An abstract entails a rapid and easy-to-read highlight that gives the gist of the paper without providing all the necessary details. It enumerates why the research got conducted, its findings, and the implication of the findings. Because of this, it can prove a brilliant way of synthesizing a significant amount of research words into a paragraph. It also provides researchers with a perfect mechanism for highlighting key areas or points of the research.

Components of an Excellent Research Abstract

Research abstracts typically come as a single paragraph containing a hundred to one hundred and fifty words. An abstract should contain the objective of the topic and the paper as a whole.  It has to have the research, data, methods used, research findings, and significance. So how can you write a brilliant research abstract?

The best way to learn sometimes lie with getting fresh perspectives from another person’s work. Because of this, it would not hurt to see the sample below.

Research Abstract Sample

Male Addiction to Video Games and College Performance

The research explored the gaming usage and addiction on male college learners and examined the implication of video game compulsion concerning college engagement, GPA, and alcohol and drug violations within the college campus. The participants of the study included four-hundred and seventy-seven male freshmen at the college of liberal arts. A week before the commencement of lectures, participants got two surveys canvassing the expected university engagement and video game use, including a video gaming addiction measure. The results of the study suggested that gaming addiction had a negative correlation with the expected engagement in college and the GPA. The video game compulsion also has a negative correlation with alcohol and drug violations in the initial year of college. Results get discussed looking at the implication of learner engagement and accomplishment in college, and by way of construct validity when it comes to gaming addiction.

It becomes apparent in the research abstract concerning male video game compulsion provided that information follows a specific formal structure.

For instance, the initial sentence gives the research subject. It then follows it up with a breakdown of the participants in the experiment and how it got conducted. The two ultimate sections discuss the relationship between video gaming and college engagement, besides the validity of video gaming compulsion. Further, you will also note the past tense used when it comes to the wording of the abstract.

Conclusion

The research abstract proves an excellent way of giving a short overview of the research to the immediate and global readers. The abstract highlights the subject getting researched, what type of methods got used, and what outcomes the researcher realized from the study. So if you want to develop a competent research abstract, then considering all, if not some, of the guidelines illustrated from the sample, can become useful.

Differences in coursework writing

You must understand that different coursework comes with additional requirements. It all depends on what your teacher wants and your area of study. Never assume that you can incorporate other student’s structure into your assignment. You might end up writing the whole paper, yet it is out of context. The science paper isn’t the same as an English paper. That is why you must be sure of what you need to work on before starting your assignment. Embrace the idea of asking your teacher for clarifications.

General Rules of Coursework

Now that you know coursework comes with different instructions according to the subject and the lecturer; you need to learn the general rules of writing such assignments.

Avoid plagiarism– Do not attempt to use other people’s work as yours. Your lecturer will catch you, and you will be in big trouble. That is why you need to have creative thinking skills; you use different resources available from various channels, but you uniquely present your ideas. Avoid copying and pasting content. It is illegal for your information.

Make use of your teacher- Again, do not make the teacher who gives you the coursework an enemy. Understand what your teacher requires you to do and act accordingly. If you don’t understand something, reach out to him or her and ask for more guidance.

Steps for writing coursework

If you follow the steps highlighted below, then you can be sure to score good grades on your paper.

1. Choosing the topic

The first step to course writing is choosing the topic. Sometimes, your teacher can give you the subject, but sometimes you have to think independently. If you have the option to select the topic, then you must think critically. Go for a topic you know you can gather enough resources and the concept you like. Good points will earn you more grades, and you can only get such points from extensive research. If you select a topic with less information, you might feel the pressure when writing the paper. Again, the topic you like will motivate you to do more research and develop great content.

2. Discuss with your tutor

Once you have selected the topic, it is a good idea that you seek approval from your teacher. Your teacher has excellent knowledge, and he or she might end up giving you tips on how to improve on your topic.

3. Create the plan

If your teacher gives you a go ahead with your topic, you think of creating a good plan. Create the plan according to the instructions so that you can follow it when writing down your paper. A plan enables you to include all the relevant information in your assignment.

4. Research methods

Research methods will depend on your course or subject. It can be a comparison, analysis, experiment, or observation. Whatever the style is, you need to gather only relevant materials related to your question. Use the research method to gather information from books or online platforms.

Note: Remember to note down useful sources because you will have to re-visit them when writing your points.

5. Create the outline

The outline offers guidelines to follow when writing your coursework. With a good outline, you know what to write in each paragraph, not wasting time brainstorming ideas when you should be writing.

6. Writing

The writing step is where you use all the resources you gathered and create your content according to your outline. Focus on writing and nothing else. Even grammar mistakes you will correct in the final stage.

7. Proofreading

This is the final step when writing your coursework. Revise your work keenly as you correct any grammatical mistakes and typos. Check the sentence structures; all sentences should be short and readable. When you are sure of your work, you go ahead and submit it.

• Start Early

Some students get low grades in their papers because they wait until the last minute; then they start writing. You will write in a hurry, and you will fail to generate strong points to support your topic. Again, if you write in a hurry, you will likely organize your work poorly, thus giving the proffer a hard time trying to understand your ideas. In the end, you fail terribly. Since no one wants to fail, why don’t you be responsible enough and start working on your paper as soon as you get it? You might be having other activities but ensure you dedicate some time to your assignment too.

• Understand the instructions first

Once you get your assignment, do not assume you know what the professor wants. Avoid skipping instructions. Maybe your tutor wants you to follow a specific style, yet you skipped the instructions and used the technique, you know. Once you submit a paper that is out of order according to instructions, you will get low marks. Avoid the rush, take time, and understand every concept. If there is an idea you don’t understand, reach out to your teacher for further guidelines.

• Do good research

Once you understand your assignment’s basics, it is now time to gather enough resources that will help you when writing the main points. Read from the library or conduct more research on online platforms. Remember to write down important ideas that reflect the main subject because you will need to re-read the sources’ points.

• Include all the sections required in your paper

As pointed out earlier, most papers have a standard format. There is a thesis statement, an introduction, the main body, and the conclusion. Ensure you include relevant information in each section. When writing the main body, each paragraph should explain a different point.

• Have an outline

If you need to simplify your work and save more time, you need to have a clear outline to guide you throughout the writing process. If you lack a good plan, you are likely to include irrelevant points in your paper for the sake of filling up space. In the end, you will get low grades for inadequate content generation.

• Avoid starting with the introduction

The introduction of any paper plays a significant role in the whole document. The ideas you put in the introduction and how you arrange everything determines what your professor thinks about the entire paper. To stay on the safe side, start writing the evidence and other sections to finish with the introduction. The idea is to have a precise picture of what your work is all about then you write it as an introduction.

• Be keen with the thesis statement

If you ask your professors or other students who have successfully written research papers, they will tell you that the thesis statement carries a lot of weight. When generating the information, ensure it reflects the main subject. It is a summary of what your whole paper is all about.

• Writing

You can begin writing your paper at this point. Start by polishing up the thesis statement by removing unnecessary phrases. Again, as you write, ensure you follow the instructions. Do not write anything blindly. If you aren’t sure about a particular concept, confirm with your professor.

• Revise your work

Never submit your work without proofreading it. Your teacher doesn’t have to note simple grammar mistakes and typos for you—avoid such issues by proofreading and editing your work before submitting it.

The five-page paper is the final draft of detailed research on a given topic. The main challenge lies between researching the content and organizing the work in a good flow. Again, you need to be creative enough to include relevant ideas that match the topic requirements.

When you get the assignment, you need to schedule an appropriate time for each task that you need to accomplish. The process involves three phases, which include pre-writing, writing, then post-writing. Every step has its requirements and a procedure to follow.

• Pre-Writing Tips

This stage involves getting all the ideas together before you start writing your paper. You need to allocate the time required to accomplish each task. If you want to succeed, stay disciplined. Avoid issues with procrastination.

At this stage, you will brainstorm ideas, including thinking widely on the topic and embracing creative thinking. You need to brainstorm enough at this point so that you save more time when writing the actual content. When brainstorming, you can walk or sit in a calm and relaxed environment and think about the topic. Think of questions such as the following:

1. What is the need for writing on the subject?
2. Are there any challenges related to the topic?
3. What is the best approach to the challenges?
4. Is the topic quite common?
5. Where will I get adequate resources?

Also, you need to create an outline at the pre-writing stage. The plan is a simplified guideline that directs you on all the points you need to include in your research paper. It saves you time and concentrate on writing instead of thinking of ideas. Do not limit yourself. An outline isn’t the final work. You can change it as you want.

• Writing

The main activity lies in the writing stage. You need to use your outline adequately when creating the content. Arrange all your points in order, starting with the strongest. Also, remember to put all the requirements of the lecturer in place. You can get the content from the library or online platforms. You need to ensure your content matches the topic. While researching, write down the resources you use so that you can re-read them later when you need verification. Again, it is not a must you use all the resources you get. If you realize some information isn’t relevant to the main subject, you can do it away.

Note: When researching from online platforms, search for verified sources that have accurate information. If you do not get something, ask your professor for further assistance. When writing the real paper, ensure the following:

1. The title should be relevant to the subject matter
2. The intro must have the thesis statement
3. The body needs to have several paragraphs, each explaining a different point.
4. Conclude by stressing your thesis statement and include your findings in a summary form.

• Post Writing Tips

This is the final stage when writing your paper. You have everything in order, but you can’t submit the work yet. You need to re-read your work and check for possible errors and typos. Do not give the professor a hard time trying to understand different points in your paper.

Ensure the paper matches the instructions, such as the font type & size, line spacing options, and citation style. You must deliver what the professor asked you to.