useful phrases bachelor thesis

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Useful Research Words and Phrases for All Sections

What are the best research words and phrases to use in a paper?

If you are a graduate student, researcher, and/or professor, you already know that composing academic documents can be a frustrating and time-consuming undertaking. In addition to including all the necessary study content, you must also present it in the right order and convey the required information using the proper institutional language. Deciding exactly which language to put in which section can get confusing as you constantly question your choice of phrasing: “ Does the Results section require this kind of explanation? Should I introduce my research with a comparison or with background research? How do I even begin the Discussion section? ”

To help you choose the  right  word for the  right  purpose,  Wordvice  has created a handy academic writing “cheat sheet” with ready-made formulaic expressions for all major sections of a research paper ( Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, and Conclusion ) and for reaching different objectives within each section.

This downloadable  quick-reference guide  contains common phrases used in academic papers, a sample journal submission cover letter, and a template rebuttal letter to be modified and used in case of receipt of a letter from the journal editor.

Each section includes annotations explaining the purposes of the expressions and a summary of essential information so that you can easily find the language your are looking for whenever you need to apply it to your paper. Using this quick reference will help you write more complete and appropriate phrases in your research writing and correspondence with journal editors.

Reference Guide Content

1. common research paper phrases (listed by manuscript section).

• Gathered from hundreds of thousands of published manuscripts, these frequently used key sentences and phrases are tailored to what each section of your paper should accomplish.
• From the abstract to the conclusion, each section is tied together by a logical structure and flow of information.
• Refer to this index when you are unsure of the correct phrases to use (in your paper/article, dissertation, or thesis) or if you are a non-native speaker and are seeking phrasing that is both natural in tone and official in form.

2. Acade mic Search Tools Index

• The search tools index is a concise compilation of some of the best academic research search tools and databases available that contain information about paper composition and relevant journals.
• Locate the sites and tools most useful for your needs using our summary of site content and features.

3. Sample Journal Submission Cover Letter with Formal Expressions

The  cover letter  is an essential part of the journal submission process, yet a great many researchers struggle with how to compose their cover letters to journal editors in a way that will effectively introduce their study and spur editors to read and consider their manuscript.

This sample cover letter not only provides an exemplary model of what a strong cover letter should look like but includes template language authors can apply directly to their own cover letters. By applying the formal language of the cover letter to the particular details of a particular study, the letter helps authors build a strong opening case for journals to consider accepting their manuscripts for publication.

4. Rebuttal Letter Template

The  rebuttal letter  is written as a response to previously received correspondence from journal editors that can take the form of a rejection, deferment, or request letter, which often requests changes, additions, or omission of content or augmentation of formatting in the manuscript. The rebuttal letter is therefore usually an author’s last chance to get their manuscript published in a given journal, and the language they use must convince the editor that an author’s manuscript is ready (or will be ready) for publication in their journal. It must therefore contain a precise rationale and explanation to accomplish this goal.

As with the journal submission cover letter, knowing exactly what to include in this letter and how to compose it can be difficult. One must be persuasive without being pushy; formal but yet candid and frank. This template rebuttal letter is constructed to help authors navigate these issues and respond to authors with confidence that they have done everything possible to get their manuscript published in the journal to which they have submitted.

5. Useful Phrases for the Journal Submission Cover Letter/Rebuttal Letter

As with research papers, there are usually dozens of options for how to phrase the language in letters to journal editors. This section suggests several of the most common phrases that authors use to express their objectives and persuade editors to publish their journals. And as with the section on “Common Research Paper Phrases,” you will find here that each phrase is listed under a heading that indicates its objective so that authors know when and where to apply these expressions.

Use this reference guide as another resource in your toolkit to make the research paper writing and journal submission processes a bit easier. And remember that there are many excellent resources out there if you require additional assistance.

Wordvice ‘s academic English editing services include paper editing services , dissertation editing services , and thesis editing services that are specifically tailored to help researchers polish their papers to get the very most out of their research writing. Visit our  Resources  pages for great articles and videos on academic writing and journal submission.

Wordvice Resources

A guide to paraphrasing in research papers, 100+ strong verbs that will make your research writing amazing , how to compose a journal submission cover letter, how to write the best journal submission cover letter,  related resources,   40 useful words and phrases for top-notch essays, “essential academic writing words and phrases”  (my english teacher.eu), “academic vocabulary, useful phrases for academic writing and research paper writing”  (research gate).

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Academic writing – phrases you can use in your dissertations

by Leanne · Published June 30, 2020 · Updated September 23, 2022

If you’re working on your dissertation and you’re looking for some academic phrases that you can use when writing up your research you will find the University of Manchester Academic Phrasebank very useful.

About the Academic Phrasebank

The Academic Phrasebank is a general resource for academic writers. It aims to provide you with examples of some of the phraseological ‘nuts and bolts’ of writing organised according to the main sections of a research paper or dissertation.

Whether you want to introduce your work, describe methods, discuss findings, report results or write a conclusion there are generic and neutral phrases that you can adapt.

Other resources to develop your academic writing

• Improve your academic writing (study skills guides)
• Ebooks on improving your academic writing

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70 useful sentences for academic writing

Back in the late 1990s, in the process of reading for my MA dissertation, I put together a collection of hundreds of “sentence frames” that I felt could help me with my academic writing later on.

And they did – immensely. After the course was over, I stacked my sentences away, but kept wondering if I could ever put them to good use and perhaps help other college students.

So here are 70 sentences extracted and adapted for from the original compilation. This list is organized around keywords.

Before you start: 1. Pay close attention to the words in bold , which are often used in conjunction with the main word. 2. [   ] means “insert a suitable word here”, while (   ) means “this word is optional.” 3. Keep in mind that, within each group, some examples are slightly more formal/less frequent than others.

Argue a. Along similar lines , [X] argues that ___. b. There seems to be no compelling reason to argue that ___. c. As a rebuttal to this point, it could be  argued that ___. d. There are [three] main arguments that can be advanced to support ___. e. The underlying argument in favor of / against [X] is that ___. f. [X]’s argument in favor of / against [Y] runs as follows: ___.

Claim a. In this [paper], I put forward the claim that ___. b. [X] develops the claim that ___. c. There is ample / growing support for the claim that ___. d. [X]’s findings lend support to the claim that ___. e. Taking a middle-ground position, [X] claims that ___.

Data a. The data gathered in the [pilot study] suggest that ___. b. The data appear to suggest that ___. c. The data yielded by this [study] provide strong / convincing evidence that ___. d. A closer look at the data indicates that ___. e. The data generated by [X] are reported in [table 1]. f. The aim of this [section] is to generalize beyond the data and ___.

Debate a. [X] has encouraged   debate on ___. b. There has been an inconclusive debate about whether ___. c. The question of whether ___ has caused much debate in [our profession] [over the years]. d. (Much of) the current debate revolves around ___.

Discussion a. In this section/chapter, the discussion will point to ___. b. The foregoing discussion implies that ___. c. For the sake of discussion , I would like to argue that ___. d. In this study, the question under discussion is ___. e. In this paper, the discussion centers on ___. f. [X] lies at the heart of the discussion on ___.

Evidence a. The available evidence seems to suggest that ___ / point to ___. b. On the basis of the evidence currently available, it seems fair to suggest that ___. c. There is overwhelming evidence  for the notion that ___. d. Further evidence supporting / against [X] may lie in the findings of [Y], who ___. e. These results provide confirmatory evidence that ___.

Ground a. I will now summarize the ground covered in this [chapter] by ___. b. On logical grounds , there is no compelling reason to argue that ___. c. [X] takes a middle-ground position on [Y] and argues that ___. d. On these grounds , we can argue that ___. e. [X]’s views are grounded on the assumption that ___.

Issue a. This study is an attempt to address the issue of ___. b. In the present study, the issue under scrutiny is ___.   c. The issue of whether ___ is clouded by the fact that ___. d. To portray the issue in [X]’s terms, ___. e. Given the centrality of this issue to [my claim], I will now ___. f. This [chapter] is concerned with the issue of [how/whether/what] ___. Literature a. [X] is prominent in the literature on [Y]. b. There is a rapidly growing literature on [X], which indicates that ___. c. The literature shows no consensus on [X], which means that ___. d. The (current) literature on [X] abounds with examples of ___.

Premise a. The main theoretical premise behind [X] is that ___. b. [X] and [Y] share an important premise : ___. c. [X] is premised on the assumption that ___. d. The basic premises of [X]’s theory / argument are ___. e. The arguments against [X]’s premise rest on [four] assumptions: ___.

Research a.This study draws on research conducted by ___. b. Although there has been relatively little research on / into [X], ___. c. In the last [X] years, [educational] research has provided ample support for the assertion that ___. d. Current research appears / seems to validate the view that ___. e. Research on / into ___ does not support the view that ___. f. Further research in this area may include ___ and ___. g. Evidence for [X] is borne out by research that shows ___. h. There is insufficient research on / into ___ to draw any firm conclusions about / on ___. View a. The consensus view seems to be that ___. b. [X] propounds the view that ___. c. Current research (does not) appear(s) to validate such a view . d. There have been dissenters to the view that ___. e. The answer to [X] / The difference between [X] and [Y] is not as clear-cut as popular views might suggest. f. The view that _____ is  in line with [common sense]. g. I am not alone in my view that ___. h. [X] puts forward the view that ___. i. [X]’s views rest on the assumption that ___.

If you found this list useful, check out The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need , which contains 600 sentences, as well as grammar and vocabulary tips. 50,000 copies sold as of November 23.

E-book and paperback available on Amazon.

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Comments 179

This is incredible! Many, many thanks! I’ll start putting these into use immediately in my DipTESOL assignments.

Higor, glad I could help. Um abraço!

Thanks for letting out such a list. Seems to be of great help.

Muchas gracias hermano This is a precious crownjewel

Great list, Otávio! Thank you!

You’re welcome, Eduardo! 🙂

Wonderful! It will help indeed!

Thanks very much! Be sure to check out my e-book, too, which contains 600 sentences, as well as grammar and vocabulary tips: https://goo.gl/tAvU3P

This is very helpful, I wish I had known about this fabulous choice of words during my first year of graduate study.

Thanks, Widad! If you feel you need more help, check this out: https://goo.gl/tAvU3P

Thanks, Luiz! This list is gonna be so useful!

You’re welcome, Michele!

What a marvelous list. Thanks for your generosity.

Melanie, thank you!

my friend i cant access this book from my country pakistan… can u please tell me another source

Really nice, Luiz. I particularly like ‘yielded’. I’ll definitely try to put them to good use during my next assignment.

I remember teaching you “yielded” back in 1875, in MAC something. Maybe that’s why. 🙂

1875? You’ve been around awhile.

Haven’t I, Susan? 🙂

Wonderful Listing Dear Brother 🙂 Why were some alphabets left out ? Sure there would have been a GR8 reason ! Am converting this into a ppt and share it for many to more to access – hope no problems brother …. LOL n Laughter all the way from Mumbai, INDIA

Ramgopal, Thank you for dropping by. You can share the list with as many people as you like, of course. Please do acknowledge the source, though, ok? Maybe this will encourage more people to visit the blog.

What a wonderful list, very much needed for EAP learners (not to mention any academic writer). I’ll definitely make use of it. Thanks. 🙂

Tyson, thank you for your kind words. Much appreciated!

Obrigada Otavio, This is a great source and I will definitely use it in my current literature review class. My professor provide us with your Blog. I am very glad for two reasons, your Blog is a great source, and I think you are Brazilian ? I am from São Paulo, and as an International student I struggle written in English.

Muito… muito obrigada pelas dicas.

Thank you, Dora! Yes, I am Brazilian.

Such a great work! It helps me to improve my English…Keep It Up.

Data is the plural of datum. Therefore, it should read “The data appear…”

Hi, Pedro Thanks for stopping by. Both usages are correct. If one treats “data” as a singular / mass noun, a singular noun should be used. Here’s what the Oxford Dictionary has to say: “In Latin, data is the plural of datum and, historically and in specialized scientific fields , it is also treated as a plural in English, taking a plural verb, as in the data were collected and classified . In modern non-scientific use, however , despite the complaints of traditionalists, it is often not treated as a plural. Instead, it is treated as a mass noun, similar to a word like information, which cannot normally have a plural and which takes a singular verb. Sentences such as data was (as well as data were ) collected over a number of years are now widely accepted in standard English.” So I think it ultimately depends on the stylistic constraints of the piece of writing at hand and on the norms adopted by the academic institution you’re writing for / on behalf of. But if history is anything to go by, I think very soon “datum” will be as rare as, for example, “agendum.”

What a wonderful list: thank you for sharing. I’m going (with your permission) to use it with my EAP class. I have other lists (including from the Manchester phrase bank) but this is a list of phrases that have been used rather than could be used.

Christine, I appreciate your kind words. Of course you can use it! If you feel that your audience would profit from any of the stuff on this blog (aimed at teachers of English as a foreign language), please just say where the sentences were taken from, ok? Every little thing than can increase traffic helps! And you’re so right about the “what people do say” vs. “what people could say” dilemma. Before I put this list together, I made a point of googling each one to check its approximate frequency. This alone sifted out at least half of my original list. Best regards from São Paulo, Brazil.

Thank you, Luiz!

These are invaluable, and they’ll be put to immediate use in ICELT tasks.

Thanks a million!

Jéssica, I’m so glad you’ll be able to use some of them. Um abraço!

Thanks a zillion for sharing, Luiz! Assessors worldwide will be amazed at how much the quality of candidates’ writing has improved! hehehe

We sure hope so, right, Márcia? 🙂 Thanks for stopping by.

Hi Luiz Thanks for putting this work together. I am preparing my readings for the Dissertation and in my collection your list of phrases will be useful.

Regards Linda

Very useful Christine and thanks for sharing.

Thank you, Salma.

What a fabulous resource for international students as well! Thank you.

Cally, thank you!

Just great! Thanks for sharing it.

You’re welcome, Bruno!

Thanks for sharing. Definitely I will use some ideas for my TEFL essay.

Patricia, I’m glad you found the list helpful!

Courageous, generous and much appreciated.

Thank you for your kind words, Chris.

Bonjour, English is not my first language and the information contained on this page helps me to construct proper essay sentences. Obrigada !

Bonjour, Denise. As a non-native speaker myself, I know the feeling and I’m glad I was able to help! Merci!

thank you for this! it helps me tremendously 🙂

My pleasure!

You seriously saved my life when I was writing a paper due the very next day. I have bookmarked it and it will be my go-to blog for future writing assignments! Thank you for your contribution.

Glad I could help, Johana!

Thank you for this- it is fabulous!

Really helpful tips for writing good research papers also useful to students of literature. Great tips indeed. I think these tips must be shared with every student of literature as there are lot many things they have to know.

Thanks, Jeff!

Thanks a lot!!!! What an incredible work!! I will use it with my students 🙂

Thank you, Serena.

Incredible! Senor Barros, thank you for sharing. I’ve never seen something like this before–good prompts for writing.

Ken (ESL Teacher from Thailand)

Thanks, Ken. I appreciate your feedback.

These sentences are Fantabulous…!!! (Thumbs Up For You) (y)

Completely agree. Fantastic expressions. Gonna have to study them for some upcoming papers!!

Luizo, it was really generous of you to have shared such a useful collection. English is my third language and was I having difficulty writing my dissertation. Hopefully your gift will help. I cannot thank you enough. I hope one day I too can help by uploading something this useful, free. You are a saint.

thanks baby your sentences are great I am going to use them as much as possible

Нighly descriptive post, I lіked that a lot. Will there be a part 2?

10000 times thanks

Thank you a lot for sharing these useful and practical verbs and phrases ! Best wishes Habib

Habib, glad I could help!

Nice Work! Exactly what I was looking for classroom debates!

Honestly, I would seriously LOVE to see the original 10 page list!!!!

Thank you so much – you have just saved me hours of trying to make my Masters assignment sound convincing!

Sorta cool! Thanks for what you’ve done Luiz…

And give a try at updating the list, if possible.

Thank you alto, this is a great list. I prepare for TOEFL but my writing is awful, I hope by using this list it improve. Can I send my writing to you?

The list is really wonderfully helpful for any teacher or student in writing a dissertation.

Thank you so much are very goods to my tesis.

THANKS FOR HELPING PEOPLE

Thanks so much for your generosity. Just about to embark upon my MA dissertation and feeling very insecure, nervous and low in confidence: the cosmic kick in the bottom, desperately needed!

This is an awesome collection dude! I was looking something like this for my writing in TOEFL test!

Thanks for the list! It’ll really give me a boost for my future works!

Thank you very much. It is very helpful

thank you for the list, most helpful. Luella

i been using these for a yr and my grades incresed dramatically now i have got an op 2 i can’t thank u enough for these thank u

This is very useful. IF I rate it I will 10. But I hope u will also common phrases that commonly use in school reporting. Btw, I am a filipino.

This is brilliant! thanks!

Thank you so much. Great work.

Thanks, I find many of the phrases very useful for my own work.

However, I see in general a tendency of being too wordy. This probably depends somewhat on the branch of science you’re working in. For example, a phrase such as “The available evidence seems to suggest that” uses two hedges (suggest, seem) to mitigate the strength of “evidence”). If there’s a lot of such phrases in a paper, the readers just won’t believe what your saying.

First, I would like to say thank you so much for helpful idea and I really need to improve me academic English vocabulary but I t is still problem to improve it. Who will help me that.

Very good work and can be updated to help postgraduate students in their writing

Thank you! There’s some exciting news on the horizon, Abdulghadar. Stay tuned!

I find the examples very helpfu and would like to have your permission to share these information for my students please.

Absolutely, Juliana!

Juliana,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

What a great list, greetings from Poland!

Titoszka,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

These phrases are going to be very very very useful for me… Thanks a lot!!!

Akshita,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thank you very much, these sentences will help a lot. Thank again.

Djibril,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thank u so much:)

Thank you for this list. I m sharing it with my friends right now. It’s a great source of good wordings)))

Anastasia,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Hey this source is great! Thanks for sharing.

Jen,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thanks …

A brilliant resource for teaching academic writing, thank you!

Sharon,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

It is perfect list! Thanks a lot.

Glad you found it useful!

Kostas, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Dear LUIZ OTÁVIO, Nice list, It could be much greater If you could add any other vocabulary to use for academic writing in you blog.

Dear Professor Avinash, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Luiz your list is a time saver. you are very thoughtful. Thank you!

Diana,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thank you so much for posting this list, I’ve been using it for last 3 years of my uni!

Mac, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

MANY THANKS !!

Ottotito, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

from Saudi Arabia, i would like a to thank you for those great expressions LUIZ, I admit using some of them to improve my daily English Emails as well 🙂

Majed, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Dear Louiz, I am writing my PhD proposal and this is just what I need. Thanks a lot

Marie, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thanks a lot. It is very useful

Scorneo, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thanks a lot. It is very useful…

This is what I am looking for !! Thank you so much.. I will use them in may graduation research .. Many thanks,..

Hela, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thank you for sharing your superb list!

Naz,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thanks a lot. It is very useful.

Kasra, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thank you so much, i am using your sentences in my thesis.

Minoo,check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thank you for your help you realy helped me interms of academic work.please now will you help me on prepositions?this is when am learning English.

Hi Micheal, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZ

I heaved a sigh of relief. Because this is my major struggle in writing academic papers. Remain blessed for sharing.

Blossom, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Luiz, this is AWESOME! I’m so grateful for this. Currently I’m roasting over my dissertation and this prompts lubricate the brain and neuro pathways. Thank you so much for your generosity. Blessings to you!

Sarah, check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Sarah, check out: “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

im impressed Luiz

Thank you. Check out “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Sharing this list with my IELTS students in 3, 2, 1…

Thanks, Jorge. For those who want more sentences + grammar and vocabulary tips, you can also recommend “The Only Academic Phrasebook You’ll Ever Need”, which I’ve just published. It’s available on Amazon: http://goo.gl/3frFZW

Thank you. This is a bookmarked item

Thank you! Be sure to check out my e-book, too: https://goo.gl/tAvU3P It contains 600 sentences, as well as grammar and vocabulary tips.

A thousand million thanks

You’re welcome, Pat! If you feel you need more help, check this out: https://goo.gl/tAvU3P 5 bucks only and it contains 600 sentences + lots of grammar and vocabulary tips.

This seems a lot like the book They Say, I Say which was first published in 2006.

Hi Joelle. Thanks for the reference. Just checked a sample on Amazon. Seems like a great book. The sentences above, however, are all formal. As far as I could tell, They Say, I Say includes a number of more neutral “templates” that students can use, say, in high school essays.

E-book is not available.. only the paperpack 🙁

This is good, it will really help in preparing my research manuscripts for publication

Glad you find it useful!

Yo have no idea how much I use this page for my papers. Special thanks to you!

I’m glad you find it useful!

[…] 70 useful sentences for academic writing […]

Thanks a lot for your tremendous work, it is helpful and sophisticated. May you be rewarded.

Thanks, Sheriff!

Found the compilation very helpful. kudos!

Thank you, Abdus.

Great list! You have just saved my Final degree project Thanks!!

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I’m non-native English speager, and taking writing class. it really helped alot. Thanks.

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[…] 70 Useful Sentences for Academic Writing […]

This is so fantastically useful! I can’t thank you enough. I’m writing my first (minor) thesis, and this has been incredibly helpful in getting my writing started. Thank you so, so much for your generosity in sharing.

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Hi! This is very helpful. I’m so glad I stumbled on your post.

thank you for great idea:)

genius. thank you!

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Academic Phrases for Writing Introduction Section of a Research Paper

Overview |   Abstract   | Introduction | Literature Review | Materials & Methods | Results & Discussion | Conclusion & Future Work | Acknowledgements & Appendix

Introduction section comes after the abstract. Introduction section should provide the reader with a brief overview of your topic and the reasons for conducting research. The introduction is a perfect place to set the scene and make a good first impression. Regarding word count, introduction typically occupies 10-15% of your paper, for example, if the total word count of your paper is 3000, then you should aim for an introduction of around 600 words. It is often recommended that the introduction section of the paper is written after finishing the other sections of the paper. This is because it is difficult to figure out what exactly to put in the introduction section of the paper until you have seen the big picture. Sound very confident about your chosen subject area and back up your arguments with appropriate references. After reading the introduction, the reader must have a clear idea of what to expect from the rest of your research paper.

The introduction section of your research paper should include the following:

• General introduction
• Problem definition
• Gaps in the literature
• Problems solution
• Study motivation
• Aims & objectives
• Significance and advantages of your work

1. General introduction

Research on __ has a long tradition For decades, one of the most popular ideas in __ literature is the idea that __ Recent theoretical developments have revealed that __ A common strategy used to study __ is to __ This research constitutes a relatively new area which has emerged  from __ These approaches have been influential in the field because of __ In the past several decades, __ have played an important  role in __ There are growing appeals for __ This is the field of study that deals with __ Most of the theories of __ are however focused on explaining __ There are three major theoretical and conceptual frameworks for __ The field has gradually broadened as __ This field of study is sometimes referred as __ This has been widely adopted in the field of __ This thesis considers the field of __ as the main subject of its study One of the major topics to be investigated in this field is __ This is now a mature field which is now being spun out into commercial applications __ This field is maturing, with a wealth of well-understood methods and algorithms __ This field closely follows the paradigm of __ The field has met with great success in many problems __ The field only really took off in the late __ as it became more accessible to __ This is not particularly new and has been used for many years in the field of __ This field closely follows the paradigm of __ Widely considered to be a good way to __ This has been widely adopted in the field of __ This is more widely used at the time of __ This phenomenon has been widely observed A common technique is to __ This is a technique common in __ There are several common kinds of __

2. Problem definition

This seems to be a common problem in __ This leads to myriad problems in __ The main problem is that __ There is a further problem with __ One primary problem with __ is that __ The methods are not without their problems as will be discussed in __ The foremost problems are the facts that __ This makes up for the problem of __ This seems to be a common problem in __ This is a complex problem and to simplify it requires __ A challenging problem which arises in this domain is __ These problems are difficult to handle __ This is typically a complex problem __ A well-known problem with __  is that it does not take into account the __ One of the problems is that it considers only the __ The key problem with this technique is __ It is usually an ill-posed problem in the case of __ This problem is well-posed and does not require to impose __ This appears as a more straightforward problem compared to the __ This turns out to be even more problematic because __ The problem with such an implementation is that __ This poses some problems when carrying out the __ This problem  has attracted more attention in the field of __ This is a basic chicken-and-egg problem because __ Unfortunately, this approach results in problems related to __ These constraints make the problem difficult to __ Most of the research in this field is aimed at solving this problem. This remains an open problem in the area. This problem has received substantial interest. These examples highlight the problem that __ The main practical problem that confronts us is __

3. Gaps in literature

  There is no previous research using __ approach. As far as we know, no previous research has investigated __ There has been less previous evidence for __ Other studies have failed to __ To our knowledge, no study has yielded __ No study to date has examined __ Only a few studies have shown __ However, __ has rarely been studied directly. Moreover, few studies have focussed on __ In particular no study, to our knowledge, has considered __

4. Problems solution

One way to overcome these problems is to __ There are many alternative methods are available for solving these problems. In order to rectify the problem of __ A solution to this problem is proposed in __ One approach to solve this problem involves the use of __ An alternative approach to the problem is __ This can be applied to solve these problems. A number of works have shown that this problem can be overcome by using __ A large number of alternative approaches have been developed over the last few decades to __ To overcome this problem, in the next section we demonstrate __ One way to overcome this problem is to __ To overcome this problem, some approaches have been made __ One way of recovering from this problem could be to __ This has been proposed to surmount the problems caused by __ A different approach to the traditional problem is given in __ A whole range of different approaches to the problem are available. These techniques have potential to solve contemporary problems in __ We should tailor specific solutions to specific problems __ The standard solution to the problem is based on __ The solution proposed here addresses only the problem of __ There are techniques that have been developed to solve this problem __ This problem is usually overcome by __ There have been several attempts to solve the problem __ There exist many methods for dealing with this problem __ Broadly speaking, the problem can be addressed by __ One of the simplest ways of tackling this problem is __ This problem has been largely studied and many viable solutions have been found. In general, this problem can be tackled in two different ways. Other approaches have been shown to cope with the problem more efficiently. We will review the main approaches to solve this problem. Recently, a more general solution has been proposed for this problem. Both these works provide a solution to the problem. Recent methods focus on overcoming the problems by proposing different schemes for __ This strategy is not uncommon in this kind of problems. We can apply our algorithm to solve this difficult problem. This is how the problem can be tackled __ We have developed this generic method to solve a variety of problems. We will now demonstrate our method on some specific problems. Here we solve several problems simultaneously. We have undergone a rethinking of the problem by __ A possible solution to the problem at hand is __ It is clear that the problem could be easily tackled by __

5. Study motivation

It is of interest to know whether __  still hold true. It would be of special interest to__ We therefore analyzed __ and investigated whether __ For this study, it was of interest to investigate __ We investigated whether __ can be partly explained by __ To examine the impact of __, we tested __ We have investigated the effect of __ We characterize different aspects of __ One way to investigate __ was to __ A new approach is therefore needed for __ To illuminate this uncharted area, we examined __

6. Aims & objectives

The aim is to develop more sophisticated methods for __ The aim of this work is to develop __ The aims in this chapter are twofold: First __, Second __ For our first goal, we focus on two problems __ The aim here is to investigate __ The overall goal of this work was to __ This project aims to develop an overarching framework to __ The aim of the experiment is to compare __ The ultimate goal is to produce a __ The overall goal of this thesis was to pursue __ After defining the problem we explain the goals of the thesis. With this aim in mind, in this paper we present a new method for __ Our research aims at finding a solution for this challenging problem of  __ There is no overall goal, apart from __ We examine some previous work and propose a new method for __ There are too many simultaneous goals making it difficult to __ One of the major aims of this work was to create __ The main objective is to investigate methods for improving __ The objectives can be restated in the light of __ The objective is to devise and implement a system for __ The objectives were partially met by developing a method to __ The objective is to demonstrate the feasibility of __ One of the objectives is to improve the __

7. Significance and advantages of your work

This thesis documents several key contributions made to the fields of __ This thesis has made a number of significant contributions to the field of __ The contributions made here have wide applicability. The contributions made should be of wide interest. The first main contribution proposed in this field is a __ The contributions of this work are presented as follows: __ The main achievements, including contributions to the field can be summarised as follows: __ We summarize the main contributions of this thesis. The key contribution of this work is the solution it provides __ It has numerous advantages as explained here __ It has significant benefits in terms of __ There is a clear advantage in following the methods of __ This has particular advantages over other __ All of these advantages make it particularly valuable in __ One of the primary benefits of this algorithm is __ This gives a significant advantage because __ These point out the advantages and practicability of __ One of the key benefits of the algorithm is __ The main advantage compared to previous method is __ This present some practical advantages. The main advantage is the simplified pattern. One practical advantage of the method is that it can be used in __ The advantage becomes all the more significant when __ In comparison with other techniques, this method has the advantage of __ The most important advantage of this method is that it can perform very well in __ It yielded significant speed advantages when __ The benefit of using the __ is expected to __ The main advantage is that we are able to __ To give some idea of the benefits of this method __ The additional advantage of using this method is that it results in __ This is an important advantage of this algorithm __ These are the main advantages of this method.

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26 Comments

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Impressive Academic Phrases for Writing Manuscripts

If you are a graduate student or a researcher, you definitely know the challenges involved in composing academic documents. Right from the abstract to the conclusion, every section must follow a logical structure. Using appropriate language, tense, voice, and perspective to present your ideas is very important. As a good practice, researchers prior to writing a manuscript extensively read previously published literature. However, scanning for the right phrases and then using them as templates to fill in data obtained from their work can be extremely time-consuming! In the following article we present to you a “quick reference guide for impressive academic phrases”. Collated from hundreds of published manuscripts, these frequently used academic phrases are tailored to what every section of your article should achieve.

Benefits of Using Tailor-made Academic Phrases

• Using these phrases will simplify your writing process. You can invest your time and efforts for something more productive.
• These phrases will help you write in a clear and concise manner.
• Ready-made phrases can expedite your process of organizing your data in a logical manner.
• There are far less chances of plagiarism as these are generic phrases that find acceptance across all disciplines.
• Editors and peer reviewers may find it easier to run through your data when expressed using standard or conventional phrases. This may assist in speeding up the review process and increasing your chances of a faster publication.
• Think about your target audience – busy researchers and academicians! They will surely enjoy reading a manuscript that is crisp and engaging.
• Structure of a manuscript is paramount! These phrases may also help you create a logical framework for your data.

Abstract is that element of a manuscript that convinces your reader why your article is worth reading. It is like a miniature article that clearly states the objectives and briefly explains all your key findings.

XYZ is the primary/main/leading/major cause of… XYZ is /are attracting considerable interest/gaining widespread attention due to… An intriguing/important/challenging aspect of XYZ is… As far as we know/to our knowledge this is the first study/no previous research has investigated… Very few studies have investigated/have shown/examined/focused on… One approach /alternative approach to solve these problems… The aim /overall objective/ultimate goal of… This paper reports/outlines/proposes/describes/presents a novel approach.. This manuscript examines/focusses on/addresses/investigates/sheds light on how to.. The aim of this study/work/research was to broaden/widen/extend/further the current knowledge about… Here, we describe/present a simple/novel/radical/effective/interesting solution for

Introduction and literature review

This section focuses on – what did you investigate and why it is important? Consequently, you have to provide some background information and thereafter introduce the aims or arguments of the paper.

An ever-increasing body of literatures shows that.. Very recently, XYZ have provided new evidences for… Several studies have hypothesized /proposed/put forward.. In recent years, there has been growing/considerable interest in… The last few years has witnessed/ seen a huge growth in XYZ. This study constitutes a relatively new area of research which has emerged from… In order to elucidate/reveal/understand the XYZ mechanism… For several years, researchers have been focusing on XYZ in an attempt to understand… To address these three gaps in research outlined above, we formulated the following research question… Overall, this review paper puts an emphasis on… Preliminary/ initial studies on XYZ primarily focused on… An increase/decrease in factor X was first reported/noted/identified by… Several studies, for instance [1], [4], and [9]  have suggested/highlighted/revealed/proposed/demonstrated…. XYZ et al. calculated/analyzed/estimated… ABC traced the developments/advancements /evolution of XYZ… PQR  maintains/suggests/underlines/argues/suggests that… Few authors have also suggested that… Although there are several studies consistent with XYZ , no study has till date examined… Previous studies reported by [A], [B] and [C] cannot be considered conclusive as…. Studies by XYZ have led to a more profound understanding of… Only a few studies in literature demonstrate… To fill this gap in literature, this manuscript/paper identifies… To develop/establish a novel/effective alternative… Our findings might be useful/vital/crucial for developing a simple/effective/cost-effective…method for.. Despite several reviews in the literature that address the importance of XYZ none of the recently published articles have comprehensively discussed the important roles of… While XYZ is well documented in literature ([1],[5],[8],[16]), to date, no research has… However, we argue that the reported literature suffers from certain limitations…

Materials and Methods

This sections provides details about the study site, organisms studies, experimental design, and computational or statistical methods used to analyze the data.

In our preliminary experiments, we determined that… This phenomenon was experimentally investigated by… The principle focus of this experiment was to calculate… The XYZ strain used in this study was kindly supplied by… Statistical analyses were performed by using … test with a significance level of … Data analysis (regression analysis/correlation studies) and graphical representations were performed using…

Results and Discussion

This section discusses all the outcomes relevant to the research question. One needs to highlight the significance of the results and indicate whether your findings support or reject the hypothesis.

When analyzing the data, we applied XYZ technique and… The current study confirmed the findings/found clear support for the… Our results demonstrated/found evidence that… From the results it is evident/clear that… Moreover, the results of the empirical studies showed that… Additionally, researchers have found a positive/negative relationship/correlation between… These findings/results are consistent/in line/in accordance with… in addition we assessed…, the findings revealed significant differences in… On the contrary, very few studies have reported… Equally important is the fact that there is strong correlation between… The limitations of the present study include… Although widely accepted, this method suffers from certain limitations .. It is interesting to note that… Further investigation/studies are required to precisely/accurately understand/elucidate… In addition to these findings, the results of our previous studies demonstrate…

Conclusions

The conclusions section highlights all the important trends and comparisons identified in the study. It also states the limitations as well as future recommendations to carry out subsequent research.

XYZ has shown promising results and thus could be a powerful technique/tool/method for… These findings could provide new insights into… The significant benefits/key contributions/main achievements of this study can be summarized as.. We believe that XYZ merits further research to discover/explore… and potential for… Also this remains a subject for future studies/experiments. Although further investigations are needed, the present study contributes to a better understanding/characterization of… In this review/article we addressed the current progress and challenges in… Nevertheless, there are still critical challenges regarding.. Furthermore, XYZ is a domain where much remains to be studied… As a final remark, it is also vital to mention…

We hope these academic phrases will assist you in the logical development of your manuscript and making it impactful. Let us know your feedback in the comments section below!

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Useful Phrases

• First Online: 01 January 2011

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• Adrian Wallwork 2  

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Why is this chapter important? Many non-native researchers begin their writing career by reading extensively about their topic in English, and noting down useful generic phrases that they can then ‘paste’ into their own work (see Chap. 1). You can use such phrases as a template / structure for your paper into which you insert your own data. You at least know that these ready-made phrases are in correct English. You do not risk being accused of plagiarism (see Chap. 10) because of the very generic nature of the phrases.

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Wallwork, A. (2011). Useful Phrases. In: English for Writing Research Papers. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7922-3_19

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• Knowledge Base
• Dissertation

How to Write a Thesis or Dissertation Introduction

Published on September 7, 2022 by Tegan George and Shona McCombes. Revised on November 21, 2023.

The introduction is the first section of your thesis or dissertation , appearing right after the table of contents . Your introduction draws your reader in, setting the stage for your research with a clear focus, purpose, and direction on a relevant topic .

Your introduction should include:

• Your topic, in context: what does your reader need to know to understand your thesis dissertation?
• Your focus and scope: what specific aspect of the topic will you address?
• The relevance of your research: how does your work fit into existing studies on your topic?
• Your questions and objectives: what does your research aim to find out, and how?
• An overview of your structure: what does each section contribute to the overall aim?

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Table of contents

How to start your introduction, topic and context, focus and scope, relevance and importance, questions and objectives, overview of the structure, thesis introduction example, introduction checklist, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about introductions.

Although your introduction kicks off your dissertation, it doesn’t have to be the first thing you write — in fact, it’s often one of the very last parts to be completed (just before your abstract ).

It’s a good idea to write a rough draft of your introduction as you begin your research, to help guide you. If you wrote a research proposal , consider using this as a template, as it contains many of the same elements. However, be sure to revise your introduction throughout the writing process, making sure it matches the content of your ensuing sections.

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Begin by introducing your dissertation topic and giving any necessary background information. It’s important to contextualize your research and generate interest. Aim to show why your topic is timely or important. You may want to mention a relevant news item, academic debate, or practical problem.

After a brief introduction to your general area of interest, narrow your focus and define the scope of your research.

You can narrow this down in many ways, such as by:

• Geographical area
• Time period
• Demographics or communities
• Themes or aspects of the topic

It’s essential to share your motivation for doing this research, as well as how it relates to existing work on your topic. Further, you should also mention what new insights you expect it will contribute.

Start by giving a brief overview of the current state of research. You should definitely cite the most relevant literature, but remember that you will conduct a more in-depth survey of relevant sources in the literature review section, so there’s no need to go too in-depth in the introduction.

Depending on your field, the importance of your research might focus on its practical application (e.g., in policy or management) or on advancing scholarly understanding of the topic (e.g., by developing theories or adding new empirical data). In many cases, it will do both.

Ultimately, your introduction should explain how your thesis or dissertation:

• Helps solve a practical or theoretical problem
• Addresses a gap in the literature
• Builds on existing research
• Proposes a new understanding of your topic

Perhaps the most important part of your introduction is your questions and objectives, as it sets up the expectations for the rest of your thesis or dissertation. How you formulate your research questions and research objectives will depend on your discipline, topic, and focus, but you should always clearly state the central aim of your research.

If your research aims to test hypotheses , you can formulate them here. Your introduction is also a good place for a conceptual framework that suggests relationships between variables .

• Conduct surveys to collect data on students’ levels of knowledge, understanding, and positive/negative perceptions of government policy.
• Determine whether attitudes to climate policy are associated with variables such as age, gender, region, and social class.
• Conduct interviews to gain qualitative insights into students’ perspectives and actions in relation to climate policy.

To help guide your reader, end your introduction with an outline  of the structure of the thesis or dissertation to follow. Share a brief summary of each chapter, clearly showing how each contributes to your central aims. However, be careful to keep this overview concise: 1-2 sentences should be enough.

I. Introduction

Human language consists of a set of vowels and consonants which are combined to form words. During the speech production process, thoughts are converted into spoken utterances to convey a message. The appropriate words and their meanings are selected in the mental lexicon (Dell & Burger, 1997). This pre-verbal message is then grammatically coded, during which a syntactic representation of the utterance is built.

Speech, language, and voice disorders affect the vocal cords, nerves, muscles, and brain structures, which result in a distorted language reception or speech production (Sataloff & Hawkshaw, 2014). The symptoms vary from adding superfluous words and taking pauses to hoarseness of the voice, depending on the type of disorder (Dodd, 2005). However, distortions of the speech may also occur as a result of a disease that seems unrelated to speech, such as multiple sclerosis or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

This study aims to determine which acoustic parameters are suitable for the automatic detection of exacerbations in patients suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) by investigating which aspects of speech differ between COPD patients and healthy speakers and which aspects differ between COPD patients in exacerbation and stable COPD patients.

Checklist: Introduction

I have introduced my research topic in an engaging way.

I have provided necessary context to help the reader understand my topic.

I have clearly specified the focus of my research.

I have shown the relevance and importance of the dissertation topic .

I have clearly stated the problem or question that my research addresses.

I have outlined the specific objectives of the research .

I have provided an overview of the dissertation’s structure .

You've written a strong introduction for your thesis or dissertation. Use the other checklists to continue improving your dissertation.

If you want to know more about AI for academic writing, AI tools, or research bias, make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

Research bias

• Survivorship bias
• Self-serving bias
• Availability heuristic
• Halo effect
• Hindsight bias
• Deep learning
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• Machine learning
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• Supervised vs. unsupervised learning

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The introduction of a research paper includes several key elements:

• A hook to catch the reader’s interest
• Relevant background on the topic
• Details of your research problem

and your problem statement

• A thesis statement or research question
• Sometimes an overview of the paper

Don’t feel that you have to write the introduction first. The introduction is often one of the last parts of the research paper you’ll write, along with the conclusion.

This is because it can be easier to introduce your paper once you’ve already written the body ; you may not have the clearest idea of your arguments until you’ve written them, and things can change during the writing process .

Research objectives describe what you intend your research project to accomplish.

They summarize the approach and purpose of the project and help to focus your research.

Your objectives should appear in the introduction of your research paper , at the end of your problem statement .

Scope of research is determined at the beginning of your research process , prior to the data collection stage. Sometimes called “scope of study,” your scope delineates what will and will not be covered in your project. It helps you focus your work and your time, ensuring that you’ll be able to achieve your goals and outcomes.

Defining a scope can be very useful in any research project, from a research proposal to a thesis or dissertation . A scope is needed for all types of research: quantitative , qualitative , and mixed methods .

To define your scope of research, consider the following:

• Budget constraints or any specifics of grant funding
• Your proposed timeline and duration
• Specifics about your population of study, your proposed sample size , and the research methodology you’ll pursue
• Any inclusion and exclusion criteria
• Any anticipated control , extraneous , or confounding variables that could bias your research if not accounted for properly.

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13 awesome academic phrases to write your methodology (+ real examples)

Writing a methodology can be painful but there are generally accepted and popular academic phrases that help you to convey your research design, methods, limitations and awareness of ethical challenges in a poignant and effective manner. Additionally examples are given to show you how academics do this in real publications.

Academic key phrases explaining the research design in a methodology

The study follows a … design..

Example: “ The study follows a case study design, with group interviews with teachers. Observation in class, video recording and interviews with students form a backdrop of the main interview data. ” ( Bungum and Mogstad, 2022, p. 2 )

This study employs a … approach.

Following the guidelines for conducting….

Following the guidelines for conducting valid content analysis (Bengtsson, 2016; Elo & Kyngas, 2008; Kohlbacher, 2006; Krippendorff, 2012; Seuring & Müller, 2008), i.e. reading the papers several times to become familiar with the topic and to make sense of the data, we identified the definitions of resilience provided by the authors in the selected documents.  ( Conz and Magnani, 2020, p. 402 )

Academic key phrases describing research methods in a methodology

The study is undertaken by means of….

Example: “The study is undertaken by means of interviews with teachers in the KreTek project…” ( Bungum and Mogstad, 2022, p. 3 )

Data were collected through…

Hypotheses were tested through…, we assess… through using….

Example:  “ Exploiting bilateral data on asylum seeking applications for 157 countries over the period 2006–2015, we assess the determinants of refugee flows using a  gravity model  which accounts for endogenous selection in order to examine the causal link between climate, conflict and forced migration.”  ( Abel et al., 2019, p. 239 )

Academic key phrases addressing limitations in a methodology

One major drawback of this method…, the limitations of this study include….

Example: “ The limitations of this research include the limitation of the distance with the dangerous criteria, which according to the experts, if these distances are not observed, it will not be possible to accommodate the injured in times of crisis. ” ( Pakpahan and Augustine, 2019, p. 340 )

We acknowledge limitations in our research method…

Academic key phrases addressing ethical considerations in a methodology, there were several ethical risks and challenges…, ethical approval was obtained by….

Example: “ Ethical approval was obtained by the National Research Ethics Service, London Committee – Camberwell St Giles (ref no 14/LO/0075). All participants provided written informed consent after receiving a complete description of the study and getting the opportunity to ask questions. ” ( Nath et al., 2020, p. 2 )

To ensure the soundness of the study, …

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Useful Phrases For Your Dissertation

Writing your dissertation or thesis? This article offers some useful dissertation phrases that will help you put your thoughts to paper and write up your research.

These phrases will be particularly useful for students who need to carry out research as part of their dissertation and write up their findings. However, some of these phrases will also be helpful when writing other essays, reports or assignments.

You may also wish to check out our free student dissertation planner.

Literature Review 

The purpose of the literature review is to analyse the literature regarding

This chapter will critically review the pertinent literature surrounding 

This chapter provides a critical and comprehensive overview of the pertinent literature surrounding 

Definitions

It is important to first define the concept of X

There is no precise definition of X that scholars agree upon

This definition highlights/suggests/demonstrates that 

X can be measured from several perspectives 

There is no accepted method of measuring/evaluating/defining X

It is theorised that 

Introducing Current Research

Previous research by Smith (2022) suggests that

Similarly, Jones (2022) contend that 

Jones (2022) supports this view adding that

Smith (2022) contends that 

The authors propose that 

However, Jones (2022) argues that 

In previous years, X was regarded as a key driver of Y

It has been shown in previous studies that 

Previous studies have focused on 

It is now well established from various studies that

Research undertaken by Smith (2022) suggests that

More recently, Smith (2022) contended that 

In the literature, debate exists as to the meaning of X

Despite this little previous literature has investigated the impact of 

It is imperative to distinguish between X and Y

Many perspectives on X are discussed within the literature 

This view aligns with Smith (2022) who suggests that 

It is widely agreed that 

Criticism and Limitations

Despite this, Smith’s theory does not come without criticism 

However, several limitations of X exist 

However, Smith (2022) advises caution when considering 

Jones (2022) highlights issues with 

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Methodology 

The purpose of the methodology chapter is to 

For this research, quantitative/qualitative data was gathered

Focus groups are a discussion between five and twelve individuals

Observations involve looking and listening whilst an activity is ongoing and collecting data at that precise moment

Interviews are a one-on-one conversation between the researcher and the participant

The questions derived from and were compared with relevant academic literature

Findings and Discussion 

It was observed that 

All of the respondents agreed that 

All of the respondents indicated that 

Most respondents were aware that 

It was found that some respondents 

 As explained by respondent X 

These findings build upon existing literature from

These findings align with the views of Smith (2022) who proposed that 

Conclusion Chapter 

Based on these research findings it is possible to offer the following recommendations 

The research findings can offer useful insights to

Research Limitations

Limitations arise from…. 

This dissertation did not consider 

This research has only investigated 

X was not assessed/measured/analysed/discussed/evaluated as part of this research 

Future Research

Further studies could widen the scope on 

Opportunities for future research arise from

It may be interesting for future studies to investigate/measure/evaluate 

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