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1. Introduce the Topic.
- Try to communicate what is the specific topic the paper or poster will focus on.
- Assume the reader is generally familiar with the research area at hand.
2. State the Problem That Is Being Addressed by the Research.
- What’s the key focus or central question?
- Build on the first sentence, which introduced the overall topic.
- If you cannot identify a key focus or central question, then you don’t yet understand what you’re trying to write about it. Take a step back and figure that out before moving to the next step.
3. Summarize Why the Problem Exists.
- Explain how your work is different to what’s been tried before.
- But avoid re-hashing all the studies that were done before your work.
- Instead focus on what was missed by previous research.
- Phrases such as, “previous work failed to address…….,” or “previous work overlooked………” can be useful.
4. Explain How The Research Question was Addressed.
- How did you analyze your data or information to be able to answer the question stated in #2?
- Did you run experiments?
- Did you use statistics?
- What did you measure?
5. What Were the Findings of the Research Conducted?
- What is your response to the question stated in #2 based on the completed work?
- What is new about your idea or approach?
6. What Is the Meaning or Impact of Your Research?
- Avoid re-stating the outcomes of the research.
- Instead, explain why should other people care?
- What can other people do with your research?