Research paper is one of the most complicated academic papers for students in the education process. No matter to what field a research paper is dedicated – social or natural – there is a standard format for it. The main purpose for the entire work is testing the hypothesis set for the research.
The distinctive feature of the sociological research paper is tight correlation between theory and practical research. Theories could seem unreliable and meaningless without facts.
The value of the paper is never determined by verifying of hypothesis. The most important thing to remember is that hypothesis supported by data shouldn’t be completely right or wrong. It may be true in some points and may be disproved in others. For science, negative results can be even more important than the positive ones.
Here are several tips for successful sociological research paper:
Statement of the problem. First of all, you need to attract reader’s attention, introducing the problem and explaining why this definite social problem is interesting, what you intend to show or argue and why.
Development of the hypothesis. You can bring short review of theories and researches concerning the problem. Then you develop a logical argument based on existing findings coupled with your theory, that leads to the statement of your hypothesis. Effective hypothesis should be measurable, comparative and falsifiable.
Methods. Here you bring the description of the sample employed and point out the variables used for testing your hypothesis. You just need to pay enough attention to details to let others replicate your procedures to receive (let’s hope) the same results.
Discussion. What is the status of your hypothesis after the field experiments? Is it proved or not? Apart from this, the discussion part of the work can feature some related findings, which can be indirectly related to your hypothesis.