An overview over the most important types of scientific writings.

Thesis, Research Paper, Literature Review, Essay, Case Study, Reiew, Report, Discussion, Original Research, Reflective Writing.

Thesis

“A thesis is a statement, theory, argument, proposal or proposition, which is put forward as a premise to be maintained or proved. It explains the stand someone takes on an issue and how the person intends to justify the stand.”

“In the academic world, one of the hallmark rites signifying mastery of a course or academic area is the writing of a thesis. Essentially a thesis is a typewritten work, usually 50 to 350 pages in length depending on institutions, discipline, and educational level which is often aimed at addressing a particular problem in a given field.”

HOW TO WRITE A THESIS: Steps by step guide – Thesismind

Here are instructions on how to write a thesis.

Research Paper

“A research paper is a common form of academic writing. Research papers require students and academics to locate information about a topic (that is, to conduct research), take a stand on that topic, and provide support (or evidence) for that position in an organized report.

The term research paper may also refer to a scholarly article that contains the results of original research or an evaluation of research conducted by others. Most scholarly articles must undergo a process of peer review before they can be accepted for publication in an academic journal.”

What Is a Research Paper? (thoughtco.com)

Here are instructions on how to write a research paper.

literature review

“A literature review summarises and synthesises the existing scholarly research on a particular topic. Literature reviews are a form of academic writing commonly used in the sciences, social sciences, and humanities. However, unlike research papers, which establish new arguments and make original contributions, literature reviews organise and present existing research. As a student or academic, you might produce a literature review as a standalone paper or as a portion of a larger research project. “

What Is a Literature Review? (thoughtco.com)

Literature reviews are not written from a subjective perspective, but rather evaluate how much research has already been done on a topic and what research should hence be conducted. It justifies the research that you or your colleagues might conduct in a sense, since it proves that certain aspects are missing.

 

Here you can find a step-for-step instruction on how to write a literature review:

How to Write a Literature Review | Guide, Examples, & Templates (scribbr.com)

 

Essay

The purpose of an essay is to either persuade or to inform the reader. In its structure, the essay comes close to a thesis, containing an introduction, a thesis statement, a main body with evidence and analysis and a conclusion part. The two main differences between the two are:

  1. An essay can be persuasive, not merely informative. A thesis paper must adhere to facts and try to make sense of them. An essay gives a statement or opinion, provides arguments for the statement and disproves counterarguments. A thesis does not represent a personal opinion, therefore only evidence-based analysis and the resulting arguments can be written in it.
  2. A thesis requires higher standards of research, and hence has more scientific value, whereas an essay animates discussion and gives room for personal opinions. A thesis is more time consuming. It is a bi gger project, contains more research and objectivity.

The essay states a strong thesis and stresses it with sub-statements that are proven by evidence, or logic. For an overview, here are instructions on how to write scientifically and how to write an essay.

 

case study

“What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods

Published on May 8, 2019 by Shona McCombes. Revised on December 19, 2022.

A case study is a detailed study of a specific subject, such as a person, group, place, event, organization, or phenomenon. Case studies are commonly used in social, educational, clinical, and business research.

A case study research design usually involves qualitative methods, but quantitative methods are sometimes also used. Case studies are good for describing, comparing, evaluating and understanding different aspects of a research problem.

[…]

When to do a case study

A case study is an appropriate research design when you want to gain concrete, contextual, in-depth knowledge about a specific real-world subject. It allows you to explore the key characteristics, meanings, and implications of the case.

Case studies are often a good choice in a thesis or dissertation. They keep your project focused and manageable when you don’t have the time or resources to do large-scale research.

You might use just one complex case study where you explore a single subject in depth, or conduct multiple case studies to compare and illuminate different aspects of your research problem.

Research question

Case study

What are the ecological effects of wolf reintroduction?

Case study of wolf reintroduction in Yellowstone National Park

How do populist politicians use narratives about history to gain support?

Case studies of Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán and US president Donald Trump

How can teachers implement active learning strategies in mixed-level classrooms?

Case study of a local school that promotes active learning

What are the main advantages and disadvantages of wind farms for rural communities?

Case studies of three rural wind farm development projects in different parts of the country

How are viral marketing strategies changing the relationship between companies and consumers?

Case study of the iPhone X marketing campaign

How do experiences of work in the gig economy differ by gender, race and age?

Case studies of Deliveroo and Uber drivers in London

Step 1: Select a case

Once you have developed your problem statement and research questions, you should be ready to choose the specific case that you want to focus on. A good case study should have the potential to:

  • Provide new or unexpected insights into the subject
  • Challenge or complicate existing assumptions and theories
  • Propose practical courses of action to resolve a problem
  • Open up new directions for future research

Unlike quantitative or experimental research, a strong case study does not require a random or representative sample. In fact, case studies often deliberately focus on unusual, neglected, or outlying cases which may shed new light on the research problem.

Example of an outlying case study

In the 1960s the town of Roseto, Pennsylvania was discovered to have extremely low rates of heart disease compared to the US average. It became an important case study for understanding previously neglected causes of heart disease.

However, you can also choose a more common or representative case to exemplify a particular category, experience or phenomenon.

Example of a representative case study

In the 1920s, two sociologists used Muncie, Indiana as a case study of a typical American city that supposedly exemplified the changing culture of the US at the time.

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Step 2: Build a theoretical framework

While case studies focus more on concrete details than general theories, they should usually have some connection with theory in the field. This way the case study is not just an isolated description, but is integrated into existing knowledge about the topic. It might aim to:

  • Exemplify a theory by showing how it explains the case under investigation
  • Expand on a theory by uncovering new concepts and ideas that need to be incorporated
  • Challenge a theory by exploring an outlier case that doesn’t fit with established assumptions

To ensure that your analysis of the case has a solid academic grounding, you should conduct a literature review of sources related to the topic and develop a theoretical framework. This means identifying key concepts and theories to guide your analysis and interpretation.

Step 3: Collect your data

There are many different research methods you can use to collect data on your subject. Case studies tend to focus on qualitative data using methods such as interviews, observations, and analysis of primary and secondary sources (e.g., newspaper articles, photographs, official records). Sometimes a case study will also collect quantitative data.

Example of a mixed methods case study

For a case study of a wind farm development in a rural area, you could collect quantitative data on employment rates and business revenue, collect qualitative data on local people’s perceptions and experiences, and analyze local and national media coverage of the development.

The aim is to gain as thorough an understanding as possible of the case and its context.

Step 4: Describe and analyze the case

In writing up the case study, you need to bring together all the relevant aspects to give as complete a picture as possible of the subject.

How you report your findings depends on the type of research you are doing. Some case studies are structured like a standard scientific paper or thesis, with separate sections or chapters for the methods, results and discussion.

Others are written in a more narrative style, aiming to explore the case from various angles and analyze its meanings and implications (for example, by using textual analysis or discourse analysis).

In all cases, though, make sure to give contextual details about the case, connect it back to the literature and theory, and discuss how it fits into wider patterns or debates.”

 

 

 

 

McCombes, S. (2022, December 19). What Is a Case Study? | Definition, Examples & Methods. Scribbr. https://www.scribbr.com/methodology/case-study/

review

A review states a persons’ opinion on a subject, e.g. book, article etc. giving reasons that lead to the opinion and recommendations.

 

To write a review you must first be sure to know your opinion about it: you can dislike a thing fully, you can like it, you can be confused by it, you can admire the whole, yet criticise aspects of it. Just be honest with your opinion and try to express it in one sentence, without giving a thorough explanation at first. This sentence should be your thesis statement and you can lead with it in your review. 

 

“The book mostly confused me, the main characters were dull, the setting descriptions were not clear enough and the plot had no real sense or suspense. It was a bad reading experience and I will not continue to read this series.”

 

After this, you specify your reasons for your opinion, giving each argument a paragraph of its own. If you want to be thorough, you can quote or give examples.

 

“The main characters were interchangeable and shallow and so were their friendships. This is especially visible in the way the main character, Sideways, is accepted into the group of witches without prior interactions or conversations. After casting a spell together at a party last night, they spend the rest of the book as a coven. Despite having been an outcast her whole life, Sideways adjusts to the group of ‘popular girls’ without hesitation. The fact that the author still tries to preserve Sideways’ self-image as an outcast inconsistently creates a confusion of character. The way the other girls accept and trust her fully with no doubt or hesitation seems artificial and is not at all relatable. All in all, the characters are inconsistent and dull, which made me indifferent about what happens to them.”

 

In the end, you can summarise your arguments again, and give a recommendation.

 

“In conclusion, I would not recommend you to read this book in any case. If you are an experienced reader, you will see how inconsistent the writing style is, which will confuse you. I wouldn’t even recommend it as a children’s book, because though being quite clumsy in terms of the writing style, the author uses vocabulary that is way too advanced in an attempt of sophistication. Hence, even though the plotline reminds of one of a children’s book, not even our little ones would comprehend what is happening. All in all, I give it 1/5 stars.”

report

The purpose of a report is to inform a person neutrally and thoroughly on a subject, given an orderly overview over all its aspects. A report presents facts in a structured way, only including expert interpretations in the conclusion part (if at all). Additionally, a report, different from e.g., an essay, does not have to be read from beginning to ending, but rather every heading and subheading must be logical and understandable in itself. Therefore, it is difficult to write a report, as the information has to be concise, yet comprehensible and heavily structured.

Though there are more types of reports, you are most likely to encounter those on your career path:

  • Academic report: Tests a student’s comprehension of the subject matter, such as book reports, reports on historical events, and biographies 
  • Business reports: Identifies information useful in business strategy, such as marketing reports, internal memos, SWOT analysis, and feasibility reports
  • Scientific reports: Shares research findings, such as research papers and case studies, typically in science journals

Additionally, a report could be formal or informal, short or long, and internal or external. In business, a vertical report shares information with people on different levels of the hierarchy (i.e., people who work above you and below you), while a lateral report is for people on the author’s same level, but in different departments.

Here you can find the structure of a report:

  • Executive summary: Just like an abstract in an academic paper, an executive summary is a standalone section that summarises the findings in your report so readers know what to expect.
  • Introduction: Setting up the body of the report, your introduction explains the overall topic that you’re about to discuss, with your thesis statement and any need-to-know background information before you get into your own findings. 
  • Body: The body of the report explains all your major discoveries, broken up into headings and subheadings. The body makes up the majority of the entire report; whereas the introduction and conclusion are just a few paragraphs each, the body can go on for pages. 
  • Conclusion: The conclusion is where you bring together all the information in your report and come to a definitive interpretation or judgement. This is usually where the author inputs their own personal opinions or inferences.  

Keep in mind that a report should be comprehensible at first glance: The exact title must be visible, the headings tell exactly what the chapter is about, there has to be a table of contents, including every heading, subheading etc. and you must follow the guidelines given to you, specifically. If you have not received exact guidelines, think of ways you can make the report comfortable to comprehend.

Credit: How to Write a Report: A Guide With Examples | Grammarly Blog

discussion

The discussion is a very important part of your thesis paper. Its purpose is to evaluate your results and to discuss a relation between your findings and existing literature. In this section you discuss at length if your findings give way to new realisations in your field, if they falsify any existing theories and why. Address all your findings, not only the statistically significant ones. On this note, you should discuss the impact your methodology might have had on the data you have collected, as it might have induced false results. If your findings are unexpected, you hypothesise about how they came to be, if they are still significant, connect them to possible theories and think of further research that might be conducted to prove or disprove your hypotheses. 

It is vital for you to take your time to write this section, since you want to have a new, thorough perspective on your results. The discussion can take up a big part of both your time and your word count.

Also of importance is that you estimate your data correctly: try not to overestimate the significance of your findings. Be aware of the limitations of your studies. At the same time, do not make it less significant than it is; statistical significance is meaningful. You will be likely to tend to one of those poles, so reflect on your bias, and if you get the chance, ask for educated opinions from your peers on that.

Do not introduce topics that are not relevant or directly related to your topic in the discussion part. Making claims without supporting data discredits your ability to think scientifically.

“What is the difference between a discussion section and your conclusion?

There are some similarities between the terms discussion and conclusion in academic writing. These two terms usually represent two separate concepts. While you might have noticed some similarities between the two, they both generally have a different purpose. The discussion is a detailed presentation of your findings and provides scientific back-up for your arguments. It explains your findings and interprets them in context of previous work, as well as provides some suggestions for future research. The conclusion, on the other hand, is generally brief and provides just the main points of your dissertation; i.e. the take-home message. It can be seen as a summary of your discussion and tells the reader why your research matters. For a more thorough description of the term conclusion as it applies to academic writing, you can refer to this post. If you decide to combine these two concepts, it is important that you cover all of your required topics in a systematic way. At all times, cultivate creative thinking and make sure you are telling the reader a coherent narrative that is hopefully making them excited about your results.”

 

A possible structure of your discussion can be:

“(1) refer to your research question

(2) provide the answer

(3) justify it with relevant results

(4) link your work to the work of others”

(How to Write a Good Discussion Section – Thesis Writing & Dissertation | Academic Writing Help for Those Feeling Stuck (unstick.me))

original research

Original research is mostly conducted in social sciences as it mostly consists of interviews and questionnaires. For those to be scientific, you will generally need a clear methodology. Here is a guide on how to best conduct original research:

How to Do Original Research – iResearchNet

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