{"id":432251,"date":"2018-10-03T19:16:21","date_gmt":"2018-10-03T19:16:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/essaypaper.org\/how-to-write-a-conclusion-for-a-research-paper-full-guide\/"},"modified":"2018-10-24T08:42:03","modified_gmt":"2018-10-24T08:42:03","slug":"how-to-write-a-conclusion-for-a-research-paper-full-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.benedictsol.com\/blogs\/how-to-write-a-conclusion-for-a-research-paper-full-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write a Conclusion for a Research Paper: Full Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A performance artist named Brother Nut hit the streets of Beijing with a vacuum cleaner. In 100 days, he vacuumed enough smoke to make an actual brick from it. No wonder most people in Beijing wear face masks.<\/em><\/p>\n

You wouldn’t want that kind of pollution in your city, would you? Such are the consequences of idleness.<\/p>\n

At its best, a research paper conclusion goes beyond summarizing the essay. The reader must feel guilty for not taking action yet. You never know if the next Elon Musk is in your audience.<\/p>\n

With this article, you\u2019ll learn how to end a research paper and inspire action.<\/p>\n

First, we\u2019ll go over some general rules before presenting a step-by-step guide. All the valuable rhetorical tips are near the end, so be sure to stick around!<\/p>\n\n

Table Of Contents<\/p>\n\n

Basic Research Paper Conclusion Requirements<\/h2>\n

Conclusions and introductions both have hooks. However, by the conclusion, your reader is informed and part of the conversation.<\/p>\n

\"Basic<\/p>\n

There\u2019s little point in re-stating information the reader already knows<\/mark>. To write an effective conclusion, you must not only make your essay \u2018come full circle,\u2019 but remind the reader of the goals of your essay<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are three general guidelines to stick to:<\/mark><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Re-state the purpose of your essay but keep it brief<\/strong>! You want to show how your essay supports or contradicts other studies in the field. Have you made any unique contributions to the subject matter?<\/li>\n
  2. Synthesize your arguments<\/strong>. Show the reader how your arguments work together to support the goals of your essay. Explain your decisions. Why did you choose these specific sources to support your argument?<\/li>\n
  3. Look to the future<\/strong>. There are always plenty of essays discussing your subject. Has your work opened the doors for future research and development in the field? Highlight any needs for improvement and show that you\u2019re passionate about the subject. Future research may depend on it!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Nail these three basic points, and you\u2019re golden! They will make your conclusion more than just a mini-version of your essay.<\/p>\n

    \n

    Related Article: How to start a research paper<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

    How to Conclude a Research Paper: A Step-by-Step Guide<\/h2>\n

    Theory aside, let\u2019s get into the technical aspects. Remember that you can work on these steps in any order.<\/p>\n

    \"step-by-step<\/p>\n

    Feel like you got the point already? You can skip down to the tips section. There, we go over some useful rhetorical devices to help convince your reader to take action.<\/p>\n

    1st Sentence: Restate the Topic and Why You Chose It<\/h3>\n

    The reader can always see your essay title. So why restate your topic?<\/p>\n

    Here are a few reasons why a catchy entrance will make your conclusion memorable:<\/p>\n

      \n
    • Freshen Up<\/strong>. After processing a ton of information, it would be nice to return to simplicity. Remind the reader what the initial idea was, and the goals of your essay.<\/li>\n
    • Bring the journey full circle<\/strong>. You know how every Christopher Nolan film you ask yourself, \u201cWhat\u2019s going on?\u201d and in the end, you\u2019re like \u201caaaaah! I get it!\u201d Same effect.<\/li>\n
    • Stating a recurring sentence\/quote related to your topic<\/strong>. If your essay is based on a phrase like MLK\u2019s \u201cI have a dream\u201d speech, the phrase takes on a different meaning on each body paragraph. Start your conclusion with that phrase.<\/li>\n
    • Keep it to a one-sentence hook<\/strong>. Make a catchy entrance to the finale. Back to bullet point one: freshen up your audience with a hook to alleviate the tension of information overload.<\/li>\n
    • Topic and Thesis are not the same things<\/strong>. Do not confuse it with restating a thesis. We\u2019ll get to that in a sec.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      2nd Sentence: Restate Thesis<\/h3>\n

      Next step is to remind the reader of your main point; your primary argument; your thesis.<\/p>\n

        \n
      • Re-wording your thesis is bad advice<\/strong>. Most people get the impression that restating the thesis is like finding a synonym on Thesaurus. It\u2019s not.<\/li>\n
      • Think of it like reminding the audience of your argument<\/strong>. Here\u2019s an example:
        \u201cMy research paper aimed to prove that alcohol should truly be considered as dangerous as most illegal drugs. However, in the process, I learned that the true evil is not booze, it\u2019s miseducation.\u201d<\/li>\n
      • Did you know you\u2019re allowed to quote yourself<\/strong>? It\u2019s your research paper after all. Just say \u201cI\u2019d like to quote my thesis in light of the information presented in my paper.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        There are as many opinions as there are people. In the end, the research paper belongs to you. Hard truth: you must find your own way to get your point across.<\/p>\n

        3rd-4th Sentence: Summarize Main Points of Body Paragraphs<\/h3>\n

        The next thing to do is to summarize all the main points of your essay (body paragraphs). Tell \u2018em what you told \u2018em.<\/p>\n

        Here\u2019s the checklist:<\/mark><\/p>\n

          \n
        • The cheat-trick here is to gather all the topic sentences of each body paragraph.<\/li>\n
        • Go through these topic sentences without saying them.<\/li>\n
        • DO NOT include supporting details and source references.<\/li>\n
        • In fact, any fresh insights on your subject are a big no-no in the conclusion. Just stick to re-writing what you already wrote.<\/li>\n
        • No, please do not LITERALLY re-write topic sentences. Refer to the \u201crewrite Thesis\u201d example in the section above.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
          \n

          Say what you said. Avoid new information. Pretty simple stuff.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

          The next two steps are flexible concerning when they should appear and their length.<\/mark><\/p>\n

          Flexible: Answer the \u201cSo What\u201d Question<\/h3>\n

          So you\u2019ve done the research, you\u2019ve written the paper and proved that Batman isn\u2019t real.<\/p>\n

          So what?<\/strong> Does it mean that we can go out and commit crimes without fear of caped crusaders swooping down to fight us?<\/p>\n

          Of course not! We are the ones responsible for keeping the world a safe place for our children. That\u2019s the whole point: Batman can be anyone.<\/p>\n

          When you\u2019re done writing a research paper, you must always ask yourself \u201cso what?\u201d<\/strong> This question is the ethos of why conclusions are essential. The reader must always receive the answer to this question from you.<\/p>\n

          Otherwise, you\u2019re just killing the Batman.<\/p>\n

          Flexible: Call Reader to Take Action!<\/h3>\n

          So now you know that global warming is real. Whatcha gonna do about it?<\/p>\n

          If your research paper tackles a theme like global warming, a call to action is much needed. Global warming is not something we can\u2019t individually work towards fixing. For example, recycling plastic is a great start.<\/p>\n

          Calling to action is not necessary for EVERY research paper. It should be limited to papers dealing with political, social, or environmental issues. If you\u2019re criticizing a bad film, you\u2019re not trying to tell people, \u201cDON\u2019T SEE IT\u201d (insert Simpsons \u201cPhoney\u201d meme.)<\/p>\n

          How To Make a Conclusion Effective Rhetorically<\/h2>\n

          Important to remember: effective conclusions are about synthesis rather than summary.<\/p>\n

          \"How<\/p>\n

          Synthesize, don\u2019t summarize.<\/h3>\n

          To summarize means to make a brief statement of the main points. To synthesize means to combine information into a coherent whole. You want to tie the paper together neatly.<\/p>\n

          By synthesizing, you\u2019re basically turning your paper into a complete thought rather than a list of ideas.<\/p>\n

          Make the paper go full circle.<\/h3>\n

          Linking the introduction and the conclusion gives your paper \u201cfullness.\u201d Ever seen a film where a tiny detail in the beginning is reintroduced in the end? Same effect.<\/p>\n

          There are a few technical tricks to making this effect:<\/mark><\/p>\n