Google Scholar

  • Using Google Scholar

What is Google Scholar?

Google Scholar ( scholar.google.com ) is a free search engine that helps you find scholarly articles, theses, books, and other academic resources. It’s a great tool for college students because it searches a wide range of academic sources and shows results from many disciplines. You can use it to discover reliable information for your assignments and research projects, and often you’ll find links to free full-text versions of articles. Just type in your topic or keywords, and Google Scholar will show you a list of relevant scholarly works.

While Google Scholar contains links to many types of scholarly resources, not all of them are available to the general public. However, there are cases in which you can get links to the full text of journal articles, book chapters, and more. These include:

  • The OSU Library subscribes to the journal
  • The article is published in an open access journal, which means it is available to the general public at no charge
  • The author has made the resource available on their website

Anyone can use Google Scholar, but OSU students, faculty, and staff can use it to access content that is provided to OSU by linking their Google Scholar account to the OSU Library.

Linking Google Scholar to the OSU Library

Visit Google Scholar by navigating to scholar.google.com . Click the SIGN IN link in the top-right corner of the screen.

Screenshot of the Google Scholar screen, with the Sign-In link highlighted.

Sign in to your Google account. This is not the same as your O-Key account, and if you do not have a Google account you can use the Create Account button to get one.

Screenshot of the Google Account Sign-In screen

Click the three-line menu icon in the top-left, and then navigate to Settings.

Screenshot of the Google Scholar menu, with the Settings option highlighted.

Navigate to the Library Links option. It will be displayed on the left side in a vertical list of options, or on the top in a horizontal list of tabs.

Screenshot of the Google Scholar Settings screen, with Library Links highlighted

Use the text box to search for "Oklahoma State University" and then select the option that corresponds to the OSU campus where you are located. This process will allow Google Scholar to show links to research materials in your search results that are available to you through OSU. You will still be required to sign in to your OSU O-Key account when accessing these materials. Click Save when finished.

Screenshot of the Google Scholar Settings screen showing links to Oklahoma State University libraries.

Using Google Scholar to Access OSU Resources

After your Google account is linked to the OSU Library, you can use Google Scholar to access materials through the OSU Library system. When you see the "Full-Text @ OSU Library" option show up in your Google Scholar search results, you can click that to access the article, journal, or other scholarly resource.

Screenshot of Google Scholar search results, with the Full-Text @ OSU Library link highlighted.

After clicking "Full Text @ OSU Library," use the Anywhere Library Access screen to load the resource you are searching for. Select OSU Students, Faculty, and Staff and enter your O-Key credentials unless you are a member of a program that is using an Affiliate account. In that case, enter the login credentials provided to you by your program administrator.

Screenshot of the Anywhere Library Access screen, showing two options: OSU Students, Faculty, and Staff and Affiliate Users.

You are now redirected to the OSU Library Catalog entry for the article, journal, or scholarly resource that you accessed from the Google Scholar search results. Use the link, or links, provided by the OSU Library to access the item.

Screenshot of the OSU Library Catalog entry for an article.

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What is Google Scholar and Why Should You Care?

Google Scholar is a special division of Google that searches for academic content. It is not as robust as Google, and as such it can be harder to search. However, if you are looking for a specific article it is a fantastic resource for finding out if you can access it through your library or if it's available for free.

Below are a few videos on how to use Google Scholar (you can skip the intros if you want) that will show you tips and tricks on how to best use Google Scholar.

Google Scholar Search

Did you know that you can use Google Scholar in addition to Primo to help search Kemp library materials? You just have to add us to your Google Scholar and our results will show up in your searches showing you what you have access to as an ESU community member!

  • Go to  Google Scholar 
  • Make sure you're logged into your Google Account -  you'll see your initials or your icon in the top right hand corner of the screen if you're logged in. 
  • Click on  Settings  (either from the top of the Scholar home page, or from the drop-down on the right hand side of the results page).

Choose  Library Links .

Type ‘East Stroudsburg University’ into the search box.

Click the boxes next to “ESU” and "Kemp Library"

Click  Save .

If you have other institutions you're affilitated with, or ResearchGate, you can add them too!

Getting to Google Scholar Settings:

screenshot of Google Scholar settings menu

The Library Link Screen: Search, Select and Save!

select all boxes for ESU library links in Google Scholar

What your search results will look like: 

Google Scholar search results with ESU library

 Add / Reorder  

Databases have more sophisticated search features than Google Scholar , but if you have a one or two word topic Google Scholar can be useful.  You can also try using the Advanced Search in Google Scholar (see the first video below). 

However, if you're having trouble finding something specific, i.e. a specific article, try Google Scholar. For example you want " Game of Thrones and Graffiti" and you don't see it in a database, search the title of the article in Google Scholar (here you'd search "Game of Thrones and Graffiti"). You may find it freely available OR discover it is available through the library, but in a database you didn't look at. 

If we don't have it and you can't access it on Google Scholar, you can always request it via interlibrary loan .

"If Google Scholar isn’t turning up what you need, try an open Google search with the article title in quotes, and type the added filter “filetype:pdf”. This scours the open web for papers hosted somewhere, by someone, in PDF format. Google Books provides limited preview access to many copyrighted books. Other alternate services include  SemanticScholar ,  Microsoft Academic ,  Dimensions , or  GetTheResearch . Here too there are subject-specific portals like  EconBiz  or the  Virtual Health Library , some of which offer multilingual search options." -  Paragraph taken from A Wikipedia Librarian. 

The other services like Microsoft Academic mentioned above are also useful when looking for freely available journal article and research! Don't forget to cite everything you use in your paper/project/presentation/etc. 

Google Scholar Videos

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200+ Google Scholar Research Topics: Strategies & Example

Academic research is all about learning new stuff and finding answers to questions. Whether you’re a student, teacher, or just someone curious, Google Scholar is like a super helpful friend for your research adventures. 

In this guide, we’ll explore how Google Scholar can make your research journey easier and more exciting. Moreover, we will check the Google Scholar Research Topics. So, let’s dive in!

What Would Be Search Strategies For Google Scholar?

Google Scholar’s search capabilities go far beyond the basic search bar. To unlock its full potential, it’s crucial to understand advanced search techniques, Boolean operators, and filters. Here are some strategies to consider:

Advanced Search Techniques

Google Scholar offers an advanced search feature that enables you to refine your queries. You can use this feature to narrow down results by specific authors, journals, publication dates, and more. It’s a powerful way to find precisely what you’re looking for.

Boolean Operators

Employing Boolean operators like “AND,” “OR,” and “NOT” can help you create complex search queries. For instance, combining “climate change” AND “policy” can yield research papers that specifically address the intersection of these two topics.

Filters and Operators

Utilizing filters and operators, such as the citation count, can help you identify the most influential and highly cited research in your field. This can be especially useful for locating seminal papers.

80+ Google Scholar Research Topics: Subject Wise Topics

  • The Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity
  • Quantum Computing: Current Developments and Challenges
  • Nanotechnology Applications in Medicine
  • The Role of AI in Drug Discovery
  • Dark Matter and the Structure of the Universe
  • Advancements in Gene Editing Technologies
  • Renewable Energy Sources and Sustainable Solutions
  • The Effects of Pollution on Aquatic Ecosystems
  • Ethical Considerations in AI and Machine Learning
  • Cybersecurity Threats and Mitigation Strategies
  • Internet of Things (IoT) and its Impact on Daily Life
  • Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality in Education
  • Blockchain Technology and Its Applications Beyond Cryptocurrency
  • 5G Technology and Its Potential for Transforming Communication
  • Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience Design
  • Robotics in Healthcare: Current Trends and Future Prospects
  • Precision Medicine and Personalized Treatment Approaches
  • Mental Health Stigma and Access to Care
  • The Role of Gut Microbiota in Human Health
  • Advances in Cancer Immunotherapy
  • Telemedicine and Remote Patient Monitoring
  • Health Disparities Among Vulnerable Populations
  • Antibiotic Resistance: Causes and Solutions
  • Aging and Neurodegenerative Diseases: Research Challenges

Social Sciences

  • Social Media’s Influence on Political Behavior
  • The Psychology of Social Networks and Online Communities
  • Gender Inequality in the Workplace: Recent Developments
  • The Impact of Immigration Policies on Social Cohesion
  • Educational Inequality and Access to Quality Education
  • Climate Change and Public Opinion: A Global Perspective
  • Youth Activism and Social Change Movements
  • Cultural Diversity and Identity in Contemporary Society
  • Postcolonial Literature and Identity
  • The Philosophy of Ethics and Morality
  • Historical Preservation and Cultural Heritage
  • Existentialism in Modern Literature and Philosophy
  • Art as a Medium for Social Commentary
  • The Influence of Ancient Philosophers on Contemporary Thought
  • Folklore and Oral Traditions in Modern Society
  • Human Rights and Literature in Global Contexts
  • The Evolution of Digital Art and New Media
  • Contemporary Dance and Its Exploration of Gender Roles
  • Sound Art and its Impact on Auditory Perception
  • Environmental Art and Sustainability Messages
  • Film as a Reflection of Societal Values
  • The Intersection of Technology and Visual Arts
  • Street Art and Graffiti as Forms of Urban Expression
  • Music Therapy and its Therapeutic Applications
  • Quantum Entanglement and Communication
  • Gravitational Waves and their Detection
  • Superconductivity and Its Potential Applications
  • Particle Physics: The Quest for Fundamental Particles
  • Black Holes: Unveiling the Mysteries of the Universe
  • Quantum Computing and Quantum Algorithms
  • Dark Energy and the Fate of the Universe
  • Advanced Materials for Energy Storage and Conversion
  • Behavioral Economics and Decision-Making
  • Income Inequality and Its Economic Consequences
  • Economic Impact of Global Trade Agreements
  • Financial Markets and Behavioral Biases
  • Sustainable Economic Development Models
  • Economic Resilience in the Face of Global Crises
  • The Economics of Healthcare Systems
  • Cryptocurrency and Its Implications for Monetary Policy
  • Cognitive Neuroscience and Memory Processing
  • Psychopathology and Innovative Treatment Approaches
  • The Psychology of Social Media Addiction
  • Positive Psychology and Well-Being Interventions
  • Cross-Cultural Psychology and Cultural Norms
  • Child Development and Early Childhood Education
  • Emotional Intelligence and Workplace Success
  • Psychology of Decision-Making in High-Stress Situations
  • Historical Analysis of Revolutionary Movements
  • Environmental History and the Impact of Human Activity
  • Ancient Civilizations and Their Cultural Legacy
  • History of Science and Technological Advancements
  • The Role of Women in Historical Events
  • Indigenous Histories and Narratives of Resistance
  • World Wars and their Socioeconomic Consequences
  • Historical Preservation and Museums as Educational Tools
  • Postmodern Literature and Its Fragmented Narratives
  • Transcultural Literature and Identity in Migration
  • Science Fiction as a Reflection of Technological Progress
  • Shakespearean Studies in Modern Contexts
  • Contemporary Poetry and its Exploration of Language
  • Graphic Novels as a Medium for Social Commentary
  • Literature and Ecocriticism: Nature’s Role in Stories
  • Dystopian Fiction and its Socio Political Themes
Best 100+ To Motivate You

25+ Google Scholar Research Topics For Beginners

  • Introduction to Google Scholar: An overview of what Google Scholar is and how to use it effectively for academic research.
  • Research Basics: Exploring the fundamental principles of research, including formulating research questions and conducting literature reviews.
  • Citing Sources: Understanding the importance of proper citation and how to cite sources using different citation styles like APA, MLA, or Chicago.
  • Research Ethics: An introduction to ethical considerations in research, including plagiarism, informed consent, and data integrity.
  • Using Keywords: Tips and techniques for selecting and using keywords effectively to improve search results.
  • Finding Reliable Sources: Strategies for identifying reputable and peer-reviewed sources in Google Scholar’s search results.
  • Creating Alerts: How to set up email alerts for specific research topics or authors to stay updated on the latest publications.
  • Managing References: An introduction to reference management tools like Zotero or Mendeley for organizing and citing sources.
  • Research Question Development: Guidance on formulating clear and focused research questions that drive your inquiry.
  • Literature Review: Basics of conducting a literature review to summarize and analyze existing research on a particular topic.
  • Primary vs. Secondary Sources: Understanding the difference between primary and secondary sources in academic research.
  • Data Collection Methods: An overview of various methods for collecting research data, including surveys, interviews, and observations.
  • Statistical Analysis: Introduction to basic statistical concepts and tools for analyzing research data.
  • Research Presentation: Tips for creating effective presentations and posters to communicate research findings.
  • Choosing a Research Topic: Strategies for selecting a research topic that aligns with your interests and goals.
  • Research Design: Exploring different research design options, such as experimental, observational, or case study approaches.
  • Data Visualization: Basics of creating visual representations of data, including graphs and charts.
  • Qualitative Research Methods: An introduction to qualitative research approaches, including content analysis and thematic analysis.
  • Quantitative Research Methods: An overview of quantitative research methods, including surveys and experiments.
  • Writing a Research Paper: Steps and guidelines for structuring and writing a research paper, from the introduction to the conclusion.
  • Peer Review Process: Understanding the peer review process and its role in ensuring the quality of research publications.
  • Using Google Scholar Metrics: Exploring Google Scholar Metrics to assess the impact and visibility of research articles.
  • Open Access Journals: Learning about open access journals and their role in making research more accessible.
  • Research Funding: An introduction to sources of research funding, grants, and scholarships for beginners.
  • Collaborative Research: Tips for collaborating with other researchers and forming research partnerships.

15+ Google Scholar Research Topics For Intermediate

  • “The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Healthcare Delivery: A Comprehensive Review”
  • “Environmental Sustainability in Urban Planning: Analyzing Current Practices and Challenges”
  • “The Role of Social Media in Shaping Political Discourse: A Comparative Analysis”
  • “Exploring the Effects of Climate Change on Global Food Security: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach”
  • “The Psychology of Online Learning: Factors Influencing Student Engagement and Performance”
  • “Digital Marketing Strategies in E-commerce: An Analysis of Best Practices and Emerging Trends”
  • “Cross-Cultural Communication in Global Business: Challenges and Strategies for Success”
  • “The Neurobiology of Addiction: Insights into Treatment and Rehabilitation”
  • “Impact Investing and Sustainable Finance: Evaluating Social and Environmental Outcomes”
  • “The Evolution of Renewable Energy Technologies: Assessing Viability and Adoption”
  • “Criminal Justice Reform: Evaluating the Effects of Restorative Justice Programs”
  • “The Influence of Literature on Social Movements: A Comparative Study of Historical Contexts”
  • “Cybersecurity Threats in the Internet of Things (IoT): Strategies for Protection and Resilience”
  • “The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: Addressing Bias and Accountability in AI Systems”
  • “Post-pandemic Workforce Trends: Remote Work, Mental Health, and Organizational Adaptation”

10+ Google Scholar Research Topics For Advanced

  • Quantum Computing Algorithms for Cryptography: Investigate advanced quantum computing algorithms and their implications for cryptography and data security.
  • Neural Networks in Natural Language Processing: Explore cutting-edge techniques in neural network-based natural language processing and their applications in machine translation and sentiment analysis.
  • Genome Editing and Ethical Considerations: Analyze the ethical challenges surrounding genome editing technologies like CRISPR-Cas9 and their potential impact on society.
  • Advanced Data Mining Techniques for Healthcare: Research advanced data mining and machine learning methods for predicting disease outbreaks and improving patient outcomes in healthcare.
  • Post-Quantum Cryptography: Investigate cryptographic methods designed to withstand attacks from quantum computers, which have the potential to break current encryption algorithms.
  • Neurobiology of Consciousness: Delve into the intricacies of neurobiology to explore the nature of consciousness and its neural correlates.
  • Quantum Machine Learning: Explore the intersection of quantum computing and machine learning to develop quantum-enhanced algorithms for solving complex problems.
  • Artificial General Intelligence (AGI): Study the development of AGI systems, which possess human-level intelligence, and examine the ethical and societal implications of AGI.
  • Advanced Materials for Renewable Energy: Investigate novel materials and nanotechnologies for enhancing the efficiency and sustainability of renewable energy sources like solar cells and batteries.
  • Social Network Analysis in Cybersecurity: Analyze advanced techniques in social network analysis to detect and mitigate cybersecurity threats and attacks in complex online environments.

Tips and Guides: How To Search Google Scholar Research Topics

  • Research Topic Selection: Discovering the right research topic is crucial. Google Scholar can assist you in identifying trending topics and gaps in existing literature.
  • Literature Review: Conducting a thorough literature review is a fundamental step in research. Google Scholar’s vast database simplifies the process of finding relevant studies.
  • Bibliographic References: Google Scholar generates citations in various citation styles, making it easier to compile your bibliography.
  • Evaluating Sources: Not all sources are created equal. Google Scholar provides tools to assess the reliability and credibility of sources, ensuring you rely on trustworthy research.
  • Academic Writing: Improve your academic writing skills by reading well-crafted research papers available on Google Scholar. Analyze their structure, style, and citation methods.

Example: How To Get Desired Google Scholar Research Topics?

Let’s take the example of researching the topic “Neural Networks in Natural Language Processing” using Google Scholar. I’ll provide a step-by-step guide and include a table to organize the information.

Step 1: Access Google Scholar

Go to Google Scholar using your web browser.

Step 2: Formulate Your Search Query

In the search bar, enter your research topic: “Neural Networks in Natural Language Processing.”

Step 3: Refine Your Search

To refine your search results, you can use various techniques:

Quotation Marks: To search for an exact phrase, put it in quotation marks. For example, “Neural Networks in Natural Language Processing” will return results containing that exact phrase.

Advanced Search: Click on the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the upper-left corner and select “Advanced search” to access advanced search options. Here, you can specify authors, publications, and date ranges.

Filters: Use the filters on the left-hand side to narrow down results by publication year, author, or journal. You can select “Since” to specify a particular year.

Step 4: Explore Search Results

Browse through the search results to identify relevant articles, papers, and books. Each result includes the title, authors, publication source, and a brief excerpt from the content.

Now, let’s create a table to organize and track the information from your search results:

Neural Machine Translation by Jointly Learning to Align and TranslateDzmitry Bahdanau, Kyunghyun Cho, Yoshua BengioInternational Conference on Learning Representations (ICLR)2015
Attention Is All You NeedAshish Vaswani, et al.Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems (NeurIPS)2017
BERT: Pre-training of Deep Bidirectional Transformers for Language UnderstandingJacob Devlin, et al.North American Chapter of the Association for Computational Linguistics (NAACL)2019
GPT-3: Language Models for Few-Shot LearningTom B. Brown, et al.arXiv preprint arXiv:2005.141652020

Step 5: Access Full Text

Click on the title of a search result to access the full text of the article or paper. Some may require a subscription or purchase, while others are freely accessible.

Step 6: Review and Cite

Read the selected articles thoroughly, take notes, and cite them in your research. Make sure to note the key findings and contributions to your topic.

By following these steps and organizing your findings in a table like the one above, you can efficiently conduct research on your chosen topic using Google Scholar. This approach helps you keep track of relevant publications and easily access the information you need for your research project.

Final Remark

Google Scholar is like a huge treasure chest filled with knowledge. It’s a must-have tool for researchers, scholars, and students all over the world. If you learn how to use it well, you can have a successful research journey that helps us all understand more about the world. Whether you’re looking for answers to specific questions or just curious about something, Google Scholar is your doorway to a world of academic learning. Check all above mentioned google scholar research topics. Try as per your requirement.

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Google Scholar Search Strategies

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Google Scholar Search

Using Google Scholar for Research

Google Scholar is a powerful tool for researchers and students alike to access peer-reviewed papers. With Scholar, you are able to not only search for an article, author or journal of interest, you can also save and organize these articles, create email alerts, export citations and more. Below you will find some basic search tips that will prove useful.

This page also includes information on Google Scholar Library - a resource that allows you to save, organize and manage citations - as well as information on citing a paper on Google Scholar.

Search Tips

  • Locate Full Text
  • Sort by Date
  • Related Articles
  • Court Opinions
  • Email Alerts
  • Advanced Search

Abstracts are freely available for most of the articles and UMass Lowell holds many subscriptions to journals and online resources. The first step is make sure you are affiliated with the UML Library on and off campus by Managing your Settings, under Library Links. 

When searching in Google Scholar here are a few things to try to get full text:

  • click a library link, e.g., "Full-text @ UML Library", to the right of the search result;
  • click a link labeled [PDF] to the right of the search result;
  • click "All versions" under the search result and check out the alternative sources;
  • click "More" under the search result to see if there's an option for full-text;
  • click "Related articles" or "Cited by" under the search result to explore similar articles.

google scholar result page

Your search results are normally sorted by relevance, not by date. To find newer articles, try the following options in the left sidebar:

date range menu

  • click "Sort by date" to show just the new additions, sorted by date;  If you use this feature a lot, you may also find it useful to setup email alerts to have new results automatically sent to you.
  • click the envelope icon to have new results periodically delivered by email.

Note: On smaller screens that don't show the sidebar, these options are available in the dropdown menu labeled "Any time" right below the search button .

The Related Articles option under the search result can be a useful tool when performing research on a specific topic. 

google scholar results page

After clicking you will see articles from the same authors and with the same keywords.

court opinions dropdown

You can select the jurisdiction from either the search results page or the home page as well; simply click "select courts". You can also refine your search by state courts or federal courts. 

To quickly search a frequently used selection of courts, bookmark a search results page with the desired selection. 

 How do I sign up for email alerts?

Do a search for the topic of interest, e.g., "M Theory"; click the envelope icon in the sidebar of the search  results page; enter your email address, and click " Create alert ". Google will periodically email you newly published papers that match your search criteria. You can use any email address for this; it does not need to be a Google Account. 

If you want to get alerts from new articles published in a specific journal; type in the name of this journal in the search bar and create an alert like you would a keyword. 

How do I get notified of new papers published by my colleagues, advisors or professors?

alert settings

First, do a search for your their name, and see if they have a Citations profile. If they do, click on it, and click the "Follow new articles" link in the right sidebar under the search box.

If they don't have a profile, do a search by author, e.g., [author:s-hawking], and click on the mighty envelope in the left sidebar of the search results page. If you find that several different people share the same name, you may need to add co-author names or topical keywords to limit results to the author you wish to follow.

How do I change my alerts?

If you created alerts using a Google account, you can manage them all on the "Alerts" page . 

alert settings menu

From here you can create, edit or delete alerts. Select cancel under the actions column to unsubscribe from an alert. 

example of research paper google scholar

This will pop-open the advanced search menu

example of research paper google scholar

Here you can search specific words/phrases as well as for author, title and journal. You can also limit your search results by date.

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example of research paper google scholar

How To Write A Research Paper

Step-By-Step Tutorial With Examples + FREE Template

By: Derek Jansen (MBA) | Expert Reviewer: Dr Eunice Rautenbach | March 2024

For many students, crafting a strong research paper from scratch can feel like a daunting task – and rightly so! In this post, we’ll unpack what a research paper is, what it needs to do , and how to write one – in three easy steps. 🙂 

Overview: Writing A Research Paper

What (exactly) is a research paper.

  • How to write a research paper
  • Stage 1 : Topic & literature search
  • Stage 2 : Structure & outline
  • Stage 3 : Iterative writing
  • Key takeaways

Let’s start by asking the most important question, “ What is a research paper? ”.

Simply put, a research paper is a scholarly written work where the writer (that’s you!) answers a specific question (this is called a research question ) through evidence-based arguments . Evidence-based is the keyword here. In other words, a research paper is different from an essay or other writing assignments that draw from the writer’s personal opinions or experiences. With a research paper, it’s all about building your arguments based on evidence (we’ll talk more about that evidence a little later).

Now, it’s worth noting that there are many different types of research papers , including analytical papers (the type I just described), argumentative papers, and interpretative papers. Here, we’ll focus on analytical papers , as these are some of the most common – but if you’re keen to learn about other types of research papers, be sure to check out the rest of the blog .

With that basic foundation laid, let’s get down to business and look at how to write a research paper .

Research Paper Template

Overview: The 3-Stage Process

While there are, of course, many potential approaches you can take to write a research paper, there are typically three stages to the writing process. So, in this tutorial, we’ll present a straightforward three-step process that we use when working with students at Grad Coach.

These three steps are:

  • Finding a research topic and reviewing the existing literature
  • Developing a provisional structure and outline for your paper, and
  • Writing up your initial draft and then refining it iteratively

Let’s dig into each of these.

Need a helping hand?

example of research paper google scholar

Step 1: Find a topic and review the literature

As we mentioned earlier, in a research paper, you, as the researcher, will try to answer a question . More specifically, that’s called a research question , and it sets the direction of your entire paper. What’s important to understand though is that you’ll need to answer that research question with the help of high-quality sources – for example, journal articles, government reports, case studies, and so on. We’ll circle back to this in a minute.

The first stage of the research process is deciding on what your research question will be and then reviewing the existing literature (in other words, past studies and papers) to see what they say about that specific research question. In some cases, your professor may provide you with a predetermined research question (or set of questions). However, in many cases, you’ll need to find your own research question within a certain topic area.

Finding a strong research question hinges on identifying a meaningful research gap – in other words, an area that’s lacking in existing research. There’s a lot to unpack here, so if you wanna learn more, check out the plain-language explainer video below.

Once you’ve figured out which question (or questions) you’ll attempt to answer in your research paper, you’ll need to do a deep dive into the existing literature – this is called a “ literature search ”. Again, there are many ways to go about this, but your most likely starting point will be Google Scholar .

If you’re new to Google Scholar, think of it as Google for the academic world. You can start by simply entering a few different keywords that are relevant to your research question and it will then present a host of articles for you to review. What you want to pay close attention to here is the number of citations for each paper – the more citations a paper has, the more credible it is (generally speaking – there are some exceptions, of course).

how to use google scholar

Ideally, what you’re looking for are well-cited papers that are highly relevant to your topic. That said, keep in mind that citations are a cumulative metric , so older papers will often have more citations than newer papers – just because they’ve been around for longer. So, don’t fixate on this metric in isolation – relevance and recency are also very important.

Beyond Google Scholar, you’ll also definitely want to check out academic databases and aggregators such as Science Direct, PubMed, JStor and so on. These will often overlap with the results that you find in Google Scholar, but they can also reveal some hidden gems – so, be sure to check them out.

Once you’ve worked your way through all the literature, you’ll want to catalogue all this information in some sort of spreadsheet so that you can easily recall who said what, when and within what context. If you’d like, we’ve got a free literature spreadsheet that helps you do exactly that.

Don’t fixate on an article’s citation count in isolation - relevance (to your research question) and recency are also very important.

Step 2: Develop a structure and outline

With your research question pinned down and your literature digested and catalogued, it’s time to move on to planning your actual research paper .

It might sound obvious, but it’s really important to have some sort of rough outline in place before you start writing your paper. So often, we see students eagerly rushing into the writing phase, only to land up with a disjointed research paper that rambles on in multiple

Now, the secret here is to not get caught up in the fine details . Realistically, all you need at this stage is a bullet-point list that describes (in broad strokes) what you’ll discuss and in what order. It’s also useful to remember that you’re not glued to this outline – in all likelihood, you’ll chop and change some sections once you start writing, and that’s perfectly okay. What’s important is that you have some sort of roadmap in place from the start.

You need to have a rough outline in place before you start writing your paper - or you’ll end up with a disjointed research paper that rambles on.

At this stage you might be wondering, “ But how should I structure my research paper? ”. Well, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution here, but in general, a research paper will consist of a few relatively standardised components:

  • Introduction
  • Literature review
  • Methodology

Let’s take a look at each of these.

First up is the introduction section . As the name suggests, the purpose of the introduction is to set the scene for your research paper. There are usually (at least) four ingredients that go into this section – these are the background to the topic, the research problem and resultant research question , and the justification or rationale. If you’re interested, the video below unpacks the introduction section in more detail. 

The next section of your research paper will typically be your literature review . Remember all that literature you worked through earlier? Well, this is where you’ll present your interpretation of all that content . You’ll do this by writing about recent trends, developments, and arguments within the literature – but more specifically, those that are relevant to your research question . The literature review can oftentimes seem a little daunting, even to seasoned researchers, so be sure to check out our extensive collection of literature review content here .

With the introduction and lit review out of the way, the next section of your paper is the research methodology . In a nutshell, the methodology section should describe to your reader what you did (beyond just reviewing the existing literature) to answer your research question. For example, what data did you collect, how did you collect that data, how did you analyse that data and so on? For each choice, you’ll also need to justify why you chose to do it that way, and what the strengths and weaknesses of your approach were.

Now, it’s worth mentioning that for some research papers, this aspect of the project may be a lot simpler . For example, you may only need to draw on secondary sources (in other words, existing data sets). In some cases, you may just be asked to draw your conclusions from the literature search itself (in other words, there may be no data analysis at all). But, if you are required to collect and analyse data, you’ll need to pay a lot of attention to the methodology section. The video below provides an example of what the methodology section might look like.

By this stage of your paper, you will have explained what your research question is, what the existing literature has to say about that question, and how you analysed additional data to try to answer your question. So, the natural next step is to present your analysis of that data . This section is usually called the “results” or “analysis” section and this is where you’ll showcase your findings.

Depending on your school’s requirements, you may need to present and interpret the data in one section – or you might split the presentation and the interpretation into two sections. In the latter case, your “results” section will just describe the data, and the “discussion” is where you’ll interpret that data and explicitly link your analysis back to your research question. If you’re not sure which approach to take, check in with your professor or take a look at past papers to see what the norms are for your programme.

Alright – once you’ve presented and discussed your results, it’s time to wrap it up . This usually takes the form of the “ conclusion ” section. In the conclusion, you’ll need to highlight the key takeaways from your study and close the loop by explicitly answering your research question. Again, the exact requirements here will vary depending on your programme (and you may not even need a conclusion section at all) – so be sure to check with your professor if you’re unsure.

Step 3: Write and refine

Finally, it’s time to get writing. All too often though, students hit a brick wall right about here… So, how do you avoid this happening to you?

Well, there’s a lot to be said when it comes to writing a research paper (or any sort of academic piece), but we’ll share three practical tips to help you get started.

First and foremost , it’s essential to approach your writing as an iterative process. In other words, you need to start with a really messy first draft and then polish it over multiple rounds of editing. Don’t waste your time trying to write a perfect research paper in one go. Instead, take the pressure off yourself by adopting an iterative approach.

Secondly , it’s important to always lean towards critical writing , rather than descriptive writing. What does this mean? Well, at the simplest level, descriptive writing focuses on the “ what ”, while critical writing digs into the “ so what ” – in other words, the implications . If you’re not familiar with these two types of writing, don’t worry! You can find a plain-language explanation here.

Last but not least, you’ll need to get your referencing right. Specifically, you’ll need to provide credible, correctly formatted citations for the statements you make. We see students making referencing mistakes all the time and it costs them dearly. The good news is that you can easily avoid this by using a simple reference manager . If you don’t have one, check out our video about Mendeley, an easy (and free) reference management tool that you can start using today.

Recap: Key Takeaways

We’ve covered a lot of ground here. To recap, the three steps to writing a high-quality research paper are:

  • To choose a research question and review the literature
  • To plan your paper structure and draft an outline
  • To take an iterative approach to writing, focusing on critical writing and strong referencing

Remember, this is just a b ig-picture overview of the research paper development process and there’s a lot more nuance to unpack. So, be sure to grab a copy of our free research paper template to learn more about how to write a research paper.

A.LKARYOUNI

Can you help me with a full paper template for this Abstract:

Background: Energy and sports drinks have gained popularity among diverse demographic groups, including adolescents, athletes, workers, and college students. While often used interchangeably, these beverages serve distinct purposes, with energy drinks aiming to boost energy and cognitive performance, and sports drinks designed to prevent dehydration and replenish electrolytes and carbohydrates lost during physical exertion.

Objective: To assess the nutritional quality of energy and sports drinks in Egypt.

Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study assessed the nutrient contents, including energy, sugar, electrolytes, vitamins, and caffeine, of sports and energy drinks available in major supermarkets in Cairo, Alexandria, and Giza, Egypt. Data collection involved photographing all relevant product labels and recording nutritional information. Descriptive statistics and appropriate statistical tests were employed to analyze and compare the nutritional values of energy and sports drinks.

Results: The study analyzed 38 sports drinks and 42 energy drinks. Sports drinks were significantly more expensive than energy drinks, with higher net content and elevated magnesium, potassium, and vitamin C. Energy drinks contained higher concentrations of caffeine, sugars, and vitamins B2, B3, and B6.

Conclusion: Significant nutritional differences exist between sports and energy drinks, reflecting their intended uses. However, these beverages’ high sugar content and calorie loads raise health concerns. Proper labeling, public awareness, and responsible marketing are essential to guide safe consumption practices in Egypt.

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Google Scholar: Every Researcher's Go-To Guide

Sumalatha G

Table of Contents

When Google was officially launched as a web-based search engine, none of us would have thought it could address academicians' research discovery problems via "Google Scholar."

The launch of Google Scholar in November 2004 took the scholarly communication world by storm by authenticating the true meaning of Google, i.e., "largest information resource."

At first, researchers worldwide acknowledged this new product of Google intended to empower research by transforming the research-finding process. Over the years, with the advent of gaming, inaccurate citation counts, no periodic data updates, and other platform-centric concerns ascended gradually. As a result, many users started questioning the reliability of the platform. Consequently, some users request feature updates with advanced search options or services, while others dig into the sources' credibility. Meanwhile, the budding research scholars are still wondering if it is a reliable academic search engine or if they should rely on other exhaustive search engines like Web of Science, Scopus, and SciSpace.

To help all the researchers, including students, authors, and professors across academia, we have created a comprehensive guide on using Google Scholar. It provides a synopsis of the platform, centralizing its features, limitations, strengths, weaknesses, and future pursuits.

Introduction to Google Scholar searches

It indexes all scientific papers, including full-text and subscription-based content from major academic publishers, universities, digital repositories, and other commercial publishers. It also includes grey literature that is available online. In short, it helps you find relevant scientific works that hasten your scholarly projects.

It covers a wide range of research subjects, including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Medicine) and Social studies (Education and Counseling) in a broader spectrum. On the other hand, it comprises a modest amount of research content or consists of the fewest papers subjected to Humanities (Religion and Biblical Studies). In addition to scholarly literature, it indexes legal documents, as court opinions, case law reports, and patent data about the law.

everything-you-need-to-know-about-google-scholar

How does the Google Scholar crawling work?

Google Scholar uses a web crawler or a web robot to crawl the particular journal's consented content from the Online Computer Library Center's (OCLC) Open WorldCat and the National Library of Medicine's PubMed.

Major publishers or universities deliberately want to get crawled by this database. Because of the readership and significant discoverability that the ingested content receives by getting indexed in the search engine.

History of Google Scholar

The idea of building a dedicated scholarly search engine arose amidst a discussion between two tech guys, Alex Verstak and Anurag Acharya, on their sabbatical leave. The agenda behind their sabbatical leave was to identify an approach or a way to rank scholarly papers higher and easier on Google scholar search itself. Initially, their idea wasn't just to find an indexing database but to feed the academic community with intent queries with quality research reports. Accordingly, they built an internal prototype. The prototype witnessed constructive feedback, and people tried and acknowledged the results. And that's how it turned out to be "Scholar," aka Google Scholar search engine. To reinforce easy and unrestricted access to scientific knowledge, they decided to roll out the beta version of it in November 2004. The publicizing strategy included the slogan "Stand on the shoulders of giants" from Bernard of Chartres, quoted by Isaac Newton. The saying unveils the fact that using Google Scholar to search will be the foundation of your future scientific innovation and discovery.

As the product was familiarized, the inventors released new features to help research scholars worldwide. Thus, they introduced the following series of updates to the platform.

  • 2006: A citation importing feature was enforced to support the reference database, such as RefWorks, RefMan, EndNote, and BibTeX.
  • 2007: A program was initiated to digitize and host journal articles online in agreement with their publishers. It was an effort to distinguish Google Books that indexes the older literature without the metadata .
  • 2011: The "Scholar" was detached from Google to promote a smoother user transition from the home page to its landing page.
  • 2012: They reached a significant milestone by providing the authors a platform to create their profiles under "Scholar Citations profiles" and start tracking their research articles' metrics.
  • 2013 : Introduced "Google Scholar library" that allows researchers to save their search results, or it can be called the authors' personalized collection tab for their references.

What is the Ranking Algorithm of the Google Scholar?

google-scholar-search-interface-typeset-resources

Unlike other search engines, it searches for a publication using a combined ranking algorithm guarded by multiple factors, including relevance, citation counts, and publication date. Predominantly the algorithm scale is drawn toward citation counts and relevance.

For example, when people search for any particular keyword, author, or year, it shows relevant papers based on the highest citation counts, which makes it the primary ranking factor.

But, the algorithm rituals don't always stick to the citation counts. It works "the way researchers do — weighing the full text of each article, the author, the publication in which the article appears, and how often the piece has been cited in other scholarly literature." So, besides citation counts, it also gives prominence to the article title length and other factors similar to a researcher's search mechanism.

How does Google Scholar choose and include the sources?

A study compared Web of Science and Scopus databases with Google Scholar search to review the approach of coverage and inclusion of the scholarly content.

Web of Science and Scopus uses a selective approach based on specific criteria and crawls only the appropriate or selective, scholarly articles and academic resources, from the web. It follows a comprehensive and automated inclusion technique and indexes academic documents that its robot crawlers can locate on the web. As a result, these databases only include a small portion of the social sciences and humanities, non-English literature, and scholarly texts while majorly focusing on science journal articles. Conversely, the inclusive and unsupervised methodology used by Google Scholar indexes all the academic literature available on the web without any sieving of the sources. Thus, it maximizes the coverage and discoverability of both the authors and papers. However, this could also be one of the shortcomings of the database because of the lack of source evaluation. But, it still plays a vital role in boosting the discoverability of all papers.

a-comparison-study-of-web-of-science-scopus-google-scholar

What are the advantages of the Google Scholar search engine?

It helps us retrieve research articles and aids in inventing research works for the advancement of science.   The advantages of using Google Scholar include:

  • It is relatively easy to use and user-friendly , retrieving desired user-intent documents in no time.
  • It allows the author to search for all forms of scholarly literature on various topics, including grey literature like conference proceedings.
  • The results surpass the search-intent query keyword , i.e., it provides additional and other keyword-associated information and helps the user to learn more.
  • You can access an abundance of knowledge at your fingertips.
  • You can explore other authors' profiles, publications, citations, and related publications.
  • Find the whole document or shortlist it in your library.
  • You can stay up to date with the latest scientific development in your research area by creating alerts (which is located on the left column of the website).
  • Create your academic profile and keep track of your research works citations.

How Google Scholar helps publishers?

Google had a superior association with the publishers in indexing their web content even before the launch of this scholarly indexing database. However, convincing the academic community and publishers to get their journal content crawled on the search engine was still challenging for the entire team.

The inflow of academic queries helped the team convince publishers about the traffic they would receive when their content gets indexed on Google Scholar. That way, it helps publishers to boost the visibility and accessibility rates of the content worldwide by making them readily discoverable. Since then, all the peer-reviewed articles, theses, preprints, abstracts, and technical reports from across multiple academic disciplines have been indexed by the platform in collaboration with publishers.

What is Academic Search Engine Optimization?

Like how search engine optimization works by making the web content rank higher on the search engine and search result page, ASEO is the process of optimizing scholarly papers to rank higher on the academic search engine. Most publishers and organizations are adopting ASEO to help them rank higher and increase the visibility of the research article. As a researcher/author, optimizing your papers for academic search engines is crucial. If you are a newbie to ASEO and want to gain more insights into ASEO; you can refer to the article " Optimizing Scholarly Articles For Academic Search Engines — Every Researcher's SEO Guide ," co-authored by Dr. Lisa Schillan.

What is the difference between Google, Google Books, and Google Scholar?

Google 

Google Books

Google Scholar


google-versus-google-books-versus-google-scholar

How to create a Google Scholar profile?

Creating a profile helps both the searchers and the readers in terms of disseminating knowledge. Researchers can keep track of their citations and h-index, increasing the paper's discoverability. Alternatively, readers can easily find relevant literature on the search engine. It also helps researchers showcase their publications and access Google Scholar and citations to the readers directly without hassle. The Google Scholar profile creation is easier and involves five simple steps to get an official account here.

1. Set up your account

Visit scholar.google.com , and click on the "My Profile" option at the top left of the page. It takes you to the next page and asks you to input your Name, Affiliation, Email address, Areas of interest, and university homepage (however, it is not mandatory); you can skip it.

2. Add your publications

You can either select "Group" searches or "Articles" by looking into the research articles listed. Since Google Scholar has been indexing all the scholarly works, it might be easier for you to choose your documents and add them to your publications.

Please note if you have selected the "Groups," there are chances the group might have articles that you do not author. You can delete them later manually once you have completed creating your account.

3. Make your profile "Public"

You're almost there! You need to pick the convenient options that work best for you regarding your article updates, profile visibility, and follow-by email. It's advisable to add a profile picture and make it public to increase your profile's visibility, discoverability, and publications. Note: You can change your profile visibility from "public" to "private" anytime. There you go! Your profile is completed, and you officially have your scholar account. So, you now have the profile; what next? Time to explore its features and specifications! Let's get to know them!

What are the features and specifications of Google Scholar?

features-of-google-scholar

It provides a decent set of features that aids in the author's publication primary discovery, management, and organization process.

The major features include:

  • Save/My library: This allows you to save the relevant articles to your library.
  • Cite: You can use the "Cite" feature to cite your current or future research works
  • Cited by: By far, it is the quickest and fastest way to find out the citations of the research paper. It only shares the analytics of the times the research paper is cited in other works and provides access to the abstracts of the other articles that have cited this research paper.
  • Related articles: Helps you find similar articles on your topic of interest
  • All versions: As a reader, using this feature, you can explore the author's past versions of the research paper and keenly refer to the latest updates of the article.
  • Create Alert: You can create instant alerts for the intended topics.
  • Auto-add: It automatically updates all your latest publications to your profile. However, this can also lead to author ambiguity and show the wrong publications on your profile. But don't despair; you can manually remove unwanted articles from your profile.
  • Add Co-authors: You can also add your co-authors who have already created their profiles on the platform and keep your profile and publications updated.

What is Google Scholar Button? (GS Button)

Google Scholar Button is a browser extension or plugin that provides direct access to the search Google Scholar from any webpage. It is a search button browser extension that helps you find and access google scholar for full-text research articles on the web page or in university libraries.

How does the Google Scholar Chrome Extension work?

  • Install or add the extension to your browser.
  • Search for any research articles using partial match keywords or exact phrase keywords on Google Scholar or on the university library database.
  • Now, select the article title and click the GS button to find the article.
  • You will get the article that you can save for later or click on the cite quotes option, choose the preferred references style, and export it in the required format.

The extension works differently for On-campus library links and Off-campus library links. You can customize the settings (click on the gear icon) to choose library links, and use the extension. It's easier to find open-access articles when you are on campus. However, linking your library to the Google Scholar library or search engine while off-campus would be most beneficial. Also, library links connect to Google Scholar also work great when you are on-campus. So, how do the students link their universities to google scholar searches or the search engine? Let's unfold!

How to link your University school library to Google Scholar?

The advantages are more rhetorical when you link your university library to Google Scholar, as you can gain unrestricted access to the full-length articles and other e-materials or e-resources registered on your university database. If your university repository has cached the paywalled or subscription-based articles, you can quickly get access for free with your university ID. Here are the steps to follow:

Step 1: Open Scholar Homepage >> Go to Menu >> Jump over to "Google Scholar Settings."

Step 2: Click on the "Library Links" option >> Next to the library links enter your University name >> Check the box next to your university name. Don't forget to check the Open WorldCat box to access all the papers listed in your database.

Step 3: Click save

Step 4: Go back to the search bar >> Type any topic or article >> Shows the results.

Step 5: On the right-hand side of the result, you will find a link to the paper that is accessible from your university library (This is not the case for all the articles, for a few, you might not get any link mentioned, but you could use the ">> (more)" option to find it or access it)

Step 6: You will be redirected to your university library database upon clicking the link. Login using the credentials and find the paper!

More or less, the linking procedure remains the same for most university records. However, even after multiple attempts, if you did not get the article, you can request the article from your University; they will help you find or get it from another source!

Remember, linking your University to this database will not provide access to all the e-resources. For subject-specific or complex and in-depth paper discovery, you must explore subject-specific or individual subject databases at your University.

Few quick examples:

The Catholic University of America

The University of Texas at San Antonio

How to connect Google Scholar to the Walden Library

How to find articles on Google Scholar?

We all know that Google Scholar links most research papers to commercial journals or publishers. Once you have accessed the platform via Google Scholar login and when you search for an article on the query bar, the search results there would consist of only the abstract of the paper and citation information with a link redirecting to its publisher. Thus, the search results would predominantly include paywalled papers.

If you are accessing it from your University, here is how you find the research paper:

On-Campus: It's easier to search google scholar than ever; Login to your university, connect google scholar repository, open the link https://scholar.google.com and start searching! You will find the desired or interesting papers.

Off-Campus: First, you must link your University to the Google Scholar account. Then, use google scholar, to connect google scholar to your university VPN and start surfing for the paper that you have been looking for.

If you are interested in accessing it as an individual author without any affiliation to the University, here is how you find it:

Step 1: Search for any keyword or phrase or topic on the search bar; it's a good practice to use quote marks for the searches for faster discovery.

Step 2: You could find the article in the first SERP if the article is available on the database.

Step 3: Click on the article title; it will take you to the publisher's site. You could access the article based on its accessibility (free or paid).

Step 4: You can use the link, refer to it, and cite it if it's free. If it's paid, you can use the link to buy or pay for the access.

How to cite a reference using Google Scholar?

Google Scholar provides a hassle-free feature to cite a reference in different citation formats and styles quickly. You can mention the paper you have been eyeing by using the option "Cite" right beneath the article description. Sometimes, you will get it by clicking on the "more" option.

Click on the "cite" feature; you will get a dialogue box with different citation styles, including APA, MLA , Chicago, Harvard, and Vancouver. You can copy and paste them on paper or export them in various formats.

how-to-cite-a-reference-using-google-scholar

How to export the citations to the citation manager?

Google Scholar search provides you with various citation export formats, including BibTeX, EndNote, RefMan, RefWorks, Zotero, Mendeley, and more.

Its default bibliography manager is set to BibTeX. You can change the settings to export references to the desired format.

Follow the steps to change the settings:>> Go to Menu>> Click on Settings (gear icon) >> Bibliography Manager >> Choose the option "Show links to import citation links into">> Pick the reference management app you want from the drop-down menu. BibTeX would be set as the default one.

Now, you can find the “import link” activated, and the moment you click on the desired format, it gets downloaded, and you can save it appropriately.

Also read: Things To Keep in Mind While Citing

How to export in different formats?

Formats 

Steps to export

SAVE filenames/extensions

Connectors/Browser Bookmarklets/Web Importers

BibTeX

.txt 

EndNote

.enw 

RefMan

.ris 

Zotero

Zotero has its own or bookmarklets. By installing the browser button, you can easily export the publications library. 

Mendeley

Mendeley supports a with which you can export the preferred publications. 


RefWorks

RefWorks provides an add-on which is a browser bookmarklet called "save to RefWorks," where you can save your references directly from the web pages.


What are the limitations and criticisms of Google Scholar?

Among numerous academic search engines, Google Scholar is often regarded as one of the largest bibliographic databases that have swiftly transformed the era of basic or fundamental data access to scientific data access.

It is no joke that the database has gained popularity and created a buzz around the scholarly communication world since its onset (2004). Of course, it adheres to a guarded algorithm to show the research articles and is equipped with a series of updates on the platform. Still, tailgating the competitor's or other academic databases and accommodating the latter using Google Scholar and advanced search features has become a blocker lately and affecting its credibility and reputation.

The valuable updates and more user-friendly platform of competitor's site have set a high bar for Google, which is challenging to cross the pathway.

So, what are the limiting factors of it?

1. Criteria for assessing or evaluating the sources? It is essential to consider multiple evaluation factors while assessing any novel research paper before indexing. But, there is no technical information about the criteria or approach used to include the scholarly source in the database. Thus, the quality of the paper remains obscure to the audience.

Google scholar is regarded as the world's comprehensive bibliography database; reflecting all the "scholarly" sources without evaluation and assessment is inappropriate. Ideally, it does include all the scholarly SERP pages ranging from high-quality publications to mediocre content concealed within.

2. Ranking algorithm distortion It looks biased and impartial if we speak about the ranking or the indexing algorithm of Scholar. The results it yields are highly dependent on the citation counts, so the first SERP results would include the papers with more citations, and the reader would likely proceed with the paper and ignore the papers with the least counts. As a result, it will affect many novel research papers that might go unnoticed in the database because of low citation counts. Thus, it affects the visibility and accreditation of both budding authors and their articles.

3. In need of more filtering options

google-scholar-advance-search-options

Scholar has a huge database of 389 Million papers, but it lacks the filtering options that other search engines like SciSpace (Formerly Typeset) provide. Finding a relevant article among 300M+ documents with minimal filtering options is not worthwhile.

It lacks the following features:

  • Direct search options via papers, Authors, Conferences, Institutions, topics, etc.
  • Lack of options to select a PDF or open access (which SciSpace has and that deliberately takes the searchers to their desired set of papers for free and you don't have to pay for most of the papers)
  • Lacks the "Sort by" all criteria option (with SciSpace, anybody can find the article based on the citation counts, newest, oldest, or even in alphabetical order)
  • Filtering out the desired data based on the type, author, institution, and year.
  • The option for quick link sharing on social media platforms (which SciSpace exhibits)

4. Free Access to the papers? Or only to the abstracts? The highly critiqued question these days! Though Google Scholar has made its mark with an emblem and title of "finding infinite research papers," the question here is, "Are the articles available on the database completely free," or how do we even access them for free? No! The search engine is only responsible for searching and giving you the research papers based on the keywords. So, the results would include both freely accessible and paywalled articles.

Most of the content on the platform is from commercial journals or publishers' worlds, allowing us to access only the abstract and not the entire article. But, this is not the case with SciSpace. In SciSpace discover, you will find most of the freely available papers in PDFs, and you can access them and cite them for free. 5. Prone to Cyber sleuths, spam, and gaming! The authentication process needs to be even more stringent in Scholar. People are creating fake profiles, adding fake papers or duplicate papers on their profiles, and gaining counterfeit citations.

According to the study conducted by researchers from the University of California, Berkeley and Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, the documents created on SCIgen are getting indexed by Google Scholar, providing more citation counts and quantifying the researcher's h-index and impact factors with a good score, which is against the ethics and a question of the platform's reliability? Thereby manipulating the h-index and impact factors.

6. Lack of dynamic citation graphs view

The static portrayal of academic search engines is faded now. Lately, the ocean of scholarly publications has been flooded with numerous papers. Presenting them in 3D or visual citation formats with graphs or citation information would be fruitful for the readers and help them easily squeeze in the required information. One such example is connected graphs, which allow you to create a graph or map of your shortlisted papers required for the literature review and help you compare, analyze, and get the required information from them quicker and faster. Though the feature has great benefits, currently most databases lack it including Google Scholar.

7. Amass of information clutter

When you conduct any Google Scholar search, you will sometimes find fragmentary, hodgepodge, and even duplicated results. The output might also include different versions of the published article or preprints, so the decluttering and heuristic nourishment are still lacking on the platform.

8. Includes predatory journals

Google Scholar makes an effort to index as many publications as it can. As a part, it is also enclosing predatory journals contributing to the contamination of authentic scientific and academic resources too. There should be some approach or use of NLP to avoid this.

9. Erroneous search results

Google Scholar has trouble identifying works on the other sites precisely; thus, the output includes scattered and zombie information from many disciplines, causing inaccurate additional results. The mixed case and the interpunctuation characters in the article titles confuse the results, and the authors are given the wrong papers. Sometimes, a few sloppy outputs are presented without apparent justification. The best example would be indexing the arXiV preprint site.

10. Lacks mapping to Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)

The basic user interface and lack of Google Scholar advanced search features on Google Scholar fail to provide the information relevant to clinical practice or medicine as MEDLINE offers. Ideally, the database would be of little or no use to clinicians. Instead, clinicians are using SciSpace to get relevant pieces of information on medical library associations, clinical practice, and more.

11. No systematic and timely content feeding

Google Scholar doesn't crawl scholarly content regularly like SciSpace and Scopus databases. It falls behind in indexing the articles and keeping the database up to date. It is almost a full year behind in indexing PubMed entries. So, we cannot rely on this database to retrieve clinical practice data or records.

12. Lack of claim-level analysis

Those who have explored Scite.ai might have understood the preface of claim-level analysis. Google Scholar emphasizes the citation-based algorithm to produce the results. But, when you are performing a literature review, the citation-level study doesn't serve the purpose of providing relevant articles as the paper could or could not have supported the claim of your topic of interest.

To dodge this, Scite.ai has implemented the new NLP algorithm or tools that support the retrieval process) to sort the results based on supporting or contrasting claims. It helps the users to include or select relevant publications. However, this NLP search button doesn't work the same or yield accurate results for all the cases, and the effectiveness is still being investigated. But, users are in favor of using this claim-level analysis approach.

Likewise, myriad other limiting factors must be addressed to stand on top among competitors like SciSpace, Scopus, Web of Science, and more. Hence, the users are requesting the Google Scholar advanced search features and pitching the support team about the discrepancies and ambiguities happening on the platform.

Although it is a limited tool and not as comprehensive as it claims to be, the Google Scholar database is a decent tool that delivers results quicker and faster. You will have to wait for what it has in store for you in the future!

What is the future of Google Scholar Database?

google-scholar-future

The advantage of being an exhaustive database is itself a disadvantage here. Because a single query would fetch thousands of articles that might or might not be relevant, factoring out the irrelevant papers is another ball game. So, the database needs to work on the serendipity process to minimize scanning thousands of irrelevant or other documents by implementing recommended engines.

In the present scenario, other databases like Web of Science and Scopus essentially play with NLP and API for automatic data retrieval of papers and profiles. Google Scholar database should level up the retrieval game by integrating an AI-based or API interface to act smarter and stay connected with the reader's demands.

The research discovery should be made simpler and user-friendly by showing the full-length scientific data directly rather than sharing only the abstracts of the paper. On the flip side, it would be difficult for the Google Scholar team as they work more with commercial publishers and can only lead users to the abstract, not the full text (for paywalled articles). Again, this needs to be sorted out.

As of now, it is merely a basic search engine that crawls all the academic content published on the web. Sometimes, it even crawls the latest version of the existing article as a new paper and indexes it to the database, which could impact the author's credibility and citation counts. So, users are in quest of a better Google Scholar database that encompasses all the above-discussed pointers.

Technically, the infrastructure must be standardized to align with the researcher's needs. The updates should promote scientific discovery and support the user's novel idea.

Overall, the quality of the content, ambiguities, lack of transparency, and disingenuous results need to be evaded on the platform.

The Best Alternatives to Google Scholar

Web of Science, Scopus, and SciSpace are the best alternatives to search Google Scholar. All three databases include millions of research papers and advanced filtering options, which help you choose desired research paper in less than seconds. But, Web of Science and Scopus only help you find the research articles and are paid platforms, whereas SciSpace is the largest indexing database that caters to academicians' needs (you can access it for free).

example of research paper google scholar

SciSpace is the only integrated research platform where academicians can discover, write (effortless writing and auto-formatting), publish, and disseminate their research papers."Trace the paper" is the most crucial feature of SciSpace embraced by the research realm. The feature aids the research discovery process by keeping all the related papers visually on par. Yes, it keeps your literature review woes at bay by providing a hassle-free or click-click method to access all the relevant papers on a single page. With this feature, you can explore the related papers, citations, references, author details, contributing institutions, and related topics in no time.Another significant feature of SciSpace is Copilot. It’s an AI research assistant that simplifies reading research papers and helps researchers gain an in-depth understanding of the papers.

Let’s say you are reading a research paper and need to decode any complex/technical section of the research paper. What do you do? You go through the paper multiple times, try to refer to other papers, try to search for their meaning, and whatnot? Despite all these, getting the proper context of the section is still tricky and time-consuming. But with the help of Copilot, you can just highlight any text/section, image, table, or figure, and get the explanations. You can even snip mathematical equations and understand them in easier terms. You can even change the language and get the descriptions in a language that you would like to read a paper. You can explore Copilot on any of your papers either by searching for a paper on SciSpace directly or by uploading a PDF. You can try SciSpace Copilot and read any paper of your choice.

So yeah, SciSpace is not merely a search engine, it’s an end-to-end comprehensive platform. It helps researchers right from research discovery to reading and understanding a research paper, to writing a manuscript and submitting it to a journal.

Academicians have acknowledged our database and incorporated SciSpace research papers into their universities worldwide, including the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, Nanyang Technological University, Kent University, and more. If you've come here in search of an academic search engine to find a research paper, head over to SciSpace Discover and access any paper.

Frequently Asked Questions about Google Scholar

1. are google scholar citations accurate.

Google Scholar citations are prone to manipulation and inaccurate as it indexes all the academic content on the web regardless of version history, duplicates, name ambiguities, and more. Anything cited by the research paper, be it a blog or an excerpt, would be considered a gained citation.

2. Are google scholar articles credible?

The lack of transparency or the non-disclosure of its indexing algorithm on how the content is included in the database makes it less ideal for literature reviews and systematic reviews.

3. Is google scholar reliable?

There is no proper validation of sources on Scholar, so its reliability is still being questioned.

4. Is google scholar free to use?

Yes! The platform is free to use. You can search and discover research papers on the search engine. However, if the article is paywalled or subscription-based, you might have to follow their publishers' policy to access the research paper.

5. Is google scholar social networking?

It is not a social networking site; you can only find or discover publications on the site. But yes, you can create your academic profile on the platform and add any of your co-authors but interacting with other users is not attainable.

6. Can google scholar find conference proceedings?

You can surely find conference proceedings and conference papers. If you want to search within a particular conference, you will have to hover over the Google Scholar advanced search features and then search for them.

7. What do I do if I can't access google scholar?

The access errors can be for various reasons. Depending on the error, you can reach out to their support team.

8. How often does Google Scholar get updated?

For new papers, it gets updated regularly (day or weekly basis). For existing papers, it takes a minimum of 6-8 months to update the paper.

9. How to find research articles on google scholar?

Go to the website, input the desired paper and click on search. If the database has indexed the article, you will get it on top of the page. Else, you can discover it on SciSpace seamlessly.

10. Why is google scholar not showing my paper?

It depends on multiple factors, including accessibility (should be hosted on academic pages), publication period (it might take weeks or months to get indexed), transparency (the abstract or full-text should be made available to the users), formats (should be available in .PDF format) or size (shouldn't exceed more than 5 MB)

11. Why is google scholar not updating citations?

It takes several months to update the Google Scholar citations. So, you need to wait for it to get reflected. Also, the citation counts will not reflect if the article that has cited your paper is not indexed on this academic database.

12. Can we rely on Google scholar for grey literature?

You can refer to some of the top results, but it shouldn't be the go-to or only source for grey literature.

13. Are google scholar articles peer-reviewed?

The articles are not entirely peer-reviewed; it also indexes preprints, grey literature, and other scholarly materials that are not peer-reviewed.

14. How do I use Google Scholar for legal research?

You can click on the Case Law button on the home page and find the required information on legal research. However, the information accuracy is not assured by Google.

15. How can I access google scholar without institutional email?

You can easily access and search for any research paper without any email address or account. You will need an institutional email only if you want to indicate a verified status on your scholar profile.

16. Can I create a google scholar account without Gmail?

You cannot create an account without Gmail, but you can explore the platform and discover any research papers without creating an account.

17. How does the google scholar alert work?

Once you have set up the alert query, email, and the number of search results on the "create alert" feature, you will be notified via email of your alert preferences.

18. What is google scholar case law?

Google Scholar case law provides access to judicial branch laws or common law based on written opinions by appellate courts.

19. Does google scholar show the journals list?

There is no clear picture of the journals listed on the search engine. But, it shows the list of top publications under the feature "Metrics".

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How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal

  • Open access
  • Published: 30 April 2020
  • Volume 36 , pages 909–913, ( 2021 )

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  • Clara Busse   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-0178-1000 1 &
  • Ella August   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0001-5151-1036 1 , 2  

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Communicating research findings is an essential step in the research process. Often, peer-reviewed journals are the forum for such communication, yet many researchers are never taught how to write a publishable scientific paper. In this article, we explain the basic structure of a scientific paper and describe the information that should be included in each section. We also identify common pitfalls for each section and recommend strategies to avoid them. Further, we give advice about target journal selection and authorship. In the online resource 1 , we provide an example of a high-quality scientific paper, with annotations identifying the elements we describe in this article.

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Writing and publishing a scientific paper

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Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.

Introduction

Writing a scientific paper is an important component of the research process, yet researchers often receive little formal training in scientific writing. This is especially true in low-resource settings. In this article, we explain why choosing a target journal is important, give advice about authorship, provide a basic structure for writing each section of a scientific paper, and describe common pitfalls and recommendations for each section. In the online resource 1 , we also include an annotated journal article that identifies the key elements and writing approaches that we detail here. Before you begin your research, make sure you have ethical clearance from all relevant ethical review boards.

Select a Target Journal Early in the Writing Process

We recommend that you select a “target journal” early in the writing process; a “target journal” is the journal to which you plan to submit your paper. Each journal has a set of core readers and you should tailor your writing to this readership. For example, if you plan to submit a manuscript about vaping during pregnancy to a pregnancy-focused journal, you will need to explain what vaping is because readers of this journal may not have a background in this topic. However, if you were to submit that same article to a tobacco journal, you would not need to provide as much background information about vaping.

Information about a journal’s core readership can be found on its website, usually in a section called “About this journal” or something similar. For example, the Journal of Cancer Education presents such information on the “Aims and Scope” page of its website, which can be found here: https://www.springer.com/journal/13187/aims-and-scope .

Peer reviewer guidelines from your target journal are an additional resource that can help you tailor your writing to the journal and provide additional advice about crafting an effective article [ 1 ]. These are not always available, but it is worth a quick web search to find out.

Identify Author Roles Early in the Process

Early in the writing process, identify authors, determine the order of authors, and discuss the responsibilities of each author. Standard author responsibilities have been identified by The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) [ 2 ]. To set clear expectations about each team member’s responsibilities and prevent errors in communication, we also suggest outlining more detailed roles, such as who will draft each section of the manuscript, write the abstract, submit the paper electronically, serve as corresponding author, and write the cover letter. It is best to formalize this agreement in writing after discussing it, circulating the document to the author team for approval. We suggest creating a title page on which all authors are listed in the agreed-upon order. It may be necessary to adjust authorship roles and order during the development of the paper. If a new author order is agreed upon, be sure to update the title page in the manuscript draft.

In the case where multiple papers will result from a single study, authors should discuss who will author each paper. Additionally, authors should agree on a deadline for each paper and the lead author should take responsibility for producing an initial draft by this deadline.

Structure of the Introduction Section

The introduction section should be approximately three to five paragraphs in length. Look at examples from your target journal to decide the appropriate length. This section should include the elements shown in Fig.  1 . Begin with a general context, narrowing to the specific focus of the paper. Include five main elements: why your research is important, what is already known about the topic, the “gap” or what is not yet known about the topic, why it is important to learn the new information that your research adds, and the specific research aim(s) that your paper addresses. Your research aim should address the gap you identified. Be sure to add enough background information to enable readers to understand your study. Table 1 provides common introduction section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

figure 1

The main elements of the introduction section of an original research article. Often, the elements overlap

Methods Section

The purpose of the methods section is twofold: to explain how the study was done in enough detail to enable its replication and to provide enough contextual detail to enable readers to understand and interpret the results. In general, the essential elements of a methods section are the following: a description of the setting and participants, the study design and timing, the recruitment and sampling, the data collection process, the dataset, the dependent and independent variables, the covariates, the analytic approach for each research objective, and the ethical approval. The hallmark of an exemplary methods section is the justification of why each method was used. Table 2 provides common methods section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Results Section

The focus of the results section should be associations, or lack thereof, rather than statistical tests. Two considerations should guide your writing here. First, the results should present answers to each part of the research aim. Second, return to the methods section to ensure that the analysis and variables for each result have been explained.

Begin the results section by describing the number of participants in the final sample and details such as the number who were approached to participate, the proportion who were eligible and who enrolled, and the number of participants who dropped out. The next part of the results should describe the participant characteristics. After that, you may organize your results by the aim or by putting the most exciting results first. Do not forget to report your non-significant associations. These are still findings.

Tables and figures capture the reader’s attention and efficiently communicate your main findings [ 3 ]. Each table and figure should have a clear message and should complement, rather than repeat, the text. Tables and figures should communicate all salient details necessary for a reader to understand the findings without consulting the text. Include information on comparisons and tests, as well as information about the sample and timing of the study in the title, legend, or in a footnote. Note that figures are often more visually interesting than tables, so if it is feasible to make a figure, make a figure. To avoid confusing the reader, either avoid abbreviations in tables and figures, or define them in a footnote. Note that there should not be citations in the results section and you should not interpret results here. Table 3 provides common results section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Discussion Section

Opposite the introduction section, the discussion should take the form of a right-side-up triangle beginning with interpretation of your results and moving to general implications (Fig.  2 ). This section typically begins with a restatement of the main findings, which can usually be accomplished with a few carefully-crafted sentences.

figure 2

Major elements of the discussion section of an original research article. Often, the elements overlap

Next, interpret the meaning or explain the significance of your results, lifting the reader’s gaze from the study’s specific findings to more general applications. Then, compare these study findings with other research. Are these findings in agreement or disagreement with those from other studies? Does this study impart additional nuance to well-accepted theories? Situate your findings within the broader context of scientific literature, then explain the pathways or mechanisms that might give rise to, or explain, the results.

Journals vary in their approach to strengths and limitations sections: some are embedded paragraphs within the discussion section, while some mandate separate section headings. Keep in mind that every study has strengths and limitations. Candidly reporting yours helps readers to correctly interpret your research findings.

The next element of the discussion is a summary of the potential impacts and applications of the research. Should these results be used to optimally design an intervention? Does the work have implications for clinical protocols or public policy? These considerations will help the reader to further grasp the possible impacts of the presented work.

Finally, the discussion should conclude with specific suggestions for future work. Here, you have an opportunity to illuminate specific gaps in the literature that compel further study. Avoid the phrase “future research is necessary” because the recommendation is too general to be helpful to readers. Instead, provide substantive and specific recommendations for future studies. Table 4 provides common discussion section pitfalls and recommendations for addressing them.

Follow the Journal’s Author Guidelines

After you select a target journal, identify the journal’s author guidelines to guide the formatting of your manuscript and references. Author guidelines will often (but not always) include instructions for titles, cover letters, and other components of a manuscript submission. Read the guidelines carefully. If you do not follow the guidelines, your article will be sent back to you.

Finally, do not submit your paper to more than one journal at a time. Even if this is not explicitly stated in the author guidelines of your target journal, it is considered inappropriate and unprofessional.

Your title should invite readers to continue reading beyond the first page [ 4 , 5 ]. It should be informative and interesting. Consider describing the independent and dependent variables, the population and setting, the study design, the timing, and even the main result in your title. Because the focus of the paper can change as you write and revise, we recommend you wait until you have finished writing your paper before composing the title.

Be sure that the title is useful for potential readers searching for your topic. The keywords you select should complement those in your title to maximize the likelihood that a researcher will find your paper through a database search. Avoid using abbreviations in your title unless they are very well known, such as SNP, because it is more likely that someone will use a complete word rather than an abbreviation as a search term to help readers find your paper.

After you have written a complete draft, use the checklist (Fig. 3 ) below to guide your revisions and editing. Additional resources are available on writing the abstract and citing references [ 5 ]. When you feel that your work is ready, ask a trusted colleague or two to read the work and provide informal feedback. The box below provides a checklist that summarizes the key points offered in this article.

figure 3

Checklist for manuscript quality

Data Availability

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Vetto JT (2014) Short and sweet: a short course on concise medical writing. J Cancer Educ 29(1):194–195

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Lang TA (2017) Writing a better research article. J Public Health Emerg. https://doi.org/10.21037/jphe.2017.11.06

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Acknowledgments

Ella August is grateful to the Sustainable Sciences Institute for mentoring her in training researchers on writing and publishing their research.

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Busse, C., August, E. How to Write and Publish a Research Paper for a Peer-Reviewed Journal. J Canc Educ 36 , 909–913 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13187-020-01751-z

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How to Find Primary Research Articles on Google Scholar

example of research paper google scholar

How to Find Primary Research Articles on Google Scholar can be a daunting task. But with the right tips and tricks, you can quickly locate relevant sources to inform your work or study. By leveraging advanced search features like My Library, you’ll be able to stay organized while exploring topics of interest in no time. Let’s dive into how best to find primary research articles on Google Scholar so that you can get started uncovering valuable insights today.

Table of Contents

What is Google Scholar?

Searching for primary research articles on google scholar, tips for effective searches on google scholar, utilizing advanced search features, keeping track of your research with my library on google scholar, additional resources for finding primary research articles on google scholar, faqs in relation to how to find primary research articles on google scholar, how do i search for only primary articles in google scholar, how do i find primary research articles, how do i find research articles on google scholar, how do you tell if an article is a primary or secondary source.

Google Scholar is an online search engine that allows users to find primary research articles. Google Scholar, established in 2004, is a powerful search engine that gives access to scholarly documents including theses, preprints, and books. By using advanced algorithms and natural language processing techniques it offers a more comprehensive view of academic publications than traditional databases or search engines like Google.

How to Find Primary Research Articles on Google Scholar has numerous advantages; it provides a convenient way for researchers to quickly find applicable sources needed for their research without having to browse through many web pages or databases. Secondly, its sophisticated algorithms allow researchers to refine their searches based on relevance and date published to easily narrow down results for specific topics or time periods. Finally, because it indexes content from across the web – including open-access repositories such as PubMed Central – users have access to full-text versions of articles that may not be available elsewhere.

Accessing Google Scholar is easy; simply go to scholar.google.com and start searching with keywords related to your topic area or use the Advanced Search feature if you want more control over your results (e.g., restricting by author name). You can also sign up for an account which will enable you to save searches, create alerts when new content is added that matches your criteria, and organize references into collections known as ‘My Library’ – making tracking progress on a project much more efficient.

Google Scholar is an invaluable resource for researchers looking to access primary research articles. With the right search techniques, you can easily find full-text articles on Google Scholar and maximize your research potential. Next, we’ll explore how to use the search interface and refine results in order to locate these resources more effectively.

“Easily find primary research articles for your #R&D project with Google Scholar. Advanced algorithms and natural language processing make it easier to narrow down results quickly.” #Cypris Click to Tweet

To make the process easier, it is important to understand the search interface and refine your results with filters and preferences.

The first step in searching for primary research articles on Google Scholar is understanding the search interface. This includes learning how to use keywords, Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT), quotation marks (” “) for exact phrases, and wildcards (*). These search parameters can be employed to refine the results, making them pertinent to your inquiry.

Utilizing filters and personal preferences to narrow down search results can expedite the discovery of what is needed. With advanced features like citation tracking, “My Library” which allows users to save their searches, and “Similar Articles” for discovering related topics within a field of study, the research process is made easier. Additionally, keywords such as Boolean operators (AND, OR NOT), quotation marks (” “) for exact phrases, and wildcards (*) can be used to narrow down results in order to make them more relevant.

Finally, finding full-text articles is key when researching primary research papers on Google Scholar. The platform offers access to free versions of some publications through its “Find Full Text @ Your Library” feature but many require a subscription or purchase fee before viewing them in full detail online or downloading them as PDFs.

Exploring Google Scholar for primary research articles can be laborious, yet with some useful tips and tricks you can enhance your search results. Now that we have an understanding of the search interface, let’s explore how to refine our results and find full-text articles using advanced features such as filters and preferences.

Unlock the power of Google Scholar for primary research papers with advanced features like citation tracking, My Library, and Similar Articles. Use Boolean operators & wildcards to refine your search results. #GoogleScholar #ResearchPapers Click to Tweet

Google Scholar is an invaluable tool for researchers, scientists, and engineers looking to stay up-to-date on the latest research in their field. With its advanced search features, it can help you quickly find primary research articles that are relevant to your project or interests. Here are some suggestions to optimize your utilization of Google Scholar when seeking out primary research papers.

Google Scholar has several advanced search options that allow you to refine your searches and find more specific results. For example, you can limit your search by date range, language, author name, or journal title. Boolean operators, like “AND” and “OR”, can be utilized to form a single query by combining various keywords.

how to find primary research articles on google scholar

To refine your search even further, you can utilize the filters and preferences available on Google Scholar to narrow down results according to peer-reviewed papers from journals with high-impact factors or exclude certain authors or topics. For instance, if you want only peer-reviewed papers from journals with high-impact factors then simply select those filters before conducting your search. Additionally, if there are certain authors or topics that you would like excluded from your results then this too can be done via the preferences menu within Google Scholar.

Once you have located some applicable articles through basic keyword searches, delving into associated citations and related content can help to expand your understanding of the topic. This is especially helpful if there is not much information available on a particular subject yet, but still offers potential avenues of exploration worth pursuing further down the line. By exploring related articles and citations associated with each article one will often uncover new ideas which could potentially lead them toward interesting discoveries.

By making use of the sophisticated search capabilities, filters, and preferences provided by Google Scholar, one can easily identify primary research material related to their requirements. My Library on Google Scholar is an excellent tool for organizing and tracking your research; let’s explore how it works.

Key Takeaway  Google Scholar provides advanced search features, filters and preferences to help researchers quickly locate primary research articles relevant to their project or interests. By making use of these tools and exploring related articlescitations associated with each article one can uncover new ideas that could lead them towards interesting discoveries. Google Scholar is a great aid in locating pertinent research articles.

My Library on Google Scholar is a great asset for scientists and innovators to monitor their research progress. My Library enables users to construct a personalized repository of scholarly works, which they can organize into categories, export as bibliographies, or share with others.

Setting up a personal library in My Library is easy. To create a personal library, simply click the “My Library” link at the top right corner of any page on Google Scholar and select “Create new library” from the drop-down menu. Once your library has been created, you can start adding articles by clicking the “Save” button next to each article title in your search results list.

Organizing your library is also simple; simply drag and drop articles into different folders within My Library for easy access later on. You can also create collections of related topics or research themes which are great for organizing large amounts of data quickly and easily. Moreover, you can label articles with descriptors to make them easier to locate when needed.

By utilizing My Library on Google Scholar, researchers can easily keep track of their research and stay organized. Additionally, by exploring other databases in conjunction with Google Scholar as well as open-access journals and interlibrary loan services, they can find even more primary research articles to further their studies.

Key Takeaway  My Library on Google Scholar is a great resource for researchers and innovators to stay organized with their research. Creating a library is straightforward – just hit the ‘Create new library’ button in the top right of any page on Google Scholar, and then drag & drop articles into collections or folders to keep them ordered. Moreover, you can assign labels or tags to make it simpler to locate the material when necessary.

It can provide access to a wide variety of sources, including journal articles, books, and conference papers. Nevertheless, in order to broaden one’s search range, other databases and sources can be used alongside Google Scholar.

Using Other Databases in Conjunction with Google Scholar: Many academic institutions have their own subscription-based library databases that can be accessed through the institution’s website or portal. These databases may include full-text versions of some journals not available on Google Scholar as well as more comprehensive indexing than what is available on Google Scholar. Moreover, numerous universities offer access to specialized databases such as Web of Science or Scopus that enable users to search across multiple areas and sources simultaneously.

Open-access journals, which receive funding from sources such as the NIH and Wellcome Trusts, provide free online content under Creative Commons licenses for readers to share or reuse without permission. Open-access journals typically make all content freely available online and often use Creative Commons licenses so readers are free to share and reuse material without permission from the publisher or author(s). While these publications tend to focus more heavily on scientific topics rather than humanities topics they still contain valuable information worth exploring when searching for primary research articles related specifically to science fields such as biology or medicine.

If a desired article cannot be located elsewhere, interlibrary loan services may provide an avenue to acquire it through either physical or digital means. Through this service, users can request copies of materials held by another library either physically (through mail) or electronically (via email). This allows researchers who do not have immediate access to certain materials due to geographical restrictions the ability to acquire them nonetheless, thus greatly expanding their research capabilities beyond what would otherwise be possible with just local resources alone.

Key Takeaway  Google Scholar is a great tool for finding primary research articles, however there are other databases and resources that can be used in conjunction with it to maximize search capabilities. Additionally, open access journals may provide valuable content related to scientific fields while interlibrary loan services can also help researchers acquire materials from libraries located elsewhere.

To search for primary articles in Google Scholar, first, go to the main page and select ‘Advanced Search’. In the Advanced Search window, check off the box that says ‘Only show results from content I can access’ and then select ‘Include Patents’. Finally, click on ‘Search’. This will filter out all secondary sources such as reviews or books, leaving only primary research articles relevant to your query.

Primary research materials can be obtained through multiple avenues, such as searching online repositories, utilizing sophisticated search strategies, and consulting specialists in the discipline. Utilizing PubMed and other online databases, researchers can access an abundance of primary research articles covering a broad range of topics. Advanced search techniques involve combining keywords with Boolean operators (AND/OR) to refine searches for specific results. Consulting experts in the field is also an effective way to locate relevant primary research articles as they have specialized knowledge about certain areas that may not be available from other sources.

Begin your hunt for research articles on Google Scholar by inputting a keyword or phrase in the search field. You can refine your search results by applying filters such as date of publication, author name, and topic area. To further narrow down your search results you can use advanced search features like exact phrases and multiple keywords. Additionally, you may access scholarly literature through library databases that are connected to Google Scholar. Finally, save time by setting up email alerts for newly published papers related to topics of interest.

A primary source is an original document or record that provides first-hand information about a particular topic. Examples of primary sources can include interviews, diaries, letters, articles from when an event occurred, and photos and videos taken during the occurrence. Secondary sources are documents or records created after the fact by someone who did not experience the events firsthand. These may include books, journal articles, and reviews that analyze or discuss research already published by others.

How to find primary research articles on Google Scholar is an essential skill for researchers and innovators. With its advanced search capabilities, My Library feature, and additional resources available online, it can be an invaluable asset in the quest to discover new insights into any given topic. Whether you are looking for one article or hundreds of them on a specific subject matter – Google Scholar is here to help. Use these tips as your guide when searching for primary research articles on Google Scholar so that you can get the most out of this platform’s features.

Discover the power of Cypris to quickly find primary research articles on Google Scholar and unlock insights faster for your R&D and innovation teams. Unlock time-saving solutions with our comprehensive platform that centralizes data sources into one easy-to-use interface.

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Public Access

Google Scholar Profiles

Google Scholar Profiles provide a simple way for authors to showcase their academic publications. You can check who is citing your articles, graph citations over time, and compute several citation metrics. You can also make your profile public, so that it may appear in Google Scholar results when people search for your name, e.g., richard feynman .

Best of all, it's quick to set up and simple to maintain - even if you have written hundreds of articles, and even if your name is shared by several different scholars. You can add groups of related articles, not just one article at a time; and your citation metrics are computed and updated automatically as Google Scholar finds new citations to your work on the web. You can choose to have your list of articles updated automatically or review the updates yourself, or to manually update your articles at any time.

Set up your Google Scholar Profile

Setting up your profile

Start here. It's quick and free.

  • First, sign in to your Google account, or create one if you don't yet have one. We recommend that you use a personal account, not an account at your institution, so that you can keep your profile for as long as you wish.
  • Once you've signed in to your Google account, open the Scholar profile sign up form , confirm the spelling of your name, enter your affiliation, interests, etc. We recommend that you also enter your university email address; this would make your profile eligible for inclusion in Google Scholar search results.
  • On the next page, you'll see groups of articles written by people with names similar to yours. Add all articles that you have written; keep in mind your articles may be in several different groups, and some groups may occasionally include articles by several different authors. If you publish under several different names, you may need to do several searches to add all your articles.
  • Once you're done with adding articles, it will ask you what to do when the article data changes in Google Scholar. You can either have the updates applied to your profile automatically, or you can choose to review them beforehand. In either case, you can always go to your profile and make changes by hand.
  • Finally, you will see your profile. This is a good time to add a few finishing touches - upload your professional looking photo, visit your university email inbox and click on the verification link, double check the list of articles, and, once you're completely satisfied, make your profile public. Voila - it's now eligible to appear in Google Scholar when someone searches for your name!

Select the "Add articles" option from the menu. Search for your articles using titles, keywords, or your name. Your citation metrics will update immediately to account for the articles you added.

If your search doesn't find the right article, click "Add article manually". Then, type in the title, the authors, etc., and click "Save". Keep in mind that citations to manually added articles may not appear in your profile for a few days.

To add a group of related articles, click "Add article groups". If you have written articles under different names, with multiple groups of colleagues, or in different journals, you may need to select multiple groups. Your citation metrics will update immediately to account for the groups you added.

If the menu doesn't appear, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

Alas, we have no way of knowing which articles are really yours . Author names are often abbreviated and different people sometimes share similar names. We use a statistical model to try to tell different authors apart but such automatic processes are not always accurate. The best way to fix this is to look through the articles in your profile and remove the ones that were written by others.

Select the articles you would like to remove and then click the "Delete" button.

If the article checkboxes don't appear, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

Deleted articles are moved to the Trash. To view articles in the Trash, select the "View trash" option from the menu. To restore an article from the Trash, select the article and click the "Restore" button.

Click the title of the article and then click the "Edit" button. When you finish your changes, click the "Save" button.

If the "Edit" button doesn't appear, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

If you've made substantial changes to the article, please keep the following in mind.

  • The list of "Scholar articles" at the bottom of the page may no longer match the article you've edited. We recommend that you review this list and "unmerge" the Scholar articles that no longer correspond to your article. Scholar articles affect the computation of your "Cited by" counts and citation metrics.
  • As with manual additions of articles, it may take several days for all citations to the edited article to be collected in your profile. You can speed up the process by adding the appropriate article from Google Scholar and then merging it with your version; then, your citation metrics will update right away.
  • It's possible that the article you've edited was already in your profile as a separate record. We recommend that you merge duplicate records - click the "Title" column header to sort your articles by title, select the checkboxes next to the duplicate entries, which should now be adjacent, and then click the "Merge" button.

Select both versions of the article and click the "Merge" button. You will then see both citations for the article listed. Select the best citation to the article (you can edit it later if you wish) and click "Merge". This will merge the two versions. Your citation metrics will automatically update to count the versions you've merged as a single article, not two different articles.

Nope, the "Cited by" count after the merge is the number of papers that cite the merged article. One of these probably cites both versions that you've merged; the 27+4=31 formula counts this citation twice. But if the count has dropped below 27... ugh, please do let us know.

The ∗ indicates that the "Cited by" count includes citations that might not match this article. It is an estimate made automatically by a computer program. You can check these citations by clicking on the article's title and looking for "Scholar articles" with a ∗ next to their title.

Making your profile public

Your profile is private and visible only to you until and unless you make your profile public.

Click the "Edit" button next to your name, check the "Make my profile public" box, and click "Save".

You can share the URL displayed by the browser. It looks like this: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ID&hl=en …where ID identifies your Google Scholar profile. You can link to it from your homepage, email it to colleagues, or share it on social media. The link only works if the profile is public, and only lets other people see the profile but not make changes to it.

Click the "Edit" button next to your name, uncheck the "Make my profile public" box, and click "Save".

You also need to add a verified email address at your university or institution.

To be eligible for inclusion in Google Scholar search results, your profile needs to be public and needs to have a verified email address at your university (non-institutional email addresses, such as gmail.com, hotmail.com, aol.com, yahoo.com, qq.com, etc., are not suitable for this purpose). To add a verified email to your profile, click the "Edit" button next to your name, add your email address at your institution and click "Save". We will send you an email message with a verification link. Once you click on this link, the email address will be marked verified. Your profile will now be eligible for inclusion in Google Scholar search results.

Rest assured, we will not display your email address on your public profile. Nor will we sell it, trade it, or use it to send you email unrelated to Google Scholar.

Exploring citations to your articles

Click the "Cited by" number for the article.

Click the title of the article.

Click the "Follow" button next to your name, check the "New citations to my articles" box, and click "Done". We'll then email you when newly published articles cite any of the works in your profile.

Click the "Cited by" number for your article and then click the envelope icon in the left sidebar. Then we'll email you when newly published articles cite yours.

Google Scholar considers this article the same as another article in your profile. We display the "Cited by" count next to both of the duplicates, but we only count them once in your citation metrics.

We recommend that you merge the duplicates - select both articles and click the "Merge" button.

Probably not. We compute two versions, All and Recent, of three metrics - h-index, i10-index and the total number of citations. While there's no shortage of other reasonable metrics, the incremental usefulness of adding each number generally goes down, while the user confusion generally goes up.

Your "Cited by" counts come from the Google Scholar index. You can change the articles in your profile, but citations to them are computed and updated automatically as we update Google Scholar.

To change the "Cited by" counts in your profile, you would need to have them updated in Google Scholar. Google Scholar generally reflects the state of the web as it is currently visible to our search robots and to the majority of users. If some of the citations to your article are not included, chances are that the citing articles are not accessible to our search robots or are formatted in ways that make it difficult for our indexing algorithms to identify their bibliographic data or references.

To fix this, you'll need to identify the specific citing articles with indexing problems and work with the publisher of these articles to make the necessary changes (see our inclusion guidelines for details). For most publishers, it usually takes 6-9 months for the changes to be reflected in Google Scholar; for very large publishers, it can take much longer.

Many research funding agencies promote broad access to funded research by mandating that articles describing the research should be publicly available. The Public Access section of a Google Scholar profile contains the articles that are expected to be publicly available based on funding agency mandates. For each article, you can view the applicable mandates and see if it is publicly available. If the article has a publicly available version, a link marked [PDF] or [HTML] appears on the right hand side.

An article can be publicly available from several sources including its publisher, an institutional repository, a research area specific repository and others. The Google Scholar indexing system tries to include all publicly accessible versions that follow our inclusion guidelines . For your own profile, you can update the list of articles and make corrections. You can also make an article publicly available by uploading a PDF of the article to your own Google Drive.

The Public Access Mandates table presents summary statistics about public access mandates for different funding agencies. For each funding agency, you can view the level of public availability of mandated articles overall and over several recent years.

The Google Scholar indexing system automatically extracts funding information from the acknowledgement sections of articles. You can see the funding acknowledgement for an article by clicking on its title on the public access page.

Public access mandates usually specify that funded articles should be publicly available within a given period of time (referred to as the "embargo") after publication. You can see the embargo period for an article by clicking on its title on the public access page.

Your profile should only include articles that you wrote. To remove an article that you didn't write, click "REVIEW", then "MAKE A CORRECTION", select "I'm not an author of this article" from the list of options and click "DONE". The article will be removed from your public access page. It will also be deleted from your profile. If you don't see "MAKE A CORRECTION", sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

Click "REVIEW", then "MAKE A CORRECTION", select "This article wasn't funded by any of these agencies" from the list of options and click "DONE". The article will be removed from your public access page. If you don't see "MAKE A CORRECTION", sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

Click "REVIEW", then "MAKE A CORRECTION", select "This article's publication date is incorrect" from the list of options, enter the correct date and click "DONE". If the new publication date is outside the scope of the mandate, the article will be removed from your public access page. This will also update the publication date in your profile. If you don't see "MAKE A CORRECTION", sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

The simplest thing would be to ask your coauthor to make the article publicly available. Once the publicly available version is included in the Google Scholar index, your public access page will be automatically updated.

You can also indicate this on your public access page. To do this, click "REVIEW", then "MAKE A CORRECTION", select "I'm not the responsible author" from the list of options, select the authors that are responsible for making the article publicly available and then click "DONE". The article will then be listed in the "Recused" section on your public access page. If you don't see "MAKE A CORRECTION", sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile. Once the article is publicly available from another source, it will automatically move to the "Available" section.

The star indicates that one or more of your mandated articles is not yet publicly available and that you have recused yourself from making them available.

The Public Access section is only available for public profiles. If your profile is currently private, click the "Edit" button next to your name, check the "Make my profile public" box, and click "SAVE". If the "Edit" button doesn't appear, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

If your profile is already public and you still don't see the Public Access section, the Google Scholar indexing system has not yet identified any articles with public access mandates in your profile.

The Google Scholar indexing system tries to include all publicly accessible versions that follow our inclusion guidelines . Please contact your publisher and ask them to make sure that the publicly available version is accessible to our search robots.

You can also make the article publicly available by uploading a PDF of the article to your own Google Drive. To do that, click the "UPLOAD PDF" button next to the article on your public access page. If you don't see the "UPLOAD PDF" button, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile. Please upload only articles that you've written and have the rights to share.

The Google Scholar indexing system tries to include all publicly accessible versions that follow our inclusion guidelines . Please contact the repository administrators and ask them to make sure that the article is accessible to our search robots.

You can also make the article publicly available by uploading a PDF of the article to your own Google Drive . To do that, click the "UPLOAD PDF" button next to the article on your public access page. If you don't see the "UPLOAD PDF" button, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile. Please upload only articles that you've written and have the rights to share.

Yes, the uploaded article will be linked from your profile. It will also be eligible for inclusion in the Google Scholar index.

Click on the title of the article, and then click "UPDATE PDF". Follow the prompts to upload a PDF file from your computer. The link in your profile will be updated immediately. If the original version was indexed in Google Scholar, it will be replaced in a few days.

Note, the original uploaded article will still be in the "Public research articles" folder in your Google Drive . If you wish, you can delete it from there as well. If you don't see the original article or the 'Public research articles' folder in your Google Drive, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

Go to the "Public research articles" folder in your Google Drive , and delete the article from there. The link to the article will disappear from your profile and the Google Scholar index in a few days.

If you don't see the "Public research articles" folder or the article in question in your Google Drive, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile.

This error message means that your domain's administrators have disabled public sharing through Google Drive possibly as a part of organizational policy. Please contact your domain's administrators for assistance and clarification.

Public Access Reports for Agencies

In addition to reviewing public access for all your articles, you can also view and export public access reports for individual funding agencies. You can view an agency-specific report by clicking the agency’s name on the left-hand side of the Public Access page on desktops, or by selecting the agency in the dropdown list on the top-left side of the page on mobile phones.

Funding agencies can require articles to be available at a particular repository (e.g., PubMed Central), at a group of repositories (any subject or institutional repository), or anywhere on the web. Agency-specific reports take these requirements into account. When an article is available at a suitable location, it will be linked on the right. If you don’t see the link for an available article, you can provide the link to us. For agencies that specify a particular repository, there is also a link to submit your article to that repository. You can also fix errors - remove articles, correct publication dates, or update funding information.

Updates to your profile

You don't need to do anything! Your citation metrics and citation graph will be automatically updated whenever Google Scholar is updated.

Select "Configure article updates" from the menu. Choose the automatic updates setting and click "Update settings". Your profile will be automatically updated when Google Scholar is updated.

This setting only controls the updates to your list of articles. It does not control the updates to your "Cited by" counts and citation metrics - those are always updated to reflect the current state of the web.

To add a missing article to your profile, select "Add articles" from the menu and search for it. If you can't find your article in Google Scholar, select "Add article manually" to enter its bibliographic record by hand.

Select "Configure article updates" from the menu. Choose the confirmation email setting and click "Update settings". When we identify suitable updates for your profile, we'll send you an email message so that you can review and apply the updates.

You don't need to do anything. Automated updates will not make changes to an article that you have edited.

Reviewing updates to your profile

This happens when the Google Scholar search index changes, and it now considers this entry a duplicate of some other article in your profile. This could happen, e.g., if the publisher re-formats their papers or fixes a typo. We recommend that you accept this suggestion. You can, of course, choose to keep duplicate entries in your profile, but only one of them will be counted towards your citation metrics.

This happens when the Google Scholar search index has changed, and we have been unable to match an article in your profile with the new index. Most of the time, this is because it was considered to be a duplicate of some other article in your profile, but we weren't able to determine which one. Occasionally, the article may have been removed from Google Scholar entirely, e.g., because it's no longer available on the web, or because articles that reference it have become unavailable to our search robots.

To check if the article is a duplicate, go to your profile, click the "Title" column header to sort by title, and look for the article in question. If the same article is indeed listed multiple times, you can safely accept the suggestion to delete the unmatched entry. However, if it isn't a duplicate entry, you can choose to keep it in your profile. Though, since it is not matched in Google Scholar, its "Cited by" count will be zero.

Note that your decision to keep an unmatched entry in your profile will not reinstate the entry in Google Scholar. See the inclusion guidelines for help on including your articles in Google Scholar.

General questions

It's under " My profile " on top of the page or in the side drawer. If this link shows a profile creation form, sign in to the Google account that you used to create your profile and try again.

Select the articles you'd like to export - or check the box next to the "Title" column header to select all articles in your profile - and click the "Export" button. Follow the prompts to download a BibTeX, EndNote, RefMan, or CSV file.

Click the column header labeled "Year".

Click the "Edit" button next to your name, paste the URL into the "Homepage" field, and click "Save".

If the profile is yours, sign in to the Google account that you used to create it, and follow the instructions in the Setup section to make corrections. You can add, delete, edit, and merge articles in your own profile.

If the profile is someone else's, it's best to contact its author and ask them to make a correction.

Note that profile owners can't change their "Cited-by" counts, and that updating an article in a profile does not change it in the Google Scholar search results. To make those kinds of corrections, you usually need to talk to the article's publisher; please refer to the inclusion guidelines .

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Google Scholar Guide

  • Advanced searching

Google Scholar provides several advanced searching options. These options may include the use of:

  • the Advanced search features.
  • Boolean and proximity operators.
  • words as search operators.
  • symbols as search operators.

The Advanced search features

Click the hamburger icon ( ) on the left-hand corner. This reveals a menu from which you could choose the Advanced search .

Image showing the advanced search option in Google Scholar

Once you select the Advanced search , a pop-up window with the available advanced search options appears.

Image showing the Advanced search options in Google Scholar

You may use the following options:

  • Find articles with all of the terms: Default search option. | Combines search terms. | Retrieves articles that include all search terms. | Narrows down search results.
  • Find articles with the exact phrase: Retrieves articles which include the search terms when they appear together, as an exact phrase. | Narrows down search results.
  • Find articles with at least one of the words: Retrieves articles which include either or all search terms. | Expands search results.
  • Find articles without the words: Excludes search terms. | Narrows down search results.

You can specify where the words you are searching may appear, by using any of the following options:

  • anywhere in the article: Default search option. | Returns articles which include the search terms in any part of the article; title or body. | Works in conjunction with any of the "Find articles" options.
  • in the title of the article: Returns articles which include the search terms only in the title of the article. |  Works in conjunction with any of the "Find articles" options. 

There are three additional search options to use:

  • Return articles authored by: Returns articles written by a particular author | Works in conjunction with any of the "Find articles" or "Return articles" options. | Narrows down search results.
  • Return articles published in: Returns articles published in a particular periodical publication. | Works in conjunction with any of the "Find articles" or "Return articles" options. | Narrows down search results.
  • Return articles dated between: Returns articles published in a particular date range. | Works in conjunction with any of the "Find articles" or "Return articles" options. | Narrows down search results.

Boolean operators

This type of search uses operators that help you narrow or broaden your search. The most common operators are AND , OR , NOT . Check the table below to see when and how to use them in Google Scholar.

 

   

Finds terms included in a search query, so it search results.

 

library anxiety

 

  Good practice when you want to search terms. It needs to be in letters.

Finds or terms included in a search query, so it search results.

 

library (anxiety  fear)

 

  Good practice when there is that describe a topic. It needs to be in letters.

Finds the term included in a query but the so it search results.

 

library anxiety  graduate

 

  Good practice when not useful words pop up in your results. Do spell out the word NOT use the or instead. Do not add a space after the hyphen. The search term you wish to exclude should appear immediately after it.

Allows to search by of words, so it search results.

 

library anxiety  graduate

 

  It should be written in letters. You can add spaces between the first search term(s), AROUND, the parenthesis with the number that indicates how close the next search term should appear in the results and the second search term(s).

Words as search operators

Google Scholar supports the use of words as search operators. These words are:

  • intitle : Results include a specific search term in the title of the article.| Syntax: intitle:search term   Tip! Do not add a space after the colon.
  • intext : Results include a specific search term in the body of the article.| Syntax: intext:search term   Tip! Do not add a space after the colon.
  • author : Results include articles written by a specific author.| Syntax: author:"first name last name"   Tip! Do not add a space after the colon. Place quotation marks around the author's name.
  • source : Results include articles published in a particular journal.| Syntax: source:"journal title"   Tip! Do not add a space after the colon. Place quotation marks around the journal title.
  • ininventor : Results include patent related documents including the name of a patent inventor. Syntax: ininventor:"first name last name"   Tip! Do not add a space after the colon. Place quotation marks around the inventor's name.
  • assignee : Results include patent related documents including the entity that is granted the ownership of the patent.| Syntax: assignee:"entity name"   Tip! Do not add a space after the colon. Place quotation marks around the entity name.

Symbols as search operators

Google Scholar supports the use of symbols as search operators. These symbols are:

  • Quotation marks ( " " ): Results include the search terms when they appear as a phrase. Syntax: "search term A search term B"
  • Hyphen (  -  ): You can use the hyphen to indicate that words are strongly connected. Syntax: search term A-search term B |  Tip! Do not add spaces before and after the hyphen.
  • Hyphen (  -  ): You can use the hyphen to exclude words from a search query. Syntax: search term A -search term B |  Tip! Add a space after the first search terms, but do not add a space between the hyphen and the search term you want to exclude.
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A Template and Guide to Writing Academic Papers

Markus G Kittler at MCI Management Center Innsbruck

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Focus: Education — Career Advice

How to write your first research paper.

Writing a research manuscript is an intimidating process for many novice writers in the sciences. One of the stumbling blocks is the beginning of the process and creating the first draft. This paper presents guidelines on how to initiate the writing process and draft each section of a research manuscript. The paper discusses seven rules that allow the writer to prepare a well-structured and comprehensive manuscript for a publication submission. In addition, the author lists different strategies for successful revision. Each of those strategies represents a step in the revision process and should help the writer improve the quality of the manuscript. The paper could be considered a brief manual for publication.

It is late at night. You have been struggling with your project for a year. You generated an enormous amount of interesting data. Your pipette feels like an extension of your hand, and running western blots has become part of your daily routine, similar to brushing your teeth. Your colleagues think you are ready to write a paper, and your lab mates tease you about your “slow” writing progress. Yet days pass, and you cannot force yourself to sit down to write. You have not written anything for a while (lab reports do not count), and you feel you have lost your stamina. How does the writing process work? How can you fit your writing into a daily schedule packed with experiments? What section should you start with? What distinguishes a good research paper from a bad one? How should you revise your paper? These and many other questions buzz in your head and keep you stressed. As a result, you procrastinate. In this paper, I will discuss the issues related to the writing process of a scientific paper. Specifically, I will focus on the best approaches to start a scientific paper, tips for writing each section, and the best revision strategies.

1. Schedule your writing time in Outlook

Whether you have written 100 papers or you are struggling with your first, starting the process is the most difficult part unless you have a rigid writing schedule. Writing is hard. It is a very difficult process of intense concentration and brain work. As stated in Hayes’ framework for the study of writing: “It is a generative activity requiring motivation, and it is an intellectual activity requiring cognitive processes and memory” [ 1 ]. In his book How to Write a Lot: A Practical Guide to Productive Academic Writing , Paul Silvia says that for some, “it’s easier to embalm the dead than to write an article about it” [ 2 ]. Just as with any type of hard work, you will not succeed unless you practice regularly. If you have not done physical exercises for a year, only regular workouts can get you into good shape again. The same kind of regular exercises, or I call them “writing sessions,” are required to be a productive author. Choose from 1- to 2-hour blocks in your daily work schedule and consider them as non-cancellable appointments. When figuring out which blocks of time will be set for writing, you should select the time that works best for this type of work. For many people, mornings are more productive. One Yale University graduate student spent a semester writing from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. when her lab was empty. At the end of the semester, she was amazed at how much she accomplished without even interrupting her regular lab hours. In addition, doing the hardest task first thing in the morning contributes to the sense of accomplishment during the rest of the day. This positive feeling spills over into our work and life and has a very positive effect on our overall attitude.

Rule 1: Create regular time blocks for writing as appointments in your calendar and keep these appointments.

2. start with an outline.

Now that you have scheduled time, you need to decide how to start writing. The best strategy is to start with an outline. This will not be an outline that you are used to, with Roman numerals for each section and neat parallel listing of topic sentences and supporting points. This outline will be similar to a template for your paper. Initially, the outline will form a structure for your paper; it will help generate ideas and formulate hypotheses. Following the advice of George M. Whitesides, “. . . start with a blank piece of paper, and write down, in any order, all important ideas that occur to you concerning the paper” [ 3 ]. Use Table 1 as a starting point for your outline. Include your visuals (figures, tables, formulas, equations, and algorithms), and list your findings. These will constitute the first level of your outline, which will eventually expand as you elaborate.

1. What is the topic of my paper?
2. Why is this topic important?
3. How could I formulate my hypothesis?
4. What are my results (include visuals)?
5. What is my major finding?

The next stage is to add context and structure. Here you will group all your ideas into sections: Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion/Conclusion ( Table 2 ). This step will help add coherence to your work and sift your ideas.

1. Why is your research important?
2. What is known about the topic?
3. What are your hypotheses?
4. What are your objectives?
1. What materials did you use?
2. Who were the subjects of your study?
3. What was the design of your research?
4. What procedure did you follow?
1. What are your most significant results?
2. What are your supporting results?
1. What are the studies major findings?
2. What is the significance/implication of the results?

Now that you have expanded your outline, you are ready for the next step: discussing the ideas for your paper with your colleagues and mentor. Many universities have a writing center where graduate students can schedule individual consultations and receive assistance with their paper drafts. Getting feedback during early stages of your draft can save a lot of time. Talking through ideas allows people to conceptualize and organize thoughts to find their direction without wasting time on unnecessary writing. Outlining is the most effective way of communicating your ideas and exchanging thoughts. Moreover, it is also the best stage to decide to which publication you will submit the paper. Many people come up with three choices and discuss them with their mentors and colleagues. Having a list of journal priorities can help you quickly resubmit your paper if your paper is rejected.

Rule 2: Create a detailed outline and discuss it with your mentor and peers.

3. continue with drafts.

After you get enough feedback and decide on the journal you will submit to, the process of real writing begins. Copy your outline into a separate file and expand on each of the points, adding data and elaborating on the details. When you create the first draft, do not succumb to the temptation of editing. Do not slow down to choose a better word or better phrase; do not halt to improve your sentence structure. Pour your ideas into the paper and leave revision and editing for later. As Paul Silvia explains, “Revising while you generate text is like drinking decaffeinated coffee in the early morning: noble idea, wrong time” [ 2 ].

Many students complain that they are not productive writers because they experience writer’s block. Staring at an empty screen is frustrating, but your screen is not really empty: You have a template of your article, and all you need to do is fill in the blanks. Indeed, writer’s block is a logical fallacy for a scientist ― it is just an excuse to procrastinate. When scientists start writing a research paper, they already have their files with data, lab notes with materials and experimental designs, some visuals, and tables with results. All they need to do is scrutinize these pieces and put them together into a comprehensive paper.

3.1. Starting with Materials and Methods

If you still struggle with starting a paper, then write the Materials and Methods section first. Since you have all your notes, it should not be problematic for you to describe the experimental design and procedures. Your most important goal in this section is to be as explicit as possible by providing enough detail and references. In the end, the purpose of this section is to allow other researchers to evaluate and repeat your work. So do not run into the same problems as the writers of the sentences in (1):

1a. Bacteria were pelleted by centrifugation. 1b. To isolate T cells, lymph nodes were collected.

As you can see, crucial pieces of information are missing: the speed of centrifuging your bacteria, the time, and the temperature in (1a); the source of lymph nodes for collection in (b). The sentences can be improved when information is added, as in (2a) and (2b), respectfully:

2a. Bacteria were pelleted by centrifugation at 3000g for 15 min at 25°C. 2b. To isolate T cells, mediastinal and mesenteric lymph nodes from Balb/c mice were collected at day 7 after immunization with ovabumin.

If your method has previously been published and is well-known, then you should provide only the literature reference, as in (3a). If your method is unpublished, then you need to make sure you provide all essential details, as in (3b).

3a. Stem cells were isolated, according to Johnson [23]. 3b. Stem cells were isolated using biotinylated carbon nanotubes coated with anti-CD34 antibodies.

Furthermore, cohesion and fluency are crucial in this section. One of the malpractices resulting in disrupted fluency is switching from passive voice to active and vice versa within the same paragraph, as shown in (4). This switching misleads and distracts the reader.

4. Behavioral computer-based experiments of Study 1 were programmed by using E-Prime. We took ratings of enjoyment, mood, and arousal as the patients listened to preferred pleasant music and unpreferred music by using Visual Analogue Scales (SI Methods). The preferred and unpreferred status of the music was operationalized along a continuum of pleasantness [ 4 ].

The problem with (4) is that the reader has to switch from the point of view of the experiment (passive voice) to the point of view of the experimenter (active voice). This switch causes confusion about the performer of the actions in the first and the third sentences. To improve the coherence and fluency of the paragraph above, you should be consistent in choosing the point of view: first person “we” or passive voice [ 5 ]. Let’s consider two revised examples in (5).

5a. We programmed behavioral computer-based experiments of Study 1 by using E-Prime. We took ratings of enjoyment, mood, and arousal by using Visual Analogue Scales (SI Methods) as the patients listened to preferred pleasant music and unpreferred music. We operationalized the preferred and unpreferred status of the music along a continuum of pleasantness. 5b. Behavioral computer-based experiments of Study 1 were programmed by using E-Prime. Ratings of enjoyment, mood, and arousal were taken as the patients listened to preferred pleasant music and unpreferred music by using Visual Analogue Scales (SI Methods). The preferred and unpreferred status of the music was operationalized along a continuum of pleasantness.

If you choose the point of view of the experimenter, then you may end up with repetitive “we did this” sentences. For many readers, paragraphs with sentences all beginning with “we” may also sound disruptive. So if you choose active sentences, you need to keep the number of “we” subjects to a minimum and vary the beginnings of the sentences [ 6 ].

Interestingly, recent studies have reported that the Materials and Methods section is the only section in research papers in which passive voice predominantly overrides the use of the active voice [ 5 , 7 , 8 , 9 ]. For example, Martínez shows a significant drop in active voice use in the Methods sections based on the corpus of 1 million words of experimental full text research articles in the biological sciences [ 7 ]. According to the author, the active voice patterned with “we” is used only as a tool to reveal personal responsibility for the procedural decisions in designing and performing experimental work. This means that while all other sections of the research paper use active voice, passive voice is still the most predominant in Materials and Methods sections.

Writing Materials and Methods sections is a meticulous and time consuming task requiring extreme accuracy and clarity. This is why when you complete your draft, you should ask for as much feedback from your colleagues as possible. Numerous readers of this section will help you identify the missing links and improve the technical style of this section.

Rule 3: Be meticulous and accurate in describing the Materials and Methods. Do not change the point of view within one paragraph.

3.2. writing results section.

For many authors, writing the Results section is more intimidating than writing the Materials and Methods section . If people are interested in your paper, they are interested in your results. That is why it is vital to use all your writing skills to objectively present your key findings in an orderly and logical sequence using illustrative materials and text.

Your Results should be organized into different segments or subsections where each one presents the purpose of the experiment, your experimental approach, data including text and visuals (tables, figures, schematics, algorithms, and formulas), and data commentary. For most journals, your data commentary will include a meaningful summary of the data presented in the visuals and an explanation of the most significant findings. This data presentation should not repeat the data in the visuals, but rather highlight the most important points. In the “standard” research paper approach, your Results section should exclude data interpretation, leaving it for the Discussion section. However, interpretations gradually and secretly creep into research papers: “Reducing the data, generalizing from the data, and highlighting scientific cases are all highly interpretive processes. It should be clear by now that we do not let the data speak for themselves in research reports; in summarizing our results, we interpret them for the reader” [ 10 ]. As a result, many journals including the Journal of Experimental Medicine and the Journal of Clinical Investigation use joint Results/Discussion sections, where results are immediately followed by interpretations.

Another important aspect of this section is to create a comprehensive and supported argument or a well-researched case. This means that you should be selective in presenting data and choose only those experimental details that are essential for your reader to understand your findings. You might have conducted an experiment 20 times and collected numerous records, but this does not mean that you should present all those records in your paper. You need to distinguish your results from your data and be able to discard excessive experimental details that could distract and confuse the reader. However, creating a picture or an argument should not be confused with data manipulation or falsification, which is a willful distortion of data and results. If some of your findings contradict your ideas, you have to mention this and find a plausible explanation for the contradiction.

In addition, your text should not include irrelevant and peripheral information, including overview sentences, as in (6).

6. To show our results, we first introduce all components of experimental system and then describe the outcome of infections.

Indeed, wordiness convolutes your sentences and conceals your ideas from readers. One common source of wordiness is unnecessary intensifiers. Adverbial intensifiers such as “clearly,” “essential,” “quite,” “basically,” “rather,” “fairly,” “really,” and “virtually” not only add verbosity to your sentences, but also lower your results’ credibility. They appeal to the reader’s emotions but lower objectivity, as in the common examples in (7):

7a. Table 3 clearly shows that … 7b. It is obvious from figure 4 that …

Another source of wordiness is nominalizations, i.e., nouns derived from verbs and adjectives paired with weak verbs including “be,” “have,” “do,” “make,” “cause,” “provide,” and “get” and constructions such as “there is/are.”

8a. We tested the hypothesis that there is a disruption of membrane asymmetry. 8b. In this paper we provide an argument that stem cells repopulate injured organs.

In the sentences above, the abstract nominalizations “disruption” and “argument” do not contribute to the clarity of the sentences, but rather clutter them with useless vocabulary that distracts from the meaning. To improve your sentences, avoid unnecessary nominalizations and change passive verbs and constructions into active and direct sentences.

9a. We tested the hypothesis that the membrane asymmetry is disrupted. 9b. In this paper we argue that stem cells repopulate injured organs.

Your Results section is the heart of your paper, representing a year or more of your daily research. So lead your reader through your story by writing direct, concise, and clear sentences.

Rule 4: Be clear, concise, and objective in describing your Results.

3.3. now it is time for your introduction.

Now that you are almost half through drafting your research paper, it is time to update your outline. While describing your Methods and Results, many of you diverged from the original outline and re-focused your ideas. So before you move on to create your Introduction, re-read your Methods and Results sections and change your outline to match your research focus. The updated outline will help you review the general picture of your paper, the topic, the main idea, and the purpose, which are all important for writing your introduction.

The best way to structure your introduction is to follow the three-move approach shown in Table 3 .

a. Show that the general research area is important, central, interesting, and problematic in some way;
a. Indicate a gap in the previous research, or extend previous knowledge in some way.
a. Outline purposes or state the nature of the present research;
b. List research questions or hypotheses;
c. Announce principle findings;
d. State the value of the present research;
e. Indicate the structure of the research paper.

Adapted from Swales and Feak [ 11 ].

The moves and information from your outline can help to create your Introduction efficiently and without missing steps. These moves are traffic signs that lead the reader through the road of your ideas. Each move plays an important role in your paper and should be presented with deep thought and care. When you establish the territory, you place your research in context and highlight the importance of your research topic. By finding the niche, you outline the scope of your research problem and enter the scientific dialogue. The final move, “occupying the niche,” is where you explain your research in a nutshell and highlight your paper’s significance. The three moves allow your readers to evaluate their interest in your paper and play a significant role in the paper review process, determining your paper reviewers.

Some academic writers assume that the reader “should follow the paper” to find the answers about your methodology and your findings. As a result, many novice writers do not present their experimental approach and the major findings, wrongly believing that the reader will locate the necessary information later while reading the subsequent sections [ 5 ]. However, this “suspense” approach is not appropriate for scientific writing. To interest the reader, scientific authors should be direct and straightforward and present informative one-sentence summaries of the results and the approach.

Another problem is that writers understate the significance of the Introduction. Many new researchers mistakenly think that all their readers understand the importance of the research question and omit this part. However, this assumption is faulty because the purpose of the section is not to evaluate the importance of the research question in general. The goal is to present the importance of your research contribution and your findings. Therefore, you should be explicit and clear in describing the benefit of the paper.

The Introduction should not be long. Indeed, for most journals, this is a very brief section of about 250 to 600 words, but it might be the most difficult section due to its importance.

Rule 5: Interest your reader in the Introduction section by signalling all its elements and stating the novelty of the work.

3.4. discussion of the results.

For many scientists, writing a Discussion section is as scary as starting a paper. Most of the fear comes from the variation in the section. Since every paper has its unique results and findings, the Discussion section differs in its length, shape, and structure. However, some general principles of writing this section still exist. Knowing these rules, or “moves,” can change your attitude about this section and help you create a comprehensive interpretation of your results.

The purpose of the Discussion section is to place your findings in the research context and “to explain the meaning of the findings and why they are important, without appearing arrogant, condescending, or patronizing” [ 11 ]. The structure of the first two moves is almost a mirror reflection of the one in the Introduction. In the Introduction, you zoom in from general to specific and from the background to your research question; in the Discussion section, you zoom out from the summary of your findings to the research context, as shown in Table 4 .

a. State the study’s major findings.
b. Explain the meaning and importance of your finding.
c. Consider alternative explanations of the findings.
a. Compare and contrast your findings with those of other published results.
b. Explain any discrepancies and unexpected findings.
c. State the limitations, weaknesses, and assumptions of your study.
a. Summarize the answers to the research questions.
b. Indicate the importance of the work by stating applications, recommendations, and implications.

Adapted from Swales and Feak and Hess [ 11 , 12 ].

The biggest challenge for many writers is the opening paragraph of the Discussion section. Following the moves in Table 1 , the best choice is to start with the study’s major findings that provide the answer to the research question in your Introduction. The most common starting phrases are “Our findings demonstrate . . .,” or “In this study, we have shown that . . .,” or “Our results suggest . . .” In some cases, however, reminding the reader about the research question or even providing a brief context and then stating the answer would make more sense. This is important in those cases where the researcher presents a number of findings or where more than one research question was presented. Your summary of the study’s major findings should be followed by your presentation of the importance of these findings. One of the most frequent mistakes of the novice writer is to assume the importance of his findings. Even if the importance is clear to you, it may not be obvious to your reader. Digesting the findings and their importance to your reader is as crucial as stating your research question.

Another useful strategy is to be proactive in the first move by predicting and commenting on the alternative explanations of the results. Addressing potential doubts will save you from painful comments about the wrong interpretation of your results and will present you as a thoughtful and considerate researcher. Moreover, the evaluation of the alternative explanations might help you create a logical step to the next move of the discussion section: the research context.

The goal of the research context move is to show how your findings fit into the general picture of the current research and how you contribute to the existing knowledge on the topic. This is also the place to discuss any discrepancies and unexpected findings that may otherwise distort the general picture of your paper. Moreover, outlining the scope of your research by showing the limitations, weaknesses, and assumptions is essential and adds modesty to your image as a scientist. However, make sure that you do not end your paper with the problems that override your findings. Try to suggest feasible explanations and solutions.

If your submission does not require a separate Conclusion section, then adding another paragraph about the “take-home message” is a must. This should be a general statement reiterating your answer to the research question and adding its scientific implications, practical application, or advice.

Just as in all other sections of your paper, the clear and precise language and concise comprehensive sentences are vital. However, in addition to that, your writing should convey confidence and authority. The easiest way to illustrate your tone is to use the active voice and the first person pronouns. Accompanied by clarity and succinctness, these tools are the best to convince your readers of your point and your ideas.

Rule 6: Present the principles, relationships, and generalizations in a concise and convincing tone.

4. choosing the best working revision strategies.

Now that you have created the first draft, your attitude toward your writing should have improved. Moreover, you should feel more confident that you are able to accomplish your project and submit your paper within a reasonable timeframe. You also have worked out your writing schedule and followed it precisely. Do not stop ― you are only at the midpoint from your destination. Just as the best and most precious diamond is no more than an unattractive stone recognized only by trained professionals, your ideas and your results may go unnoticed if they are not polished and brushed. Despite your attempts to present your ideas in a logical and comprehensive way, first drafts are frequently a mess. Use the advice of Paul Silvia: “Your first drafts should sound like they were hastily translated from Icelandic by a non-native speaker” [ 2 ]. The degree of your success will depend on how you are able to revise and edit your paper.

The revision can be done at the macrostructure and the microstructure levels [ 13 ]. The macrostructure revision includes the revision of the organization, content, and flow. The microstructure level includes individual words, sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

The best way to approach the macrostructure revision is through the outline of the ideas in your paper. The last time you updated your outline was before writing the Introduction and the Discussion. Now that you have the beginning and the conclusion, you can take a bird’s-eye view of the whole paper. The outline will allow you to see if the ideas of your paper are coherently structured, if your results are logically built, and if the discussion is linked to the research question in the Introduction. You will be able to see if something is missing in any of the sections or if you need to rearrange your information to make your point.

The next step is to revise each of the sections starting from the beginning. Ideally, you should limit yourself to working on small sections of about five pages at a time [ 14 ]. After these short sections, your eyes get used to your writing and your efficiency in spotting problems decreases. When reading for content and organization, you should control your urge to edit your paper for sentence structure and grammar and focus only on the flow of your ideas and logic of your presentation. Experienced researchers tend to make almost three times the number of changes to meaning than novice writers [ 15 , 16 ]. Revising is a difficult but useful skill, which academic writers obtain with years of practice.

In contrast to the macrostructure revision, which is a linear process and is done usually through a detailed outline and by sections, microstructure revision is a non-linear process. While the goal of the macrostructure revision is to analyze your ideas and their logic, the goal of the microstructure editing is to scrutinize the form of your ideas: your paragraphs, sentences, and words. You do not need and are not recommended to follow the order of the paper to perform this type of revision. You can start from the end or from different sections. You can even revise by reading sentences backward, sentence by sentence and word by word.

One of the microstructure revision strategies frequently used during writing center consultations is to read the paper aloud [ 17 ]. You may read aloud to yourself, to a tape recorder, or to a colleague or friend. When reading and listening to your paper, you are more likely to notice the places where the fluency is disrupted and where you stumble because of a very long and unclear sentence or a wrong connector.

Another revision strategy is to learn your common errors and to do a targeted search for them [ 13 ]. All writers have a set of problems that are specific to them, i.e., their writing idiosyncrasies. Remembering these problems is as important for an academic writer as remembering your friends’ birthdays. Create a list of these idiosyncrasies and run a search for these problems using your word processor. If your problem is demonstrative pronouns without summary words, then search for “this/these/those” in your text and check if you used the word appropriately. If you have a problem with intensifiers, then search for “really” or “very” and delete them from the text. The same targeted search can be done to eliminate wordiness. Searching for “there is/are” or “and” can help you avoid the bulky sentences.

The final strategy is working with a hard copy and a pencil. Print a double space copy with font size 14 and re-read your paper in several steps. Try reading your paper line by line with the rest of the text covered with a piece of paper. When you are forced to see only a small portion of your writing, you are less likely to get distracted and are more likely to notice problems. You will end up spotting more unnecessary words, wrongly worded phrases, or unparallel constructions.

After you apply all these strategies, you are ready to share your writing with your friends, colleagues, and a writing advisor in the writing center. Get as much feedback as you can, especially from non-specialists in your field. Patiently listen to what others say to you ― you are not expected to defend your writing or explain what you wanted to say. You may decide what you want to change and how after you receive the feedback and sort it in your head. Even though some researchers make the revision an endless process and can hardly stop after a 14th draft; having from five to seven drafts of your paper is a norm in the sciences. If you can’t stop revising, then set a deadline for yourself and stick to it. Deadlines always help.

Rule 7: Revise your paper at the macrostructure and the microstructure level using different strategies and techniques. Receive feedback and revise again.

5. it is time to submit.

It is late at night again. You are still in your lab finishing revisions and getting ready to submit your paper. You feel happy ― you have finally finished a year’s worth of work. You will submit your paper tomorrow, and regardless of the outcome, you know that you can do it. If one journal does not take your paper, you will take advantage of the feedback and resubmit again. You will have a publication, and this is the most important achievement.

What is even more important is that you have your scheduled writing time that you are going to keep for your future publications, for reading and taking notes, for writing grants, and for reviewing papers. You are not going to lose stamina this time, and you will become a productive scientist. But for now, let’s celebrate the end of the paper.

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  • How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates

Published on January 2, 2023 by Shona McCombes . Revised on September 11, 2023.

What is a literature review? A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources on a specific topic. It provides an overview of current knowledge, allowing you to identify relevant theories, methods, and gaps in the existing research that you can later apply to your paper, thesis, or dissertation topic .

There are five key steps to writing a literature review:

  • Search for relevant literature
  • Evaluate sources
  • Identify themes, debates, and gaps
  • Outline the structure
  • Write your literature review

A good literature review doesn’t just summarize sources—it analyzes, synthesizes , and critically evaluates to give a clear picture of the state of knowledge on the subject.

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Table of contents

What is the purpose of a literature review, examples of literature reviews, step 1 – search for relevant literature, step 2 – evaluate and select sources, step 3 – identify themes, debates, and gaps, step 4 – outline your literature review’s structure, step 5 – write your literature review, free lecture slides, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions, introduction.

  • Quick Run-through
  • Step 1 & 2

When you write a thesis , dissertation , or research paper , you will likely have to conduct a literature review to situate your research within existing knowledge. The literature review gives you a chance to:

  • Demonstrate your familiarity with the topic and its scholarly context
  • Develop a theoretical framework and methodology for your research
  • Position your work in relation to other researchers and theorists
  • Show how your research addresses a gap or contributes to a debate
  • Evaluate the current state of research and demonstrate your knowledge of the scholarly debates around your topic.

Writing literature reviews is a particularly important skill if you want to apply for graduate school or pursue a career in research. We’ve written a step-by-step guide that you can follow below.

Literature review guide

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See an example

example of research paper google scholar

Writing literature reviews can be quite challenging! A good starting point could be to look at some examples, depending on what kind of literature review you’d like to write.

  • Example literature review #1: “Why Do People Migrate? A Review of the Theoretical Literature” ( Theoretical literature review about the development of economic migration theory from the 1950s to today.)
  • Example literature review #2: “Literature review as a research methodology: An overview and guidelines” ( Methodological literature review about interdisciplinary knowledge acquisition and production.)
  • Example literature review #3: “The Use of Technology in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Thematic literature review about the effects of technology on language acquisition.)
  • Example literature review #4: “Learners’ Listening Comprehension Difficulties in English Language Learning: A Literature Review” ( Chronological literature review about how the concept of listening skills has changed over time.)

You can also check out our templates with literature review examples and sample outlines at the links below.

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Before you begin searching for literature, you need a clearly defined topic .

If you are writing the literature review section of a dissertation or research paper, you will search for literature related to your research problem and questions .

Make a list of keywords

Start by creating a list of keywords related to your research question. Include each of the key concepts or variables you’re interested in, and list any synonyms and related terms. You can add to this list as you discover new keywords in the process of your literature search.

  • Social media, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat, TikTok
  • Body image, self-perception, self-esteem, mental health
  • Generation Z, teenagers, adolescents, youth

Search for relevant sources

Use your keywords to begin searching for sources. Some useful databases to search for journals and articles include:

  • Your university’s library catalogue
  • Google Scholar
  • Project Muse (humanities and social sciences)
  • Medline (life sciences and biomedicine)
  • EconLit (economics)
  • Inspec (physics, engineering and computer science)

You can also use boolean operators to help narrow down your search.

Make sure to read the abstract to find out whether an article is relevant to your question. When you find a useful book or article, you can check the bibliography to find other relevant sources.

You likely won’t be able to read absolutely everything that has been written on your topic, so it will be necessary to evaluate which sources are most relevant to your research question.

For each publication, ask yourself:

  • What question or problem is the author addressing?
  • What are the key concepts and how are they defined?
  • What are the key theories, models, and methods?
  • Does the research use established frameworks or take an innovative approach?
  • What are the results and conclusions of the study?
  • How does the publication relate to other literature in the field? Does it confirm, add to, or challenge established knowledge?
  • What are the strengths and weaknesses of the research?

Make sure the sources you use are credible , and make sure you read any landmark studies and major theories in your field of research.

You can use our template to summarize and evaluate sources you’re thinking about using. Click on either button below to download.

Take notes and cite your sources

As you read, you should also begin the writing process. Take notes that you can later incorporate into the text of your literature review.

It is important to keep track of your sources with citations to avoid plagiarism . It can be helpful to make an annotated bibliography , where you compile full citation information and write a paragraph of summary and analysis for each source. This helps you remember what you read and saves time later in the process.

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To begin organizing your literature review’s argument and structure, be sure you understand the connections and relationships between the sources you’ve read. Based on your reading and notes, you can look for:

  • Trends and patterns (in theory, method or results): do certain approaches become more or less popular over time?
  • Themes: what questions or concepts recur across the literature?
  • Debates, conflicts and contradictions: where do sources disagree?
  • Pivotal publications: are there any influential theories or studies that changed the direction of the field?
  • Gaps: what is missing from the literature? Are there weaknesses that need to be addressed?

This step will help you work out the structure of your literature review and (if applicable) show how your own research will contribute to existing knowledge.

  • Most research has focused on young women.
  • There is an increasing interest in the visual aspects of social media.
  • But there is still a lack of robust research on highly visual platforms like Instagram and Snapchat—this is a gap that you could address in your own research.

There are various approaches to organizing the body of a literature review. Depending on the length of your literature review, you can combine several of these strategies (for example, your overall structure might be thematic, but each theme is discussed chronologically).

Chronological

The simplest approach is to trace the development of the topic over time. However, if you choose this strategy, be careful to avoid simply listing and summarizing sources in order.

Try to analyze patterns, turning points and key debates that have shaped the direction of the field. Give your interpretation of how and why certain developments occurred.

If you have found some recurring central themes, you can organize your literature review into subsections that address different aspects of the topic.

For example, if you are reviewing literature about inequalities in migrant health outcomes, key themes might include healthcare policy, language barriers, cultural attitudes, legal status, and economic access.

Methodological

If you draw your sources from different disciplines or fields that use a variety of research methods , you might want to compare the results and conclusions that emerge from different approaches. For example:

  • Look at what results have emerged in qualitative versus quantitative research
  • Discuss how the topic has been approached by empirical versus theoretical scholarship
  • Divide the literature into sociological, historical, and cultural sources

Theoretical

A literature review is often the foundation for a theoretical framework . You can use it to discuss various theories, models, and definitions of key concepts.

You might argue for the relevance of a specific theoretical approach, or combine various theoretical concepts to create a framework for your research.

Like any other academic text , your literature review should have an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion . What you include in each depends on the objective of your literature review.

The introduction should clearly establish the focus and purpose of the literature review.

Depending on the length of your literature review, you might want to divide the body into subsections. You can use a subheading for each theme, time period, or methodological approach.

As you write, you can follow these tips:

  • Summarize and synthesize: give an overview of the main points of each source and combine them into a coherent whole
  • Analyze and interpret: don’t just paraphrase other researchers — add your own interpretations where possible, discussing the significance of findings in relation to the literature as a whole
  • Critically evaluate: mention the strengths and weaknesses of your sources
  • Write in well-structured paragraphs: use transition words and topic sentences to draw connections, comparisons and contrasts

In the conclusion, you should summarize the key findings you have taken from the literature and emphasize their significance.

When you’ve finished writing and revising your literature review, don’t forget to proofread thoroughly before submitting. Not a language expert? Check out Scribbr’s professional proofreading services !

This article has been adapted into lecture slides that you can use to teach your students about writing a literature review.

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If you want to know more about the research process , methodology , research bias , or statistics , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.

  • Sampling methods
  • Simple random sampling
  • Stratified sampling
  • Cluster sampling
  • Likert scales
  • Reproducibility

 Statistics

  • Null hypothesis
  • Statistical power
  • Probability distribution
  • Effect size
  • Poisson distribution

Research bias

  • Optimism bias
  • Cognitive bias
  • Implicit bias
  • Hawthorne effect
  • Anchoring bias
  • Explicit bias

A literature review is a survey of scholarly sources (such as books, journal articles, and theses) related to a specific topic or research question .

It is often written as part of a thesis, dissertation , or research paper , in order to situate your work in relation to existing knowledge.

There are several reasons to conduct a literature review at the beginning of a research project:

  • To familiarize yourself with the current state of knowledge on your topic
  • To ensure that you’re not just repeating what others have already done
  • To identify gaps in knowledge and unresolved problems that your research can address
  • To develop your theoretical framework and methodology
  • To provide an overview of the key findings and debates on the topic

Writing the literature review shows your reader how your work relates to existing research and what new insights it will contribute.

The literature review usually comes near the beginning of your thesis or dissertation . After the introduction , it grounds your research in a scholarly field and leads directly to your theoretical framework or methodology .

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

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The top list of academic search engines

academic search engines

1. Google Scholar

4. science.gov, 5. semantic scholar, 6. baidu scholar, get the most out of academic search engines, frequently asked questions about academic search engines, related articles.

Academic search engines have become the number one resource to turn to in order to find research papers and other scholarly sources. While classic academic databases like Web of Science and Scopus are locked behind paywalls, Google Scholar and others can be accessed free of charge. In order to help you get your research done fast, we have compiled the top list of free academic search engines.

Google Scholar is the clear number one when it comes to academic search engines. It's the power of Google searches applied to research papers and patents. It not only lets you find research papers for all academic disciplines for free but also often provides links to full-text PDF files.

  • Coverage: approx. 200 million articles
  • Abstracts: only a snippet of the abstract is available
  • Related articles: ✔
  • References: ✔
  • Cited by: ✔
  • Links to full text: ✔
  • Export formats: APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard, Vancouver, RIS, BibTeX

Search interface of Google Scholar

BASE is hosted at Bielefeld University in Germany. That is also where its name stems from (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine).

  • Coverage: approx. 136 million articles (contains duplicates)
  • Abstracts: ✔
  • Related articles: ✘
  • References: ✘
  • Cited by: ✘
  • Export formats: RIS, BibTeX

Search interface of Bielefeld Academic Search Engine aka BASE

CORE is an academic search engine dedicated to open-access research papers. For each search result, a link to the full-text PDF or full-text web page is provided.

  • Coverage: approx. 136 million articles
  • Links to full text: ✔ (all articles in CORE are open access)
  • Export formats: BibTeX

Search interface of the CORE academic search engine

Science.gov is a fantastic resource as it bundles and offers free access to search results from more than 15 U.S. federal agencies. There is no need anymore to query all those resources separately!

  • Coverage: approx. 200 million articles and reports
  • Links to full text: ✔ (available for some databases)
  • Export formats: APA, MLA, RIS, BibTeX (available for some databases)

Search interface of Science.gov

Semantic Scholar is the new kid on the block. Its mission is to provide more relevant and impactful search results using AI-powered algorithms that find hidden connections and links between research topics.

  • Coverage: approx. 40 million articles
  • Export formats: APA, MLA, Chicago, BibTeX

Search interface of Semantic Scholar

Although Baidu Scholar's interface is in Chinese, its index contains research papers in English as well as Chinese.

  • Coverage: no detailed statistics available, approx. 100 million articles
  • Abstracts: only snippets of the abstract are available
  • Export formats: APA, MLA, RIS, BibTeX

Search interface of Baidu Scholar

RefSeek searches more than one billion documents from academic and organizational websites. Its clean interface makes it especially easy to use for students and new researchers.

  • Coverage: no detailed statistics available, approx. 1 billion documents
  • Abstracts: only snippets of the article are available
  • Export formats: not available

Search interface of RefSeek

Consider using a reference manager like Paperpile to save, organize, and cite your references. Paperpile integrates with Google Scholar and many popular databases, so you can save references and PDFs directly to your library using the Paperpile buttons:

example of research paper google scholar

Google Scholar is an academic search engine, and it is the clear number one when it comes to academic search engines. It's the power of Google searches applied to research papers and patents. It not only let's you find research papers for all academic disciplines for free, but also often provides links to full text PDF file.

Semantic Scholar is a free, AI-powered research tool for scientific literature developed at the Allen Institute for AI. Sematic Scholar was publicly released in 2015 and uses advances in natural language processing to provide summaries for scholarly papers.

BASE , as its name suggest is an academic search engine. It is hosted at Bielefeld University in Germany and that's where it name stems from (Bielefeld Academic Search Engine).

CORE is an academic search engine dedicated to open access research papers. For each search result a link to the full text PDF or full text web page is provided.

Science.gov is a fantastic resource as it bundles and offers free access to search results from more than 15 U.S. federal agencies. There is no need any more to query all those resources separately!

example of research paper google scholar

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Research Method

Home » 500+ Google Scholar Research Topics

500+ Google Scholar Research Topics

Google Scholar Research Topics

Google Scholar is a powerful search engine designed to help researchers find scholarly articles, books, and other academic resources. It’s a fantastic tool for exploring new research topics and staying up-to-date with the latest developments in your field.

In this article, we’ll be exploring a wide range of research topics that you can explore using Google Scholar. Whether you’re a student, an academic, or a curious mind looking to expand your knowledge, you’ll find something of interest here.

We’ll cover topics from various fields, including science, technology, engineering, mathematics, social sciences, and humanities. We’ll also discuss how to use Google Scholar effectively to find relevant research and explore new ideas.

Google Scholar Research Topics

Google Scholar Research Topics ideas are as follows:

  • The impact of artificial intelligence on the job market
  • Climate change mitigation strategies for small island states
  • Analysis of social media and its effects on mental health
  • The role of education in reducing income inequality
  • Investigating the potential use of gene editing for disease prevention
  • The impact of globalization on cultural diversity
  • A critical analysis of corporate social responsibility practices in multinational corporations
  • Understanding the mechanisms of drug resistance in cancer cells
  • Exploring the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions for stress reduction
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and cognitive function in aging adults.
  • Investigating the effects of music therapy on mental health disorders
  • Examining the relationship between childhood trauma and adult mental health outcomes
  • A critical analysis of police brutality and the use of excessive force
  • The role of renewable energy in mitigating climate change
  • Understanding the mechanism of action of novel drugs for treating Alzheimer’s disease
  • Investigating the impact of cultural diversity on team performance in multinational corporations
  • The use of virtual reality in pain management
  • The impact of COVID-19 on mental health outcomes and healthcare systems
  • Examining the use of big data in predicting and preventing disease outbreaks
  • Investigating the relationship between diet and mental health outcomes
  • A critical analysis of the use of surveillance technology in public spaces
  • The role of social support in promoting mental health resilience
  • Investigating the relationship between air pollution and respiratory disease
  • A comparative analysis of different approaches to conflict resolution
  • The use of gene therapy for treating genetic disorders
  • The impact of microplastics on marine ecosystems
  • The role of early childhood education in reducing the achievement gap
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness meditation on emotional regulation
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes
  • A critical analysis of the ethics of artificial intelligence
  • The use of stem cells in regenerative medicine
  • The impact of climate change on food security
  • Examining the effects of exercise on mental health outcomes in adolescents
  • Investigating the role of social media in political polarization
  • A comparative analysis of different healthcare systems around the world
  • The use of virtual reality in treating phobias
  • The impact of gentrification on urban communities
  • The role of nutrition in preventing chronic diseases
  • Investigating the relationship between personality traits and job satisfaction
  • A critical analysis of the impact of social media on body image
  • The use of nanotechnology in drug delivery
  • The impact of technology on social relationships
  • Examining the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy for treating anxiety disorders
  • Investigating the relationship between cultural values and mental health outcomes
  • The role of public policy in reducing income inequality
  • The use of precision medicine in cancer treatment
  • The impact of social inequality on health outcomes
  • Examining the effects of social isolation on mental health outcomes in older adults
  • Investigating the role of the microbiome in human health
  • A critical analysis of the use of performance-enhancing drugs in sports
  • The use of biotechnology in food production
  • The impact of gentrification on affordable housing availability
  • Examining the effects of early childhood trauma on brain development
  • Investigating the relationship between gender and mental health outcomes
  • The role of the arts in promoting mental health and well-being
  • The use of artificial intelligence in healthcare diagnostics
  • The impact of social media on political participation
  • Examining the effects of meditation on immune function
  • Investigating the relationship between income and health outcomes
  • A critical analysis of the use of social media in promoting mental health literacy.
  • Investigating the impact of artificial light at night on wildlife behavior
  • The role of nutrition in brain development and cognitive function
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness interventions on workplace productivity
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in law enforcement
  • The use of genetic engineering for crop improvement
  • The impact of media on body dissatisfaction and eating disorders
  • Examining the effects of physical exercise on brain function in older adults
  • Investigating the relationship between cultural identity and mental health outcomes
  • The use of personalized medicine for treating rare diseases
  • The impact of air pollution on cognitive function
  • A critical analysis of the use of surveillance capitalism in data collection
  • Investigating the relationship between music and mental health outcomes
  • The role of nature exposure in promoting mental health and well-being
  • Examining the effects of cognitive training on brain plasticity
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on infectious disease transmission
  • The use of robotics in healthcare delivery
  • The impact of social media on romantic relationships
  • A critical analysis of the use of autonomous weapons in military conflicts
  • Investigating the relationship between spirituality and mental health outcomes
  • The role of nutrition in preventing chronic inflammation
  • Examining the effects of meditation on stress and anxiety in college students
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on water availability and quality
  • The use of artificial intelligence in finance and investment
  • The impact of social media on self-esteem and body image in adolescents
  • A critical analysis of the use of autonomous vehicles in transportation
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep disorders and mental health outcomes
  • The role of traditional medicine in improving healthcare access in developing countries
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on addiction recovery
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on biodiversity loss
  • The use of gene editing for treating inherited diseases
  • The impact of social media on political polarization and civic engagement
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in public spaces
  • Investigating the relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health outcomes
  • The role of community-based interventions in promoting mental health in marginalized populations
  • Examining the effects of physical exercise on academic achievement in children
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in vulnerable populations
  • The use of artificial intelligence in customer service and sales
  • The impact of social media on romantic relationships and intimacy
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive policing algorithms in law enforcement
  • Investigating the relationship between spirituality and aging well-being
  • The role of dietary supplements in improving immune function
  • Examining the effects of sleep on athletic performance
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on human migration patterns
  • The use of 3D printing in medicine and healthcare
  • The impact of social media on political participation and civic knowledge
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in workplace monitoring
  • Investigating the relationship between cultural competence and mental health outcomes
  • The role of community gardens in promoting mental health and well-being
  • Examining the effects of outdoor adventure programs on adolescent mental health.
  • The use of virtual reality in treating phobias and anxiety disorders
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in indigenous communities in the Arctic region
  • The role of family therapy in improving mental health outcomes in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Investigating the relationship between childhood trauma and mental health outcomes in adulthood
  • The role of yoga therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with anxiety disorders
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on stress and burnout in healthcare professionals
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in low-income communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating social anxiety disorder in adolescents
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in healthcare fraud detection
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with bipolar disorder
  • The role of animal-assisted therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with intellectual disabilities
  • Examining the effects of expressive arts therapy on self-esteem and resilience in individuals with depression
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in refugees and asylum seekers
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in military personnel
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with obsessive-compulsive personality disorder (OCPD)
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in law enforcement and criminal justice systems
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia
  • The role of play therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Examining the effects of music therapy on anxiety and depression in individuals with chronic pain
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in urban communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating phobias in adults
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD)
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in disaster response and emergency management
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • The role of art therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia
  • Examining the effects of dance/movement therapy on anxiety and depression in individuals with anxiety disorders
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in coastal fishing communities
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing relapse in individuals with substance use disorders
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with postpartum depression
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in public safety and security
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with eating disorders
  • The role of occupational therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with spinal cord injuries
  • Examining the effects of art therapy on anxiety and depression in individuals with chronic illnesses
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in rural fishing communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating depression in older adults
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with hoarding disorder
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in financial fraud detection
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with multiple sclerosis
  • The role of drama therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with personality disorders
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on self-compassion and self-criticism in individuals with eating disorders
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in urban heat island effects
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in rural farming communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in adults
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with borderline personality disorder
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in online privacy and security
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with multiple sclerosis
  • The role of music therapy in improving mental health outcomes in veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Examining the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy on anxiety and depression in individuals with chronic pain
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in small island developing states (SIDS)
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing suicide risk in adolescents
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in election forecasting
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with diabetes
  • The role of group therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with substance use disorders
  • Examining the effects of horticultural therapy on stress and anxiety in individuals with depression
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in nomadic communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in adolescents
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with schizophrenia
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in education and student privacy
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • The role of art therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with eating disorders
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on depression and anxiety in individuals with postpartum depression
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in coastal tourism communities
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing depression relapse in individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD)
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD)
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in cybersecurity
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with anxiety disorders
  • The role of occupational therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with Parkinson’s disease
  • Examining the effects of dance/movement therapy on self-esteem and body image in individuals with eating disorders
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in indigenous communities in the South Pacific
  • The use of virtual reality in treating panic disorder in adults
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with bipolar disorder
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in border security and immigration policies
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic pain
  • The role of peer support in mental health recovery for individuals with eating disorders
  • Examining the effects of art therapy on self-esteem and body image in individuals with chronic illnesses
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in urban development and infrastructure projects
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing workplace violence
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
  • The use of virtual reality in treating post-traumatic stress disorder in military veterans
  • The role of mindfulness-based interventions in improving cognitive function in older adults
  • The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem in adolescent girls
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with Parkinson’s disease
  • The role of family-based interventions in improving mental health outcomes in refugees
  • Examining the effects of animal-assisted therapy on stress and anxiety in college students
  • The use of artificial intelligence in detecting and predicting mental health disorders in children and adolescents
  • The impact of social media on interpersonal communication and social skills development in young adults
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in the criminal justice system
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • The role of group therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with borderline personality disorder
  • Examining the effects of music therapy on anxiety and depression in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in indigenous communities in the Amazon region
  • The use of virtual reality in treating anxiety and stress in healthcare professionals
  • The impact of social media on the self-perception of physical appearance and body satisfaction in men
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in the workplace
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with heart disease
  • The role of art therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with traumatic brain injury
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on stress and anxiety in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in urban slum communities
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing mental health crises in college students
  • The role of occupational therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with intellectual disabilities
  • Examining the effects of dance/movement therapy on depression and anxiety in individuals with fibromyalgia
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in Pacific island communities
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with eating disorders
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in border control and migration management
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis
  • The role of peer support in mental health recovery for individuals with bipolar disorder
  • Examining the effects of art therapy on depression and anxiety in individuals with cancer
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in refugee camps
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing workplace burnout
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with substance use disorders
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in housing and real estate markets
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic kidney disease
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in indigenous populations
  • The role of exercise in managing symptoms of depression and anxiety during pregnancy
  • The impact of social media on academic achievement and performance in college students
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in healthcare decision-making
  • Investigating the relationship between diet and mental health outcomes in individuals with eating disorders
  • The use of cognitive behavioral therapy in treating insomnia and sleep disorders
  • The impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in urban communities
  • The role of art therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder
  • Examining the effects of physical exercise on immune function and health outcomes in older adults
  • Investigating the impact of social media on mental health outcomes in individuals with disabilities
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in border control and immigration
  • The use of mindfulness-based interventions in treating substance use disorders
  • The impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in disaster-affected communities
  • Investigating the relationship between socioeconomic status and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents
  • The role of occupational therapy in promoting successful aging and quality of life
  • Examining the effects of music therapy on pain and anxiety in cancer patients
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in rural communities
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing suicide risk
  • The impact of social media on body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors in young adults
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in public policy decision-making
  • The role of family-based interventions in promoting mental health and well-being in children and adolescents
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on pain management in chronic pain patients
  • The use of telepsychiatry in improving access to mental health care in underserved areas
  • The impact of social media on body image and self-esteem in men and boys
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in public protests and demonstrations
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in college students
  • The role of dance/movement therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with PTSD
  • Examining the effects of physical exercise on depression and anxiety in individuals with chronic pain
  • The use of virtual reality in pain management for burn patients
  • The impact of social media on mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic pain
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in employment decision-making
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with diabetes
  • The role of peer support in mental health recovery for individuals with schizophrenia
  • Examining the effects of art therapy on anxiety and depression in older adults
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in agricultural communities
  • The use of artificial intelligence in diagnosing and treating mental health disorders in emergency departments
  • The impact of social media on romantic relationships and satisfaction
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in education and schools
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in older adults
  • The role of occupational therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in the workplace
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety and depression
  • The use of virtual reality in education and training
  • Examining the effects of job stress on mental health outcomes in healthcare workers
  • Investigating the relationship between social media use and sleep quality in adolescents
  • The role of nutritional supplements in preventing age-related cognitive decline
  • The impact of climate change on crop yields and food security in developing countries
  • Investigating the relationship between childhood trauma and addiction
  • The use of telemedicine in improving healthcare access and outcomes in rural areas
  • Examining the effects of physical exercise on mental health outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in refugees
  • The role of mindfulness-based interventions in addiction recovery
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing falls in older adults
  • The impact of social media on political polarization and echo chambers
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in public transportation
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep disorders and mental health outcomes in children
  • The role of animal-assisted therapy in improving mental health outcomes
  • Examining the effects of cognitive training on executive function in older adults
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in coastal communities
  • The use of virtual reality in pain management and rehabilitation
  • The impact of social media on interpersonal relationships and communication
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in financial decision-making
  • Investigating the relationship between chronic pain and mental health outcomes in adults
  • The role of peer support in mental health recovery for veterans
  • Examining the effects of music therapy on anxiety and depression in individuals with autism
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in Arctic populations
  • The use of artificial intelligence in early detection and prevention of heart disease
  • The impact of social media on self-disclosure and privacy
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in retail marketing
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in pregnant women
  • The role of community-based interventions in promoting healthy aging and well-being
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on emotional regulation in individuals with borderline personality disorder
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in low-income populations
  • The use of telemedicine in improving mental health access and outcomes in prisons
  • The impact of social media on adolescent substance use and addiction
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in criminal justice decision-making
  • Investigating the relationship between social support and mental health outcomes in individuals with HIV/AIDS
  • The role of creative arts therapies in improving mental health outcomes in children and adolescents
  • Examining the effects of physical exercise on cognitive function in individuals with Parkinson’s disease
  • The use of artificial intelligence in diagnosing and treating mental health disorders in primary care
  • The impact of social media on mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic illnesses
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in workplace surveillance
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in shift workers
  • The role of occupational therapy in mental health recovery
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on cognitive function in individuals with traumatic brain injury
  • Investigating the impact of parental divorce on children’s mental health
  • The role of artificial intelligence in healthcare diagnosis and treatment
  • Examining the effects of workaholism on employee well-being and productivity
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on coastal erosion
  • A critical analysis of the use of biometric data in online security
  • The use of genetic testing in personalized nutrition and fitness plans
  • The impact of technology on romantic relationships and communication
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness interventions on chronic pain management
  • Investigating the relationship between trauma and addiction recovery
  • The use of wearable technology in improving sports performance and injury prevention
  • The impact of climate change on urban heat islands
  • A critical analysis of the use of blockchain technology in healthcare
  • Investigating the relationship between exercise and depression in older adults
  • The role of natural disasters in mental health outcomes
  • Examining the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on anxiety and depression in adolescents
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on food security
  • The use of virtual reality in mental health treatment
  • The impact of social media on mental health outcomes in LGBTQ+ populations
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in education
  • Investigating the relationship between diet and mental health outcomes in children and adolescents
  • The role of music therapy in improving mental health outcomes in cancer patients
  • Examining the effects of physical exercise on cognitive function in individuals with multiple sclerosis
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on wildfire frequency and severity
  • The use of robotics in agriculture and food production
  • The impact of social media on workplace communication and productivity
  • A critical analysis of the use of algorithmic decision-making in hiring and recruitment
  • Investigating the relationship between personality traits and mental health outcomes
  • The role of peer support in addiction recovery
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on sleep quality and quantity
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on air quality and respiratory health
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing medication errors
  • The impact of social media on mental health outcomes in older adults
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in border security
  • The role of physical activity in preventing chronic diseases
  • Examining the effects of cognitive training on academic achievement in children
  • The use of 3D printing in creating prosthetics and assistive devices
  • The impact of social media on body positivity and self-acceptance
  • Investigating the relationship between social support and mental health outcomes in college students
  • The role of community-based interventions in promoting healthy eating habits in children
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on caregiver burden and stress
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on water scarcity and conflicts
  • The use of artificial intelligence in improving mental health diagnosis and treatment
  • The impact of social media on mental health outcomes in individuals with eating disorders
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in retail surveillance
  • Investigating the relationship between social isolation and mental health outcomes in older adults
  • The role of complementary and alternative medicine in mental health treatment
  • Examining the effects of physical exercise on executive function in individuals with ADHD.
  • Investigating the impact of workplace bullying on mental health outcomes in healthcare workers
  • The use of cognitive behavioral therapy in improving sleep outcomes in individuals with insomnia
  • Examining the effects of music therapy on social skills and communication in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • The role of narrative therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with complex trauma histories
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in credit scoring
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with schizophrenia
  • The role of dance/movement therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with intellectual disabilities
  • Examining the effects of cognitive remediation therapy on cognitive functioning in individuals with traumatic brain injuries
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing workplace accidents
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in retail environments
  • The role of drama therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in incarcerated individuals
  • Examining the effects of art therapy on emotional regulation in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD)
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in Indigenous youth
  • The use of virtual reality in treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in social media advertising
  • The role of horticulture therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with depression
  • Examining the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on emotional dysregulation in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD)
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in migrant populations
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing cyberbullying
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with personality disorders
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in airport security
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with cardiovascular disease
  • The role of expressive writing therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with trauma histories
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on pain management in individuals with chronic pain
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in First Nations communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating phobias in individuals with developmental disabilities
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with chronic illnesses
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in criminal justice reform
  • The role of bibliotherapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with anxiety disorders
  • Examining the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on rumination and worry in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
  • The role of equine-assisted therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with trauma histories
  • Examining the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on anxiety and depression in individuals with chronic pain
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in Indigenous communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating phobias in children
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs)
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in public health surveillance
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with Huntington’s disease
  • The role of music therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on self-regulation and emotion regulation in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD)
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing domestic violence
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in immigration enforcement
  • The role of art therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with traumatic brain injuries
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in disaster survivors
  • The use of virtual reality in treating anxiety and depression in individuals with chronic illnesses
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with gender dysphoria
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in hiring and recruitment processes
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with Alzheimer’s disease
  • The role of play therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in children with trauma histories
  • Examining the effects of art therapy on self-esteem and body image in individuals with eating disorders
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing school violence
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with intellectual disabilities
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in public transportation systems
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with spinal cord injuries
  • The role of drama therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with substance use disorders
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on emotional regulation and impulsivity in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in forest-dependent communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating postpartum depression in new mothers
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with gambling disorder
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in sports performance analysis
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with fibromyalgia
  • The role of animal-assisted therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • The use of cognitive behavioral therapy in treating depression in individuals with chronic pain
  • The role of art therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in survivors of sexual assault
  • Examining the effects of music therapy on pain management in individuals with fibromyalgia
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in border control
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • The role of animal-assisted therapy in improving mental health outcomes in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Examining the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on impulsivity in individuals with borderline personality disorder (BPD)
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in farming communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating agoraphobia in individuals with anxiety disorders
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with chronic pain
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in the hiring process
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with cancer
  • The role of narrative therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in refugees
  • Examining the effects of art therapy on body image in individuals with eating disorders
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in coastal Indigenous communities
  • The use of artificial intelligence in predicting and preventing traffic accidents
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic fatigue syndrome
  • The role of dance/movement therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in older adults
  • Examining the effects of cognitive remediation therapy on social cognition in individuals with schizophrenia
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in Arctic communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating acrophobia in individuals with anxiety disorders
  • The impact of social media on the mental health outcomes of individuals with gambling disorders
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in healthcare resource allocation
  • Investigating the relationship between physical activity and mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic kidney disease on dialysis
  • The role of bibliotherapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with postpartum depression
  • Examining the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on self-esteem in individuals with social anxiety disorder
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in Pacific Islander communities
  • The use of animal-assisted therapy in treating anxiety disorders in children and adolescents
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in public protests
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with traumatic brain injuries
  • The role of drama therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in LGBTQ+ individuals
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on anxiety and depression in individuals with Parkinson’s disease
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in refugee communities
  • The use of virtual reality in treating claustrophobia in individuals with anxiety disorders
  • The impact of childhood trauma on mental health outcomes in adulthood
  • The use of music therapy in improving cognitive function in individuals with dementia
  • Examining the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on depression in individuals with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in Indigenous communities in Australia
  • The role of mindfulness-based interventions in promoting mental health and well-being in college students
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in criminal justice sentencing
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • The use of art therapy in improving self-esteem in individuals with substance use disorders
  • Examining the effects of animal-assisted therapy on aggression in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • The role of cognitive remediation therapy in improving executive functioning in individuals with traumatic brain injuries
  • A critical analysis of the use of facial recognition technology in the criminal justice system
  • The use of narrative therapy in promoting resilience in individuals who have experienced trauma
  • Examining the effects of dance/movement therapy on body image in individuals with body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
  • The use of virtual reality in treating fear of flying in individuals with anxiety disorders
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in predicting student performance in higher education
  • The role of mindfulness-based interventions in promoting mental health and well-being in older adults
  • Examining the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy on insomnia in individuals with depression
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in Arctic Indigenous communities
  • The use of animal-assisted therapy in improving social skills in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD)
  • The role of art therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with chronic pain
  • Examining the effects of cognitive remediation therapy on attention in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
  • The use of virtual reality in treating fear of needles in children with medical conditions
  • A critical analysis of the use of predictive analytics in predicting criminal behavior
  • Investigating the relationship between sleep and mental health outcomes in individuals with chronic kidney disease not on dialysis
  • The role of drama therapy in promoting mental health and well-being in individuals with schizophrenia
  • Examining the effects of mindfulness-based interventions on pain management in individuals with chronic migraines
  • Investigating the impact of climate change on mental health outcomes in communities affected by natural disasters

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100+ Best Google Scholar Research Topics

Google Scholar Research Topics

Google Scholar provides a simple and unique way to search for scholarly literature. In a nutshell, it is a search engine for educational applications, especially dissertation and thesis research. Unfortunately, writing a dissertation, thesis, or research paper that is researchable on google scholar can be challenging, especially when finding a good topic or think about pay for dissertation .

Top Google Scholar Research Proposal Topics

Great examples of google scholar thesis topics, great google scholar dissertation topics, creative google scholar research topics in marketing, great google scholar research topics in computer science, fantastic google scholar accounting research topics, excellent google scholar research topics in education, samples of google scholar research topics in business, the best google scholar research topics for nursing, incredible google scholar research topics in economics, top google scholar research topics in finance, interesting google scholar research topics in psychology, top google scholar research topics in chemistry, good google scholar quantitative research topics, good google scholar qualitative research topics.

A good google scholar search by topic should be well-researched, original, exciting and compelling, clear and competitive, relevant to your field of study, manageable, and enticing. If you are seeking excellent google scholar topics in 2022, you are in the right place. We spent hours creating some interesting ideas listed below for you.

A good google scholar research proposal topic should be unique and original. Also, it should be relevant to your area of study. Here are examples of research topics research google scholar search:

  • The relationship between the relevance of search engines and clicks
  • How does implicit impact provide better results from search engines?
  • Ways to enhance the effectiveness of search engines
  • Is social media experience dependent on search engines?
  • Social media vs. traditional media: The analytics
  • A comparison of social networks and search engines for information seeking
  • How to use search engines for better decision-making

A thesis paper involves comprehensive research and is required to complete a master’s degree. Therefore, when choosing a topic, you must not forget its vitality. Below are some exciting google scholar thesis topics you should explore:

  • Paid placement strategies for website search engines
  • The causes of the decline in employment rates
  • Are men more employable than women?
  • Climate change and its impact on natural resources
  • Bullying in schools: Measures to prevent it
  • Climate change trends over the last four years
  • Is there a correlation between school status and performance?

A dissertation is a research project completed by undergraduate and postgraduate students. A good topic can make your project easy or complicate it more than it should. Here are some incredible google scholar dissertation topic examples:

  • The pros and cons of international joint ventures
  • Impacts of organizational culture on business decision making
  • Does organizational culture influence performance?
  • Does training employees alter business productivity?
  • Human resource strategies for non-profit organizations
  • An extensive exploration of cultural changes and their impacts on social lives
  • How the integration of technology in the SCM sector works

Creativity is a critical element in creating great topics. Here are some marketing google scholar research topics:

  • How companies can influence the consumer buying behavior
  • The impact of social media advertising on consumer behavior
  • The interwoven impacts of brand marketing and political campaigns
  • An overview of the outcomes of advertising strategies in a recession
  • How impulse buying influences the internet world
  • An analysis of customer retention in online businesses
  • How businesses are positioning themselves for hard economic times

As we have said earlier, a good google scholar research topic should be relevant to the specific field of study. So here are topics relevant to computer science:

  • An analysis of search algorithms
  • The evolution of artificial intelligence over the past ten years
  • The role of human intelligence in artificial intelligence
  • How do mobile gadgets employ unique software development?
  • A data-based comparison of iOS and Android
  • The role of development in future computer systems
  • Effective ways of improving computer data security

Finding a research topic in accounting can cause a headache. So, we prepared the following examples:

  • The impact of managerial accounting in large corporate organizations
  • Activity-based costing: meaning and components
  • How accounting can revolutionize medical care
  • A look at the accounting parameters in public service
  • How managerial accounting influences global finance practices
  • How does managerial accounting influence human resources?
  • Capital budgeting: What is it all about?

Even education students benefit from the google scholar search engine. Here are some education-related google scholar research topics:

  • An analysis of the real-time performance of education data
  • Online vs. offline studies: The comparison
  • Why the present curriculums are generating results
  • The mental impacts of distance learning
  • Creative ways of monitoring student’s mental health
  • Ways to empower girls’ education
  • The role of technology in digital learning

You may also benefit from some topic inspirations in business. Here are some business-related research topics on google scholar ;

  • Theories in outsourcing and the findings
  • Business understaffing in today’s setting explained
  • Are most businesses reluctant on technology?
  • How can companies survive international competition?
  • The value of educating the public on international investment
  • How to transform a local business into an internationally recognized brand
  • Economic problems that small local businesses incur

Here are some excellent google scholar nursing research topics you can rely on. While nursing is a broad topic, these are some of the best topics.

  • The nursing adaptation in the digital era
  • Health issues that immigrant women face
  • How technology in nursing favors the maternal sector
  • A look at the nurses vs. doctors relationship in the private sector
  • Guidelines for promoting diversity in the nursing sector
  • How can the nursing sector overcome vaccine hesitancy among pregnant women?
  • New developments in childhood cancer treatment

Studying economics is exciting, until when it comes to writing research papers. Let’s look at excellent google scholar project topics in economics:

  • How income changes influence consumer choices
  • Is the cost of living likely to shift in two years?
  • The influence of governance on economics
  • A comparison of the impacts of labor force participation on the budget and economy
  • The connections between salary levels and economic conflict in the United States
  • An analysis of salary fluctuations in your country
  • An exploration of the evolution of consumption in your country over the past ten years

Do you want to write a research paper in finance? Here are research paper google scholar research topics for your consideration:

  • How can finance serve as a tool for regulating economies?
  • The role of financial markets in the mobilization and dispersal of financial resources
  • Financial challenges that third-world countries face
  • Comparing finance utilization in the private and public sector
  • Joint-stock companies and the financial challenges they encounter
  • The financial function of social security in your country

Here are great title examples on psychology to give you an idea of what’s expected.

  • Examining the concept of free will in the current society
  • Finding an equilibrium between the conscious and unconscious mind
  • The impact of bullying and harassment on mental well-being in adulthood
  • How psychology is shaping the modern world
  • How social phobias and anxiety influences psychological growth
  • The impact of effective parenting on child development

Here are examples of top google scholar research topics in chemistry:

  • The knowledge of chemistry and how it influences farmers
  • Avoiding pesticides in agriculture
  • How farmers should view GMO
  • The role of sustainable elements in the chemical synthesis
  • The function of organic chemical reactivity functioning
  • The side effect chains of amino acids

Let’s look at some great google scholar – research topics in quantitative research:

  • The link between mortality rates and the sex of individuals
  • Effective ways to promote the acceptance of cancer screening processes
  • Data-based analysis of mortality rates on kids below five.
  • The impact of unhealthy workplaces on individuals’ mental health
  • How to develop critical thinking
  • How has education fueled the success of the technological sector?

Here are google scholar research topics in qualitative research:

  • How long-term planning methods improve project management
  • The best practices when dealing with time management and goal setting
  • Guidelines for achieving affordable medical care in low-income societies
  • An analysis of dealing with loss and the recovery process
  • Is poor kids’ upbringing a contributor to bad performance in schools?
  • How to establish eco-friendly facemasks

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Research papers

Recent growth accelerations in Africa are characterized by declining shares of the labor force employed in agriculture, increasing labor productivity in agriculture, and declining labor productivity in modern sectors such as manufacturing. To shed light on this puzzle, this study disaggregates firms in the manufacturing sector by average size, using two newly created firm-level panels covering Tanzania (2008–2016) and Ethiopia (1996–2017). The analysis identifies a dichotomy between larger firms with superior productivity performance that do not expand employment and small firms that absorb employment but do not experience much productivity growth. Large, more productive firms use highly capital-intensive techniques, in line with global technology trends but significantly greater than what would be expected based on these countries’ income levels or relative factor endowments.

We advance principles for the construction of a stable and broadly beneficial world order that does not require significant commonality in interests and values among states. In particular, we propose a ‘meta-regime’ as a device for structuring a conversation around the relevant issues, and facilitating either agreement or accommodation. Participating in this meta-regime would impose few constraints on states, yet in favourable circumstances could facilitate significant cooperation. It could also encourage increased cooperation over time even among adversaries, as participation in the meta-regime builds trust. We apply these ideas to several issue areas, including US–China competition.

We distinguish between ideational and interest-based appeals to voters on the supply side of politics, integrating the Keynes-Hayek perspective on the importance of ideas with the Stigler-Becker approach emphasizing vested interests. In our model, political entrepreneurs discover identity and worldview “memes” (narratives, cues, frames) that invoke voters’ identity concerns or shift their views of how the world works. We identify a potential complementarity between worldview politics and identity politics and illustrate how they may reinforce each other. Furthermore, we show how adverse economic shocks (increasing inequality) lead to a greater incidence of ideational politics. We use these results to analyze data on 60,000 televised political ads in U.S. localities over the years 2000 through 2018. Our empirical work quantifies ideational politics and provides support for key model implications, including the impact of higher inequality on the supply of both identity and worldview politics.

We discuss the considerable literature that has developed in recent years providing rigorous evidence on how industrial policies work. This literature is a significant improvement over the earlier generation of empirical work, which was largely correlational and marred by interpretational problems. On the whole, the recent crop of papers offers a more positive take on industrial policy. We review the standard rationales and critiques of industrial policy and provide a broad overview of new empirical approaches to measurement. We discuss how the recent literature, paying close attention to measurement, causal inference, and economic structure, is offering a nuanced and contextual understanding of the effects of industrial policy. We re-evaluate the East Asian experience with industrial policy in light of recent results. Finally, we conclude by reviewing how industrial policy is being reshaped by a new understanding of governance, a richer set of policy instruments beyond subsidies, and the reality of de-industrialization. 

Using Fontana et al.’s (2019) database, we analyze levels and trends in the global distribution of authorship in economics journals, disaggregating by country/region, quality of journal, and fields of specialization. We document striking imbalances. While Western and Northern European authors have made substantial gains, the representation of authors based in low-income countries remains extremely low -- an order of magnitude lower than the weight of their countries or regions in the global economy. Developing country representation has risen fastest at journals rated 100 th or lower, while it has barely increased in journals rated 25 th or higher. Fields such as international or development where global diversification may have been expected have not experienced much increase in developing country authorship. These results are consistent with a general increase in the relative supply of research in the rest of the world. But they also indicate authors from developing countries remain excluded from the profession’s top-rated journals.

Dani Rodrik Ford Foundation Professor of International Political Economy John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University 79 J.F. Kennedy Street Cambridge, MA 02138 [email protected]

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How to Write a Research Proposal: (with Examples & Templates)

how to write a research proposal

Table of Contents

Before conducting a study, a research proposal should be created that outlines researchers’ plans and methodology and is submitted to the concerned evaluating organization or person. Creating a research proposal is an important step to ensure that researchers are on track and are moving forward as intended. A research proposal can be defined as a detailed plan or blueprint for the proposed research that you intend to undertake. It provides readers with a snapshot of your project by describing what you will investigate, why it is needed, and how you will conduct the research.  

Your research proposal should aim to explain to the readers why your research is relevant and original, that you understand the context and current scenario in the field, have the appropriate resources to conduct the research, and that the research is feasible given the usual constraints.  

This article will describe in detail the purpose and typical structure of a research proposal , along with examples and templates to help you ace this step in your research journey.  

What is a Research Proposal ?  

A research proposal¹ ,²  can be defined as a formal report that describes your proposed research, its objectives, methodology, implications, and other important details. Research proposals are the framework of your research and are used to obtain approvals or grants to conduct the study from various committees or organizations. Consequently, research proposals should convince readers of your study’s credibility, accuracy, achievability, practicality, and reproducibility.   

With research proposals , researchers usually aim to persuade the readers, funding agencies, educational institutions, and supervisors to approve the proposal. To achieve this, the report should be well structured with the objectives written in clear, understandable language devoid of jargon. A well-organized research proposal conveys to the readers or evaluators that the writer has thought out the research plan meticulously and has the resources to ensure timely completion.  

Purpose of Research Proposals  

A research proposal is a sales pitch and therefore should be detailed enough to convince your readers, who could be supervisors, ethics committees, universities, etc., that what you’re proposing has merit and is feasible . Research proposals can help students discuss their dissertation with their faculty or fulfill course requirements and also help researchers obtain funding. A well-structured proposal instills confidence among readers about your ability to conduct and complete the study as proposed.  

Research proposals can be written for several reasons:³  

  • To describe the importance of research in the specific topic  
  • Address any potential challenges you may encounter  
  • Showcase knowledge in the field and your ability to conduct a study  
  • Apply for a role at a research institute  
  • Convince a research supervisor or university that your research can satisfy the requirements of a degree program  
  • Highlight the importance of your research to organizations that may sponsor your project  
  • Identify implications of your project and how it can benefit the audience  

What Goes in a Research Proposal?    

Research proposals should aim to answer the three basic questions—what, why, and how.  

The What question should be answered by describing the specific subject being researched. It should typically include the objectives, the cohort details, and the location or setting.  

The Why question should be answered by describing the existing scenario of the subject, listing unanswered questions, identifying gaps in the existing research, and describing how your study can address these gaps, along with the implications and significance.  

The How question should be answered by describing the proposed research methodology, data analysis tools expected to be used, and other details to describe your proposed methodology.   

Research Proposal Example  

Here is a research proposal sample template (with examples) from the University of Rochester Medical Center. 4 The sections in all research proposals are essentially the same although different terminology and other specific sections may be used depending on the subject.  

Research Proposal Template

Structure of a Research Proposal  

If you want to know how to make a research proposal impactful, include the following components:¹  

1. Introduction  

This section provides a background of the study, including the research topic, what is already known about it and the gaps, and the significance of the proposed research.  

2. Literature review  

This section contains descriptions of all the previous relevant studies pertaining to the research topic. Every study cited should be described in a few sentences, starting with the general studies to the more specific ones. This section builds on the understanding gained by readers in the Introduction section and supports it by citing relevant prior literature, indicating to readers that you have thoroughly researched your subject.  

3. Objectives  

Once the background and gaps in the research topic have been established, authors must now state the aims of the research clearly. Hypotheses should be mentioned here. This section further helps readers understand what your study’s specific goals are.  

4. Research design and methodology  

Here, authors should clearly describe the methods they intend to use to achieve their proposed objectives. Important components of this section include the population and sample size, data collection and analysis methods and duration, statistical analysis software, measures to avoid bias (randomization, blinding), etc.  

5. Ethical considerations  

This refers to the protection of participants’ rights, such as the right to privacy, right to confidentiality, etc. Researchers need to obtain informed consent and institutional review approval by the required authorities and mention this clearly for transparency.  

6. Budget/funding  

Researchers should prepare their budget and include all expected expenditures. An additional allowance for contingencies such as delays should also be factored in.  

7. Appendices  

This section typically includes information that supports the research proposal and may include informed consent forms, questionnaires, participant information, measurement tools, etc.  

8. Citations  

example of research paper google scholar

Important Tips for Writing a Research Proposal  

Writing a research proposal begins much before the actual task of writing. Planning the research proposal structure and content is an important stage, which if done efficiently, can help you seamlessly transition into the writing stage. 3,5  

The Planning Stage  

  • Manage your time efficiently. Plan to have the draft version ready at least two weeks before your deadline and the final version at least two to three days before the deadline.
  • What is the primary objective of your research?  
  • Will your research address any existing gap?  
  • What is the impact of your proposed research?  
  • Do people outside your field find your research applicable in other areas?  
  • If your research is unsuccessful, would there still be other useful research outcomes?  

  The Writing Stage  

  • Create an outline with main section headings that are typically used.  
  • Focus only on writing and getting your points across without worrying about the format of the research proposal , grammar, punctuation, etc. These can be fixed during the subsequent passes. Add details to each section heading you created in the beginning.   
  • Ensure your sentences are concise and use plain language. A research proposal usually contains about 2,000 to 4,000 words or four to seven pages.  
  • Don’t use too many technical terms and abbreviations assuming that the readers would know them. Define the abbreviations and technical terms.  
  • Ensure that the entire content is readable. Avoid using long paragraphs because they affect the continuity in reading. Break them into shorter paragraphs and introduce some white space for readability.  
  • Focus on only the major research issues and cite sources accordingly. Don’t include generic information or their sources in the literature review.  
  • Proofread your final document to ensure there are no grammatical errors so readers can enjoy a seamless, uninterrupted read.  
  • Use academic, scholarly language because it brings formality into a document.  
  • Ensure that your title is created using the keywords in the document and is neither too long and specific nor too short and general.  
  • Cite all sources appropriately to avoid plagiarism.  
  • Make sure that you follow guidelines, if provided. This includes rules as simple as using a specific font or a hyphen or en dash between numerical ranges.  
  • Ensure that you’ve answered all questions requested by the evaluating authority.  

Key Takeaways   

Here’s a summary of the main points about research proposals discussed in the previous sections:  

  • A research proposal is a document that outlines the details of a proposed study and is created by researchers to submit to evaluators who could be research institutions, universities, faculty, etc.  
  • Research proposals are usually about 2,000-4,000 words long, but this depends on the evaluating authority’s guidelines.  
  • A good research proposal ensures that you’ve done your background research and assessed the feasibility of the research.  
  • Research proposals have the following main sections—introduction, literature review, objectives, methodology, ethical considerations, and budget.  

example of research paper google scholar

Frequently Asked Questions  

Q1. How is a research proposal evaluated?  

A1. In general, most evaluators, including universities, broadly use the following criteria to evaluate research proposals . 6  

  • Significance —Does the research address any important subject or issue, which may or may not be specific to the evaluator or university?  
  • Content and design —Is the proposed methodology appropriate to answer the research question? Are the objectives clear and well aligned with the proposed methodology?  
  • Sample size and selection —Is the target population or cohort size clearly mentioned? Is the sampling process used to select participants randomized, appropriate, and free of bias?  
  • Timing —Are the proposed data collection dates mentioned clearly? Is the project feasible given the specified resources and timeline?  
  • Data management and dissemination —Who will have access to the data? What is the plan for data analysis?  

Q2. What is the difference between the Introduction and Literature Review sections in a research proposal ?  

A2. The Introduction or Background section in a research proposal sets the context of the study by describing the current scenario of the subject and identifying the gaps and need for the research. A Literature Review, on the other hand, provides references to all prior relevant literature to help corroborate the gaps identified and the research need.  

Q3. How long should a research proposal be?  

A3. Research proposal lengths vary with the evaluating authority like universities or committees and also the subject. Here’s a table that lists the typical research proposal lengths for a few universities.  

     
  Arts programs  1,000-1,500 
University of Birmingham  Law School programs  2,500 
  PhD  2,500 
    2,000 
  Research degrees  2,000-3,500 

Q4. What are the common mistakes to avoid in a research proposal ?  

A4. Here are a few common mistakes that you must avoid while writing a research proposal . 7  

  • No clear objectives: Objectives should be clear, specific, and measurable for the easy understanding among readers.  
  • Incomplete or unconvincing background research: Background research usually includes a review of the current scenario of the particular industry and also a review of the previous literature on the subject. This helps readers understand your reasons for undertaking this research because you identified gaps in the existing research.  
  • Overlooking project feasibility: The project scope and estimates should be realistic considering the resources and time available.   
  • Neglecting the impact and significance of the study: In a research proposal , readers and evaluators look for the implications or significance of your research and how it contributes to the existing research. This information should always be included.  
  • Unstructured format of a research proposal : A well-structured document gives confidence to evaluators that you have read the guidelines carefully and are well organized in your approach, consequently affirming that you will be able to undertake the research as mentioned in your proposal.  
  • Ineffective writing style: The language used should be formal and grammatically correct. If required, editors could be consulted, including AI-based tools such as Paperpal , to refine the research proposal structure and language.  

Thus, a research proposal is an essential document that can help you promote your research and secure funds and grants for conducting your research. Consequently, it should be well written in clear language and include all essential details to convince the evaluators of your ability to conduct the research as proposed.  

This article has described all the important components of a research proposal and has also provided tips to improve your writing style. We hope all these tips will help you write a well-structured research proposal to ensure receipt of grants or any other purpose.  

References  

  • Sudheesh K, Duggappa DR, Nethra SS. How to write a research proposal? Indian J Anaesth. 2016;60(9):631-634. Accessed July 15, 2024. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5037942/  
  • Writing research proposals. Harvard College Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships. Harvard University. Accessed July 14, 2024. https://uraf.harvard.edu/apply-opportunities/app-components/essays/research-proposals  
  • What is a research proposal? Plus how to write one. Indeed website. Accessed July 17, 2024. https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/research-proposal  
  • Research proposal template. University of Rochester Medical Center. Accessed July 16, 2024. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/MediaLibraries/URMCMedia/pediatrics/research/documents/Research-proposal-Template.pdf  
  • Tips for successful proposal writing. Johns Hopkins University. Accessed July 17, 2024. https://research.jhu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Tips-for-Successful-Proposal-Writing.pdf  
  • Formal review of research proposals. Cornell University. Accessed July 18, 2024. https://irp.dpb.cornell.edu/surveys/survey-assessment-review-group/research-proposals  
  • 7 Mistakes you must avoid in your research proposal. Aveksana (via LinkedIn). Accessed July 17, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/7-mistakes-you-must-avoid-your-research-proposal-aveksana-cmtwf/  

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Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.  

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  25. How to Write a Research Proposal: (with Examples & Templates)

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