Writing+the+paper

= How to Write a Review Paper =

**Overview of the Paper:**

Your paper should consist of four general sections: Review articles contain neither a materials and methods section nor an abstract.
 * Introduction
 * The body of the paper
 * Conclusion and future directions
 * Literature cited

**Organizing the Paper:**

Use topic headings. Do not use a topic heading that reads, "Body of the paper." Instead the topic headings should refer to the actual concepts or ideas covered in that section.


 * Example Outline - click here for an example of a review paper outline **


 * = **Section of the Paper** || **Requirements** ||
 * Introduction || * Make it brief (~1/5 of the paper’s total length).
 * Grab the reader's interest while introducing the topic.
 * Explain the "big picture" relevance.
 * Provide the necessary background information. ||
 * Body of the paper || * Experimental Evidence: Describe important results from recent primary literature articles and
 * Explain how those results shape our current understanding of the topic.
 * Mention the types of experiments done and their corresponding data, but do not repeat the experimental procedure step for step. ** Examples **
 * Point out and address any controversies in the field.
 * Use figures and/or tables to present your own synthesis of the original data or to show key data taken directly from the original papers. ||
 * Conclusion || * Succinctly summarize your major points.
 * Point out the significance of these results.
 * Discuss the questions that remain in the area.
 * Keep it brief. ||
 * References || Minimum of 8 references in APA format. All references are cited within your paper. No more than two websites that are not online journals or online databases are used. ||

Citing your Sources
When writing a research paper, you must always acknowledge any works or ideas of others that have influenced your experiment, conclusions, or interpretation of the data. This is done by including a citation in the body of the manuscript and its corresponding literature reference in the References section of the paper. Refer to the “Review Paper Guide” on the wiki for examples and resources.


 * How to Cite Sources - click here for help with in-text citation **

Writing References
The reference section is a list of sources cited within the text of your review paper. Usually the APA format is used in scientific writing. Use the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) to help you include in-text citations and create your reference list according to APA formatting. []


 * References Example - click here for examples of formatting references in APA **