Think about a book that you’ve read recently that has struck a chord with you. Now, as you think about that book, consider which part of the book is lingering on your mind. More often, it’s the ending that stays with you long after you have read a book. Even the conclusion you prepare for your academic papers demands the same impact.
As simple as concluding an academic paper may seem, you may not know the crucial elements that help the conclusion to linger on the reader’s minds. So, how do you make the conclusion of your academic papers stand out?
Let’s mull over several tips and tricks for presenting the conclusion:
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Clearly Rephrase your Thesis Statement
It’s important that you coherently rephrase your thesis statement at the start of a conclusion. This statement is a focused view of the topic at hand. This statement needs to be the modified version of the sentence you included in your introduction. It shouldn’t come across too identical or too similar to the sentence you actually used.
Try paraphrasing it in a way that complements the summary of the topic of your academic paper in the first sentence of your conclusion. Alternatively, if you’re confused with the thought, “Is there any assignment help 4 me resources online?” you can definitely consider opting an online resource.
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Sum Up the Ideas you’ve Included in the Main Sections
Essentially, you need to convey to your reader what you already described in the main sections of your paper. An excellent way to do this is to re-read the ideas dedicated for each paragraph or section in the body of your paper. Think of a way to briefly restate each crucial points mentioned in each topic sentence in your conclusion.
Don’t repeat any of the details mentioned that elaborate on those ideas. Under most circumstances, you shouldn’t write new information in your conclusion.
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Incorporate a Call to Action at the End
If and when needed, you can convey to your readers that there’s a need for further research on the topic you’ve discussed. Remember that a call for action is not essential in every case. For instance, a research paper on literary criticism is less likely to need a call for action than a paper that discusses the impact of social media on adolescents.
A paper that’s more suitable for including a call to action is one that addresses a public or scientific need. If you’re thinking,
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Maintain the General Synthesis of Information
The most common type of conclusion is the summary closing, which is quite similar to the introduction of an academic paper. Since this kind of conclusion is so basic, you must try to synthesize the information instead of merely summing it up.
Rather than merely repeating the details that you’ve already discussed, your thesis statement and supporting ideas in a manner that ties them all together.
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Address the “so what” Question
The conclusion of a paper is your scope to explain the wider context related to the issue you’ve been discussing. It’ll also allow your readers to determine why the topic of your paper really matters. Make sure to use the conclusion to answer the “so what” question because the significance of your topic may not always be too apparent to readers.
For instance, if you’re writing on a topic of history, then you may elaborate on how the historical topic you discussed is relevant today.
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Bring Everything to a Full Circle
Use the concluding section to bring everything to a perfect closure. Tie the academic paper together by connecting your introduction with your conclusion. There are several ways for you to tie everything together.
For instance, you can ask a specific question in your introduction associated with your topic. And when you write the conclusion, restate the question and offer a direct answer. Or, you can write an anecdote or story in your introduction but don’t end the story there. Instead, conclude that anecdote in the concluding section of your paper.
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Present a Logical Conclusion
If your assignment elaborated on multiple sides of an issue, use your conclusion to present a logical opinion backed by your evidence. Include sufficient information about your topic to support the statement but don’t get too carried away with the details.
If your research didn’t offer you a clear answer to a question you highlighted through the thesis statement, don’t be hesitant to convey it. Restate your initial hypothesis and elaborate whether you still stand by it or if the research you performed has changed your opinion.
You can explain that an answer may still exist and that further research could unearth more details on the topic.
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Make a Suggestion
If you’re incorporating a call to action in your assignment conclusion, you could offer your reader with suggestions on how to proceed with further research. Even without adding a call to action, you can still make recommendations to your readers.
For instance, if you’re writing on a topic of poverty in the underdeveloped countries, you can suggest multiple ways for the reader to help solve the problem without necessarily encouraging more research.
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Don’t Change the Tone of the Academic Papers
The tone of your research papers needs to be consistent all the way through. Often a shift in tone occurs when an assignment with a formal tone suddenly switches to a sentimental or emotional conclusion. Even if the topic of the paper holds a personal significance for you, you shouldn’t make it obvious in your paper.
If you want your academic paper to have a more humanistic approach, you could begin and end your paper with an anecdote or story that would allow your topic to have more personal meaning to the reader.
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Revise your Conclusion Before Submitting your Academic Papers
Once you’re done writing your paper, take a break for at least a few hours, then go back to read what you’ve written. Check for typos, incorrectly used words, misspelt words, and other errors. Also, find out whether what you’ve written makes sense or not and accurately reflects your paper.
If something doesn’t seem right, and your conclusion seems incomplete, revise your conclusion so that your ideas are perfectly coherent. It’d be wise to read your entire paper as a whole to ensure it all comes together nicely.