Fillable Printable Research Paper Template

Research Paper Template

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Research Paper Template – Paper Title

(Font: Arial / Bold / Size 16, not exceeding two lines)

Student Name (1

Author)

Student Name (2

Author)

School of Student (1

Author)

(If 2

Author is from the same school, the

name should appear below the 1

Author’s name)

Student Name (2

Author)

School of Student (2

Author) (If 2

Author’s school is different from the 1

Author’s)

(Font: Arial / Size 12 / Center)

Abstract - An abstract is NOT another

introduction. Its purpose is to enable the potential

reader to determine whether your work is relevant

to the work he or she is undertaking. When

searching the Index and Abstract databases of

the library to acquire suitable material to start your

literature research you will have used abstracts

for the same purpose. Most likely you will have

wanted the author to keep it concise and to the

point.

The abstract should consist of the following two or

three parts:

• A short statement of the problem

• A brief description of the methods and

procedures used in collecti ng the data

• A condensed summary of the findings of the

study. This is optional and in practice

depends on the complexity of the findings.

The abstract may be written in a structured or

unstructured form. In the most basic form, a

structured abstract is based on the following

headings where possible: Aims and objectives;

Background, stating what is already known about

the topic; Design; Methodology; Results;

Conclusion, stating what this study adds to the

topic. The abstract should accurately reflect the

content of the paper. The abstract should not

include references or abbreviations. The abstract

should be followed by two to six keywords, which

accurately identify the paper’s subject, purpose

and focus. The abstract should also emphasise

new and important aspects of the study or

observations. Authors must be able to use this

document as a basis for their articles. Abstracts

should not exceed 200 words.

NRP Supervisor Name

Collaborating Supervisor Name

School of Supervisor

(If Collaborating Supervisor is from the

same school, the name should appear

below the NRP Supervisor name)

Collaborating Supervisor Name

School or Organisation of Collaborating

Supervisor (If Collaborating Supervisor’s

school is different from the NRP

Supervisors)

(Font: Arial / Size 12 / Center)

Keywords: article template, guidelines for

authors

1 INTRODUCTION

The introduction basically explains to the reader in

detail some or all of the following points:

• The reasons for undertaking the study

• The assumptions which were made in the

study

• Definitions of relevant terms used in the

report

• The scope of the investigation, i.e. what is

covered and what is not

• The methods used (often included in a

separate methodology section)

• The theories which form the context for this

study (often included in a separate literature

review section)

• The limitations inherent in the study

• An outline of the structure of the report

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2 AIMS / OBJECTIVES

You can only complete a literature review if you

understand your aims. Therefore, before you

start your research, write down the research aims.

Once you understand the aims, you can extract

the necessary and relevant information from the

past literature for your review. Your aims should

also be stated explicitly at the end of your

Introduction.

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3 FORMAT OF PAPER

In order to achieve consistency, you are to format

your paper in the following manner.

3.1 NRP Project Code

Indicate the NRP Project Code in the headin g.

3.2 Page and Text

• Page: Each research paper should not

exceed 10 pages inclusive of tables and

figures.

• Page size: A4

• Text: Use 10 point Arial, line spacing at least

12 point.

3.3 Heading and Sub-heading

• Heading: Use 12 point Arial, bold and

CAPITALISED. Line spacing before 12 point

and line spacing after 6 point.

• Sub-heading: Use 12 point Arial, bond and

CAPITALISED. Line spacing before 12 point

and line spacing after 6 point.

• Sub-heading numbering: Roman numerals

3.4 Identifying the Heading

Headings are organisational device s tha t are used

to guide the reader through your paper. You need

not follow strictly the numbering sequen ce for the

headings or restrict yourself to what has been

shown in this template.

3.5 Figures, Graphic and Tables

Large figures and tables may span across both

columns. Figure captions should be below the

figures; table headings should appear above the

tables. Insert figures and tables after they are cited

in the text.

• Table Captions: Use 8 point Arial

Table 1: Type Sizes for Camera-Ready Papers

Table

Head

Table Column Head

Table column

subhead

Subhead Subhead

copy More table copy

• Graphic

• Figure Captions: Use 8 point Arial

Figure 1. Example of a figure caption

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4 METHODOLOGY / MATERIALS

In analytical reports, like business reports, this

would include a description of survey methods,

participants, focus groups and the use of

secondary sources. In scientific reports it would

include a description of participants, materials,

equipment, design and procedure.

This section is important and should be written

concisely and clearly so that a fellow researcher

will be able to reproduce your work and arrive at

similar results by reading and following your

reported methodology. Therefore, all the steps

used must be presented clearly, so that they can

be reproduced by others seeking to build on your

research.

Where appropriate, describe your selection of

experimental samples and controls, and the

reasons for selecting them. Describe the methods

and tools or apparatus used to carry out your

experiment or survey, giving references to

published methods you have followed. If you have

developed your own methods or tools, refer to the

literature which the ideas were based. Illustrations,

if applicable, are very useful to help describe and

illustrate the experimental set-up you adopted.

Present the degree of precision and accuracy

obtained using the methods you have e mployed.

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5 RESULTS / DISCUSSION

Present your results and findings in a logical

sequence of text, tables and figures, in a clear,

concise manner. Do not repeat, in your text, all the

data given in the tables and figures; instead

emphasise or summarise the important

observations from the tables and figures.

Present your error analysis and your estimates for

any measurements made.

Use a text box, such as this frame, to insert a

graphic. Ideally, your graphics sho uld be a

TIFF/JPEG or EPS files, with resolution of 300

dpi and with all fonts embedded.

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Only original results must be submitted. All figures

should be digitally created with the exception of

biological drawings, which may be drawn by hand.

The significance and interpretation of the results of

your study should be clearly presented in your

discussion. Emphasise any new and important

aspects that have been identified as a result of the

study, and any conclusions you can draw that

follow from these findings.

Include in your discussion the implications of the

findings, and the limitations, and relate yours

observations to other relevant studies covered in

your literature survey.

Link the conclusion of your discussion with the

aims or goals of your study. Avoid unqualified

statements and conclusions not completely

supported by your data.

You may choose to merge your results and

discussion, presenting them concurrently under

the heading RESULTS and DISCUSSION or

separately by inserting another heading for

DISCUSSION.

6 CONCLUSION

The conclusion serves the important function of

drawing together the various sections of the written

report. The conclusion is a summary, and the

developments of the previous sections or chapters

should be succinctly restated, important findings

discussed and conclusions drawn from the whole

study. In addition, you may list questions that have

appeared in the course of the study that require

additional research, beyond the limits of the project

being reported. Where appropriate,

recommendations for future work may be included.

The conclusion should, however, leave the reader

with an impression of completeness an d of gain.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

You should briefly acknowledge all assistance

given by other people in producing your work. This

should include your supervisor(s). It is also

customary to acknowledge financial or other

assistance given by employers, research

organisations, government and other funding

bodies – you may list all contributors who do not

meet the criteria for authorship, such as a person

who provided purely technical help, writing

assistance, or a department chair who provided

only general support.

Any work that is not your own must be clearly

acknowledged; otherwise, you will be guilty of

plagiarism. The acknowledgments and references

must make clear to the reader the extent of your

own contribution.

REFERENCES

Referencing has a number of purpo ses:

• To enable your readers to find the source of

your information either to verify or clarify what

you say or to expand on the information – it

may relevant to their research. Therefore

make sure there is adequate information to

help the reader locate the source.

• The credibility of your information source adds

to the credibility of your own research finding

and by extension, that of your research paper.

• To acknowledge your information sources as

a matter of courtesy.

• To acknowledge your information sources

(including diagrams, photographs, tables etc.)

to avoid issues of plagiarism and possible

breach of copyright.

• To help you, the writer, do future checks on

details in your own study.

Referencing should take place throughout your

report or thesis, not just in the literature review.

Number the references consecutively within

brackets [1]. The sentence punctuation follows the

bracket [2]. Refer simply to the reference number,

as in [3] - do not use “Ref. [3]” or reference [3]”

except at the beginning of a sentence: “Reference

[3] was the first …”

Number footnotes separately in superscript. Place

the actual footnote at the bottom of the column in

which it was cited. Do not put footnotes in the

reference list.