How To Write a Significance Statement for Your Research
A significance statement is an essential part of a research paper. It explains the importance and relevance of the study to the academic community and the world at large. To write a compelling significance statement, identify the research problem, explain why it is significant, provide evidence of its importance, and highlight its potential impact on future research, policy, or practice. A well-crafted significance statement should effectively communicate the value of the research to readers and help them understand why it matters.
Updated on May 4, 2023
A significance statement is a clearly stated, non-technical paragraph that explains why your research matters. It’s central in making the public aware of and gaining support for your research.
Write it in jargon-free language that a reader from any field can understand. Well-crafted, easily readable significance statements can improve your chances for citation and impact and make it easier for readers outside your field to find and understand your work.
Read on for more details on what a significance statement is, how it can enhance the impact of your research, and, of course, how to write one.
What is a significance statement in research?
A significance statement answers the question: How will your research advance scientific knowledge and impact society at large (as well as specific populations)?
You might also see it called a “Significance of the study” statement. Some professional organizations in the STEM sciences and social sciences now recommended that journals in their disciplines make such statements a standard feature of each published article. Funding agencies also consider “significance” a key criterion for their awards.
Read some examples of significance statements from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) here .
Depending upon the specific journal or funding agency’s requirements, your statement may be around 100 words and answer these questions:
1. What’s the purpose of this research?
2. What are its key findings?
3. Why do they matter?
4. Who benefits from the research results?
Readers will want to know: “What is interesting or important about this research?” Keep asking yourself that question.
Where to place the significance statement in your manuscript
Most journals ask you to place the significance statement before or after the abstract, so check with each journal’s guide.
This article is focused on the formal significance statement, even though you’ll naturally highlight your project’s significance elsewhere in your manuscript. (In the introduction, you’ll set out your research aims, and in the conclusion, you’ll explain the potential applications of your research and recommend areas for future research. You’re building an overall case for the value of your work.)
Developing the significance statement
The main steps in planning and developing your statement are to assess the gaps to which your study contributes, and then define your work’s implications and impact.
Identify what gaps your study fills and what it contributes
Your literature review was a big part of how you planned your study. To develop your research aims and objectives, you identified gaps or unanswered questions in the preceding research and designed your study to address them.
Go back to that lit review and look at those gaps again. Review your research proposal to refresh your memory. Ask:
- How have my research findings advanced knowledge or provided notable new insights?
- How has my research helped to prove (or disprove) a hypothesis or answer a research question?
- Why are those results important?
Consider your study’s potential impact at two levels:
- What contribution does my research make to my field?
- How does it specifically contribute to knowledge; that is, who will benefit the most from it?
Define the implications and potential impact
As you make notes, keep the reasons in mind for why you are writing this statement. Whom will it impact, and why?
The first audience for your significance statement will be journal reviewers when you submit your article for publishing. Many journals require one for manuscript submissions. Study the author’s guide of your desired journal to see its criteria ( here’s an example ). Peer reviewers who can clearly understand the value of your research will be more likely to recommend publication.
Second, when you apply for funding, your significance statement will help justify why your research deserves a grant from a funding agency . The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), for example, wants to see that a project will “exert a sustained, powerful influence on the research field(s) involved.” Clear, simple language is always valuable because not all reviewers will be specialists in your field.
Third, this concise statement about your study’s importance can affect how potential readers engage with your work. Science journalists and interested readers can promote and spread your work, enhancing your reputation and influence. Help them understand your work.
You’re now ready to express the importance of your research clearly and concisely. Time to start writing.
How to write a significance statement: Key elements
When drafting your statement, focus on both the content and writing style.
- In terms of content, emphasize the importance, timeliness, and relevance of your research results.
- Write the statement in plain, clear language rather than scientific or technical jargon. Your audience will include not just your fellow scientists but also non-specialists like journalists, funding reviewers, and members of the public.
Follow the process we outline below to build a solid, well-crafted, and informative statement.
Get started
Some suggested opening lines to help you get started might be:
- The implications of this study are…
- Building upon previous contributions, our study moves the field forward because…
- Our study furthers previous understanding about…
Alternatively, you may start with a statement about the phenomenon you’re studying, leading to the problem statement.
Include these components
Next, draft some sentences that include the following elements. A good example, which we’ll use here, is a significance statement by Rogers et al. (2022) published in the Journal of Climate .
1. Briefly situate your research study in its larger context . Start by introducing the topic, leading to a problem statement. Here’s an example:
‘Heatwaves pose a major threat to human health, ecosystems, and human systems.”
2. State the research problem.
“Simultaneous heatwaves affecting multiple regions can exacerbate such threats. For example, multiple food-producing regions simultaneously undergoing heat-related crop damage could drive global food shortages.”
3. Tell what your study does to address it.
“We assess recent changes in the occurrence of simultaneous large heatwaves.”
4. Provide brief but powerful evidence to support the claims your statement is making , Use quantifiable terms rather than vague ones (e.g., instead of “This phenomenon is happening now more than ever,” see below how Rogers et al. (2022) explained it). This evidence intensifies and illustrates the problem more vividly:
“Such simultaneous heatwaves are 7 times more likely now than 40 years ago. They are also hotter and affect a larger area. Their increasing occurrence is mainly driven by warming baseline temperatures due to global heating, but changes in weather patterns contribute to disproportionate increases over parts of Europe, the eastern United States, and Asia.
5. Relate your study’s impact to the broader context , starting with its general significance to society—then, when possible, move to the particular as you name specific applications of your research findings. (Our example lacks this second level of application.)
“Better understanding the drivers of weather pattern changes is therefore important for understanding future concurrent heatwave characteristics and their impacts.”
Refine your English
Don’t understate or overstate your findings – just make clear what your study contributes. When you have all the elements in place, review your draft to simplify and polish your language. Even better, get an expert AJE edit . Be sure to use “plain” language rather than academic jargon.
- Avoid acronyms, scientific jargon, and technical terms
- Use active verbs in your sentence structure rather than passive voice (e.g., instead of “It was found that...”, use “We found...”)
- Make sentence structures short, easy to understand – readable
- Try to address only one idea in each sentence and keep sentences within 25 words (15 words is even better)
- Eliminate nonessential words and phrases (“fluff” and wordiness)
Enhance your significance statement’s impact
Always take time to review your draft multiple times. Make sure that you:
- Keep your language focused
- Provide evidence to support your claims
- Relate the significance to the broader research context in your field
After revising your significance statement, request feedback from a reading mentor about how to make it even clearer. If you’re not a native English speaker, seek help from a native-English-speaking colleague or use an editing service like AJE to make sure your work is at a native level.
Understanding the significance of your study
Your readers may have much less interest than you do in the specific details of your research methods and measures. Many readers will scan your article to learn how your findings might apply to them and their own research.
Different types of significance
Your findings may have different types of significance, relevant to different populations or fields of study for different reasons. You can emphasize your work’s statistical, clinical, or practical significance. Editors or reviewers in the social sciences might also evaluate your work’s social or political significance.
Statistical significance means that the results are unlikely to have occurred randomly. Instead, it implies a true cause-and-effect relationship.
Clinical significance means that your findings are applicable for treating patients and improving quality of life.
Practical significance is when your research outcomes are meaningful to society at large, in the “real world.” Practical significance is usually measured by the study’s effect size . Similarly, evaluators may attribute social or political significance to research that addresses “real and immediate” social problems.
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Home » Education » Significance of the Study – Ultimate Writing Guide with Example
Significance of the Study – Ultimate Writing Guide with Example
Zack Saigin
- August 29, 2023
The significance of the study in research pertains to the potential significance, relevance, or influence of the research results. It elucidates the ways in which the research contributes to the current knowledge base, addresses existing gaps, or provides new insights within a specific field of study. Whether you are composing a research paper or a thesis, a section known as the Significance of the Study ensures that your readers comprehend the impact of your work. Familiarize yourself with the process of effectively writing this crucial component of your research paper or thesis by following our comprehensive steps, guidelines, and examples.
What is Significance of the Study?
The significance of the study should capture the reader’s attention. When researchers comprehend the relevance and potential impact of the work, they can better appreciate it. Reviewers who assess the significance of the study also influence the decision to accept or reject the manuscript.
The Significance of the Study serves the purpose of providing you with an opportunity to elucidate to your readers how your research will contribute to the existing literature in your field. This is where you explain the reasons behind conducting your research and its importance to the community, individuals, and different institutions.
Clarifying the Relevance
Writing the significance of a study serves the fundamental purpose of effectively conveying the importance and value of the research being undertaken. Researchers must provide an overview of the study’s background and context, shedding light on the specific gap or problem they aim to address. Through this process, they not only establish the necessary context for their work but also lay a strong foundation upon which the rest of the study can be developed.
Guiding the Research Process
The significance of the study in research example acts as a guiding compass for researchers throughout their journey. It assists in refining research questions, structuring methodologies, and making informed decisions regarding data collection and analysis. When the purpose of the study is well-defined, researchers can navigate the complexities of the research process with better clarity and direction.
Justifying Resource Allocation
In the academic realm, finite resources such as time, funding, and expertise are available. Writing the significance of a study is a means to justify the allocation of these valuable resources. By showcasing the potential contributions and impacts of the research, researchers can demonstrate why their work deserves support and investment.
Bridging the Gap
In academia, there are limited resources like time, funding, and expertise. Articulating the significance of the study serves to validate the distribution of these precious resources. By highlighting the potential benefits and effects of the research, scholars can show why their work merits backing and investment.
Types of Significance of the Study
The significance of the study encompasses several aspects that can take different shapes, each contributing to the overall value and relevance of research. In this article, we will delve into the different forms of significance that a study can possess, illuminating the diverse ways in which research can have an impact on academia, society, and more.
Theoretical Significance
At the core of many studies lies theoretical significance. This kind of significance emerges when a study contributes to the advancement of theoretical frameworks, models, or paradigms within a specific discipline. By questioning existing theories, proposing new ones, or refining existing concepts, researchers enrich the intellectual landscape and shape the future discussions in their field.
Practical Significance
Practical significance arises when the findings of a study have direct applications in real-world contexts. Whether it involves providing insights that inform policymaking, enhancing clinical practices in healthcare, or optimizing business strategies, research with practical significance directly affects how we live, work, and make decisions across various domains.
Social Significance
Certain studies hold social significance as they address issues that deeply resonate with society. Research exploring topics such as inequality, discrimination, environmental sustainability, or mental health can draw attention to crucial societal challenges. By shedding light on these issues, researchers contribute to raising awareness, fostering empathy, and inspiring collective action.
How to Write Significance of the Study?
Significance of the Study” section in a research paper, thesis, or dissertation:
Background:
Start by providing some background information about your study. This can include a brief introduction to your subject area, the current state of research in that field, and the specific problem or question that your study focuses on.
Identify the Gap:
Demonstrate the existence of a gap in the existing literature or knowledge that requires attention, and explain how your study fills that gap. The gap may be a lack of significance of research on a specific topic, inconsistent results from previous studies, or a new problem that hasn’t been investigated yet.
State the Purpose of Your Study:
Clearly state the main objective of your research. You can frame the significance of the study as a solution to the problem or gap that you identified earlier.
Explain the Significance:
Now, describe the potential impact of your study. You can highlight how your research contributes to the existing knowledge, addresses a significance of research gap, provides a new or improved solution to a problem, influences policies or practices, or leads to advancements in a specific field or industry. It’s important to make these claims realistically, considering the scope and limitations of your study.
Identify Beneficiaries:
Identify who will benefit from your study. This could include other researchers, practitioners in your field, policy-makers, communities, businesses, or others. Explain how your findings could be used and by whom.
Future Implications:
Let’s explore the implications of your study for future research. This may involve unanswered questions, newly raised inquiries, or potential methodologies that can be suggested based on your study.
Significance of the Study Example
For instance, consider the significance of a study presented in the following fictional example:
Significance in the Introduction
Our understanding of the impact of Miyawaki forests on local biodiversity in urban housing complexes is limited. To date, no formal investigations have been conducted to examine their negative effects on insect activity, populations, or diversity. In our study, we compared the influence of Miyawaki forests on local pollinator activity within urban dwellings. The results of this significance of research can enhance the development of this afforestation technique, ensuring a harmonious coexistence with local fauna, especially pollinators, which are highly susceptible to microclimatic changes.
Significance in the Conclusion
The findings from our study offer valuable insights that can guide and inform the implementation of Miyawaki afforestation in urban dwellings. We have demonstrated the need for urban planning and landscaping policies to consider potential declines in order to mitigate any adverse effects.
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