Characteristics of Empirical Research Papers Empirical research papers are publications that describe the results of original research that has never been done before.  These research papers largely aim to establish a hypothesis and devise a series of experiments to test the hypothesis and see if it holds true, collect data, and report the conclusions. Most of the journals on empirical research require papers to have an abstract that provides a brief summary of the content of the paper, an introduction, materials and methodologies, results, discussions, and reference page (bibliography).         CHARACTERISTICS AND STRATEGIES FOR EACH SECTION    TITLE The title should immediately give the reader an idea of the topic of the research paper. The title is the first thing that readers see and is the most frequently viewed part of a research paper. Most readers decide whether or not to read a paper by looking at the title. Therefore, think hard about what keywords you want to use in your title and create a clear and concise title that is a single sentence written across two lines.    STRATEGIES & TIPS ON TITLE ㆍAVOID overly broad or abstract titles such as “Study on ~” and “A Consideration on ~”.  ㆍHIGHLIGHT the relationship between the independent variables (e.g., epinephrine treatment), dependent variables (e.g., respiratory rate), and research subject (e.g., lab rats), and create a title that captures the reader’s interest. (example: The Impact of Epinephrine on the Respiratory Rate in Lab Rats)    ㆍIn today’s digitalized world, readers have easy access to a wide array of search tools through which they can search titles of research papers. Therefore, COME UP WITH a title that contains terms that are frequently used in conjunction with the keywords in your relevant field of research. ㆍREFRAIN fr|om using abbreviations when possible and spell out words using the formal terminology.        ABSTRACT  An abstract is an abbreviated summary of the entire paper. The abstract should contain a summary of each of the main sections (introduction, materials and methodologies, results, and discussion) and provide the reader with a quick glimpse of what your paper is about and capture their attention.     STRATEGIES & TIPS ON ABSTRACT ㆍIn general, USE one or two sentences to give an overview of known or unknown academic facts, one sentence to describe the hypothesis and research question, one or two sentences to explain the research strategy, one or two sentences to outline the main conclusion, and one or two sentences to discuss the academic implications and potential future applications of the study. The number of sentences allocated to each component can vary depending on the content of the research paper.  ㆍAbstracts are usually 250 to 450 words in length, but make sure to CHECK the guidelines for each journal as most journals stipulate a world limit for abstracts. ㆍYou may want to WRITE the abstract at the very end after completing the main text of your research paper to summarize its contents.        INTRODUCTION  The introduction serves to provide readers with prior information so that they can understand the content of the study and to stimulate the reader’s interest. Use short and concise sentences that are to the point.     STRATEGIES & TIPS ON INTRODUCTIONㆍWhen stating facts, INTRODUCE well-known facts in the academic field related to the research topic before stating new and unknown facts. Make sure to select appropriate reference materials and provide proper citation. Normally, an introduction is structured into two to four paragraphs, each of which is comprised of three to nine sentences, but many different formats are used depending on the content of the study.   ㆍDEFINE the hypothesis and research questions derived fr|om the information provided according to the guideline stated above. This component can be outlined in as separate paragraph or be included in one or two sentences at the ending of the paragraph containing the information stated above.   ㆍLIST the unique experiment methodology and research strategies followed by the results obtained by implementing such methodologies and strategies. Provide a brief explanation about the academic and industrial implications of such conclusions. Since the main text will delve deeper into each component of the abstract, provide a brief summary in one paragraph consisting of three to nine sentences.         MATERIALS AND METHODS   Explaining the research strategy, experiment methodology, materials, and other information helps the reader understand the experiments used to test the hypothesis. Provide proper citations and detailed descriptions so that the experiment can be reproduced.    STRATEGIES & TIPS ON MATERIALS AND METHODS ㆍYou may choose to describe the materials used in the experiment and methodology separately, or you can provide details about the materials while going through the procedure of experiments and describe the materials in each step where they are used. The source of the material (the company or laboratory fr|om which they were purchased) should be stated and for experiments involving humans or animals, details such as age, gender, and health status should be indicated as well. INCLUDE a statement that the experiment was conducted in accordance with the Institutional Review Board/Ethical Review Committee’s code of ethics.  ㆍWhen describing the methodological “design” of the study, DESCRIBE the “what”, “why”, “how”, and rules of each experiment. However, keep the “recipe” that explains the simple order of experiments to a minimum.  ㆍKEEP descriptions about widely used experiment methodologies short and provide references.         RESULTS Present the results obtained fr|om the experiments illustrated in the ‘Materials and Methodologies’ section. You may choose to use tables or graphs to effectively convey the results of the experiment and refer to these tables and graphs in your explanation. This should be the longest part of your research paper.    STRATEGIES & TIPS ON RESULTS  ㆍPRESENT an accurate analysis of the data obtained fr|om the experiments in tables or figures (picture, graph, diagram, etc.). Tables should be kept concise and should not contain colors or shadows. All figures should have a uniform shape and use the same lines, colors, and other elements. Provide legends that accompany each figure to provide explanations. Make sure to check the guidelines provided by each journal, as each will have their own criteria. Pay attention to statistical analysis.  ㆍNUMBER and STRUCTURE the results of tables and figures keeping in mind the overall flow of the paper. Remember that the order in which the tables and figures are presented may not necessarily coincide with the order you conducted the experiments in. Concentrate on developing your conclusion in a logical manner.  ㆍINSERT the corresponding tables and figures as you write out your conclusion. In principle, the order of the tables and figures should match the order in which the conclusion is written. Each journal prescribes their own limit on the number of tables and figures that can be used.         DISCUSSION  In this section, you discuss whether the hypothesis and research question presented in the introduction can be proven or solved based on conclusion. The discussion section should indicate how the results obtained fr|om the experiments support or refute your hypothesis, and whether the results are aligned with or contradict existing academic theories.    STRATEGIES & TIPS ON DISCUSSION  ㆍAfter reminding the readers of the hypothesis and research questions that were posed in the introduction, present the answers based on the results of the study. Make sure to CITE your sources.  ㆍPRESENT results of the study that contradict previously published results or were unexpected make sure that they are structured in line with the logical flow of the paper, and describe what contributions the study can make in the relevant field of research.  ㆍThe first sentence of each paragraph should be a TOPIC SENTENCE, and each topic sentence should be arranged in a way that best narrates the overall story.  ㆍDESCRIBE the applications and utilization potential, academic implications, and potential impacts of the study.        OTHERS  1. The number of sentences or paragraphs recommended above is only a rough estimate. Various combinations can be used when writing an actual research paper.  2. Make sure to check the guidelines prescribed by the journal you plan on submitting your paper to as the word limit for abstracts and the research paper itself, format for tables and figures, number and format of references and the bibliography, among other elements will differ for each journal.   3. Some journals will require a conclusion section. The conclusion is especially important when conducting research on the development of methodologies such as writing algorithms and developing devices. As you write your conclusion, keep the following in mind:   ㆍWrite a paragraph consisting of five to seven sentences;   ㆍRemind the reader about the research topic and emphasize the importance of the main results by tying them in with the research topic; and  ㆍYou may choose to end the conclusion by appealing to readers on the academic, industrial and historical significance of the key issues dealt with in the study.