with face-to-face instruction, BL puts forward higher requirements for students’ ability to self-regulate and learn autonomy [ 41 ]. Especially in online environments, students must arrange their learning progress reasonably and self-regulate to avoid distractions from information technology and network resources [ 28 ]. In addition, students sometimes face difficulties when conducting blended learning because of unequal access to technology and networks in different regions [ 42 ]. Some students cannot connect to the internet at home due to device issues and the lack of technology skills, which make online materials inaccessible [ 43 ]. According to Xavier and Menses’ [ 44 ] study, BL suffers from the disadvantages of students’ overloading and high dropout rates in tertiary BL courses. Furthermore, Szadziewska and Kujawski [ 45 ] reported that students perceived drawbacks of BL, such as log-in and download problems, lower motivation to learn, insufficient materials available, no solutions to tests and tasks, user-unfriendly interface, lower creativity in searching for knowledge, and no direct communication with other participants.

Moreover, as sociocultural interactions are vital to learning [ 46 ], technologies are often employed in language teaching to create a BL environment and promote EFL writing skills [ 40 , 47 – 51 ]. Jiang and Zhang’s [ 52 ] study indicates that mobile-assisted collaborative writing environments can provide explicit interactions and facilitate EFL argumentative writing performance. However, Lin et al. [ 53 ] investigated the effect of Augmented Reality (AR) applications in a writing course. They concluded that employing technologies is beneficial to long-term memory, motivation, and self-regulation in EFL writing, but it led to mixed results in writing achievements. The effect of BL on EFL writing performance may be good or bad and may be affected by many factors.

Although the previous studies [ 23 , 54 – 57 ] indicate that the use of BL is effective in improving writing performance by giving students more chances to participate, increasing the obligation to learn, exposing them to online materials, and providing interactions with others outside the classroom, few studies have analyzed the extent to which influencing factors in BL environment affect EFL writing performance. Therefore, exploring the relationship between the influencing factors and EFL writing performance in BL contexts is necessary to achieve better BL outcomes and provide valuable suggestions for the pedagogical practice in EFL writing courses.

AT is a philosophical and interdisciplinary framework that describes the meaningful behaviors of a person or a group and relates the behavior to the context. From the perspective of AT, learning is regarded as a symbolic procedure or intermediary effect in which students proactively build their knowledge environment and engage in target-oriented activities. AT evolved from Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory, and the development of AT contains three generations. Vygotsky, Leont’ev, and Engeström are the representatives of the three stages and have made a breakthrough in the development of AT.

According to Vygotsky [ 46 ], human inner psychological activities cannot be separated from external behaviors and related social environments, which means the psychological and social structures interact. The construction process of personal knowledge is inseparable from the knowledge sharing of the social group.

Based on Vygotsky’s theory, Leont’ev clarified the boundary between individual and collective behavior [ 58 ]. One of Leont’ev ’s most vital contributions to the AT is that he proposed the unit of analysis in Activity Theory. He believes systematic analysis of human behavior should be divided into hierarchical levels: activity, action, and operation [ 59 ].

Engeström [ 31 ] argued that neither Leont’ev nor Vygotsky’s AT ultimately revealed the essence of the activity system. He expanded the activity model by adding rules, community, and division of labor. The bottom of Engeström’s Activity Model is composed of rules, community, and division of labor, which forms the conceptual framework integrating individual activities with society, culture, and history. Hence, activities are no longer regarded as single interactions between subject and object but collective activities.

According to Engeström’s Activity Model, an activity system consists of six interactive elements (subject, object, mediating artifacts/tools, rule, community, and division of labor), which constitute four sub-systems (production, consumption, exchange, and distribution), as shown in Fig 1 . This model places human activities in a specific sociocultural environment and provides an operable analytical framework with six elements.

• PPT PowerPoint slide
• PNG larger image
• TIFF original image

This figure illustrates Engeström’s Activity Model, which includes six elements: mediating artifacts (signs and tools), subject, object, rules, community, and division of labor. Mediating artifacts is at the top. The subject and object are in the middle. Rules, community, and division of labor are at the bottom. These elements are connected by arrows representing dynamic relationships to form a triangle. They interact with each other and ultimately influence the outcome.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.g001

The subject, often the core of research, can be individuals or groups. The object refers to the original materials or problem to which this activity is directed, which would finally be transformed into a specific outcome. Activities are influenced and restricted by rules, community, and division of labor. The community includes the participants with the same goal as the subject, and the object simultaneously impacts the subject and the ongoing collective activity. The rules mean explicit or implicit habits, standards, and social relations constraining the subject’s actions. The division of labor means the horizontal action and interaction between community members and the vertical division of authority and position. Engeström’s Activity Model [ 31 ] shows the factors and components of activities and the connections of these elements.

Blended EFL writing learning could be analyzed from an AT perspective, as it can be conceptualized as a collective and contextual activity [ 60 ]. AT has been used in EFL writing research, such as studies on the influence of feedback in improving EFL students’ writing performance [ 61 , 62 ], students’ writing strategies [ 63 ], and factors affecting EFL writing [ 64 , 65 ]. As for research in BL contexts, Pullenayegem et al. [ 66 ] adopted AT to investigate the influencing factors that English students met in their writing courses, indicating that the strict rules and the number of rules required to be followed interfered with interactions and cooperation between students. Moreover, Hajimaghsoodi and Maftoon [ 67 ] used an e-learning platform to design a language learning framework based on AT for English writing courses and surveyed its effect. The results showed the positive impact of the AT-based language learning framework in second language (L2) writing classes, and they suggested students interact with tools, communities, division of labor, and rules to achieve better learning performance.

In this study, AT is used as a lens through which to explain and demonstrate the findings. Since the current research focuses on the factors influencing EFL writing performance in a BL environment, rather than focusing on the impact of specific instruments/technologies that support the BL, the factor of tools was not included as one of the factors examined in this research. This study included five influencing factors: subject, rules, community, division of labor, and object.

• Subject: EFL students who are the actors of blended writing activities.
• Object: Finishing argumentative writing texts and improving writing performance, which are the goals or tasks of the blended writing activities.
• Rules: The constraints in blended writing activities, such as time constraints, anonymous policy, automatic evaluation criteria, grading standards, and group rules.
• Community: The social environment in which the activities take place and are influenced, such as teachers and classmates involved in the activities.
• Division of labor: The teachers’ and students’ specific responsibilities and relations in blended writing activities, such as teacher and peer feedback.

The five factors mentioned above influence EFL students’ writing outcomes in the blended writing activities. The EFL students are influenced by the writing rules and regulations when completing argumentative writing tasks in BL contexts. Teachers and classmates, who are community members, provide EFL students with rich interactions and authentic learning contexts that impact their writing development. In addition, the division of labor, such as teacher feedback and peer feedback, directly affects the quality of students’ writing by providing suggestions and collaborative learning, which in turn influence writing outcomes. These factors interact with each other to influence EFL writing performance in BL environments.

3. Methodology

The present study used a quantitative method to examine the relationship between EFL writing performance and five influencing factors in a BL context of face-to-face instruction and online activities based on the WeChat application and Pigai.org online writing platform.

3.1. Research design

The main study utilized a correlational research design and adopted AT to explore the correlation between influencing factors and EFL students’ writing performance in BL settings in terms of subject, rules, community, division of labor, and object. This research has one dependent variable and five independent variables. The samples were selected by utilizing a cluster sampling technique. They were from one class in the field of English at a university (Yangtze Normal University) in China. Although the samples are limited to one class, every effort was made to consider inclusivity in global research in the study design. This study received a waiver for ethical approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee of Yangtze Normal University (Ref No. R2023-344665). Additional information regarding the ethical, cultural, and scientific considerations specific to inclusivity in global research is included in the Supporting Information ( S1 Checklist ). The chosen EFL students’ (n = 33) writing performance, which was collected from the argumentative writing test, constituted the dependent variable. At the same time, the five influencing factors assessed through a five-point Likert scale questionnaire were the independent variables. The study was conducted in the following four phases: a) carried out a pilot study to evaluate the reliability and validity of the instruments and made appropriate modifications to them; b) implemented ten weeks of blended English writing instruction, which integrated classroom teaching and online learning among EFL undergraduate students. This duration enabled researchers to observe not only short-term outcomes but also potential longer-term effects or sustained changes resulting from the intervention [ 65 , 68 ]; c) argumentative writing tests and questionnaires were administered to collect quantitative data; d) analyzed the data with Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) and reported research findings.

3.2. Population and sample size

The population of the present study is Chinese EFL undergraduate students. We took a week (between 1 st and 7 th March 2023) to recruit participants from a general undergraduate university located in the southwest of mainland China, Yangtze Normal University, which recruits students from 91% of China’s provinces and cities so that the subjects are representative. The participants provided signed informed consent forms before starting the study.

As this study used Pearson Correlation to analyze the quantitative data, the sample size should meet the required minimum sample size. According to the sample size calculation for the Pearson Correlation [ 69 ], the following formula gives the minimal sample size of seventeen participants when choosing the most frequent significance level ( α = 0.05), the ideal statistical power (1−β = 0.8), and the large effect size (δ = 0.8) and assuming that the overall variance (σ2 = 1) and correlation coefficients (ρ = 0.5) between variables are chosen as conservative estimates [ 70 – 72 ].

Using a cluster sampling technique, this study selected a natural class of 33 students as participants in the main research. They were undergraduates majoring in English and enrolled in the English writing course, a mandatory 2-credit course designed for first-year undergraduate EFL students. Among them, 28 are females and 5 are males.

Moreover, 30 undergraduates (21 females and 9 males) majoring in English from different grades and classes at the same university, who did not take part in the main study, participated in the pilot study. Although the participants were at the same research site, they were on campus for different semesters and did not have the opportunity to meet one another during this study.

3.3. Data-gathering instruments, data collection and analysis

The current study used two data-gathering instruments to collect the data: the English argumentative writing test and the questionnaire. After a ten-week blended English writing course (from 13 th March 2023 to 26 th May 2023), a quantitative method was utilized for data collection on 2 nd June 2023, including questionnaires ( S1 Appendix ) and writing tests ( S2 Appendix ). The English argumentative writing test required participants to compose an argumentative essay on one of the provided topics within 45 minutes, the same as the writing time in the Test for English Majors-level 4 (TEM-4). The writing test provided four topics related to students’ study and life to ensure that students could choose familiar topics for argumentative writing, such as who should arrange children’s spare time activities, students should spend more time in clubs/sports or studies, different friends or similar friends, and whether it is better to live in their hometown or another city after graduating from university. The assessment criteria for writing performance ( S3 Appendix ) were adapted from Brown and Bailey [ 73 ], Hajimaghsoodi and Maftoon [ 67 ], and Jacobs [ 74 ], based on a 100-point scale, encompasses five aspects: content (30 points), style (20 points), language use (25 points), organization (20 points), and mechanics (5 points).

According to Coombe [ 75 ], the recommended number of evaluators is two, with a third in case of extreme disagreement. Two instructors with more than five years of English writing instruction experience were invited to rate the students’ writing tests, and a PhD candidate in applied linguistics as an alternate evaluator in case of disagreement. The researcher briefed the evaluators on the research design before they commenced scoring. Subsequently, the researchers used a day to train the evaluators. During the training, we comprehensively explained the scoring criteria and the scoring form on which they fill in the scores. We also established benchmarks using two argumentative compositions written by EFL undergraduate students. Then, the evaluators were asked to score two argumentative compositions, and we calibrated scoring to ensure the consistent evaluation of argumentative writing performance.

The questionnaire was designed based on AT [ 31 ] and adapted from Dwihandini et al. [ 76 ], Hajimaghsoodi and Maftoon [ 67 ], Portnov-Neeman and Barak [ 77 ], and Zeng [ 78 ]. The questionnaire items were modified to simplify and clarify the language and item structure to make the questionnaire more meaningful and contextually relevant to the respondents. For instance, all the items have changed from past to present. The clarification of wording has been improved, such as “blended learning” and “online platform” being changed to “this English writing course” and “ Pigai.org ”, respectively. As the participants were English majors, the questionnaire items were all presented in English, which was acceptable for participants. To guarantee respondents’ engagement and reduce response fatigue, the questionnaire was constrained to a maximum of 25 questions [ 79 , 80 ]. Table 1 presents details of the questionnaire.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.t001

The first section of this questionnaire is demographic information. The second section of this questionnaire employed a 5-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Strongly disagree) to 5 (Strongly agree) and closed-ended questions. The key merit of closed-ended questions is their direct nature, leaving no subjective space for evaluators [ 81 ]. Uniformly assigning five questions to each theme ensured equitable data collection on the five variables, mitigating the potential for bias favoring any factor.

The main study has collected writing scores and questionnaires after a ten-week blended EFL writing course. All collected data were inputted into SPSS version 26 for data cleaning and analysis. Scores and responses from 33 students were analyzed, and there were no missing data. In addition to using Pearson Correlation to analyze the data, descriptive statistics such as mean, standard deviation, and frequency were employed in this study.

3.4. Pilot study

The pilot study in this research aimed to evaluate the reliability and validity of the instruments (writing tests and questionnaires) and make any necessary modifications to improve the instruments.

3.4.1 Pilot-testing of the writing test.

Cohen’s Kappa analysis was used in the pilot study to assess the inter-evaluator reliability of the writing test. According to Landis and Koch [ 82 ], the results (Cohen’s kappa = 0.72, P<0.001) indicate a substantial agreement between the two evaluators in scoring. Therefore, inter-rater reliability was achieved between the raters. Moreover, the reliability of the writing test in the pilot study was assessed using the Cronbach Alpha. The result showed that Cronbach’s Alpha Coefficient (0.93) was high, indicating that the writing test is reliable.

3.4.2 Pilot-testing of the questionnaire.

The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were also investigated. To determine whether the questionnaire had a proper level of internal consistency and Split-half reliability, this study used Cronbach’s α and Spearman-Brown prophecy formula in SPSS. The total scale of Cronbach’s α was 0.877, and the Split-half reliability coefficient was 0.734, indicating that the reliability of this questionnaire is at an accepted level [ 83 , 84 ].

The validity of the questionnaire is usually reflected by the indicators of content validity, construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity. To ensure content validity, the questionnaire items were revised many times according to the advice given by three instructors who have more than ten years of experience in tertiary EFL writing teaching. The main revision suggestions proposed by the three experts were summed up as follows. Firstly, the tense of all items should be changed from past to present tense. Secondly, each item should be presented in a concise and non-wordy way. Finally, the “blended learning” or “blended writing course” should be changed to “this course” to allow respondents to understand the meanings of survey items clearly.

To verify the construct validity, convergent validity, and discriminant validity, this research employed Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) in SPSS to test the items’ loadings, Cronbach’s alpha (α), composite reliability (CR), and average variance extracted (AVE) of each variable. As presented in Table 2 , each variable’s loadings (between 0.501 and 0.961) have reached the criterion of 0.5, and all the CR (between 0.811 and 0.899) were above 0.7, suggesting adequate construct validity [ 85 ]. Although the variables’ AVE (ranging from 0.479 to 0.649) were not all greater than 0.5, convergent validity could still be accepted as the loadings were greater than 0.5 [ 86 ].

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.t002

Discriminant validity was assessed by comparing the AVE square root with the correlations between each pair of variables. As shown in Table 3 , each variable’s AVE square root is greater than its correlation coefficient with other variables, indicating that the constructs have sufficient discriminant validity [ 86 ].

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.t003

4.1 Descriptive statistical analysis of the items

Table 4 presents each questionnaire statement’s means, standard deviations, and frequencies. At the bottom of each factor, the average mean scores, standard deviations, and average frequencies are provided. The average value of the object (M = 4.39, SD = 0.36) was the highest among all the influencing factors, with rules (M = 3.97, SD = 0.40) and community (M = 3.97, SD = 0.36) tied for second place followed by subject (M = 3.86, SD = 0.39) in third place and division of labor (M = 3.80, SD = 0.30) at fourth.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.t004

As shown in Table 4 , the average scores of each item ranged from 3.24 to 4.64, which is more than 65% of the total score, implying that students agreed to a large extent that these factors influenced their writing learning outcomes. The frequencies reveal that about 90% of participants (F = 29.6) agreed that BL contexts help them achieve goals to enhance writing performance (items 21–25). There were about three-fourths of participants agreed that the factors of subject (F = 24.6), rules (F = 24.6) and community (F = 25.4), such as motivation (item 1), interest (item 2), initiative (item 3), confidence (item 4), mood (item 5), deadline (item 6), anonymous policy (item 7), automatic evaluation criteria (item 8), grading standard (item 9), group rules (item 10), classmates and teachers (item 11–15), had positive impact on their EFL writing outcomes in the BL settings. While there were about three-fifths of participants (F = 22.6) supported that the division of labor factors, including teacher feedback (item 16), peer feedback (item 17), giving feedback (item 18), assignments (item 19) and discussions (item 20), can improve their EFL writing achievements in the BL environment.

Notably, six participants (F = 6) disagreed with the statement of item 5 (Writing on Pigai.org and discussing in WeChat groups let me feel relaxed), which is the item with the highest number of disagreements of all the statements. However, more than 60% of the participants (F≥20) agreed with items 1–4, indicating they feel motivated, interested, active, confident, and stressed in the blended writing course. In addition, item 19 (This course allows me to follow the course procedure and finish my assigned tasks easily) received the least amount of agreement (F = 12), suggesting that the assignments in the blended writing course were not easy for students to complete. Furthermore, all participants (F = 33) agreed with the statement of item 22 (This course helps me get higher grades in English writing), implying that the BL contributes to achieving the goal of getting higher writing grades.

4.2 Pearson correlation analysis

To further explore whether there are statistical correlations between EFL writing performance and each influencing factor and among these factors in a BL context, Pearson Correlation analysis was employed to examine the relationships between EFL writing performance and the mean scores of the influencing factors, including subject, rules, community, division of labor, and object. Table 5 illustrates the results of the Pearson Correlation analysis.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.t005

As evident in Table 5 , participants’ EFL writing performance has the strongest correlation with subject factors (r = 0.837, p<0.01), followed by community (r = 0.691, p<0.01), object (r = 0.625, p<0.01) and rules (r = 0.608, p<0.01). The most minor correlation is with division of labor (r = 0.428, p<0.05). According to Cohen’s [ 71 ] criteria for correlation coefficients, when the absolute value of R is equal to or greater than 0.5, there is a large correlation between the two variables, a medium correlation effect between 0.3 and 0.5, and a small effect size for less than 0.3. Therefore, EFL writing performance is highly correlated with subject, community, object, and rules factors while moderately correlated with division of labor.

Furthermore, the coefficient of determination (r 2 ) can measure the amount of variation in the dependent variable explained by the independent variable [ 71 ]. The results indicate that the variability in students’ EFL writing achievements can be predicted by subject (r 2 = 0.76), community (r 2 = 0.48), object (r 2 = 0.39), rules (r 2 = 0.37), and division of labor (r 2 = 0.18), with a rate of 76%, 48%, 37%, 39%, and 18%, respectively.

In addition, as presented in Table 5 , the five influencing factors positively correlated with each other except for the relationship between rules and division of labor. The Pearson correlation coefficients among these factors are presented in Fig 2 . Based on Cohen’s [ 71 ] criteria for correlation coefficients, subject factors, in descending order, showed enormously significant positive correlations with the factors of object (r = 0.719, p<0.01), community (r = 0.612, p<0.01), rules (r = 0.595, p<0.01), and division of labor (r = 0.526, p<0.01), respectively. Similarly, the correlation effect between community and object factors (r = 0.578, p<0.01) was considerable in the BL contexts. There were medium correlations, in descending order, between rules and community (r = 0.448, p<0.01), rules and object (r = 0.447, p<0.01), community and division of labor (r = 0.366, p<0.01), as well as object and division of labor (r = 0.350, p<0.05). However, the results indicate no direct relationship between rules and division of labor in the BL environment, as the p-value was greater than 0.05, indicating an insignificant correlation.

This figure shows the Pearson correlation coefficients between the five elements, subject, object, rules, community, and division of labor, in the blended writing activity.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.g002

5. Discussion

The current study used AT to explore the relationship between EFL writing performance and five influencing factors and the relationship between these factors in a BL context. From the results of this study, EFL students’ argumentative writing performance is significantly and positively correlated with the influencing factors, in descending order of correlation: subject, community, object, rules, and division of labor. There is a significant positive correlation between the five factors in the BL environment, except for no direct relationship between the rules and division of labor factors. Unlike previous research [ 6 , 39 , 87 , 88 ] indicating that BL positively impacts EFL writing performance, the results of this study suggest that BL positively influences writing performance through different factors to different extents.

The present study found the most significant correlation between the subject factor and EFL writing performance, implying that EFL students are the most crucial element in EFL writing improvement in BL contexts. Notably, students did not feel relaxed in the blended writing course and felt the assigned tasks were not easy to complete. However, they still felt motivated, interested, active, and confident in the blended writing course as well as believed that BL can improve their EFL writing performance, suggesting that BL can provide a more challenging learning environment where students feel motivated and confident to overcome difficulties and improve their writing skills. Students may be motivated by the varied learning environments and the learning practices provided by BL as a result of feeling interested and actively engaged in their learning. This finding corroborates Anggrawan’s [ 89 ] study, which indicates that students are motivated to learn as the learning chance is provided in a different way, such as online technology.

The findings of this study, regarding the positive correlations between the subject factor and the other four factors, further explain that students’ perceived motivation, interests, active engagement and self-confidence may be affected by the expanded community (such as communicating with teachers and peers at any time and any place), effective rules (such as deadline, anonymous policy, automatic evaluation criteria, grading standard, and group rules), and beneficial division of labor (such as teacher feedback, peer feedback, giving feedback, assignments, and discussions) in the BL contexts The findings align with those of previous research in a different field such as Zheng et al. [ 90 ] in PE, Nortvig et al. [ 91 ] in Art and Craft & Design, Miranda et al. [ 92 ] in engineering education, Kemaloglu and Bayyurt [ 93 ] in pre-service teacher education, and Bhatti et al. [ 94 ] in mathematics which presented the effectiveness in breaking physical barriers and the advantage of BL in various subjects learning. Students using BL enrolled in extension activities and had additional chances to practice their skills. Also, the findings in this research reflect that of Yulianti and Sulistiyawati [ 95 ], who found that students could develop the character of discipline, responsibility, and independence through the rules in the BL environment, and the development of these characteristics could help to form a pattern of behavior in their learning which in turn help to improve academic achievement.

This research’s findings seem to differ from the results of Ma [ 96 ], who pointed out that the more peer suggestions, the lower the scores tend to be. This difference may be because peer feedback in Ma’s (ibid) study was mainly critical comments regarding content and organization of writing. Still, the peer feedback in this study contained positive and negative comments, making it easier for students to accept feedback and improve the quality of their argumentative writing. Therefore, guiding students to simultaneously praise strengths and point out weaknesses when evaluating each other’s writing is essential. However, the findings of Liu et al. [ 97 ] supported the findings in the current study that the process of completing peer assessment tasks enabled students to compare their works with others critically, and the comments from peers motivated students to revise their compositions, which led to higher writing performance. It was also found that peer feedback contributed to the quality of writing content and enhanced writing competence in Visiaty’s [ 98 ] research.

However, this study concludes that the rules in BL are not correlated with the division of labor in BL settings. This contradicts the findings of David and Victor [ 99 ], suggesting that the rules correlated with and determined the division of labor. As few studies examine the relationship between rules and division of labor in a BL context, more investigation is needed to explain this result further.

5.1 Implications

The findings in this study may have some related practical implications for educators and stakeholders. In general, the factors in the BL environment positively impact EFL writing performance, which provides educators with guidance for designing and implementing BL courses. Educators can focus on the influence of subject, object, rules, community, and division of labor and create personalized and flexible learning environments to enhance EFL students’ writing skills.

Specifically, according to the results of this study, subject factors have the most significant impact on writing performance in BL contexts, so teachers should conduct regular surveys to gain a deeper understanding of student’s learning needs and goals. When necessary, teachers can distribute in-class questionnaires or conduct face-to-face conversations in the classroom and then adjust their teaching strategies according to the student’s situation.

Moreover, teachers can make full use of technological means and online resources. For example, teachers can use communication applications like WeChat in EFL writing courses to provide an expanded and active community. Teachers and students can discuss and share learning materials in such applications, which encourages students to engage in learning.

Meanwhile, teachers are expected to provide specific deadlines for completing the writing, grading rules, and anonymous evaluation policies in writing courses, all of which can contribute to improving outcomes. Instructors should guide students to give critical comments and praise in peer reviews, which can make students more receptive to peer feedback and improve the quality of their writing.

Furthermore, policymakers can develop an active BL environment by providing intelligent classroom facilities, Wi-Fi coverage on campus, online course resources, and personalized learning applications. They should set up a student learning analytic system to track and analyze students’ learning and give timely feedback and advice, contributing to the quality of EFL instruction.

Finally, policymakers can provide teachers with professional training and financial assistance in implementing BL, encouraging schools and teachers to adopt BL in different subjects.

5.2 Limitations and recommendations

Despite the contributions outlined above, it is essential to acknowledge the limitations of this study, which should be addressed in future research. Firstly, a significant limitation of this study is that the investigation was conducted in a single university, resulting in limited sample coverage. A recommendation for future research is to survey diverse universities to achieve more comprehensive and representative data on the employment of BL in EFL writing instruction.

Secondly, the influence of different cultural, geographical, or educational backgrounds was not considered in this research, which may limit the generalizability of the study conclusions. Future research is suggested to investigate blended learning from different backgrounds to collect broader influencing factors that could promote EFL writing instruction.

Additionally, there was a limitation with the sample size. A larger sample size can improve the reliability of research results, while individual extreme values may impact the results of the study with a small sample size. Future research is recommended to apply BL among a larger sample size, and the findings might benefit from replication with a larger and more diverse sample.

Furthermore, as this study employed argumentative writing tests to assess EFL students’ writing performance, our findings may not generalize to other writing styles commonly taught in EFL courses. Future research could benefit from exploring a broader range of writing genres and provide a more comprehensive understanding of English writing instruction in a BL context.

Finally, another limitation is that the present study only collected quantitative data. Quantitative research focuses on group-level data analysis and ignores individual differences, limiting insights into individual experiences and behaviors. Further research is encouraged to incorporate qualitative methods, such as classroom observations and interviews, to provide a deeper understanding of BL’s impact on EFL students’ writing learning.

6. Conclusions

This research investigated the relationships between EFL writing performance and five AT-related influencing factors, as well as the relationships between these factors in a BL context, which integrates online learning and face-to-face instruction. The current study found that EFL students’ writing performance is positively and significantly correlated with factors in terms of subject, rules, community, division of labor, and object in a BL setting. Among these factors, the subject factor has the most significant impact on EFL writing performance, while the division of labor has the least in the BL context. Additionally, our findings suggest a significant positive relationship within each factor in the BL environment, except for no relationship between rules and division of labor.

The findings in the current study can offer a guide when implementing the BL approach into EFL writing curriculum plans. For instance, instructors can conduct regular surveys to understand students’ learning needs and goals better and adjust their teaching strategies accordingly. Teachers can also use applications such as WeChat to create an expanded community and encourage participation in learning. Moreover, clarifying deadlines for assignments, grading criteria, and anonymous policies on the Pigai.org platform, as well as guiding students to give critical comments and praise when conducting peer reviews, are recommended in EFL writing courses. In addition, policymakers can create a positive BL environment by providing smart classroom facilities, campus Wi-Fi coverage, and online resources. They are also suggested to set up a student learning analytic system to track students’ learning and provide timely feedback. Furthermore, policymakers can provide professional training and financial assistance to encourage educators to adopt BL in different subjects.

However, this research has limitations due to the small sample size and the reliance on quantitative data. Even though we conducted cluster sampling at a university with representative populations and carried out a rigorous instrument development process to ensure high-quality data-gathering instruments, which may enhance the accuracy of the data, increase the reliability of the findings, and mitigate these limitations, the relatively small sample size gives the impression that the results were only representing a portion of the population. Therefore, future studies may consider enlarging the sample size, involving qualitative methods, or expanding the scope of research on the impact of BL in other disciplines.

Supporting information

S1 checklist. inclusivity in global research..

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.s001

S1 Appendix. The questionnaire of influencing factors in blended EFL writing course.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.s002

S2 Appendix. Writing test.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.s003

S3 Appendix. The assessing criteria of writing performance.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0305668.s004

• View Article
• Google Scholar
• 8. Ervin JL. Undergraduate education students’ experiences in online cooperative learning activities: An embedded single-case study. [ Doctoral dissertation , Liberty University ]. 2019.
• 31. Engeström Y. Learning by Expanding . An activity-theorical approach to developmental research . Helsinki: Orienta-Konsultit Oy. 1987:338.
• 46. Vygotsky LS. Mind and Society : The Development of Higher Psychological Processes . Harvard University Press. 1978:101.
• PubMed/NCBI
• 59. Leont’ev AN. The problem of activity in psychology. Wertsch In J.(Ed.), The Concept of Activity in Soviet Psychology , USA: ME. 1981.
• 69. Agresti A. Statistical methods for the social sciences . Pearson. 2018.
• 71. Cohen J. Statistical Power Analysis for the Behavioral Sciences ( 2nd Edition ) . 1988.
• 74. Jacobs HL, Zinkgraf SA, Wormuth DR, Hartfiel VF, Hughey JB. Testing ESL composition : A practical approach . English Composition Program . Newbury House Publishers, Inc., Rowley, MA 01969. 1981.
• 78. Zeng Y. A study of the application of hybrid learning mode based on Pigai.org in the teaching of English writing in high schools. [Master dissertation, Shanghai International Studies University]. 2016.
• 81. Dornyei Z, Taguchi T. Questionnaire in Second Language Research : Construction , Administration , and Processing ( 2nd ed. ) . Routledge. 2010.
• 84. Cohen L, Manion L, Morrison K. Research Methods in Education (Eighth edition ) . Abingdon, Oxon. 2018:532–533.
• 89. Anggrawan A. Percentage of Effect of Blended Learning Madel on Learning Outcome. 2019 Fourth International Conference on Informatics and Computing (ICIC) . 2019:1–4. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIC47613.2019.8985741
• 95. Yulianti T, Sulistiyawati A. The Blended Learning for Student’s Character Building. International Conference on Progressive Education (ICOPE 2019) . 2020;422(Icope 2019):56–60. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.200323.089

Introducing Apple’s On-Device and Server Foundation Models

At the 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference , we introduced Apple Intelligence, a personal intelligence system integrated deeply into iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia.

Apple Intelligence is comprised of multiple highly-capable generative models that are specialized for our users’ everyday tasks, and can adapt on the fly for their current activity. The foundation models built into Apple Intelligence have been fine-tuned for user experiences such as writing and refining text, prioritizing and summarizing notifications, creating playful images for conversations with family and friends, and taking in-app actions to simplify interactions across apps.

In the following overview, we will detail how two of these models — a ~3 billion parameter on-device language model, and a larger server-based language model available with Private Cloud Compute and running on Apple silicon servers — have been built and adapted to perform specialized tasks efficiently, accurately, and responsibly. These two foundation models are part of a larger family of generative models created by Apple to support users and developers; this includes a coding model to build intelligence into Xcode, as well as a diffusion model to help users express themselves visually, for example, in the Messages app. We look forward to sharing more information soon on this broader set of models.

Our Focus on Responsible AI Development

Apple Intelligence is designed with our core values at every step and built on a foundation of groundbreaking privacy innovations.

Additionally, we have created a set of Responsible AI principles to guide how we develop AI tools, as well as the models that underpin them:

• Empower users with intelligent tools : We identify areas where AI can be used responsibly to create tools for addressing specific user needs. We respect how our users choose to use these tools to accomplish their goals.
• Represent our users : We build deeply personal products with the goal of representing users around the globe authentically. We work continuously to avoid perpetuating stereotypes and systemic biases across our AI tools and models.
• Design with care : We take precautions at every stage of our process, including design, model training, feature development, and quality evaluation to identify how our AI tools may be misused or lead to potential harm. We will continuously and proactively improve our AI tools with the help of user feedback.
• Protect privacy : We protect our users' privacy with powerful on-device processing and groundbreaking infrastructure like Private Cloud Compute. We do not use our users' private personal data or user interactions when training our foundation models.

These principles are reflected throughout the architecture that enables Apple Intelligence, connects features and tools with specialized models, and scans inputs and outputs to provide each feature with the information needed to function responsibly.

In the remainder of this overview, we provide details on decisions such as: how we develop models that are highly capable, fast, and power-efficient; how we approach training these models; how our adapters are fine-tuned for specific user needs; and how we evaluate model performance for both helpfulness and unintended harm.

Pre-Training

Our foundation models are trained on Apple's AXLearn framework , an open-source project we released in 2023. It builds on top of JAX and XLA, and allows us to train the models with high efficiency and scalability on various training hardware and cloud platforms, including TPUs and both cloud and on-premise GPUs. We used a combination of data parallelism, tensor parallelism, sequence parallelism, and Fully Sharded Data Parallel (FSDP) to scale training along multiple dimensions such as data, model, and sequence length.

We train our foundation models on licensed data, including data selected to enhance specific features, as well as publicly available data collected by our web-crawler, AppleBot. Web publishers have the option to opt out of the use of their web content for Apple Intelligence training with a data usage control.

We never use our users’ private personal data or user interactions when training our foundation models, and we apply filters to remove personally identifiable information like social security and credit card numbers that are publicly available on the Internet. We also filter profanity and other low-quality content to prevent its inclusion in the training corpus. In addition to filtering, we perform data extraction, deduplication, and the application of a model-based classifier to identify high quality documents.

Post-Training

We find that data quality is essential to model success, so we utilize a hybrid data strategy in our training pipeline, incorporating both human-annotated and synthetic data, and conduct thorough data curation and filtering procedures. We have developed two novel algorithms in post-training: (1) a rejection sampling fine-tuning algorithm with teacher committee, and (2) a reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) algorithm with mirror descent policy optimization and a leave-one-out advantage estimator. We find that these two algorithms lead to significant improvement in the model’s instruction-following quality.

Optimization

In addition to ensuring our generative models are highly capable, we have used a range of innovative techniques to optimize them on-device and on our private cloud for speed and efficiency. We have applied an extensive set of optimizations for both first token and extended token inference performance.

Both the on-device and server models use grouped-query-attention. We use shared input and output vocab embedding tables to reduce memory requirements and inference cost. These shared embedding tensors are mapped without duplications. The on-device model uses a vocab size of 49K, while the server model uses a vocab size of 100K, which includes additional language and technical tokens.

For on-device inference, we use low-bit palletization, a critical optimization technique that achieves the necessary memory, power, and performance requirements. To maintain model quality, we developed a new framework using LoRA adapters that incorporates a mixed 2-bit and 4-bit configuration strategy — averaging 3.5 bits-per-weight — to achieve the same accuracy as the uncompressed models.

Additionally, we use an interactive model latency and power analysis tool, Talaria , to better guide the bit rate selection for each operation. We also utilize activation quantization and embedding quantization, and have developed an approach to enable efficient Key-Value (KV) cache update on our neural engines.

With this set of optimizations, on iPhone 15 Pro we are able to reach time-to-first-token latency of about 0.6 millisecond per prompt token, and a generation rate of 30 tokens per second. Notably, this performance is attained before employing token speculation techniques, from which we see further enhancement on the token generation rate.

Model Adaptation

Our foundation models are fine-tuned for users’ everyday activities, and can dynamically specialize themselves on-the-fly for the task at hand. We utilize adapters, small neural network modules that can be plugged into various layers of the pre-trained model, to fine-tune our models for specific tasks. For our models we adapt the attention matrices, the attention projection matrix, and the fully connected layers in the point-wise feedforward networks for a suitable set of the decoding layers of the transformer architecture.

By fine-tuning only the adapter layers, the original parameters of the base pre-trained model remain unchanged, preserving the general knowledge of the model while tailoring the adapter layers to support specific tasks.

We represent the values of the adapter parameters using 16 bits, and for the ~3 billion parameter on-device model, the parameters for a rank 16 adapter typically require 10s of megabytes. The adapter models can be dynamically loaded, temporarily cached in memory, and swapped — giving our foundation model the ability to specialize itself on the fly for the task at hand while efficiently managing memory and guaranteeing the operating system's responsiveness.

To facilitate the training of the adapters, we created an efficient infrastructure that allows us to rapidly retrain, test, and deploy adapters when either the base model or the training data gets updated. The adapter parameters are initialized using the accuracy-recovery adapter introduced in the Optimization section.

Performance and Evaluation

Our focus is on delivering generative models that can enable users to communicate, work, express themselves, and get things done across their Apple products. When benchmarking our models, we focus on human evaluation as we find that these results are highly correlated to user experience in our products. We conducted performance evaluations on both feature-specific adapters and the foundation models.

To illustrate our approach, we look at how we evaluated our adapter for summarization. As product requirements for summaries of emails and notifications differ in subtle but important ways, we fine-tune accuracy-recovery low-rank (LoRA) adapters on top of the palletized model to meet these specific requirements. Our training data is based on synthetic summaries generated from bigger server models, filtered by a rejection sampling strategy that keeps only the high quality summaries.

To evaluate the product-specific summarization, we use a set of 750 responses carefully sampled for each use case. These evaluation datasets emphasize a diverse set of inputs that our product features are likely to face in production, and include a stratified mixture of single and stacked documents of varying content types and lengths. As product features, it was important to evaluate performance against datasets that are representative of real use cases. We find that our models with adapters generate better summaries than a comparable model.

As part of responsible development, we identified and evaluated specific risks inherent to summarization. For example, summaries occasionally remove important nuance or other details in ways that are undesirable. However, we found that the summarization adapter did not amplify sensitive content in over 99% of targeted adversarial examples. We continue to adversarially probe to identify unknown harms and expand our evaluations to help guide further improvements.

In addition to evaluating feature specific performance powered by foundation models and adapters, we evaluate both the on-device and server-based models’ general capabilities. We utilize a comprehensive evaluation set of real-world prompts to test the general model capabilities. These prompts are diverse across different difficulty levels and cover major categories such as brainstorming, classification, closed question answering, coding, extraction, mathematical reasoning, open question answering, rewriting, safety, summarization, and writing.

We compare our models with both open-source models (Phi-3, Gemma, Mistral, DBRX) and commercial models of comparable size (GPT-3.5-Turbo, GPT-4-Turbo) 1 . We find that our models are preferred by human graders over most comparable competitor models. On this benchmark, our on-device model, with ~3B parameters, outperforms larger models including Phi-3-mini, Mistral-7B, and Gemma-7B. Our server model compares favorably to DBRX-Instruct, Mixtral-8x22B, and GPT-3.5-Turbo while being highly efficient.

We use a set of diverse adversarial prompts to test the model performance on harmful content, sensitive topics, and factuality. We measure the violation rates of each model as evaluated by human graders on this evaluation set, with a lower number being desirable. Both the on-device and server models are robust when faced with adversarial prompts, achieving violation rates lower than open-source and commercial models.

Our models are preferred by human graders as safe and helpful over competitor models for these prompts. However, considering the broad capabilities of large language models, we understand the limitation of our safety benchmark. We are actively conducting both manual and automatic red-teaming with internal and external teams to continue evaluating our models' safety.

To further evaluate our models, we use the Instruction-Following Eval (IFEval) benchmark to compare their instruction-following capabilities with models of comparable size. The results suggest that both our on-device and server model follow detailed instructions better than the open-source and commercial models of comparable size.

We evaluate our models’ writing ability on our internal summarization and composition benchmarks, consisting of a variety of writing instructions. These results do not refer to our feature-specific adapter for summarization (seen in Figure 3 ), nor do we have an adapter focused on composition.

The Apple foundation models and adapters introduced at WWDC24 underlie Apple Intelligence, the new personal intelligence system that is integrated deeply into iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and enables powerful capabilities across language, images, actions, and personal context. Our models have been created with the purpose of helping users do everyday activities across their Apple products, and developed responsibly at every stage and guided by Apple’s core values. We look forward to sharing more information soon on our broader family of generative models, including language, diffusion, and coding models.

[1] We compared against the following model versions: gpt-3.5-turbo-0125, gpt-4-0125-preview, Phi-3-mini-4k-instruct, Mistral-7B-Instruct-v0.2, Mixtral-8x22B-Instruct-v0.1, Gemma-1.1-2B, and Gemma-1.1-7B. The open-source and Apple models are evaluated in bfloat16 precision.

Related readings and updates.

Advancing speech accessibility with personal voice.

A voice replicator is a powerful tool for people at risk of losing their ability to speak, including those with a recent diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or other conditions that can progressively impact speaking ability. First introduced in May 2023 and made available on iOS 17 in September 2023, Personal Voice is a tool that creates a synthesized voice for such users to speak in FaceTime, phone calls, assistive communication apps, and in-person conversations.

Apple Natural Language Understanding Workshop 2023

Earlier this year, Apple hosted the Natural Language Understanding workshop. This two-day hybrid event brought together Apple and members of the academic research community for talks and discussions on the state of the art in natural language understanding.

In this post, we share highlights from workshop discussions and recordings of select workshop talks.

Discover opportunities in Machine Learning.

Our research in machine learning breaks new ground every day.

Work with us

• How it works
• Pay for essays
• Do my homework
• Term Paper Writing Service
• Do my assignment
• Coursework help
• Our Writers

How to choose history research paper topics

With a Juris Bachelor's degree and a decade of legal practice, Darious Davson excels in creating compelling and authoritative academic papers in Law and Ethics. His work is a testament to his profound knowledge of the legal system and commitment to upholding ethical writing practices. So, this experienced paper writer is your top-tier pick!

Choosing the correct history research paper topics is crucial. A good topic makes research fun and boosts paper success. A captivating topic can distinguish your paper from others, demonstrating your creativity and analysis, making your audience want to read and admire your work. Choosing an interesting history research paper topic is essential for a well-researched and engaging work. The right topic engage readers and support your study. This post will cover the critical factors to consider while choosing a topic that is fascinating and feasible for your study.

Understanding the research paper topic

Choosing a research paper topic starts with knowing its aim and scope. Clarify assignment requirements and goals to help choose a topic. Next, select your historical niche. You can focus your research by restricting your field to ancient, medieval, modern, or American history research paper topics. From ancient civilizations to present political movements, history is comprehensive. Choosing an era or event will focus your study and give your writing direction. If you admire ancient cultures, you might study ancient history topics like the Roman Empire's growth and fall. If you prefer modern history, consider history research paper topics like the Civil Rights Movement. Narrowing your focus helps you arrange and manage your research paper.

Research papers examine a subject, event, or phenomenon in detail, analyzing sources and presenting a well-supported argument or story. Consider your work's breadth when choosing history research paper topics. A significant topic may be intriguing, but too many facets can make it overwhelming. Conversely, a small topic may limit sources and information, making it challenging to develop a whole argument. Thus, topic breadth and depth must be balanced.

Key considerations for selecting a history research paper topic

When selecting a topic, several factors should be taken into account to ensure it is suitable and engaging.

Personal interest and passion for the topic

Choosing a topic you care about will make research more fun and engaging. Work quality will reflect your passion for history research topics. When you like one of the world history research paper topics more than others, you're more inclined to explore it and find interesting details for your paper.

Personal interest helps keep you motivated while researching and writing. Writing a history research paper takes time and concentration. Choosing a fascinating topic can help you stay dedicated and write a good report. However, if you select an uninteresting subject, you may struggle to stay focused and motivated, resulting in less compelling and detailed work.

Choosing a topic that intrigues you might also make your paper more unique. You may find new insights and take unexpected approaches due to your genuine interest in the subject. It can make your paper stand out and meaningfully contribute to scholarly discourse. Remember what thrills and inspires you when choosing history research paper topics for college students, and let your passions lead you.

Availability of trustworthy sources and resources

Reliable sources for history research papers are crucial in writing. For extensive study and argumentation, you need primary and secondary materials. Check resource availability before choosing a topic. It will show you if you have enough material and if your topic is researchable.

Firsthand accounts and evidence from historical documents, letters, diaries, and government records are invaluable. Books, journal articles, and scholarly essays interpret and analyze history. To develop a solid argument, you need primary and secondary sources while choosing interesting history research paper topics.

Source quality should be considered alongside availability. Credible, authoritative, and topic-relevant sources are reliable. Academic publications, respectable publishers, and established historians are probably reliable. Avoid uncited, discriminatory, or questionable sources. Your research paper will be better if your sources are trustworthy.

A thorough literature evaluation early in your research will assist you in estimating source availability and quality. It can also help you understand the literature on your issue and find gaps and new topics to study. When choosing history research paper topics, consider source availability and reliability to ensure successful and well-supported work.

Utilizing writing services for your history research paper

Writing services like write my essay for me can help you in selecting history research paper topics, ensuring that it is well-organized and logically cohesive. These services can help you create a clear outline, which is crucial for presenting your research in a systematic and comprehensible manner. By organizing your thoughts and ideas, writing services enable you to focus on the critical aspects of your topic, making your paper more engaging.

In addition to helping with your research paper setup, writing services help you articulate your arguments and ideas more clearly, avoiding ambiguity and confusion. This is particularly important in academic writing, where precise language and clear explanations are essential. Professional writers can refine your language, making your paper more readable and impactful.

Originality of the topic

Select a topic that offers a unique perspective or addresses a less-explored area of history. It will distinguish your paper and add new insights to the field. It may be tempting to choose well-known and widely researched themes, but discovering a niche or fresh perspective might enhance your work. Scholars admire originality because it shows critical thinking in history research papers and participation in the scholarly debate.

Instead of studying ancient history topics like the building of the Pyramids, you may study the daily life of the laborers who built them. Consider ancient women's roles or how trade routes affected cultural interactions. You can provide new insights into ancient history by taking a fresh approach.

Originality in history research papers includes finding and filling research gaps. Review the literature to find understudied regions. Filling gaps with new research and analysis can allow you to contribute to the field. Consider interesting history research paper topics that link with anthropology, sociology, or economics for unique and interdisciplinary historical research.

To stay original, avoid overanalyzing issues. Though interesting, some issues can be hard to illuminate or contribute to. Discover new perspectives and angles to bring depth and creativity to your research report. Focusing on originality and uniqueness can make historical studies like Medieval history research paper topics appealing and valuable.

Relevance and significance of the topic to the field of history

Select a notable history topic. It should discuss significant historical events, individuals, or themes that shape our knowledge of the past. Relevance guarantees that your research adds to historical discourse and meets public and scholarly interests.

When choosing world history research paper topics, evaluate their wider ramifications and significance. For instance, studying World War II's causes and effects helps illuminate global conflict and diplomacy. Comparing colonialism's consequences on different regions can illuminate imperialism's long-term repercussions and contribute to post-colonial and cultural identity issues.

Historical subjects' contemporary significance is also important. Researching key historical themes can provide context and views for modern culture. The history of civil rights movements can inform modern social justice and equality initiatives. Choose American history research paper topics that explore important historical subjects to contribute to academic and public debates.

Use contemporary history scholarship and discussions to make your issue relevant and significant. Read recent publications, attend conferences, and participate in academic forums to comprehend the field's major arguments. This can help you find timely, important issues that can contribute to historical knowledge. Consider the relevance and significance of history research papers when you choose topics. It will make your research respected in academia and beyond.

Exploring types of history research paper topics

There are numerous history research paper topics to choose from, each offering a rich area for exploration. Here are some examples of history research paper topics:

Ancient History Topics

• Rise and fall of ancient civilizations
• The development of writing systems
• Ancient Egyptian religion and mythology
• The construction of the Pyramids of Giza
• The rise of the Roman Empire
• Ancient Greek philosophy and its influence
• The impact of the Persian Empire
• The conquests of Alexander the Great
• The history of Mesopotamia
• The Indus Valley Civilization
• Ancient Chinese dynasties
• The fall of the Roman Empire
• The origins of democracy in ancient Greece
• Ancient trade routes like the Silk Road
• The role of women in ancient societies
• Ancient technological and scientific advancements
• The religious practices of the Aztecs and Mayans
• The cultural achievements of ancient Greece
• The military strategies of the Spartans
• Ancient art and architecture

Medieval History Topics

• The feudal system and its impact
• The spread of Christianity in Europe
• The rise and fall of the Byzantine Empire
• The Crusades and their effects
• The Black Death and its consequences
• The Hundred Years' War
• The role of the Catholic Church in medieval life
• The Viking Age and their exploration
• The life and reign of Charlemagne
• The construction of medieval castles
• Medieval trade and the Hanseatic League
• The Norman Conquest of England
• The Magna Carta and its significance
• Medieval guilds and their influence
• The Renaissance and its beginnings
• Medieval literature and poetry
• The role of knights and chivalry
• The fall of Constantinople
• The life of Joan of Arc
• The impact of medieval Islamic empires

Modern History Topics

• The French Revolution and its aftermath
• The Industrial Revolution
• The causes and consequences of World War I
• The role of women in shaping modern history
• The Great Depression and its global impact
• The causes and consequences of World War II
• The Cold War and the arms race
• Decolonization and the end of empires
• The civil rights movement in the United States
• The Vietnam War and its effects
• The fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War
• The rise of globalization
• The impact of the digital revolution
• The Arab Spring and its aftermath
• The rise of China as a global power
• The European Union and its evolution
• Environmental movements and climate change
• The war on terror and its consequences
• The COVID-19 pandemic and global response
• Advances in science and technology in the 21st century

American History Topics

• The American Revolution and the founding of the nation
• The drafting and significance of the U.S. Constitution
• The Louisiana Purchase and westward expansion
• The War of 1812 and its impact
• The abolitionist movement and the fight against slavery
• The Civil War and Reconstruction
• The Industrialization of America
• The Progressive Era reforms
• The involvement of the U.S. in World War I
• The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression
• The New Deal and its effects
• The role of the U.S. in World War II
• The Cold War and McCarthyism
• The Civil Rights Movement
• The Vietnam War and anti-war protests
• The Watergate scandal
• The end of the Cold War and the Reagan era
• The impact of 9/11 and the War on Terror
• The election of Barack Obama and its significance
• Recent social and political movements in the U.S.

Narrowing your research topic

Once you have a broad topic in mind, it's important to narrow it down to make it more focused and manageable.

Focusing on a specific aspect or perspective

A targeted and manageable research report requires choosing a certain topic angle to study. Focusing on one aspect avoids the drawbacks of a comprehensive picture. If you're interested in the French Revolution, you might study women's role or economic factors. This method lets you explore history research paper topics more deeply and analyze them more thoroughly.

Choosing a certain approach helps create a more appealing and original research report. It lets you discover new angles and subtleties that can enrich your work. When considering history research paper topics, analyze the many parts of your large topic and choose those that intrigue and can be explored further.

Sharpening the topic for better focus and scope

Breaking down your topic into smaller, more specific subtopics is essential for managing the scope of your research. Broad topics can rapidly become overpowering, resulting in a disorganized paper. Refining your topic helps you focus your study and make it more successful. Interested in the Industrial Revolution? Focus on its effects on child labor regulations or specific technology.

Setting research boundaries is part of refining your topic. Set your timeframe, location, and main topics. It will help you stay on track and keep your paper coherent. By narrowing your history research paper topics, you can write a more organized and manageable document.

Balancing the topic's scope for depth and breadth

Keeping your topic narrow helps you focus and dig deeper into your study. A big topic can lead to a superficial treatment because you may struggle to cover all elements. A restricted topic may limit sources and information, making it hard to create a strong argument. A well-rounded and informative research article requires balance.

Consider your research scope and article length to attain this balance. An adequately scoped topic lets you investigate it in depth without being overwhelmed. Instead of covering all of World War II, you may focus on a battle, country, or group. Focusing helps you write a more complete and well-supported research paper.

Conducting preliminary topic research

Before finalizing your topic, conduct preliminary research to ensure its feasibility.

Collecting data from trustworthy sources

Any good research paper starts with reputable sources. Academic publications, books, websites, and historical documents and archives are reliable. Credible and authoritative sources can back your claims and deepen your insight. To create a well-rounded and supported work on interesting history research paper topics, use a variety of reputable sources.

Starting with preliminary research helps you determine source availability and topic viability. Search academic databases, libraries, and online resources for topic-related material. It can help you understand the scholarship and identify key themes, events, and figures linked to your topic. By collecting information from credible sources early on, you may build a good research foundation and have enough material.

Recognizing major themes, events, and figures

Understanding your research's context and significance requires identifying its main topics, events, and figures. These parts frame your analysis and help you organize your paper. When studying American history research paper topics like the American Civil War, prominent subjects may include its causes, major battles, and social effects. Politicians, generals, and activists are influential.

You can write a more focused and clear research report by identifying these important features. You can also organize your research and cover all pertinent topics with this method. Identifying significant themes and figures will help you write a well-structured and thorough history research paper topics, that covers the most important aspects of your subject.

Evaluating source availability and quality

Your research paper's feasibility depends on source availability and quality. Quality sources provide the evidence and support needed to make a convincing case. Assess the relevancy, reliability, and usefulness of your preliminary research sources. Find sources with accurate citations, in-depth analysis, and renowned authors and institutions.

It is also important to assess source availability based on the variety of perspectives and interpretations accessible. A research article should offer diverse perspectives and interpretations for a complete analysis. Choose history research paper topics using a variety of sources that cover different features and perspectives. This will enhance your research and analysis.

Creating an outline and structure

After collecting and evaluating sources, create an outline for your research paper. This step helps you organize your thoughts and ensures a logical flow of information. Your outline should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Each section should have specific points you plan to cover, supported by your research. A well-structured outline serves as a roadmap, making the writing process more manageable and coherent.

Drafting and revising your research paper

Begin drafting your research paper based on the outline. Write clear and concise paragraphs, ensuring each one focuses on a single idea supported by evidence. After completing the draft, take time to revise and refine your work. Check for clarity, coherence, and consistency. Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and citation styles. Revising helps improve the quality and credibility of your research paper, making it more compelling and authoritative.

Crafting an effective thesis statement

A clear and concise thesis statement is essential for guiding your research and writing.

Formulating a clear and direct thesis statement

Your research paper's direction and concentration depend on a clear and concise thesis statement. Your thesis statement should state your paper's key assertion and guide your research and writing. It should focus on one facet of your issue. 

Example: "The economic and social factors that led to the French Revolution were rooted in the financial crisis and the inequality between the estates." 

This statement summarizes the essential point and guides your analysis.

Clarifying your thesis statement requires considering your argument's significance and relevance. Your thesis should demonstrate your topic's importance and add to history. Remember that your thesis statement should be meaningful when choosing history research paper topics. It will help you write an engaging research paper.

Ensuring the thesis represents the main argument

To retain focus and coherence, your thesis statement must appropriately reflect your paper's major argument or assertion. Your thesis statement should guide your analysis and conclusions in research and writing. Make sure your paper supports your thesis statement throughout. It will make the study paper cohesive and orderly.

Review your thesis statement during research and writing to maintain alignment. As you learn more and analyze the topic, revise your thesis statement. This iterative method will help you write a more clear and well-supported thesis statement that captures your paper's key argument. When contemplating history research paper topics, aligning your thesis statement with your study will improve clarity and effectiveness.

Matching the thesis statement with the topic

A focused and coherent research paper requires aligning your thesis statement with your topic. Your thesis statement should relate to the topic you're studying. Your work will be more focused and impactful if your research and analysis are directly related to your topic.

Make sure your thesis statement addresses essential topics, events, and figures to align. If your topic is how the Industrial Revolution affected child labor, your thesis statement should reflect this. A thesis statement may be: "The Industrial Revolution significantly increased child labor in factories, leading to social and economic reforms aimed at improving working conditions." This statement relates to your topic and guides your investigation.

Aligning your thesis statement with your topic helps you write a well-structured, coherent research paper that covers the essentials. Alignment keeps you focused and structured, ensuring relevant and meaningful research and analysis.

Structuring your history research paper

Creating a clear outline helps organize your research article. A research and writing outline keeps you on track and ensures a logical flow. First, establish your paper's primary parts and subsections. It helps you simplify your topic and organize your study.

A thorough overview lets you recognize each section's main themes and arguments. Your paper will be well-structured and coherent, with each section building on the previous one. When selecting interesting history research paper topics, a clear outline will help you structure your research and writing, making your work more captivating and well-organized.

Defining main sections and subsections

Identifying the main sections and subsections of your paper is crucial for creating a well-structured and coherent research paper. Start by outlining the major sections of your paper, such as the introduction, literature review, methodology, analysis, and conclusion. Within each section, identify the key themes and arguments that you will explore.

Breaking down your paper into smaller sections helps you organize your research and writing more effectively. When selecting history research paper topics, identifying the main sections and subsections will help you create a well-organized and structured paper that effectively addresses your chosen topic.

Ensuring logical sequence and flow

Outline the beginning, which should provide background and context for your issue, to create a logical flow. Next, outline the literature review, which should summarize existing research and highlight gaps and future research. Your methodology should explain your research methods and strategy, while your analysis should convey your findings and arguments. The conclusion should repeat your thesis and summarize your important points.

Choosing a well-defined and researched history topic is crucial for producing a compelling and engaging research paper. By considering your interests, the availability of sources, originality, and relevance, you can select a topic that will capture the reader's interest and contribute to the field of history. Explore your passions and interests when selecting history research paper topics, and enjoy the process of uncovering the past.

How to select a unique and interesting topic?

To select a unique and interesting topic, consider choosing a less-explored area of history or offering a new perspective on a well-known subject. Research current trends and debates in the field to identify interesting history research paper topics.

What are some examples of good history research paper topics?

Good history research paper topics include the rise and fall of ancient civilizations, the impact of the feudal system, the French Revolution and its aftermath, and the American Revolution and the founding of the nation.

How to narrow down a broad topic to make it more manageable?

To narrow down a broad topic, focus on a specific aspect or angle, break the topic into smaller subtopics, and ensure the topic is not too broad or too narrow.

What are the best sources for conducting research on history topics?

Academic journals, books, reputable websites, and primary sources such as historical documents and archives are the best sources for conducting research on history research paper topics for college students.

Related posts

Relevant Social Issue Topics | 100 Handy Paper Ideas for Inspiration

Top-3 Hiding Places for Your Cheat Notes

How to Write a Thematic Essay in a Few Simple Steps: Tips to Consider

What are you waiting for?

You are a couple of clicks away from tranquility at an affordable price!

Skip navigation

World Leaders in Research-Based User Experience

Promptframes: evolving the wireframe for the age of ai.

May 17, 2024 2024-05-17

• Email article
• Share on LinkedIn
• Share on Twitter

In This Article:

The need for quality placeholder content, introducing promptframes, benefits of using promptframes, how to use promptframes in the design process, the potential of promptframes, a few precautions to consider, a good tactic for the 1-person ux team.

Using placeholder text or images early in your design workflow can help you explore possibilities and cope with evolving requirements.

However, placeholder content (especially the notorious lorem ipsum) can be a barrier to gathering insightful feedback from users and stakeholders. I have personally experienced derailed usability testing sessions because my placeholders provoked unintentional confusion and doubt in my participants. (And folks like Anna Kaley have previously highlighted the benefits of taking a content-focused approach in early design work.) In UX, remember that the content inspires feedback , not the container .

To enable a more efficient feedback loop, I propose a new design deliverable: the promptframe . Use promptframes to create realistic placeholder content faster using AI.

Promptframes unite the classic UX wireframe with prompt writing for generative AI.

A promptframe is a design deliverable that documents content goals and requirements for generative-AI prompts based on a wireframe’s layout and functionality.

Promptframes organize and document prompts locationally within an existing wireframe. UX designers can create promptframes early in the design process as they begin crafting interfaces to address requirements. Promptframes describe the goals, purpose, requirements, and other details of the content that goes within various design elements, so that AI can readily assist with content ideation and generation.

Wireframes can sometimes create problems for UX designers:

• Reduced ideation . When designers rush ahead to make prototypes with high visual and interactive fidelity, they may spend less time exploring content. Most ideas are poor, and it's usually through evaluating many ideas (or combining several mediocre) that good designs emerge.
• Obscured requirements . Allowing placeholders to linger within designs can hurt the UX designer in the long run. Unknown requirements or technical constraints that the UX designer discovers too late may result in infeasible or misaligned designs that cannot be easily corrected in due time.
• Diminished feedback. Designs with poor content fidelity are too abstract for users to understand. For example, a data-intensive app with nonsensical charts and tables will be incomprehensible to a data-analyst accustomed to evaluating realistic data. Users may ignore these areas or ask questions about them in testing, consuming precious session time on what you (mistakenly) felt were unimportant details.

Promptframes address these issues in several ways:

• Efficient ideation . One of the superpowers of generative AI is providing multiple variations of an idea with minimal effort. Promptframes integrate this idea engine into the UX design workflow.
• Improved content fidelity . Specific, focused AI prompts can result in helpful content that, while not necessarily ideal for release, may be good enough for user testing and gathering feedback.
• Faster iteration . Writing prompts may initially require some upfront effort, but that effort is repaid with the ease of incorporating insights from testing and feedback. Content can be pivoted and improved rapidly by sharing those details in subsequent prompts.
• Better collaboration . Visuals are a great help when collaborating, as they build common ground with your team. Yet squiggly lines and lorem ipsum are often too abstract for nondesigners. AI-generated content, as well as the prompts generating it, can stimulate dialog and feedback from colleagues and may surface obscure requirements earlier in the design process.
• Greater focus on objectives . Promptframes ask UX designers to go beyond interface components and describe business and user goals. If the UX designer struggles to explain these goals to a generative AI tool, it calls into question the content's purpose.

Conduct your early-stage UX design process normally using sketches and simple wireframes . This work will serve as the foundation for your promptframes once it is digitized in your design tool.

To illustrate promptframes in the design process, we will use hypothetical examples based on a page from Blue Apron's website describing a special promotional offer for people in community-service roles.

1. Establish Context and Describe Users

Documenting and sharing context with the generative AI will improve its ability to assist with content creation. ChatGPT is particularly well suited for promptframes due to its support for various output types.

Consider including these important high-level details in your prompts.

Generative AI also needs user insights to be effective. Share written content from high-quality personas or archetypes  that mention user needs, behaviors, goals, pain points, as well as motivations for the product, service, or feature being designed.

All this specificity will give you better results than just using off-the-shelf AI agents that proclaim to fulfill similar content-generation roles. Although this looks like a lot of effort to write or compile, you need to do this only once and can reuse them throughout this project or others.

Remember to leverage AI-tool features that maintain this context. For example, ChatGPT offers a custom - GPT feature that conveniently persists these details. Other AI tools like Gemini or Claude currently don’t support easy reuse of context; for those tools, you will need to capture these details (perhaps in a text document) and feed them into your prompt before discussing project specifics.

2. Write and Document Prompts

With the context and users established with our AI tool, the next step is to document prompts that will direct the AI in content creation. Start by writing down the purpose of the various areas and elements in your design that will contain content.

Always include these details in your prompts:

• Objectives : Why is this piece of content present in the design? How does it benefit the business and the users? User stories and other requirements from a product-manager colleague can be an excellent reference here.
• Desired outcomes : What do you hope users will do or think because of this content?
• Examples : If available, include examples that could serve as inspiration when generating the content.

Here are additional aspects to consider for specific types of content:

• Message : What core message are you trying to convey in this copy? What facts and details must be included?
• Container : Where will the copy be seen (landing page, call-to-action button, error message, etc.)?
• Constraints : Are there word-count limits or other limitations required by the container?
• Tone of voice (conditional) : Should the default tone of voice be adjusted for this copy? For example, softening a typically humorous tone of voice for an error message likely to disappoint the user.
• Subject : Who or what elements should be depicted in the image?
• Actions : Are any actions happening with the subjects in the image?
• Background : Is the background relevant, or should it be plain for easy removal?
• Dimensions : What size should the image be to fit the interface? For example, if real images will be coming from another system, then this would be an excellent opportunity to start asking colleagues about expected dimensions of those real images and documenting that constraint in the prompt.
• Style : How should the image be presented? What illustrative techniques are being used, or should it be a photo?

Some generative AI systems are capable of photorealistic content, but some vendors prohibit its creation as a precaution against abuse and misinformation. Don't waste time trying to work around these prohibitions if your current AI tool won't comply. You may need to use a different AI tool or settle for less than true-to-life images.

Data Visualizations

• Type : Describe the specific visualization desired, such as a bar chart, line chart, or table.
• Data and outliers : Provide a spreadsheet of data or request AI to create synthetic data to illustrate a desirable visualization. For example, instead of handcrafting data, just describe that a specific product line should trend downward over time on a line chart if a downward trend would support a task in future usability testing.
• Columns and totals : Where applicable, describe table-column labels, desired totals, and reasonable upper and lower values. Again, consider what might be helpful to represent in future usability-testing tasks.
• Sorting : For tables, describe any default sorting of the data.
• Axes : Describe the components of chart axes, such as minimum and maximum values, data type, and label formatting.
• Style : Provide a color palette for charting elements, if relevant.
• Background : Describe the background fill and any usage of reference lines.
• Legend : Describe the content and placement of a legend, if relevant and desired.
• Labels : Consider data labels for specific data points or the label of the overall chart.
• Dimensions : For charts, describe what size and image format should be used.

3. Run Prompts in AI Tool and Populate Your Designs with Content

Copy and paste the prompts into your AI tool. Then integrate the generated content in the wireframe to start evolving it into a prototype. To keep your work organized, document links to separate AI-tool chats in the promptframe, as you will likely revisit them in future revisions.

When performing this step:

• Guard against perfectionism . Don’t be tempted to create production-ready content. You can inadvertently waste a lot of time trying to refine the AI tool’s output to be “just right” for only marginal improvements.
• Chunk your prompts . AI tools have token limits for prompts and the AI tool’s input and resulting output. For ChatGPT, that limit currently translates to about 2,000-2,500 words. You still need detailed prompts to be successful, though, so break very long prompts into chunks and run them separately so the AI tool can still provide a detailed response.

4. Refine Through Collaboration and Testing

As you conduct design critiques with your collaborators, review the AI-generated content or the prompts that were used. Parts may be added, revised, or dropped — which is normal — but you should always be progressing towards greater content fidelity in all aspects of the design.

Think of the AI-generated content as a provocation for your colleagues — is this content aligned with our project and user's goals? Why or why not? Capture that feedback by revising the prompts. If there's considerable disagreement, consider splitting the design into 2 prototypes for testing.

Remember, promptframing aims to quickly construct a testable design with meaningful content . Consider the tasks you want participants to perform with the proposed design and use them to influence your prompt writing and content-creation strategy.

5. Iterate Quickly

Following this process should buy you more time, and skilled UX professionals know to reinvest those time-dividends into iteration. Revise your prompts with your research insights and regenerate new content for future testing. Weaker parts should be scrapped or have their prompt revised before rerunning it in the generative AI tool.

6. Craft Quality Content

Once you have finished iteration, give your successful prototype the "human white-glove treatment" and elevate it with more content, visual, or interactive fidelity. Human effort will still be required to create the final design! However, you should have received a higher volume of richer feedback covering more design ideas, resulting in an overall more effective design. You can even share your prompts with other human collaborators to give them additional context on the prototype.

UX-design tools are currently exploring generative AI. Some vendors make bold claims, but their practical utility to UX professionals is not so bold (see our review of the current state of AI tools for UX design .) These tools may someday output robust experiences with basic prompting, but what's likely to happen currently is a mishmash of incoherent material derived from commonplace design patterns needing an excessive amount of rework to be useful.  Whether machine or human — garbage in is garbage out.

Promptframes acknowledge that current generative-AI technology can be practical and helpful in the UX-design workflow. But they nudge us to chunk content challenges into well-documented pieces and don't excuse us from thinking and deciding what is needed and why from a user perspective. Instead, they accelerate our ability to check our assumptions with content that users can meaningfully evaluate and give us feedback on.

Perhaps future UX-design tools will offer better support for documenting prompt inputs and their associated generated outputs to help designers create and refine promptframes efficiently within their project's context. Passing a designer’s prompt via an API call to a generative AI platform is simply not enough.

No single UX deliverable can do it all. There are a few precautions to consider specifically with promptframes.

Not for Executive Consumption

Promptframes, like their wireframe cousins, are not suitable for reviews with executives. People cognitively distant from a project typically need high visual and content fidelity to understand design deliverables. At a minimum, promptframes can convey some forward progress (you've been hard at work making something for this project) but don't expect early-stage promptframes to be particularly helpful in a design review with stakeholders deciding the project's direction or future investment.

Content Will Require Revision

Depending on the details provided in the prompts and the generative AI's robustness, the resulting AI-generated content will vary wildly in quality. Images may be inconsistently styled, and copy will undoubtedly need editing. Remember, the goal is not pixel-perfect, launch-ready content but to have sensible content faster so colleagues or testing participants might reasonably understand and share insightful feedback.

Respect Organizational AI Policies

Some organizations regulate the use of generative AI tools to protect their data. Be aware of and adhere to these before using promptframes.

Many UX professionals are a 1-person UX team or work in environments with low UX maturity , with few resources or specialized collaborators. These folks benefit from augmenting their workflow to accommodate an AI content assistant, particularly if writing or graphic design are not strong skills.

However, what if you can collaborate with a content strategist or UX writer? That’s wonderful! Think of promptframes as a collaborative deliverable with these roles, which are (unfortunately) often included very late in the design process. Use the same general workflow described above to get their feedback and suggestions into the design early so their contributions can be tested along with yours.

Promptframes combine our thinking of content containers with a greater emphasis on the content itself in a way that enables generative AI to accelerate our workflow for user testing and feedback. Lorem ipsum as a placeholder practice is as dead as Latin is as a spoken language. Leave Cicero to the philosophers and use promptframes to rapidly create content your users can understand.

Related Courses

Practical ai for ux professionals.

Leverage artificial intelligence tools to enhance your UX work and save valuable time

Interaction

UX Deliverables

Effectively communicate UX design ideas and research findings to managers, collaborators, and other stakeholders.

Related Topics

• Artificial Intelligence Artificial Intelligence
• Prototyping

Learn More:

You're Not Too Late to Use AI

Caleb Sponheim · 3 min

AI Isn't Ready for UX Design

AI on Intranets: 5 Valuable Features

Anna Kaley · 3 min

Related Articles:

CARE: Structure for Crafting AI Prompts

Kate Moran · 9 min

Design Taste vs. Technical Skills in the Era of AI

Sarah Gibbons and Kate Moran · 4 min

AI UX-Design Tools Are Not Ready for Primetime: Status Update

Caleb Sponheim and Megan Brown · 6 min

Planning Research with Generative AI

Maria Rosala · 7 min

New Users Need Support with Generative-AI Tools

Feifei Liu · 8 min

Generative UI and Outcome-Oriented Design

Kate Moran and Sarah Gibbons · 6 min