can i use it in research paper

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Can You Use First-Person Pronouns (I/we) in a Research Paper?

Research writers frequently wonder whether the first person can be used in academic and scientific writing. In truth, for generations, we’ve been discouraged from using “I” and “we” in academic writing simply due to old habits. That’s right—there’s no reason why you can’t use these words! In fact, the academic community used first-person pronouns until the 1920s, when the third person and passive-voice constructions (that is, “boring” writing) were adopted–prominently expressed, for example, in Strunk and White’s classic writing manual “Elements of Style” first published in 1918, that advised writers to place themselves “in the background” and not draw attention to themselves.

In recent decades, however, changing attitudes about the first person in academic writing has led to a paradigm shift, and we have, however, we’ve shifted back to producing active and engaging prose that incorporates the first person.

Can You Use “I” in a Research Paper?

However, “I” and “we” still have some generally accepted pronoun rules writers should follow. For example, the first person is more likely used in the abstract , Introduction section , Discussion section , and Conclusion section of an academic paper while the third person and passive constructions are found in the Methods section and Results section .

In this article, we discuss when you should avoid personal pronouns and when they may enhance your writing.

It’s Okay to Use First-Person Pronouns to:

• clarify meaning by eliminating passive voice constructions;
• establish authority and credibility (e.g., assert ethos, the Aristotelian rhetorical term referring to the personal character);
• express interest in a subject matter (typically found in rapid correspondence);
• establish personal connections with readers, particularly regarding anecdotal or hypothetical situations (common in philosophy, religion, and similar fields, particularly to explore how certain concepts might impact personal life. Additionally, artistic disciplines may also encourage personal perspectives more than other subjects);
• to emphasize or distinguish your perspective while discussing existing literature; and
• to create a conversational tone (rare in academic writing).

The First Person Should Be Avoided When:

• doing so would remove objectivity and give the impression that results or observations are unique to your perspective;
• you wish to maintain an objective tone that would suggest your study minimized biases as best as possible; and
• expressing your thoughts generally (phrases like “I think” are unnecessary because any statement that isn’t cited should be yours).

Usage Examples

The following examples compare the impact of using and avoiding first-person pronouns.

Example 1 (First Person Preferred):

To understand the effects of global warming on coastal regions,  changes in sea levels, storm surge occurrences and precipitation amounts  were examined .

[Note: When a long phrase acts as the subject of a passive-voice construction, the sentence becomes difficult to digest. Additionally, since the author(s) conducted the research, it would be clearer to specifically mention them when discussing the focus of a project.]

We examined  changes in sea levels, storm surge occurrences, and precipitation amounts to understand how global warming impacts coastal regions.

[Note: When describing the focus of a research project, authors often replace “we” with phrases such as “this study” or “this paper.” “We,” however, is acceptable in this context, including for scientific disciplines. In fact, papers published the vast majority of scientific journals these days use “we” to establish an active voice.   Be careful when using “this study” or “this paper” with verbs that clearly couldn’t have performed the action.   For example, “we attempt to demonstrate” works, but “the study attempts to demonstrate” does not; the study is not a person.]

Example 2 (First Person Discouraged):

From the various data points  we have received ,  we observed  that higher frequencies of runoffs from heavy rainfall have occurred in coastal regions where temperatures have increased by at least 0.9°C.

[Note: Introducing personal pronouns when discussing results raises questions regarding the reproducibility of a study. However, mathematics fields generally tolerate phrases such as “in X example, we see…”]

Coastal regions  with temperature increases averaging more than 0.9°C  experienced  higher frequencies of runoffs from heavy rainfall.

[Note: We removed the passive voice and maintained objectivity and assertiveness by specifically identifying the cause-and-effect elements as the actor and recipient of the main action verb. Additionally, in this version, the results appear independent of any person’s perspective.] 

Example 3 (First Person Preferred):

In contrast to the study by Jones et al. (2001), which suggests that milk consumption is safe for adults, the Miller study (2005) revealed the potential hazards of ingesting milk.  The authors confirm  this latter finding.

[Note: “Authors” in the last sentence above is unclear. Does the term refer to Jones et al., Miller, or the authors of the current paper?]

In contrast to the study by Jones et al. (2001), which suggests that milk consumption is safe for adults, the Miller study (2005) revealed the potential hazards of ingesting milk.  We confirm  this latter finding.

[Note: By using “we,” this sentence clarifies the actor and emphasizes the significance of the recent findings reported in this paper. Indeed, “I” and “we” are acceptable in most scientific fields to compare an author’s works with other researchers’ publications. The APA encourages using personal pronouns for this context. The social sciences broaden this scope to allow discussion of personal perspectives, irrespective of comparisons to other literature.]

Other Tips about Using Personal Pronouns

• Avoid starting a sentence with personal pronouns. The beginning of a sentence is a noticeable position that draws readers’ attention. Thus, using personal pronouns as the first one or two words of a sentence will draw unnecessary attention to them (unless, of course, that was your intent).
• Be careful how you define “we.” It should only refer to the authors and never the audience unless your intention is to write a conversational piece rather than a scholarly document! After all, the readers were not involved in analyzing or formulating the conclusions presented in your paper (although, we note that the point of your paper is to persuade readers to reach the same conclusions you did). While this is not a hard-and-fast rule, if you do want to use “we” to refer to a larger class of people, clearly define the term “we” in the sentence. For example, “As researchers, we frequently question…”
• First-person writing is becoming more acceptable under Modern English usage standards; however, the second-person pronoun “you” is still generally unacceptable because it is too casual for academic writing.
• Take all of the above notes with a grain of salt. That is,  double-check your institution or target journal’s author guidelines .  Some organizations may prohibit the use of personal pronouns.
• As an extra tip, before submission, you should always read through the most recent issues of a journal to get a better sense of the editors’ preferred writing styles and conventions.

Wordvice Resources

For more general advice on how to use active and passive voice in research papers, on how to paraphrase , or for a list of useful phrases for academic writing , head over to the Wordvice Academic Resources pages . And for more professional proofreading services , visit our Academic Editing and P aper Editing Services pages.

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• Writing Tips

Can You Use I or We in a Research Paper?

4-minute read

• 11th July 2023

Writing in the first person, or using I and we pronouns, has traditionally been frowned upon in academic writing . But despite this long-standing norm, writing in the first person isn’t actually prohibited. In fact, it’s becoming more acceptable – even in research papers.

 If you’re wondering whether you can use I (or we ) in your research paper, you should check with your institution first and foremost. Many schools have rules regarding first-person use. If it’s up to you, though, we still recommend some guidelines. Check out our tips below!

When Is It Most Acceptable to Write in the First Person?

Certain sections of your paper are more conducive to writing in the first person. Typically, the first person makes sense in the abstract, introduction, discussion, and conclusion sections. You should still limit your use of I and we , though, or your essay may start to sound like a personal narrative .

 Using first-person pronouns is most useful and acceptable in the following circumstances.

When doing so removes the passive voice and adds flow

Sometimes, writers have to bend over backward just to avoid using the first person, often producing clunky sentences and a lot of passive voice constructions. The first person can remedy this. For example: 

Both sentences are fine, but the second one flows better and is easier to read.

When doing so differentiates between your research and other literature

When discussing literature from other researchers and authors, you might be comparing it with your own findings or hypotheses . Using the first person can help clarify that you are engaging in such a comparison. For example: 

 In the first sentence, using “the author” to avoid the first person creates ambiguity. The second sentence prevents misinterpretation.

When doing so allows you to express your interest in the subject

In some instances, you may need to provide background for why you’re researching your topic. This information may include your personal interest in or experience with the subject, both of which are easier to express using first-person pronouns. For example:

Expressing personal experiences and viewpoints isn’t always a good idea in research papers. When it’s appropriate to do so, though, just make sure you don’t overuse the first person.

When to Avoid Writing in the First Person

It’s usually a good idea to stick to the third person in the methods and results sections of your research paper. Additionally, be careful not to use the first person when:

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●  It makes your findings seem like personal observations rather than factual results.

●  It removes objectivity and implies that the writing may be biased .

●  It appears in phrases such as I think or I believe , which can weaken your writing.

Keeping Your Writing Formal and Objective

Using the first person while maintaining a formal tone can be tricky, but keeping a few tips in mind can help you strike a balance. The important thing is to make sure the tone isn’t too conversational.

 To achieve this, avoid referring to the readers, such as with the second-person you . Use we and us only when referring to yourself and the other authors/researchers involved in the paper, not the audience.

It’s becoming more acceptable in the academic world to use first-person pronouns such as we and I in research papers. But make sure you check with your instructor or institution first because they may have strict rules regarding this practice.

 If you do decide to use the first person, make sure you do so effectively by following the tips we’ve laid out in this guide. And once you’ve written a draft, send us a copy! Our expert proofreaders and editors will be happy to check your grammar, spelling, word choice, references, tone, and more. Submit a 500-word sample today!

Is it ever acceptable to use I or we in a research paper?

In some instances, using first-person pronouns can help you to establish credibility, add clarity, and make the writing easier to read.

How can I avoid using I in my writing?

Writing in the passive voice can help you to avoid using the first person.

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Is it recommended to use "we" in research papers?

Is it recommended to use "we" in research papers? If not, should I always use passive voice?

• writing-style
• passive-voice

• Related: Style Question: Use of “we” vs. “I” vs. passive voice in a dissertation –  herisson Commented Dec 3, 2016 at 16:12
• 1 It's over a decade late, but I've seen multiple answers and comments here suggest use of subjects like "I" and "this researcher", so I feel obligated to point out that for papers going under double-blind peer review, use of such singular subjects can significantly bias the reviewer by tipping them off to the fact that there is only one author. This is effectively a form of de-anonymization, and it would make sense for some publishers to consider this a bad thing. In such a case, "we" might be preferred over "I"... but you should definitely check with the publisher to be sure. –  Alexander Guyer Commented Feb 15, 2022 at 5:57

3 Answers 3

We is used in papers with multiple authors. Even in papers having only one author/researcher, we is used to draw the reader into the discussion at hand. Moreover, there are several ways to avoid using the passive voice in the absence of we . On the one hand, there are many instances where the passive voice cannot be avoided, while, on the other, we can also be overused to the point of irritation. Variety is indeed the spice of a well written scientific paper, but the bottom line is to convey the information as succinctly as possible.

• 1 Thanks, Jimi. So you suggest that using "we" not a really bad thing as long as not overusing it, right? –  evergreen Commented Mar 2, 2011 at 23:46
• @evergreen: Definitely. Take a look at the best papers out there; we is used liberally. It really cannot be avoided, especially in experimental research writing. –  Jimi Oke Commented Mar 2, 2011 at 23:48
• 5 Since this is an English site, I feel obliged to point out that “at the end of the day” and “the bottom line is” are almost synonym, and anyway close enough in meaning to clash horribly when put next to each other. Furthermore, you simply can’t follow “the bottom line is” with “on the other hand”. That contradicts the whole meaning of “bottom line”. –  Konrad Rudolph Commented Mar 3, 2011 at 8:34
• @Konrad: Great points you make here. I don't necessarily agree with your final sentences, but I guess I went for too much color, resulting in an overkill of idiomatic phrases. But this is not a well-written scientific paper :) And I guess it also shows that too much spice is usually not a good thing! –  Jimi Oke Commented Mar 4, 2011 at 1:13
• There is alleged to be a research paper, by a single author, who wrote: "We with to thank our wife for her understanding..." –  GEdgar Commented Nov 14, 2011 at 15:22

APA (The American Psychology Association) has the following to say about the use of "we" (p. 69-70).

To avoid ambiguity, use a personal pronoun rather than the third person when describing steps taken in your experiment. Correct: "We reviewed the literature." Incorrect: "The authors reviewed the literature." [...] For clarity, restrict your use of "we" to refer only to yourself and your coauthors (use "I" if you are the sole author of the paper). Broader uses of "we" may leave your readers wondering to whom you are referring; instead, substitute an appropriate noun or clarity your usage: Correct: "Researchers usually classify birdsong on the basis of frequency and temporal structure of the elements. Incorrect: "We usually classify birdsong on the basis of frequency and temporal structure of the elements" Some alternatives to "we" to consider are "people", "humans", "researchers", "psychologists", "nurses", and so on. "We" is an appropriate and useful referent: Correct: "As behaviorists, we tend to dispute... Incorrect: "We tend to dispute..."

It's definitely OK to use "we" in research papers. I edit them professionally and see it used frequently.

However, many papers with multiple authors use such constructions as "the investigators," or "the researchers." In practice, there really aren't that many occasions when the authors of a scientific paper need to refer to themselves as agents. It happens, sure. But not that often.

Rather, the Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusion sections should speak for themselves. Any reference to the authors should be minimal as except in rare cases they are not germane to the findings.

• 1 “It’s definitely OK” … well, if it’s merely OK, then what are the alternatives? Using the passive voice extensively sounds stilted and sometimes a pronoun simply cannot be involved. So is “I” OK when writing as a single author? In my experience, this is a complete no-go for various reasons. –  Konrad Rudolph Commented Mar 3, 2011 at 8:37
• 5 As noted above, instead of "I," constructions such as "this researcher" are normal. "We" is a pronoun used when one author is writing on behalf of a team or group, but usually "the researchers" or the passive voice is used. It also depends on both the field and the journal in question. –  The Raven Commented Mar 3, 2011 at 12:19

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged pronouns writing-style passive-voice or ask your own question .

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Quoting and integrating sources into your paper

In any study of a subject, people engage in a “conversation” of sorts, where they read or listen to others’ ideas, consider them with their own viewpoints, and then develop their own stance. It is important in this “conversation” to acknowledge when we use someone else’s words or ideas. If we didn’t come up with it ourselves, we need to tell our readers who did come up with it.

It is important to draw on the work of experts to formulate your own ideas. Quoting and paraphrasing the work of authors engaged in writing about your topic adds expert support to your argument and thesis statement. You are contributing to a scholarly conversation with scholars who are experts on your topic with your writing. This is the difference between a scholarly research paper and any other paper: you must include your own voice in your analysis and ideas alongside scholars or experts.

All your sources must relate to your thesis, or central argument, whether they are in agreement or not. It is a good idea to address all sides of the argument or thesis to make your stance stronger. There are two main ways to incorporate sources into your research paper.

Quoting is when you use the exact words from a source. You will need to put quotation marks around the words that are not your own and cite where they came from. For example:

“It wasn’t really a tune, but from the first note the beast’s eyes began to droop . . . Slowly the dog’s growls ceased – it tottered on its paws and fell to its knees, then it slumped to the ground, fast asleep” (Rowling 275).

Follow these guidelines when opting to cite a passage:

• Choose to quote passages that seem especially well phrased or are unique to the author or subject matter.
• Be selective in your quotations. Avoid over-quoting. You also don’t have to quote an entire passage. Use ellipses (. . .) to indicate omitted words. Check with your professor for their ideal length of quotations – some professors place word limits on how much of a sentence or paragraph you should quote.
• Before or after quoting a passage, include an explanation in which you interpret the significance of the quote for the reader. Avoid “hanging quotes” that have no context or introduction. It is better to err on the side of your reader not understanding your point until you spell it out for them, rather than assume readers will follow your thought process exactly.
• If you are having trouble paraphrasing (putting something into your own words), that may be a sign that you should quote it.
• Shorter quotes are generally incorporated into the flow of a sentence while longer quotes may be set off in “blocks.” Check your citation handbook for quoting guidelines.

Paraphrasing is when you state the ideas from another source in your own words . Even when you use your own words, if the ideas or facts came from another source, you need to cite where they came from. Quotation marks are not used. For example:

With the simple music of the flute, Harry lulled the dog to sleep (Rowling 275).

Follow these guidelines when opting to paraphrase a passage:

• Don’t take a passage and change a word here or there. You must write out the idea in your own words. Simply changing a few words from the original source or restating the information exactly using different words is considered plagiarism .
• Read the passage, reflect upon it, and restate it in a way that is meaningful to you within the context of your paper . You are using this to back up a point you are making, so your paraphrased content should be tailored to that point specifically.
• After reading the passage that you want to paraphrase, look away from it, and imagine explaining the main point to another person.
• After paraphrasing the passage, go back and compare it to the original. Are there any phrases that have come directly from the original source? If so, you should rephrase it or put the original in quotation marks. If you cannot state an idea in your own words, you should use the direct quotation.

A summary is similar to paraphrasing, but used in cases where you are trying to give an overview of many ideas. As in paraphrasing, quotation marks are not used, but a citation is still necessary. For example:

Through a combination of skill and their invisibility cloak, Harry, Ron, and Hermione slipped through Hogwarts to the dog’s room and down through the trapdoor within (Rowling 271-77).

Important guidelines

When integrating a source into your paper, remember to use these three important components:

• Introductory phrase to the source material : mention the author, date, or any other relevant information when introducing a quote or paraphrase.
• Source material : a direct quote, paraphrase, or summary with proper citation.
• Analysis of source material : your response, interpretations, or arguments regarding the source material should introduce or follow it. When incorporating source material into your paper, relate your source and analysis back to your original thesis.

Ideally, papers will contain a good balance of direct quotations, paraphrasing and your own thoughts. Too much reliance on quotations and paraphrasing can make it seem like you are only using the work of others and have no original thoughts on the topic.

Always properly cite an author’s original idea, whether you have directly quoted or paraphrased it. If you have questions about how to cite properly in your chosen citation style, browse these citation guides . You can also review our guide to understanding plagiarism .

University Writing Center

The University of Nevada, Reno Writing Center provides helpful guidance on quoting and paraphrasing and explains how to make sure your paraphrasing does not veer into plagiarism. If you have any questions about quoting or paraphrasing, or need help at any point in the writing process, schedule an appointment with the Writing Center.

Works Cited

Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.  A.A. Levine Books, 1998.

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13.1 Formatting a Research Paper

Learning objectives.

• Identify the major components of a research paper written using American Psychological Association (APA) style.
• Apply general APA style and formatting conventions in a research paper.

In this chapter, you will learn how to use APA style , the documentation and formatting style followed by the American Psychological Association, as well as MLA style , from the Modern Language Association. There are a few major formatting styles used in academic texts, including AMA, Chicago, and Turabian:

• AMA (American Medical Association) for medicine, health, and biological sciences
• APA (American Psychological Association) for education, psychology, and the social sciences
• Chicago—a common style used in everyday publications like magazines, newspapers, and books
• MLA (Modern Language Association) for English, literature, arts, and humanities
• Turabian—another common style designed for its universal application across all subjects and disciplines

While all the formatting and citation styles have their own use and applications, in this chapter we focus our attention on the two styles you are most likely to use in your academic studies: APA and MLA.

If you find that the rules of proper source documentation are difficult to keep straight, you are not alone. Writing a good research paper is, in and of itself, a major intellectual challenge. Having to follow detailed citation and formatting guidelines as well may seem like just one more task to add to an already-too-long list of requirements.

Following these guidelines, however, serves several important purposes. First, it signals to your readers that your paper should be taken seriously as a student’s contribution to a given academic or professional field; it is the literary equivalent of wearing a tailored suit to a job interview. Second, it shows that you respect other people’s work enough to give them proper credit for it. Finally, it helps your reader find additional materials if he or she wishes to learn more about your topic.

Furthermore, producing a letter-perfect APA-style paper need not be burdensome. Yes, it requires careful attention to detail. However, you can simplify the process if you keep these broad guidelines in mind:

• Work ahead whenever you can. Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” includes tips for keeping track of your sources early in the research process, which will save time later on.
• Get it right the first time. Apply APA guidelines as you write, so you will not have much to correct during the editing stage. Again, putting in a little extra time early on can save time later.
• Use the resources available to you. In addition to the guidelines provided in this chapter, you may wish to consult the APA website at http://www.apa.org or the Purdue University Online Writing lab at http://owl.english.purdue.edu , which regularly updates its online style guidelines.

General Formatting Guidelines

This chapter provides detailed guidelines for using the citation and formatting conventions developed by the American Psychological Association, or APA. Writers in disciplines as diverse as astrophysics, biology, psychology, and education follow APA style. The major components of a paper written in APA style are listed in the following box.

These are the major components of an APA-style paper:

Body, which includes the following:

• Headings and, if necessary, subheadings to organize the content
• In-text citations of research sources
• References page

All these components must be saved in one document, not as separate documents.

The title page of your paper includes the following information:

• Title of the paper
• Author’s name
• Name of the institution with which the author is affiliated
• Header at the top of the page with the paper title (in capital letters) and the page number (If the title is lengthy, you may use a shortened form of it in the header.)

List the first three elements in the order given in the previous list, centered about one third of the way down from the top of the page. Use the headers and footers tool of your word-processing program to add the header, with the title text at the left and the page number in the upper-right corner. Your title page should look like the following example.

The next page of your paper provides an abstract , or brief summary of your findings. An abstract does not need to be provided in every paper, but an abstract should be used in papers that include a hypothesis. A good abstract is concise—about one hundred fifty to two hundred fifty words—and is written in an objective, impersonal style. Your writing voice will not be as apparent here as in the body of your paper. When writing the abstract, take a just-the-facts approach, and summarize your research question and your findings in a few sentences.

In Chapter 12 “Writing a Research Paper” , you read a paper written by a student named Jorge, who researched the effectiveness of low-carbohydrate diets. Read Jorge’s abstract. Note how it sums up the major ideas in his paper without going into excessive detail.

Write an abstract summarizing your paper. Briefly introduce the topic, state your findings, and sum up what conclusions you can draw from your research. Use the word count feature of your word-processing program to make sure your abstract does not exceed one hundred fifty words.

Depending on your field of study, you may sometimes write research papers that present extensive primary research, such as your own experiment or survey. In your abstract, summarize your research question and your findings, and briefly indicate how your study relates to prior research in the field.

Margins, Pagination, and Headings

APA style requirements also address specific formatting concerns, such as margins, pagination, and heading styles, within the body of the paper. Review the following APA guidelines.

Use these general guidelines to format the paper:

• Set the top, bottom, and side margins of your paper at 1 inch.
• Use double-spaced text throughout your paper.
• Use a standard font, such as Times New Roman or Arial, in a legible size (10- to 12-point).
• Use continuous pagination throughout the paper, including the title page and the references section. Page numbers appear flush right within your header.
• Section headings and subsection headings within the body of your paper use different types of formatting depending on the level of information you are presenting. Additional details from Jorge’s paper are provided.

Begin formatting the final draft of your paper according to APA guidelines. You may work with an existing document or set up a new document if you choose. Include the following:

• Your title page
• The abstract you created in Note 13.8 “Exercise 1”
• Correct headers and page numbers for your title page and abstract

APA style uses section headings to organize information, making it easy for the reader to follow the writer’s train of thought and to know immediately what major topics are covered. Depending on the length and complexity of the paper, its major sections may also be divided into subsections, sub-subsections, and so on. These smaller sections, in turn, use different heading styles to indicate different levels of information. In essence, you are using headings to create a hierarchy of information.

The following heading styles used in APA formatting are listed in order of greatest to least importance:

• Section headings use centered, boldface type. Headings use title case, with important words in the heading capitalized.
• Subsection headings use left-aligned, boldface type. Headings use title case.
• The third level uses left-aligned, indented, boldface type. Headings use a capital letter only for the first word, and they end in a period.
• The fourth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are boldfaced and italicized.
• The fifth level follows the same style used for the previous level, but the headings are italicized and not boldfaced.

Visually, the hierarchy of information is organized as indicated in Table 13.1 “Section Headings” .

Table 13.1 Section Headings

A college research paper may not use all the heading levels shown in Table 13.1 “Section Headings” , but you are likely to encounter them in academic journal articles that use APA style. For a brief paper, you may find that level 1 headings suffice. Longer or more complex papers may need level 2 headings or other lower-level headings to organize information clearly. Use your outline to craft your major section headings and determine whether any subtopics are substantial enough to require additional levels of headings.

Working with the document you developed in Note 13.11 “Exercise 2” , begin setting up the heading structure of the final draft of your research paper according to APA guidelines. Include your title and at least two to three major section headings, and follow the formatting guidelines provided above. If your major sections should be broken into subsections, add those headings as well. Use your outline to help you.

Because Jorge used only level 1 headings, his Exercise 3 would look like the following:

Citation Guidelines

In-text citations.

Throughout the body of your paper, include a citation whenever you quote or paraphrase material from your research sources. As you learned in Chapter 11 “Writing from Research: What Will I Learn?” , the purpose of citations is twofold: to give credit to others for their ideas and to allow your reader to follow up and learn more about the topic if desired. Your in-text citations provide basic information about your source; each source you cite will have a longer entry in the references section that provides more detailed information.

In-text citations must provide the name of the author or authors and the year the source was published. (When a given source does not list an individual author, you may provide the source title or the name of the organization that published the material instead.) When directly quoting a source, it is also required that you include the page number where the quote appears in your citation.

This information may be included within the sentence or in a parenthetical reference at the end of the sentence, as in these examples.

Epstein (2010) points out that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (p. 137).

Here, the writer names the source author when introducing the quote and provides the publication date in parentheses after the author’s name. The page number appears in parentheses after the closing quotation marks and before the period that ends the sentence.

Addiction researchers caution that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (Epstein, 2010, p. 137).

Here, the writer provides a parenthetical citation at the end of the sentence that includes the author’s name, the year of publication, and the page number separated by commas. Again, the parenthetical citation is placed after the closing quotation marks and before the period at the end of the sentence.

As noted in the book Junk Food, Junk Science (Epstein, 2010, p. 137), “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive.”

Here, the writer chose to mention the source title in the sentence (an optional piece of information to include) and followed the title with a parenthetical citation. Note that the parenthetical citation is placed before the comma that signals the end of the introductory phrase.

David Epstein’s book Junk Food, Junk Science (2010) pointed out that “junk food cannot be considered addictive in the same way that we think of psychoactive drugs as addictive” (p. 137).

Another variation is to introduce the author and the source title in your sentence and include the publication date and page number in parentheses within the sentence or at the end of the sentence. As long as you have included the essential information, you can choose the option that works best for that particular sentence and source.

Citing a book with a single author is usually a straightforward task. Of course, your research may require that you cite many other types of sources, such as books or articles with more than one author or sources with no individual author listed. You may also need to cite sources available in both print and online and nonprint sources, such as websites and personal interviews. Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting” , Section 13.2 “Citing and Referencing Techniques” and Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provide extensive guidelines for citing a variety of source types.

Writing at Work

APA is just one of several different styles with its own guidelines for documentation, formatting, and language usage. Depending on your field of interest, you may be exposed to additional styles, such as the following:

• MLA style. Determined by the Modern Languages Association and used for papers in literature, languages, and other disciplines in the humanities.
• Chicago style. Outlined in the Chicago Manual of Style and sometimes used for papers in the humanities and the sciences; many professional organizations use this style for publications as well.
• Associated Press (AP) style. Used by professional journalists.

References List

The brief citations included in the body of your paper correspond to the more detailed citations provided at the end of the paper in the references section. In-text citations provide basic information—the author’s name, the publication date, and the page number if necessary—while the references section provides more extensive bibliographical information. Again, this information allows your reader to follow up on the sources you cited and do additional reading about the topic if desired.

The specific format of entries in the list of references varies slightly for different source types, but the entries generally include the following information:

• The name(s) of the author(s) or institution that wrote the source
• The year of publication and, where applicable, the exact date of publication
• The full title of the source
• For books, the city of publication
• For articles or essays, the name of the periodical or book in which the article or essay appears
• For magazine and journal articles, the volume number, issue number, and pages where the article appears
• For sources on the web, the URL where the source is located

The references page is double spaced and lists entries in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If an entry continues for more than one line, the second line and each subsequent line are indented five spaces. Review the following example. ( Chapter 13 “APA and MLA Documentation and Formatting” , Section 13.3 “Creating a References Section” provides extensive guidelines for formatting reference entries for different types of sources.)

In APA style, book and article titles are formatted in sentence case, not title case. Sentence case means that only the first word is capitalized, along with any proper nouns.

Key Takeaways

• Following proper citation and formatting guidelines helps writers ensure that their work will be taken seriously, give proper credit to other authors for their work, and provide valuable information to readers.
• Working ahead and taking care to cite sources correctly the first time are ways writers can save time during the editing stage of writing a research paper.
• APA papers usually include an abstract that concisely summarizes the paper.
• APA papers use a specific headings structure to provide a clear hierarchy of information.
• In APA papers, in-text citations usually include the name(s) of the author(s) and the year of publication.
• In-text citations correspond to entries in the references section, which provide detailed bibliographical information about a source.

Writing for Success Copyright © 2015 by University of Minnesota is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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Using Research and Evidence

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What type of evidence should I use?

There are two types of evidence.

First hand research is research you have conducted yourself such as interviews, experiments, surveys, or personal experience and anecdotes.

Second hand research is research you are getting from various texts that has been supplied and compiled by others such as books, periodicals, and Web sites.

Regardless of what type of sources you use, they must be credible. In other words, your sources must be reliable, accurate, and trustworthy.

How do I know if a source is credible?

You can ask the following questions to determine if a source is credible.

Who is the author? Credible sources are written by authors respected in their fields of study. Responsible, credible authors will cite their sources so that you can check the accuracy of and support for what they've written. (This is also a good way to find more sources for your own research.)

How recent is the source? The choice to seek recent sources depends on your topic. While sources on the American Civil War may be decades old and still contain accurate information, sources on information technologies, or other areas that are experiencing rapid changes, need to be much more current.

What is the author's purpose? When deciding which sources to use, you should take the purpose or point of view of the author into consideration. Is the author presenting a neutral, objective view of a topic? Or is the author advocating one specific view of a topic? Who is funding the research or writing of this source? A source written from a particular point of view may be credible; however, you need to be careful that your sources don't limit your coverage of a topic to one side of a debate.

What type of sources does your audience value? If you are writing for a professional or academic audience, they may value peer-reviewed journals as the most credible sources of information. If you are writing for a group of residents in your hometown, they might be more comfortable with mainstream sources, such as Time or Newsweek . A younger audience may be more accepting of information found on the Internet than an older audience might be.

Be especially careful when evaluating Internet sources! Never use Web sites where an author cannot be determined, unless the site is associated with a reputable institution such as a respected university, a credible media outlet, government program or department, or well-known non-governmental organizations. Beware of using sites like Wikipedia , which are collaboratively developed by users. Because anyone can add or change content, the validity of information on such sites may not meet the standards for academic research.

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• Expectations and practices around research data vary between disciplines and discipline-specific requirements need to be taken into account.
• Enabling effective reuse of research data is a shared aim and all stakeholders should work together to pursue this collectively, to find efficiencies and avoid duplication of effort.
• Platforms, publications, tools and curation services can enhance research data by improving their discoverability, use, reuse, and citation.
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How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Research Paper: Prompts & Ideas 

If you’re a student, you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT. This advanced AI model can handle the task of writing an entire research paper from scratch. Many scholars use the chatbot to create texts with minimum effort. However, most of the time, the results are far from impressive. Plus, students risk getting punished for unethical AI use.

But what if we told you there are ways of using ChatGPT to create excellent papers and save time on the steps that would take ages to do manually?

In this article, our experts will discuss how to use the chatbot to make research writing easier. We will also explain what to avoid and suggest what custom GPTs you may use to make the writing process more efficient.

🔍 Is ChatGPT Good for Research?

• ✍️ Limitations of ChatGPT
• 🎯 How to Use AI to Write a Research Paper
• 🤔 Aspects AI Can’t Help You With
• 🚀 Best Custom GPTs for Research
• 💡 Key Takeaways

🔗 References

In general, it’s possible to use ChatGPT as a research assistant. But the question is, for what end can you use it?

Well, if your aim is not to generate an entire paper but rather to make some of the routine writing steps easier, then using an AI tool can be ethical and permissible.

For instance, you can use ChatGPT to:

• Search for information,
• Rewrite complex ideas,
• Summarize longer texts,
• Develop research questions ,
• Create research paper abstracts,
• Generate sample outlines.

ChatGPT is very effective when it comes to handling such tasks. It’s also absolutely legal to use it for these purposes.

All you need to do is write a very clear prompt . Otherwise, the chatbot might give you an irrelevant answer. We’re going to share the most effective prompts for various research purposes in the following sections.

But first, an important disclaimer:

We’re firmly against AI cheating , and we don’t encourage it in any shape or form. That’s why this guide will talk about legal and honest ways to use AI for research assistance.

✍️ Limitations of Using ChatGPT for Research

If you decide to use the chatbot for your academic work, it’s essential to consider its limitations . This will help you focus on what AI does best and avoid trusting it with things that can ruin your research.

Here are the main limitations you want to consider:

• It’s limited by the datasets . Because ChatGPT is not trained on recent data, it has no knowledge of the most up-to-date information or findings in specific fields.
• It lacks depth . While the chatbot can effectively summarize information, it may fail to fully grasp complex theories and arguments of a research topic.
• It tends to plagiarize . When ChatGPT generates its texts, it rehashes the information from its database. So, even if a text seems original, it contains other people’s ideas.
• It struggles with contextualizing and interpreting data . The chatbot lacks the human ability to analyze and contextualize information critically. It needs guidance through concrete, well-written prompts.
• It can present incorrect answers . Sometimes, the chatbot simply lacks information in a specific research field. This leads to inconsistencies and inaccuracies in the generated content.
• It’s prone to bias . Since ChatGPT is trained on online data that often includes biased and offensive information, it can generate statements expressing bias towards specific ideas or people.
• It’s associated with cheating . Some unethical researches generate entire papers without making any real effort. If students do the same, they will be caught with the help of AI essay checkers and punished for cheating.

Even though it may be tempting, it’s best not to rely on AI too much if you want to conduct good research. You can use some of the chatbot’s functions to make the process easier, but you still have to do most of the work yourself.

🎯 How to Use ChatGPT to Write a Research Paper: Top 11 Ideas

So, do you want to know how to use ChatGPT to write a paper? If you do, look no further!

The following list of tips will explain to you how to:

• Brainstorm topics,
• Create a roadmap,
• Refine your research topic,
• Find gaps in your outline,
• Locate sources,
• Find cases to explore,
• Summarize texts,
• Analyze statistical data,
• Edit as you write,
• Create an abstract,
• Format the references.

We’ve also included examples of the most effective prompts for each research aspect. Feel free to try them out!

1. Brainstorm Topics with ChatGPT

For many students, the most challenging part of research is the beginning. Sometimes, you just don’t know what to focus on. In situations like this, ChatGPT can help you brainstorm ideas and collect information.

Let’s assume you need to write an essay about pop culture and modern art, but you need help figuring out where to start.

The first step would be to create a good prompt for the chatbot. For instance, you can phrase your request like this:

The second step will be to choose one topic from the generated list and ask ChatGPT to tell you more about it.

For instance:

You’ll get a detailed answer on the subject.

Lastly, you can use the most interesting points from the last reply to narrow down your topic even further or to get more ideas for the direction of your paper.

For example:

And now you have fresh, focused topics that you can research.

2. Use AI to Create a Roadmap

Once you’ve chosen a topic, you can use ChatGPT to create a detailed roadmap that will guide your research and help you stay on track.

As we’ve mentioned before, when you work with ChatGPT, a good prompt is the key to getting a relevant answer. This is especially true for generating outlines and roadmaps. The more detailed and clear your prompt is, the better outcome you will get.

Here’s an example of what your request might look like:

The roadmap also included suggestions for a literature review, methodology, case studies, discussion, and other essential research components. You can use all this information to create an outline. To streamline this task, try using our free research paper outline generator .

We also suggest you research the topic before using AI. That way, you’ll have a general understanding of the subject and will be able to judge the quality of the generated roadmap.

3. Refine Your Research Question with AI

Any research needs a central question. Sometimes, it may be hard to collect your thoughts and come up with an interesting issue to focus on. In this case, you can use ChatGPT to assist you.

Here’s how:

• Describe the topic of your paper clearly and concisely.
• Ask the chatbot to suggest several research questions based on your requirements.
• Choose the best one.

Your prompt can look like this:

Tip : We also recommend using our free question generator from text . It will easily turn your research idea into a question without you having to come up with elaborate prompts.

4. Ask ChatGPT to Identify Gaps in Your Outline

Suppose you’re done with the outline and have the research question, but you feel something needs to be added to it. In that case, you can use ChatGPT to identify the gaps in your research plan.

Here’s what the prompt may look like:

5. Use the Chatbot to Find Sources

Once you have completed the preparation stage, it’s time to find suitable sources and start researching.

How can ChatGPT help you with it?

Well, one way is to ask ChatGPT to create a list of references on the subject. However, this is a bad idea since you’ll only get a list of nonexistent sources vaguely related to the central theme of your research.

Instead, we suggest you ask ChatGPT to locate relevant works on separate points from your outline. This will allow you to get a comprehensive overview of diverse aspects related to your topic and not just the central theme itself.

For instance, if the topic of your paper is the semiotics of memes used in modern art, one of the points in your outline can be dedicated to the visual language in memetic social commentary. Suppose this part of your research will be about 3 pages long.

So, you can ask the chatbot the following:

One thing to note is that ChatGPT can’t provide you with internet links, so you’ll have to look for sources on your own. And while you do that, you may also come across interesting articles or get new ideas that you can use to perfect your outline.

Tip : To ensure that your text doesn’t contain any plagiarized fragments from the sources, you may run it through our free plagiarism checker . And if you need additional clarifications regarding the meaning of complicated passages, feel free to use a quote explainer .

6. Find Specific Cases to Explore

Think your research lacks depth? Try adding to it real-life cases or specific historical incidents. They will help you support your statement, better convey your ideas, and add credibility to your paper.

If you want to include an example in your paper but struggle to think of one, you can use ChatGPT to look for a specific event or real-life instance related to your topic.

Here’s what the prompt can look like:

The results also included Brazilian, South Korean, and French memes with explanations. We’d say that’s enough to create a comprehensive overview. Just make sure to fact-check the generated examples and see if they actually exist.

7. Use AI to Summarize Lengthy Sources

If you need to learn the main idea of a lengthy passage quickly, you can use ChatGPT as a summarizer. This can be especially helpful when you’re working on a literature review and need brief descriptions of your sources.

Let’s try it with an article on the semiotics of memes :

When you need a summary, it’s best to provide the chatbot with the whole text by copy-pasting it. It’s important because if you use vague prompts with only the work’s title, the tool will either refer to a nonexistent work or refuse to answer the request:

Tip : In addition to ChatGPT, try using our key points maker . It will present all the necessary information from the text in a convenient list format. And if you need to create an overview of previous research for your paper’s introduction, use our background of the study generator .

8. Analyze Statistical Data with ChatGPT

Now, what should you do if your research includes statistical data? Sometimes, it can be hard to interpret numbers and connections between them. Luckily, ChatGPT can help you analyze and organize it, isolate the most critical pieces of data, and create a comprehensive summary.

To make it work, ensure that your prompt is as detailed as possible. You will also need to include the entire dataset in it.

Here’s an example:

The chatbot can also use inferential statistics methods such as chi-square tests or ANOVA , but that would require large, concrete numbers.

Otherwise, the chatbot will get stuck repeating the same formula:

Another important thing is not to rely on AI entirely when it comes to statistical analysis. The reason is that the chatbot can overlook certain things or give biased results. In some cases, ChatGPT usage for data analysis can lead to p- hacking , which is highly unethical.

What does this mean, exactly?

Well, p-hacking is a way of misusing data to create a statistically significant result when, in fact, it doesn’t exist. This leads to false conclusions and undermines the reliability of the study. For that reason, it’s crucial to analyze the data yourself and carefully double-check the results if you decide to delegate the task to AI.

Still, ChatGPT works effectively when it is necessary to summarize data or conduct a preliminary analysis of the statistical data and make conclusions depending on the study findings.

9. Use the Chatbot to Edit as You Write

While working on your paper, you may want to improve or edit its parts. That’s another aspect where ChatGPT will come in handy.

Here’s what it can do for you:

• Simplify the language . Some people use the tool to make their text more complex and formal, but more often than not, it only makes it unreadable. Simplifying it is a much better option.
• Shorten long or complex sentences . Using short sentences will help you create a more cohesive and reader-friendly paper.
• Substitute certain words with synonyms . This is especially useful when you want to say something complicated in a few words.
• Check your grammar . It’s always a good idea to proofread your paper to make sure everything runs smoothly.

Take a look at this text:

Within the contemporary art landscape, memes are used as agents of cultural discourse, where their inherent capacity for humor and cultural resonance help address the challenges of modern society. Memes fuse visual and textual elements, which allows them transcend traditional artistic mediums, thus offering artists a dynamic platform for critiquing current socio-political events. This combination of digital vernacular and artistic expression not only blurs the boundaries between high and low culture but also reflects the evolving nature of expression in the digital age.

It sounds overcomplicated, but we can improve it with the help of Chat GPT:

Want to know more? Check out our comprehensive guide on using ChatGPT to edit essays .

Tip : We recommend listening to the text of your research paper with our essay reader tool. This will help you effectively notice any inconsistencies, difficult wording, or confusing grammar patterns.

10. Create an Abstract with AI

When you’re done with the bulk of your research and have little time to work on your abstract, ChatGPT can be a real lifesaver.

Copying and pasting the whole paper into the chatbot may not be the best idea since the AI can miss important information and not include it in the abstract. Instead, it’s best to ask the tool to create short summaries for each section of your work.

What you need to do is start a new chat and use the following prompt with each portion of your text:

After that, you simply combine the summaries to create an abstract. You use ChatGPT to help you structure it with this prompt:

Note that the generated abstract contains phrases typical for ChatGPT, like “delves into.” If your professor decides to check such a text for AI, it will most probably be marked as suspicious. That’s why it is not a good idea to submit it as it is. Consider rewriting such an abstract manually or using an AI humanizer to quickly add a human touch.

Tip : Another easy way to create an abstract is to use our free online abstract generator .

11. Use ChatGPT to Format Your References

Creating a list of references is an essential part of any research. It’s also one of its most challenging and time-consuming aspects. After all, each formatting style has numerous specific characteristics that can easily get confused.

ChatGPT can save your time and help avoid unnecessary mistakes while citing the sources. The most important thing is not to ask the AI tool to generate references from scratch.

Instead, we recommend you find all the necessary data for the references yourself. Then, manually input these data into ChatGPT and ask it to create a reference for you. That way, you’ll ensure everything is formatted correctly and avoid citing nonexistent works in your paper.

🤔 Research Aspects AI Can’t Help You With

The list of research aspects ChatGPT can help you with may look very impressive, but don’t let it fool you! There are still plenty of things that shouldn’t be entrusted to AI tools . It’s essential to know about them since ChatGPT can easily make its users overestimate its abilities regarding research, writing, and editing.

Let’s see why you shouldn’t trust AI with the following:

• Experimental design and methodology,
• Moral reasoning,
• In-depth data analysis,
• Comprehensive literature review,
• Peer review and personalized guidance.

Experimental Design & Methodology

ChatGPT can do many things, but it still lacks the nuanced understanding and the expertise to design experiments and choose the correct methodology. The chatbot can suggest some general ideas or set the direction for your research, but you’ll have to work on your own to achieve the most accurate results.

Moral Reasoning

AI tools like ChatGPT lack moral reasoning and ethical judgment. They can write about ethical principles if you ask them to, but they don’t know how to apply these principles in their writing.

When you work on your research, considering small nuances and adhering to guidelines is very important, especially if your paper involves human subjects. For that reason, you have to rely on yourself to navigate ethical issues in your research.

In-Depth Data Analysis

To analyze or interpret the research data, you need to be well-versed in the subject of your study. While AI models work with a vast amount of data, they still lack in-depth information in certain study fields.

ChatGPT can be helpful if you want to analyze a small amount of data, but for more detailed and nuanced conclusions, it’s best to rely on yourself.

Comprehensive Literature Review

You can use ChatGPT to generate small summaries and lay the basis for your literature review. However, to make your research work, you’ll need an in-depth analysis that discusses the source’s relevance, credibility, and importance in the context of your research. This task is something ChatGPT can’t handle.

Peer Review & Personalized Guidance

Collaboration with other researchers in the same field is a chance to improve your knowledge, learn more about different perspectives, and receive valuable feedback. Surely, ChatGPT can check your paper for mistakes and evaluate it, but it can never replace a real peer review.

Remember to refrain from delegating these aspects to AI. This will help you avoid problems and make the most out of your research experience.

🚀 Use ChatGPT for Research Effectively with Custom GPTs

For a more effective AI-assisted writing process, we suggest you use custom models designed for specific research areas. Check out the best GPTs that can serve as your personal assistants.

Note : To use these custom models, you need a subscription to ChatGPT Plus. For $20 a month, you will access the most advanced LLM to date and enjoy many additional functions.

• SciSpace GPT . With this handy tool, you’ll have access to over 200 million academic articles right at your fingertips. SciSpace will give an accurate response to any scientific question and provide digestible summaries of research papers for a deeper study.
• Consensus . You can use this custom GPT to get an evidence-based answer to your question and conduct an in-depth literature search. Besides, Consensus can give you a proper bibliography list in the APA format.
• Scholar GPT . With this AI model, you can research millions of academic sources quickly and efficiently. Feel free to ask it for graphics, charts, and even real-time updates. It will also help you with problem-solving and NLP tasks.
• Research-Paper Analyzer . Want to have access to simplified summaries of complicated research papers? Try this GPT. It instantly extracts the main points of a study to facilitate easy comprehension. It can also analyze the credibility and relevance of a chosen paper.
• Academic Research Reviewer . Working with this GPT is like having a seasoned professor to help you refine your research paper. It will examine the depth of your literature review, underline the strengths and weaknesses of your paper, highlight gaps, and suggest areas for further research.
• PubMed Buddy . This GPT allows you to search for information in PubMed and UnPaywall databases. With PubMed Buddy, you’ll avoid going through countless irrelevant studies and have more time to spend on the more exciting research aspects.
• Chemistry Lab Partner . Get specific help on difficult chemistry questions with this tool. Analyzing data and explaining concepts are not the only functions of Chemistry Lab Partner. It can also assist with your lab work and even enable virtual experiments.
• Graduate Level Physics GPT . Try this custom GPT to make the advanced physics more understandable. It’s a practical tool that breaks complicated topics into brief and digestible explanations. Besides, it assists with physics problems and research.
• Physics Tutor . Do physics concepts seem too complex and intimidating to you? This GPT is here to sort things out. It will give simple and clear explanations understandable to physics students and laypeople who are just curious about how this world works.
• Math Expert . Working with this GPT is like having a helpful math tutor available anytime. It not only gives you a correct solution to any problem or equation but also provides a step-by-step explanation of how to get there.

💡 How to Use ChatGPT for Research: Key Takeaways

ChatGPT is a smart and helpful tool that can help you simplify some of the steps of your research process. You can use it to:

• Look for fresh and exciting topics,
• Create roadmaps,
• Find sources,
• Find real-life examples,
• Create research questions,
• Identify gaps in your outline,
• Analyze statistics,
• Edit your writing,
• Create abstracts,

One thing to remember is that relying on yourself is always a better option. Even though AI can save you lots of time, it still lacks ethical judgment, critical thinking, and expert knowledge in your field. If you decide to use ChatGPT in your research, make sure to double-check everything it produces and never use generated replies in your texts.

We hope you’ve found this article helpful and learned something new. Now, you know how to use ChatgGPT ethically, so you don’t have to worry about being caught. We suggest you check out your school’s guidelines before using the chatbot. Feel free to share your experiences working with AI tools in the comments below!

Want to know more about using ChatGPT in your studies? Check out our in-depth articles with tips on how to generate longer essays and make AI texts undetectable .

• How to Use ChatGPT to Do Research for Papers, Presentations, Studies, and More: ZDNet
• Three Ways to Leverage ChatGPT and Other Generative AI in Research: Times Higher Education
• The Top 10 Limitations of ChatGPT – Forbes
• Top 10 Drawbacks of Using ChatGPT in Academics: Analytics Insight
• The Best Custom GPTs to Make ChatGPT Even More Powerful: Digital Trends
• How to Use ChatGPT for Research and Essays: MakeUseOf
• Increase Your Creativity with ChatGPT – Psychology Today
• How Can I Use ChatGPT in My Research Work?: GitHub
• How to Use ChatGPT as a Research Tool: LinkedIn
• The Best AI Tools to Power Your Academic Research: Euronews
• ChatGPT and Fake Citations: Duke University
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How to Write a Research Paper in APA and MLA Format

Updated 02 Sep 2024

Properly formatting a research paper in APA or MLA style is essential for several reasons. First, it ensures that your work adheres to the academic standards required by your institution, making your paper look professional and credible. For instance, an APA style paper outlines essential components and formatting guidelines, such as the title page, abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and references, which are crucial for a professional and academically compliant presentation. Consistency in formatting helps readers easily navigate through your paper, understand the structure, and locate references.

Additionally, proper formatting demonstrates your attention to detail and respect for scholarly practices, which is crucial in academic writing. Whether using APA’s emphasis on author-date citation or MLA’s focus on page numbers for literary analysis, following the correct format enhances the clarity and authority of your research. Finally, it helps avoid plagiarism by ensuring that all sources are correctly cited, giving proper credit to the original authors and contributing to the integrity of your work. Additionally, it is crucial to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers.

What is APA Formatting?

The APA style is a special format used in academic, business, and research writing for documentation of sources and publishing purposes. A research paper in APA format that you create must be presented in the latest 7th edition unless specified otherwise. Created by the American Psychological Association, hence the abbreviation, the latest manual is what we are going to reference in our APA guidelines to avoid confusion. It means that if your college professor asks for APA 7th edition, you are in the right place!

Published in October 2019, the latest edition of the writing style manual follows most rules that have been published before with a focus on simplification and readiness for publishing purposes. Speaking of research paper writing, the majority of students that use APA style format are majoring in subjects like Psychology, Sociology, Journalism, Education, Anthropology, Law, and Healthcare. Since it's relatively simple compared to Chicago, Harvard, or Turabian, it’s not hard to learn the basic rules as long as you remember the following:

There are in-text citations that you must use to provide a reference to a source mentioned in your text. The information that is required includes the author's name and the date of publication. You should also provide the page number or a section in the newspaper if such data is available.

There is a page called " References " that is placed at the end of your paper after your final conclusion part. This is exactly where you provide information (references) that list all of your sources that have been implemented in your research paper.

When to Cite a Source in APA Format?

This question often comes up. The answer is quite simple: when you need to summarize some data, paraphrase information you discover, or quote something from another source. These citations may include it all from books in print, scientific journals, online books, articles in a newspaper, reports, surveys, statistical data, and so on. When you use a reference, the APA 7th style format requires mentioning the name of the author and the year of publication that will look this way for a single author:

(Jones, 2005)

It means that you are dealing with an author with the last name Jones and something that has been published in 2005. Alternatively, your in-text citation can look this way:

Another important notion has been explained by the concept of mutual co-existence. According to Jones (2005), who believed that authoritarian leaders can exist in peace and mutual respect, we can conclude that...

What is the APA References Page?

We are certain that you have seen at least one references page before as you were looking through the final part of a research article online. The References page must list all of your sources alphabetically and may include up to 20 entries for a middle-sized research assignment. A typical APA example coming from a research journal looks this way:

Berry, B., Stipe, J. M., Wahlberg, R., and Zeldman, A. S. (2021). Social Interactions in Georgia State: A an overview of American South. Journal of Social Psychology , 34, 123-136.

As you can see, we have listed the authors alphabetically and mentioned the year of publication that is followed by the name of the scientific article. The name of the journal is given in italics to specify the importance of the source. It is followed by the journal’s volume and the number of pages that have been referenced.

Note: Remember that far not all sources and references that you may encounter are suitable for a research paper. EduBirdie experts recommend talking to your course instructor first and checking things twice regarding additional requirements and formatting. Our guide will provide you with the basic instructions on how to set things up to help your research paper meet the formatting standards.

APA Page Layout Disclaimer

Before you learn how to write a research paper in APA format by turning to various sections of our guide, it must be mentioned that using a Word processor or Google Docs as your writing source, it is essential to create a special page layout and the relevant headers that will be mentioned in our APA guide. While you can find online templates in APA format, these are not always accurate, which is why you must check things twice by focusing on fonts, headers, margins, indents, and other important aspects!

Writing a Research Paper in APA Style Format: General Requirements

1. Page Layout Rules

We'll start with the page layout that must be there all the time as this part of the APA 7th edition remains the same for all papers that you may encounter as a college student. Here is what you must do as you learn how to format a research paper:

Creating a document in MS Word or any other word processor of your choice, set your page margins to 1 inch on all sides of the page.

Your text must be double-spaced, including APA headings.

The APA 7th edition uses indents of the first line in every paragraph by 0.5 inches. Just press your TAB key once.

The recommended fonts for APA style format include Times New Roman (12 pt.), Arial (11 pt.), or Georgia (11 pt.). In certain cases, other fonts may be used, yet do so only after consulting your academic advisor.

Page numbers are included on every page of your document in the top right corner unless specified otherwise.

2 . Page Headers in APA 7th Edition

According to the manual, you must set your page header correctly. Every APA format research paper must provide headings that are written in upper case. Setting up your header, you must:

Click on the "Insert" tab in the MS Word toolbar.

Choose Header & Footer tab, click on Header and Blank.

The first (title) page of your APA research paper must include the left margin positioning where you type: MY RESEARCH PAPER TITLE. Of course, it's only an example and must be replaced by your actual title.

Tab once or twice to the right margin now.

Close your Header & Footer tab.

3. Page Numbering

Speaking of page numbering, use the default feature in MS Word or any other software to do so automatically. The page numbers must be placed in the top right corner and be present on all pages, including your references page. The title page in APA 7th edition should start from page number 1.

4. APA Title Page

Your title page in APA must start with the title of your paper, the name of the student or authors of the research project, and the institutional affiliation. All the lines must be centered and start in the middle of the title page. In addition to that, you must include your course number, instructor's name, and the due date of your research paper. It will look this way: 

The General Electrics Sample Title Page: 

Following the Engineering Principles of Electrical Circuit 

Department of Engineering, Georgia State University

ENGN 222: Electrical Engineering

Dr. Michael John Stipe

October 11, 2008

5. Table of Contents

A table of contents is only necessary if you are writing a thesis paper or working on a dissertation. This section must be placed between your abstract part and the introduction. Use the same font and size as the rest of your content. The text starts at the top of your page with the word "Contents". Every entry must be centered and in bold font. 

The outline in APA format follows the same rules and can be delivered as a separate document in most cases. The page margins remain the same with the page numbering starting from page one. The structure of a page (usually one page only) should include an introduction that mentions the main background points and your thesis, the main body with the elements that support your research thesis statement, and a short conclusion that makes your final take on things or your position clear.

Note : There are no headers or anything specific for an outline. You may copy the main paper's header by adding the word "OUTLINE". 

7. Abstract

Your abstract must appear on a separate page after your research paper's title page. It means that it should be numbered as page 2. Write "Abstract" in bold title case and center it at the top of your page. The abstract itself comes as the next paragraph with the 0.5 inches indent. The length of your abstract should be no longer than 250 words. You may write it down in a single paragraph or use a different kind of structure.

As you write, focus on the requirements that you want to achieve scientifically, consider your target audience as you explain your methodology and the problem that you are planning to explore. Describe your results and provide a brief conclusion to your work exactly as it would be done in a book’s review.

8. Body Parts

It does not matter if you are working on an essay or a complex research paper, APA style format does not mention any specific rules that must be used. Therefore, you should refer to your paper type. The majority of research papers should include an introduction with the list of research objectives (see research paper introduction example ), three to five body paragraphs that explain and support your arguments, and the conclusion part where you sum things up.

The body parts should start with the most important argument that speaks of your thesis and provides analytical information.

The second paragraph of the body in the APA research paper should implement statistical data, which is also considered as a reference. This is where you can use citations and refer to certain publications. Such an approach will help you to avoid plagiarism risks.

The last paragraph should provide alternative opinions and provide counter-arguments where additional citations, graphics, and multimedia sources can be added.

9. Conclusion

The APA manual mentions that your conclusion part should not use any citation elements in the final section and avoid introducing any new ideas. Keep this fact in mind and make sure that you leave suggestions and an overall review of your research paper.

Note: If you have any additional information that you refer to in your previous paragraphs, certain recommendations can be added as a research paper appendix section after your references page, yet always ask your academic advisor to ensure that it is applicable.

10. References Page

Start your References page by placing the word "References" at the top of the document’s layout. It must be centered and placed one inch down. Do not use capitalization, bold fonts, or italics.

All of your citations (references) must be double spaced and should have no additional lines in between.

If your reference goes past the first line, create a hanging indent by using tabulation.

Your references in APA 7th edition style are placed in alphabetical order.

If your reference does not start with the author, these are placed at the start of your paper, according to ABC.

The Writing Guides to Follow in APA 7th Citation Style

Basic citation rules in apa.

Let us imagine a situation when you need to cite a book in print for your research paper in APA style format. It will require the following information:

Author or authors of the book. The surname is always followed by the person’s initials.

The Year of publication of the book comes next in round brackets.

The book title is always placed in italics. Only the first letter of the first word in titles should be capitalized.

Edition (if available) also comes in round brackets. If the book represents the first edition, this part is not necessary.

DOI. It is necessary to include it (if available) for both online and print versions.

The second line of your citation in a References page must be indented per about 5 spaces.

For example:

Fisher, J.V. (2006). Teenage Violence: How do video games affect the modern youth? . Penguin Books.

For a journal article citation, provide the following information:

Author or authors of the article. The surname is always followed by the person’s initials.

The year of publication of the journal comes next in round brackets.

Journal title must be in italics.

Provide volume of journal (in italics).

Add an issue number of a journal in round brackets (no italics are necessary here).

Page range of article (if available).

Provide DOI or URL

Braxton, T. (2005). Asian Cuisine: A study of health benefits. Modern Health Care, 11(4), 34-36. https://doi.org/

Abbreviations

The rule of abbreviations in a research paper states that there should be at least three times when a certain abbreviation is used. If your abbreviation is only met once, it’s necessary to provide a complete spelling of your phrase each time you implement it for your assignment. When using APA style for research purposes, the use of abbreviation within headings is not necessary. Remember to provide a full term the first time you use an abbreviation by adding the abbreviated form in parentheses. APA 7th edition manual states that these must be used only when they help to provide a better kind of communication with your target audience.

The Use of Numbers & Punctuation

Turning to the latest APA style format manual, we can learn that one must use numerals to express numbers going from ten and above as numbers (12, 34, 721, and so on). When you have to use numbers up to ten, these are written in words such as "three positions", "two authors", "seven Chinese brothers", etc.

The rules also state that one must use commas between certain groups of three digits as you work with the figures. For example:

As over 2,000 people have participated in a meeting... 

Speaking of punctuation rules, the use of commas, periods, question marks, and exclamation cases must be put inside your quote marks. As for the rest of the punctuation marks, they go beyond your quotation.

Note: When you are planning to use a direct quote that is more than forty words, the block quotations are used with the indent.

Graphics & Multimedia in APA

Looking through the modern research paper APA format example, you will notice that there are frequent multimedia examples with the use of graphics. The use of graphics is permissible. Further research could explore the impact of multimedia on the readability of research papers.

If you are planning to use artwork from a museum in an online form, it looks this way:

Artist Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Title of the artwork [Format]. Location. URL

If there is a stock image:

Author. (Year). Title of image [format]. Website. URL

An image with no author or date would be resolved to this:

[Subject and type of work]. (n.d.). Your image’s URL.

Tips On How to Write a Research Paper in APA Format

Composing APA style research paper correctly, you must understand that such type of writing is not the same thing as the term paper or a simple essay that you do for college. It's not the same as a reflection paper either. You must provide research findings. It means that you should provide your writer's voice but do so in a limited way by focusing on methodology and an explanation of what you discover. Depending on your requirements and the grading rubric, you may have to provide 2-3 citations per page of your research as a way to support your arguments and reference at least one important publication that is dealing with your subject.

As you compose your research paper in the APA style format, make sure that you follow these simple academic writing tips:

Research tone must be present. It means that your research paper should not use the first person unless asked to. The general APA writing style manual recommends using "This study has been conducted by" phrases instead.

It’s recommended to avoid any personal information where you describe your experience. Don’t make the paper sound like a personal statement piece of writing. Your research assignment must synthesize various publications by comparing, contrasting, and finding similarities as you write.

APA 7th style manual asks to use the past tense, which means that you should say that your research paper has shown instead of using " shows ". There may be certain exceptions if you are turning to a certain timeline.

The use of contractions must be limited. It means that you should say " It does not result in " instead of " it doesn't result in ".

Your writing should stay honest and clear without specific bias. Your purpose is to research things without racial, sexual, religious, or gender discrimination.

The use of sources must be implemented correctly without turning your paper into a collection of sources.

Following these simple rules, you will be able to stay within the basic guidelines and follow the rules of APA-style writing. As always, there may be exceptions to every rule, which is why you must talk to your instructor in case of any doubts. Your college or university will always have a final say.

APA Style Format Bias-Free Language Matters

Writing a paper in APA format, one must remember the rules of bias-free language that are also mentioned in the APA 7th manual for research writing. The purpose is to use gender-neutral pronouns and strive for the avoidance of prejudicial beliefs or specific demeaning aspects that may appear as a negative attitude in your research writing. Therefore, when dealing with a sensitive subject, proofread your text twice and talk to your academic advisor before submitting your work. It will help us all create sincere and bias-free research works that follow the rules of mutual respect, multiculturalism, and democracy.

What is MLA Formatting? 

MLA stands for Modern Language Association and is currently in its 9th edition , which has been published in 2021. In simple terms, MLA style formatting is a special system of referencing and structuring research papers. The main purpose is to cite sources correctly and keep your research writing always accurate. By learning how to write a research paper in MLA format, you will be able to submit your college homework according to specified rules and will avoid confusion. You will also learn how to format and structure the list of bibliography references for a research or essay paper by using the Works Cited page. It is another essential aspect of MLA style format. It is also essential to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers.

MLA style format aims to help your college professor and the target audience to navigate through your paper by turning to various in-text citations with an opportunity to see where information has been taken. Since MLA has specific standards, your academic advisor will check whether you have followed the rules and used the same format, font sizes, headers, and other aspects that make research writing universal.

What is MLA format then? The MLA style is mostly used by college students majoring in English, Literature, social sciences, arts, and humanities. One can assume that MLA style format is one of the most accessible writing standards, which is why it is often required during an introductory course where students learn how to structure their papers and keep information properly referenced.

When you are looking for reliable sources online, it will be easy to recognize the use of MLA format because of the famous MLA header that is always included on the first page where you must mention your full name, instructor’s name, your course, and the date. It is also necessary to use page formatting with your last name on each page, which also helps to determine that an MLA format has been used. We shall discuss this aspect further on as you proceed with our guide.

MLA Research Paper Format: General Guidelines 

If you are already familiar with at least one other academic writing format, you will already know the basics and it will be easier for you to process the information in MLA style. The majority of formats of research paper writing stand for the general rules on how to structure your page layout and a list of rules regarding correct citation. The most important is to start with the MLA header, which will look this way:

Adam Greeley

Professor Smith

Humanities 7311

14 May 2022

This header is always placed at the top left corner of the first page (no title page is required in most cases!) with the page number and your name aligned to the top right of the page. It will look this way:

The other rules on how to write a MLA research paper include:

The recommended fonts include Times New Roman, Arial, or Verdana in 12 pt size.

All the margins of the page in MS Word or a similar processor should be set at 1 inch.

The main content is double-spaced unless specified otherwise.

The MLA header is included only on the first page of your research paper.

The title of your work must be centered.

Every new research paper paragraph should have a hanging indent.

The MLA style uses the author-page citation pattern where you should list the author’s last name with the page number.

The Bibliography page has the “Works Cited” title at the top and center of the first page with your citations.

The sources are listed alphabetically.

Do not place a period after the title or headers.

Do not underline words unless it’s necessary.

Additionally, it is crucial to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers.

It is recommended to use the rules of inclusive language, according to the latest manual edition of the MLA style. It means that you must avoid certain terms that focus on ethnic peculiarities, religion, gender, disability, age, or social challenges unless it is absolutely necessary. You can also use words like “human-made” to specify gender-neutral aspects.

MLA Research Paper Structure: Essential Parts

One of the most important parts of writing a research paper successfully is following the correct structure that is specified by the chosen writing style. Here are the MLA research paper format parts that you should consider:

Furthermore, it is essential to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers.

It should have your university's name on top of the page, then the title of your research paper at the center of the page, and at the bottom of the page: your name, course name, professor's name, and the paper's due date (all centered).

Section Headings

The main heading should include your name, instructor's name, relevant class information, and the paper's delivery date.

The other MLA page headings:

First Level Heading.

Your text 

Second Level Heading.

Third Level Heading 

Fourth Level Heading

Fifth Level Heading 

Research Paper Outline

Title of the page (centered)

1. Introduction

Talk about the importance of your subject. 

An interesting topic sentence.

2. Thesis Statement

3. Body Paragraphs

Methodology. 

Research Justification. 

Research Findings.

4. Research Discussion

5. Conclusion

Thesis explanation. 

Introduction & Thesis

Talk about the importance of your research and use a strong thesis statement. Research paper MLA style guidebook recommends allocating about 10% of your final word count to this part.

This is where you must use in-text citations to support your arguments. Always introduce the subject that you want to explore, make a claim, and use citing only then to make it suitable.

In-text Citations

The classic in-text citation will look this way:

According to Darren Smith, “certain peculiarities have been noticed in Shakespeare’s perception of time and death” (9).

The majority of references to youth and the fragility help to understand how age has been limited by social circumstances (Smith 11).

Works Cited Page.

If you already know how to format your Bibliography, it is essential to look for complete information and provide as much as you can. If you are citing from a poetry book or an analysis paper that has been published:

Last Name, First Name of the author. “Title of your research paper.” Title of Collection , edited by Editor’s Name(s), Publisher, Year, page range of the data you have used.

Research paper MLA style Works Cited page example:

Stanley, Lace. “Shakespeare’s Psychology.” The Collected Classic English Poems, edited by John Langsley, Penguin Books, 2006, p.26. Only the first letter of the first word of both the chapter title and the book title should be capitalized.

Citing something from Jstor scientific database:

Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title.” Title of Scientific Journal , vol. Volume, no. Issue, Month Year of publication, pp. Pages, https://doi.org/DOI , or any relevant identifier.

Enciso, Patricia, et al. “Children’s Literature: Standing in the Shadow of Adults.” Reading Research Quarterly , vol. 45, no. 2, 2010, pp. 252–63. JSTOR , http://www.jstor.org/stable/20697185 . Accessed 20 Jun. 2022.

Regardless of whether you are using MLA format or would like to learn how to use different styles, your research paper should have an introduction, a review of the literature that you have used, the methodology that has been chosen, the results of your research, and a discussion of the findings, or you can simply pay someone to write my paper. You may also be limited by an introduction with a thesis statement, body parts with the arguments, and the conclusion part where you talk about the findings. It will always depend on your subject and research paper type.

Research Paper in MLA Format Writing Tips

Contrary to the popular belief, research paper writing in MLA format is not too difficult if you know the basic rules. If you plan to learn how to write a research paper in APA format, you will feel even more confident because you will be able to differentiate the styles. As a way to help you with your research writing, we have collected these simple MLA formatting for research paper tips:

Always start with the sources and check for Bibliography pages that may be included.

Use only verified sources and look for databases like Google Scholar, Jstor, PubMed, etc.

Always introduce your subject and talk about its importance.

Do not overuse citations in your research paper.

Correct Research Paper Formatting Helps to Avoid Plagiarism

Numerous college students often ask about the purpose of correct research formatting, be it MLA, APA, Chicago, or any other format. Formatting a research paper in MLA and APA formats can be time-consuming and intricate, leading many students to seek professionals who write essays for money to ensure their papers meet all formatting guidelines and academic standards. In addition to structuring things according to academic standards, the most important aspect of staying accurate as you research is to provide correct structure and citations if you use any external sources. It will help you to prepare your writing for publishing purposes and let you avoid plagiarism issues. It is the main purpose of correct research paper formatting. Moreover, it is essential to format references correctly to ensure that all sources are properly cited and easily accessible to readers. This guide contains the main rules that provide a checklist that will help you stay safe and follow all the essential rules.

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Written by Steven Robinson

Steven Robinson is an academic writing expert with a degree in English literature. His expertise, patient approach, and support empower students to express ideas clearly. On EduBirdie's blog, he provides valuable writing guides on essays, research papers, and other intriguing topics. Enjoys chess in free time.

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Reading Science: Navigating Scientific Articles

The organization of a scientific article.

Primary research articles are typically organized into sections: introduction, materials and methods, results, and discussion (called IMRD).

Identify key elements

You may need to read an article several times in order to gain an understanding of it, but you can start by identifying key elements in a quick survey before you read.

Can you find?

• What was the purpose of the study? (in the introduction)
• Was the hypothesis supported? (in the discussion)
• What can you learn from the figures? Do you see trends? (in the results)
• How might the results be used in the future? What comes next? (in the discussion/conclusion)
• What were the limitations of the study? (in the discussion/conclusion)
• How was the experiment conducted? (in the materials and methods)
• How does this study build on previous research? (in the introduction)

Examples of key elements in a scientific paper

Files and links

• Scientific articles with Learning Lens annotations
• NPR: Her incredible sense of smell is helping scientists find new ways to diagnose disease
• Discovery of volatile biomarkers of Parkinson’s disease from sebum
• Worksheet Activity

Contact me.

• Last Updated: Sep 3, 2024 2:22 PM
• URL: https://guides.lib.uiowa.edu/ReadingScience

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Is it fine to use link shorteners for research paper citations?

I'm curious about the "properness" of using shortened links (a la bit.ly or tinyurl ) in research papers. I haven't been able to find any sort of definitive reference about whether or not this is accepted or frowned upon.

I found a blot post by a professor at Texas A&M who stated he was going to use shortened links in an upcoming paper.

I'm working on a paper that won't be published or anything, but it's got a lot of online references that make footnotes horridly ugly, and so I'm taking the opportunity to ask about this.

If it varies based on publishing area/type (scientific, editorial, etc.), that would be great to know as well.

Edit : Since it's coming up in answers... this is a hobby project in which I'm trying to mathematically describe a multi-level marketing scheme. It seems some think it would be frustrating to see a shortened link, perhaps because the actual link would reveal some helpful information when reading a paper.

But what if it's simply a pdf that I was able to find, it's official, but it's not hosted an an "official site" anymore? For example, consider the following:

Lindeen, Monica J., Commissioner of Securities and Insurance and Montana State Auditor (2010). Case No.: SEC-2010-12. Retrieved 30 July 2011 from http://www.starnewsonline.com/assets/pdf/WM21622123.pdf . Lindeen, Monica J., Commissioner of Securities and Insurance and Montana State Auditor (2010). Case No.: SEC-2010-12. Retrieved 30 July 2011 from http://bit.ly/pBrheo .

Is there a huge difference here? I originally found the link from the actual Montana government site, but it's no longer there, perhaps since the cease and desist order was resolved... now it happens to be downloadable from a "star news online" site. It's the same official document, and downloading the pdf would make that clear.

What would seeing "starnewsonline" in the url reveal that's important for the paper?

Lastly, that edit was an aside. It's helpful to know opinions, but the actual question is still more about official acceptance or practice in the real world.

• academic-writing

• 5 It's really unpractical when long url takes whole footnote area like it's a paragraph or something. It would be nice to have shorten urls so it doesn't consume half the page. –  user5156 Commented May 10, 2013 at 11:35
• 3 Since the document is not meant to be publish, and will be avaiable online, why not use full URLs with a title or something shorter to hide it? Every text editor will allow such resources and as soon as the reader clicks the link it will be taken to the right page. –  Psicofrenia Commented May 10, 2013 at 12:24
• 1 @jenjen on the other hand, the reader wants some hint about where the reference is (peer-reviewed journal vs cheezburger.com). –  Monica Cellio Commented Oct 30, 2013 at 13:20
• 1 I've just reviewed a work which cited urls in full, followed by a tiny version - much easier to type if using a print source, and gets round the problem of being able to assess credibility. –  Leon Conrad Commented Mar 12, 2014 at 15:14
• 1 Related question on Academia: Is it advisable to use a URL link shortening service when writing an academic article? –  Ooker Commented Jul 30, 2016 at 9:51

6 Answers 6

The issue here is that you are referencing a written piece of work, and the URL is likely to be integral to that reference.

While the shortened URL does direct you to the location of the work you are citing, the shortened URL is (with few exceptions) not the source of that reference. At best, the shortened URL points you in the direction of the work in question, much like an index card in a library points you to a particular book.

I would therefore say using a link shortener should be avoided as part of a list of citations or references, unless you provide both the shortened URL, and the original URL (but providing the original makes the shortened URL redundant). I understand the "neatness" you are referring to, but neatness is, in my opinion, secondary to the goal of clarity of information.

One exception I could think of would be URL shortners that are used by the actual website you're referencing. For example, the New York Times uses its own, as does You Tube, and many others. In that case, you could probably argue that it's a legitimate link to the source.

One small point to make about URL shortners: their longevity is probably even less than actual URLs and can lead to "linkrot". Imagine you used bit.ly or another service for all your references in all your work, and then one day they close down as a company. I certainly would not rely on them except for things like Twitter, where immediacy of information and brevity is a necessity, and you generally don't worry about how long that link will work.

• Thanks for the answer. A few questions: 1) can you expand on "the URL is likely to be integral to that reference?" If the shortener gets you there, or expands to the full URL when put in a browser, what's "integral" about the full one? 2) Can you cite anything to back the claim that the shortened URL has a lower longevity than the long one? Check tinyurl or bit.ly's policies ( example -- they claim to be working to make sure rot doesn't occur. Good point re. appearance, though -- my motivations may, indeed, be silly. –  Hendy Commented Aug 1, 2011 at 1:42
• @Hendy - "integral to the reference" is probably badly worded on my part, but what I meant was that the specific URL where the content resides is as important as, say, the page number, book title, or author. While the shortened version gets you there, the shortened version contains no important information itself, whereas the actual URL does. For example, you can infer authority from the real URL (e.g. a New York Times article that is on the New York Times website), plus you can see the actual destination you will go to. –  Craig Sefton Commented Aug 1, 2011 at 7:17
• 2 @Hendy - with regards to linkrot, there is a well documented case where an entire service went down, namely tr.im. And while it's nice that bit.ly and tinyurl have policies in place claiming to make sure linkrot won't take place, the fact is they are businesses, and businesses need to make money. If they need to reduce costs, those policies can quickly change. It is far from certain whether these are sustainable business models, as the tr.im experience showed. Wikipedia has a brief summary of what happened . –  Craig Sefton Commented Aug 1, 2011 at 7:25
• 2 +10 (if I could) for the only correct answer . A reference list lists references , not links. If you cite an online source you must give the URL of the source itself. The URL in the reference list does not have the purpose of clicking on it to browse to that document, but to identify it. Also, in case the document gets deleted, the original URL contains valuable information. You can paste it into archive.org and maybe still see the source. And you can deduce who published it, sometimes when it was published, etc., important information that is often missing from the document itself. –  user5645 Commented Mar 11, 2014 at 20:43
• 1 We should note that the question only pertains to sources that are not peer-reviewed, quotable academic publications, because academic online publications already have a short link of the type dx.doi.org/identifier . So the only sources that need "Available online at ..." are potentially short-lived which makes giving the original URL even more important (while you never give it for a peer-reviewed publication but provide the DOI instead). –  user5645 Commented Mar 11, 2014 at 20:50

You can do both. Use the tiny URL as footnote and provide an appendix/bibliography with the long URLs. Also an accompanying website could list all URLs used in the paper.

Tiny URLs have the problem that they disguise usable information for the reader. They do not see immediately if you cite Wikipedia or MIT. This is of course not the case if you mention the source in your text each time.

The Canadian site Slaw has a discussion about this topic. But no solution as far as I see.

• 6 Agreed. The first thing I'd want to see in a URL citation is what site it's from, and shortened URLs just don't do that. –  Standback Commented Jul 30, 2011 at 18:13
• I don't see any significant disadvantage in using the full URL. I agree that hiding the details of the URL is frustrating. I guess a shortened URL allows easier typing of the link, but even that seems a trivial reason. –  Richard A Commented Jul 31, 2011 at 12:15
• 1 It makes it not only easier to not only type the link, but it also makes it possible to do analytics on who is using your citations. While URL shortening has become very popular with the raise of social media, Microsoft and other trade magazines have been doing similar things in their print and online publications for years. –  Joel Shea Commented Jul 31, 2011 at 13:54
• @Standback: for you and others, see my edit on why I don't think this applies in all cases. –  Hendy Commented Jul 31, 2011 at 15:54

Your example confuses the issue just a bit. There is a difference between print documents that are available online, and online articles. In the former case you don't need to give a link at all, and when you do, you are doing it simply to make the document more accessible. In this case you can use any link shortener that you like. The url is irrelevant to the publication and is just a host.

In the latter case you need to give the exact url. This applies to blogs, online newspaper articles, online only journals, and so on. It makes a difference insofar as you obscure the "publisher" by removing the original url. Yes, your reader can still get there by clicking the link, but this is not usually the point of foot-/end-notes. I, as you reader, don't want to click through every single note; but if I see a citation from a website that I know I don't trust, I can now check out that information more thoroughly.

I'm wrestling with this issue right now. It is annoying to see a long, long URL, but equally annoying to see meaningless short URLs (beginning 'bit.ly,' which I mistakenly took to be malware sites at first). Since Bitly now allows customized short URLs, how about this as a citation: "Official Records, Series 1, Vol. 41, Part 3, 423. Google eBooks [shortened URL] http://bit.ly/OfficialRecords-I-43-3-Eli-Long .

The short URL indicates the source, and replaces this monstrosity: https://books.google.com/books?id=xcVZAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA423&lpg=PA423&dq=col.+eli+long+and+waterhouse%27s+house&source=bl&ots=ZrL5PI1rYe&sig=46cfvONeV8KIjIJmGFeLMgLH6DY&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwix9JGPt5nOAhVM5yYKHRjyDRAQ6AEIJzAC#v=onepage&q=col.%20eli%20long%20and%20waterhouse 's%20house&f=false .

The long URL produced a broken link anyway, because Google used the (') character. Some eBooks have even longer URLs, so I need this common-sense solution. For my current project, this is my decision to make, but for a formal thesis or publication, would it be acceptable? Chicago Style allows a good bit of leeway. MLA Style is less flexible.

• There is absolutely no reason to cite a book by its Google Books URL. In fact, I'd say there's plenty of reason not to do that, not least of which being that there's no guarantee that Google, or Google Books, will be around in a decade or two. (This, as it happens, is also part of the reason why link-only answers are usually shunned on Stack Exchange. Sure, SE can disappear too, but as long as content on SE remains online, understandability of posts on SE shouldn't depend on yet other resources.) Rather, just cite it like you would a physical book, and let the reader find it if they want to! –  user Commented Apr 18, 2018 at 18:46

I am not in academia, but I would actually be annoyed to see a shortened URL as a footnote. You aren't writing it by hand; as far as I know there aren't maximum printed page requirements; if it's being posted online there are no physical maximum lengths; you aren't paying for anything by the character — why would you go out of your way to hide a source?

• I would guess it's to make it easy for people who want to read the reference to type in the URL, which may be rather long. But I agree, that seems annoying. –  Standback Commented Jul 31, 2011 at 14:06
• I'm anal and hate how longer-ish links look as footnotes; that's all. Why assume I'm trying to "hide" a source? Also, it's not like the link is the only thing there. Typical internet citations include an author, title, publication date, and date retrieved, so I guess I don't see the link as a huge deal. Other than checking for .gov, .org or some other extension... what information do you imagine gleaning from a link? Many times it's just to a pdf anyway, so where it's hosted won't tell you a darn thing. The author and title are the nuggets to convey; the link just gets them the doc. –  Hendy Commented Jul 31, 2011 at 15:45
• See edit for clarification on my thoughts and an example. –  Hendy Commented Jul 31, 2011 at 15:53
• 2 Even if it's a PDF and the source has no other information to offer, the very fact that you're using a link shortener would make me wonder what the longer link is: is it from a politically questionable source? A woo metaphysics organization? What red flag is the alias hiding? For me, personally, it would be distracting. Why would you want to distract your reader? If you're concerned about how it looks, put all the footnotes at the end of the piece instead of at the bottom of the page, and your reader can look at them or not. –  Lauren-Clear-Monica-Ipsum Commented Jul 31, 2011 at 20:07
• 1 @Lauren: absolutely. I guess in this particular instance, it's been difficult to find "good" URLs for a lot of things. There are PDFs found wherever, some presentations that used to be on an official site that they've replaced and now I'm pulling from places like slideshare and vimeo... just not the situation I'd like, but as it is, the content matters more in my particular case than any inherent reputation of the link. In the example you cited, I absolutely get it -- if I clicked on a shortened link to a place like that, I'd feel betrayed and hoodwinked! –  Hendy Commented Aug 2, 2011 at 1:01

URLs which span several lines and contain special symbols simply require a short link. Example:

http://research.iarc.uaf.edu/presentations/NICOP/NICOP-DVD-ftp-files/NICOP-files-1023am-6_20/02nd%20International%20Conference%20on%20Permafrost%20-%20North%20American%20Contribution%20-%20Washington%20DC%201973.pdf

In such a case, do not worry and use a (well-known/reliable) link shortener. Tinyurl.com has the advantage, that http://preview.tinyurl.com/ ... leads to a preview site where the user can see the url the link is leading to and then decide whether to proceed to that location or whether not to visit it. Example for the url given above:

http://preview.tinyurl.com/NICOP1973NA

When you are using a DOI which is too long, you can use a http://shortdoi.org/ . While its target is not obvious (is a DOI obvious at all?), it is still a DOI, thus some respectability can be assumed by the reader.

• 2 Note that in this example, the URL: http://www.onepetro.org/mslib/servlet/onepetropreview?id=SPWLA-1974-J would be sufficient - a lot of the provided URL is extraneous, providing metadata about the origin of the request. Usually , URLs needn't be anywhere near as long as that (particularly URLs you can count on as stable enough to be mentioned in publication). –  Standback Commented Oct 30, 2013 at 10:28
• And in response to your flag: I didn't manage to find a formatting that worked either; I think it forces a line-break somehow. I'll see what I can drum up in this regard. (But in any case, the URL here is just an example, and doesn't actually need to be clickable...) –  Standback Commented Oct 30, 2013 at 10:38

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Can I use someone else's research commercially?

I found a published research paper from the research arm of a company. I would like to use what is presented in the research paper commercially. The materials presented in the research paper do not seem to be patented.

Is this legal? Does the originating company own the intellectual property, or is it now "public domain" due to the research paper being published without a patent? Does this happen quite often? What is the proper etiquette in this situation, should I just leave an attribution to the researcher?

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• 2 The text itself is definitely copyrighted, but the underlying invention can only be protected by a patent. Which part are you interested in using? –  user14156 Commented Apr 15, 2014 at 21:23
• 1 The answer by Nicholas is good. Best approach may be to ask the authors if they patented it and if not would they mind saying why (e.g. they found prior patents.) Better to know in advance what their reaction is going to be than after you have invested time and money. They may even help you. –  Philip Gibbs Commented Apr 17, 2014 at 9:58

If the subject material in the research paper is a patentable invention, it might also be the subject material of a patent.

The inventors of an invention may be the first applicants of a patent application. However, if they were employees, employed to invent as part of their normal duties for their employer, the employer is usually considered the first applicant for a patent application.

The rights in a patent or a patent application may be assigned to another person.

So: if there is a patent for an invention relating to the subject material of the research paper, it might be owned by someone other than the company from where the research paper originated. How did you check whether a patent or patent application exists for this subject matter?

Bear in mind that patent applications are made publicly accessible a certain time after the application for a patent is made. So, an applicant may have filed a patent application for the subject material of the research paper, and then published the research paper. The patent application - if extant - may not be publicly available yet . What this means is, if you put into practice the subject material of an unpublished patent application, you may in future receive notification of the patent application, and be advised to cease your operations. If the patent is granted, and you haven't ceased your working of the subject material, you might be liable for damages.

Bear in mind again, that there might be other patents - or patent applications - which relate to the subject material of the research paper. For some degree of certainty, you will need to do a patent search. You can do this yourself, but you have to bear in mind the warnings I gave above in relation to unpublished applications.

There are patent search firms who will do this service for you for a fee.

For a professional legal opinion, ask a patent attorney.

EDIT: If there are intellectual property rights to the subject material of the research paper, you can ask the proprietor of the rights for a licence.

• There are time limits on patents from the time of publication. So if this paper was published in the last year (or even two+), there might still be patents pending. I thought you had to file within one year of any public announcement of the work. (but there are different kinds of filing) Agree on double checking with an attorney. –  DrLivingston Commented Apr 16, 2014 at 2:51
• 3 @DrLivingston: Just a reminder that the grace period for claiming an invention after first disclosure is available in the US, most notably. It is not the case for most other countries, where any information made available to the public regarding the invention could prevent a valid application being made for a patent to that invention in that juristiction. –  Nicholas Commented Apr 16, 2014 at 3:03
• Good point. I guess I was just trying to say, if this paper is ~10 years old, and you don't see a patent you are probably good. I didn't know that wasn't more universal. It makes more sense than the US way though I suppose. –  DrLivingston Commented Apr 16, 2014 at 3:05
• 2 @DrLivingston: Yes, what you've said is generally true, however the OP should be aware that the only way to get a good handle on the intellectual property surrounding the subject matter of the research paper, is to conduct a patent search. And even then, such a search can be inconclusive. If there is nothing out there in the 10 years following a publication, then yes, you may feel that you are free to operate. A patent attorney is the only person that should know of all the pitfalls. –  Nicholas Commented Apr 16, 2014 at 3:19
• You made an excellent point about patent research. You still haven't answered the question though. Assuming there's no patent, how do you go about using the research of a published paper. Do you need the consent of the author? Or maybe you just need to acknowledge them, regardless of their consent? Or maybe not even that, and any published study can be used with no limits in commercial applications. Of course you would ideally want to involve the author, but sometimes this is not feasible for various reasons. –  Andrei Commented Mar 1, 2018 at 10:30

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Process parameter optimization of submerged arc welding on mild steel AISI 1020 using an artificial neural network trained with multi-objective Jaya algorithm

• ORIGINAL ARTICLE
• Published: 07 September 2024

Cite this article

• Yilikal Azene Zelalem 1 &
• Assefa Asmare Tsegaw 2  

Submerged arc welding (SAW), renowned for its high deposition rate and superior weld quality, is the go-to method for joining thick metals in heavy structures. However, industry beams and columns welded with SAW can exhibit detrimental defects like undercut, porosity, and burn-through, significantly impacting weld properties. This study addresses this challenge by presenting a multi-objective optimization approach for SAW parameters on AISI 1020 mild steel. Aiming to optimize tensile strength, hardness, and bead width, the study employs Taguchi’s design of experiments and couples the multi-objective Jaya algorithm with an artificial neural network (ANN). This synergistic combination yielded optimal process parameters: 417 A welding current, 20.7 mm electrode stick-out, 33.7 V voltage, and 505.8 mm/min transverse speed. These settings translated into exceptional weld characteristics, with ultimate tensile strength reaching 427 MPa, hardness of 73.9 HRB, and bead width of 14.29 mm. Confirmation tests further validated these findings, demonstrating minimal error and solidifying the effectiveness of the optimization approach. This research paves the way for enhanced weld quality and process control in heavy structural applications.

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The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author upon reasonable request via his email address ([email protected]).

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Yilikal Azene Zelalem

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Zelalem, Y.A., Tsegaw, A.A. Process parameter optimization of submerged arc welding on mild steel AISI 1020 using an artificial neural network trained with multi-objective Jaya algorithm. Int J Adv Manuf Technol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-024-14323-y

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• Develop a methodology
• Create an outline
• Find sources
• Summarize and paraphrase text
• Provide feedback

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Table of contents

Brainstorming research questions, developing a methodology, creating an outline, finding sources, summarizing or paraphrasing text, receiving feedback, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions.

You can use ChatGPT to help formulate research questions , brainstorm potential thesis statements , or narrow down a broad subject area to a specific topic that interests you.

However, make sure that the outputs make sense and meet the requirements of your assignment. You can adapt these outputs manually, or use further prompts to ensure they meet your needs. For more information, see our tips for creating effective ChatGPT prompts .

• Generate three possible research questions for a research paper on the following topic: “The role of virtual reality in enhancing training and skill development in various industries.”
• “What are the cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality-based training compared to traditional training methods across different industries?”
• “How does the level of immersion in virtual reality training impact knowledge retention and skill transfer in fields such as medicine, aviation, and manufacturing?”
• “What are the key factors that influence the successful integration and adoption of virtual reality technology for training purposes in diverse industries, and what challenges hinder its widespread implementation?”

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Your paper should clearly indicate the data collection and analysis methods you used in your research.

You can use ChatGPT to help decide what kind of research you will conduct (e.g., qualitative or quantitative ), how you will analyze the data, and how you will mitigate potential research bias .

Bear in mind that you should be able to rationalize your chosen methodology . For example, you should ensure that it is either a standard methodology in the field or can be justified.

• Suggest three quantitative research methods appropriate to the following question: “What are the cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality-based training compared to traditional training methods in the field of healthcare?”
• Experimental Study: Conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) where healthcare professionals are randomly assigned to either a virtual reality-based training group or a traditional training group. Both groups would receive training in specific healthcare tasks, and their cognitive and skill development outcomes would be measured and compared. Performance metrics, such as accuracy, speed, and efficiency, could be quantitatively assessed to determine the benefits of virtual reality-based training over traditional methods.
• Survey Research: Design a comprehensive survey targeting healthcare professionals who have undergone both virtual reality-based training and traditional training. The survey could include Likert-scale questions and structured response options to gauge their perceived cognitive and skill development benefits from each training method. Additionally, open-ended questions could be included to gather qualitative insights on specific strengths and weaknesses of each training approach.
• Task Performance Analysis: Implement a task-based assessment that simulates real-life healthcare scenarios, where participants are evaluated on their ability to handle critical situations. Participants would go through both virtual reality-based training and traditional training before being assessed in the simulated scenarios. Their performance in the assessment could be objectively measured using predefined criteria, allowing for a quantitative comparison of skill development between the two training methods.

A clear outline can help structure your paper, organize your arguments effectively, and make your research more efficient.

You can use generative AI tools like ChatGPT to formulate a potential outline to help guide your research. You can be as specific as you like, giving an overview of your research objectives , main arguments, and any evidence you intend to include in your paper.

However, ChatGPT outputs sometimes contain factual inaccuracies. It’s important to check the headings and subheadings suggested in the output and adapt them to meet your needs.

• Create an outline for an academic research paper with the following research question:“What are the cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality-based training compared to traditional training methods in the field of healthcare?”The paper will be about 10 pages long.

A. Theoretical basis for cognitive and skill development in training

B. Application of cognitive theories to virtual reality-based training

C. The role of immersive learning environments in skill acquisition

D. Conceptual framework for the study

IV. Research Methodology

A. Research design and approach (e.g., quasi-experimental, pre-post intervention)

B. Selection of participants and sample size calculation

C. Description of the virtual reality-based training and traditional training programs

D. Instruments and measures for assessing cognitive and skill development

E. Data collection procedures and ethical considerations

V. Data Analysis

A. Overview of statistical methods used for data analysis

B. Treatment of data and data cleaning

C. Quantitative analysis of cognitive and skill development outcomes

D. Presentation of findings with charts and tables

VI. Results

A. Presentation of the results of the cognitive and skill development assessments

B. Comparison of outcomes between virtual reality-based training and traditional training

C. Statistical significance and effect size analysis

D. Interpretation of the results and implications

VII. Discussion

A. Interpretation of findings in the context of the research question

B. Comparison of results with existing literature

C. Explanation of how virtual reality-based training impacts cognitive processes and skill development

D. Limitations of the study and areas for future research

VIII. Practical Implications

A. Practical applications of virtual reality-based training in healthcare settings

B. Recommendations for integrating virtual reality training in healthcare education

C. Benefits of virtual reality for continuous professional development in healthcare

IX. Conclusion

A. Summary of key findings

B. Reiteration of the research question and hypothesis

C. Contributions of the study to the field of healthcare training

D. Concluding remarks

X. References

You can use ChatGPT to help find sources relevant to your research. However, it’s important to be aware of the limitations of ChatGPT (for example, it occasionally cites nonexistent sources).

Instead of asking ChatGPT for specific source recommendations, try asking it for recommendations on the types of sources relevant to your research topic. You can also use it to generate a list of relevant keywords to use in your literature search.

• What types of sources could I use to write a research paper on the following research question?“What are the cognitive and skill development benefits of virtual reality-based training compared to traditional training methods in the field of healthcare?”
• Academic Journals: Peer-reviewed journals are valuable sources of scholarly research. Look for articles in medical education, cognitive psychology, virtual reality applications in healthcare, and technology-enhanced learning.
• Research Studies: Seek out published research studies that specifically investigate the impact of virtual reality-based training on cognitive and skill development in healthcare professionals.
• Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses: These studies provide comprehensive overviews of existing research on a specific topic, making them a valuable source for summarizing and analyzing the overall evidence.
• Books and Book Chapters: Academic books and book chapters authored by experts in the fields of medical education, virtual reality, cognitive science, or instructional design can provide in-depth insights and theoretical foundations.
• Conference Proceedings: Proceedings from relevant conferences and symposiums may present the latest findings and advancements in virtual reality-based training and healthcare education.
• Educational Institution Websites: Universities and medical schools often publish research papers, case studies, and whitepapers related to medical education and virtual reality training.
• Industry Reports: Reports and whitepapers from healthcare organizations or technology companies exploring the benefits of virtual reality-based training in the healthcare sector.
• Government and Non-profit Organizations: Look for reports and publications from government agencies and non-profit organizations that focus on medical education and healthcare training.
• Online Databases: Utilize academic databases such as PubMed, Google Scholar, IEEE Xplore, and ScienceDirect to search for peer-reviewed research articles and conference papers.
• Expert Interviews: If possible, conduct interviews with experts in medical education, cognitive science, and virtual reality to gain valuable insights and perspectives.
• Surveys and Polls: Refer to reputable surveys and polls related to virtual reality-based training in the healthcare industry for additional statistical data.

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You can use ChatGPT to paraphrase or summarize text. This can help you to condense sources to their most important points and explore new ways of expressing your ideas.

Alternatively you can use the more specialized tools featured on Scribbr’s AI writing resources page (including Scribbr’s free text summarizer  and  Scribbr’s free paraphrasing tool ) which are designed specifically for these purposes and will give a smoother user experience.

• Provide a short summary of the following text:“One of the most profound applications of VR in healthcare is its use in surgical training. Traditionally, surgical training has relied on a combination of didactic lectures, observation of procedures, and hands-on experience in the operating room. However, these methods may not provide the ideal environment for novices to develop the necessary dexterity and spatial understanding essential for complex surgeries. VR overcomes these limitations by offering immersive, true-to-life simulations that allow surgeons to navigate through intricate anatomical structures, practice incisions, and learn to manage unexpected challenges that may arise during surgeries. This hands-on experience in a risk-free environment not only enhances technical skills but also builds confidence and reduces the learning curve for new surgical techniques.”
• Virtual Reality (VR) has a profound impact on healthcare, particularly in surgical training, as it provides immersive simulations that help surgeons develop dexterity, spatial understanding, and confidence for complex surgeries in a risk-free environment, ultimately enhancing their technical skills and reducing the learning curve.

When you’ve finished writing your research paper, you can use ChatGPT to receive feedback. You can be as specific as you like, selecting particular aspects the output should focus on (e.g., tone, clarity of structure, appropriateness of evidence to support your arguments).

You can also use ChatGPT to check grammar, spelling, and punctuation. However, it’s not designed for this purpose and occasionally misses errors. We recommend using a more specialized tool like Scribbr’s free grammar checker . Or, for more comprehensive feedback, Scribbr’s proofreading and editing service .

• Feedback the above text with regard to appropriateness of evidence and coherence of structure.
• The research paper demonstrates a well-structured and coherent presentation of the cognitive and skill development benefits of VR-based surgical training. The introduction effectively sets the context and rationale, while the literature review incorporates relevant historical and empirical evidence. The theoretical framework strengthens the foundation for the analysis.The methodology section could provide more details on the research design and study selection criteria. However, the sections on cognitive and skill development benefits present compelling evidence, supported by appropriate sub-sections.The exploration of improved patient outcomes lacks concrete examples but effectively outlines potential benefits. The section on challenges and future directions raises relevant points, but suggestions for solutions could enhance practicality.Overall, the paper combines theoretical, empirical, and practical evidence, offering a well-rounded approach. It establishes the significance of VR-based surgical training and concludes with a concise summary of key findings.

If you want more tips on using AI tools , understanding plagiarism , and citing sources , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations, examples, and formats.

• Citing ChatGPT
• Best grammar checker
• Best paraphrasing tool
• ChatGPT in your studies
• Is ChatGPT trustworthy?
• Types of plagiarism
• Self-plagiarism
• Avoiding plagiarism
• Academic integrity
• Best plagiarism checker

Citing sources

• Citation styles
• In-text citation
• Citation examples
• Annotated bibliography

Yes, you can use ChatGPT to summarize text . This can help you understand complex information more easily, summarize the central argument of your own paper, or clarify your research question.

You can also use Scribbr’s free text summarizer , which is designed specifically for this purpose.

Yes, you can use ChatGPT to paraphrase text to help you express your ideas more clearly, explore different ways of phrasing your arguments, and avoid repetition.

However, it’s not specifically designed for this purpose. We recommend using a specialized tool like Scribbr’s free paraphrasing tool , which will provide a smoother user experience.

No, it’s not a good idea to do so in general—first, because it’s normally considered plagiarism or academic dishonesty to represent someone else’s work as your own (even if that “someone” is an AI language model). Even if you cite ChatGPT , you’ll still be penalized unless this is specifically allowed by your university . Institutions may use AI detectors to enforce these rules.

Second, ChatGPT can recombine existing texts, but it cannot really generate new knowledge. And it lacks specialist knowledge of academic topics. Therefore, it is not possible to obtain original research results, and the text produced may contain factual errors.

However, you can usually still use ChatGPT for assignments in other ways, as a source of inspiration and feedback.

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.

Driessen, K. (2023, November 16). How to Write a Paper with ChatGPT | Tips & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/ai-tools/chatgpt-research-paper/

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