Content validity in a research paper highly depends on the sources that are there in the research paper. Appropriately citing a document is vital to ensure that no information is left out. Mistakes in citations can result in unintentional plagiarism that degrades the quality of research done by the scholar.
Plagiarism is not condoned in any form, and hence a professional writer needs to check the paper for plagiarism. The process of detecting plagiarism in an academic text has become effortless with the help of the online plagiarism checking tools.
Factors That Determine Content Validity in Research Papers
A research paper is a piece of document that contains the individual observations of a person that gets substantiated with previously established literary or scientific knowledge. The researcher or student chooses the topic of a research paper. The supervisor is present to guide the student during the research.
Usually, an open line of communication is there between the researcher and the supervisor. But, it is essential to note that the supervisor is not responsible for the paper’s content. The writer bears full responsibility for the professional text that gets submitted for review.
Multiple factors affect the content validity in research papers. These factors are there below:
- Well-formed literature review:
Research is based on a topic. It is sensible to avoid broad topics as it is easy to lose focus while dealing with such topics. A scholar needs to browse topics that are present within the area of interest of the researcher.
Why? Well, because a broad understanding of the chosen topic is necessary for writing a successful research paper. Topics that are already well-researched can be avoided until a specific and unexplored area can be found under that topic. It is vital to specify the topic because a generalist approach does not work while doing research.
- Appropriate references for answering the research question:
The research argument or question is the prime aspect of any research paper. The research conducted by a student or scholar is based on a topic. The first task of the research scholar is to articulate an appropriate research question. It is a time-consuming task because, without the research question, there is no possibility of conducting research.
The research question is original, answered methodically by rational points. It is important to note that one cannot copy the research question from any source. The argument has to be substantiated by multiple sources and original observations. The answer to the research question is the original addition to the gamut of pre-existing knowledge.
Hence, formulating the argument and then substantiating it with logical arguments present in literature forms the backbone of the research project. Copying of research questions is strictly prohibited. Hence, it is crucial to check the originality of the research argument by browsing both online and offline sources.
- A linear description of research findings:
A research paper is an essential scientific document. A person cannot use references in a disjointed manner in a research paper. While answering the research argument, the points are organized gradually. On the other hand, the preceding explanation entails the questions for the succeeding substantiation.
A serial order should be there to make the research paper readable and sensible for reviewers or examiners. It is vital to take time while drafting the write-up. Any confusion while presenting the succeeding arguments can lead to a disaster. Hence, it is essential to follow a format while substantiating arguments to enhance the readability score of the paper.
- Differentiating the abstract from the introduction of the paper:
The abstract is a 250 words content that provides the basic idea of the paper. It also outlines the keywords that receive maximum focus in the paper. It is crucial to understand that the abstract is not the introduction to a paper.
The abstract gives the reader a brief idea about the entire paper and the focus points of the paper. On the other hand, the introduction initiates the paper with the research question. It also uses those approaches that are there for answering the questions.
- Checking the validity of resource material:
The information researchers use in a research paper for explaining arguments can come from multiple sources. In today’s world, there are both online and offline sources. People in today’s generation tend to use online sources for gaining information. The chances of fake or wrong facts on the internet are substantial.
Many pseudo sites claim to provide one-of-a-kind data. Apart from them, they are others who do not claim anything but provide incorrect information. As a researcher, it is highly essential to check the source of each reference. A scholar can match the validity of the online source with the offline copy. In the case of only online resources, it is advisable to take information from university websites and journals.
- Following the prescribed format for the academic paper:
Formatting is an important aspect. The supervisor provides the research scholar or student with the guidelines they need to follow for writing the paper. MLA style and APA format are there for citing resources. It is vital to use a single format for the document. Times new roman is the general font style for typing the research document.
Writers often use double-space for separating the lines. Page number helps in keeping track of points discussed in the paper. Hence, following all rules of paper formatting is vital to improve the readability of the academic thesis.
Conclusion:
The score of the academic papers depends on Flesh Kincaid’s grade level. Teachers judge the student papers as per the readability score; a high score is preferable for research papers. Hence, one can quickly check the content validity in research papers with Copyleaks AI-powered plagiarism checker.