First rule: get the help of peers and your supervisor to clarify your topic
A research question doesn't have to be a question. It can also be a statement, a proposition or a hypothesis.
Research question | Research statement | Research proposition / hypothesis |
Can pine trees cause a biodiversity loss amongst fynbos in a mountain area? | Pine trees cause a biodiversity loss amongst fynbos in a mountain area in Stellenbosch. | Effective management of invasive pine tree species can prevent biodiversity loss of fynbos. |
A research proposal is a working document that acts as a blueprint.
The format is dependent on the intention of your paper but the following elements need to be in a research proposal:
Format of the proposal:
The research proposal only needs to be 1-2 pages (between 500-1000 words) and should address the following questions:
The WHY - why this research: public interest, personal reasons
The WHAT - the specifics of the paper: problem statement including goals and purpose
The HOW - research methodology
Three phases are involved in writing an academic paper:
Phase 1: Pre-writing |
Writing for yourself and exploring concepts / experimenting with ideas. Be creative - freewrite; keep a research and reading journal - recording articles that you read and your thoughts, 'notes to self', etc Construct a mindmap or 'table of contents' |
Phase 2: Drafting and re-writing / revising |
Start expanding on your ideas - start to write for others Develop your thread, argument, coherence of structure and ask:
|
Phase 3: Editing |
Polishing stage - grammar and punctuation and 'elegance' of writing style Check also the correctness of references |
The following are typically present in a good scholarly paper:
Things to avoid:
Your title should contain the following functions:
They should be brief and descriptive and indicate the following: