The increased usage of AI tools has sparked many conversations in the world of academia, which inspired the innovation of AI tools for research. The integration of technology in academia has brought innovation that introduced digital libraries, plagiarism trackers and grammar-checking softwares, this changed the way researchers write and discover academic literature. In recent years, the academic sphere has witnessed the rapid growth and implementation of AI, which we believe can be leveraged to create efficiency in research.
As an AI-powered research library, Zendy provides key tools like summarisation and keyphrase highlighting to streamline the process of literature review, we also developed and launched ZAIA, the AI research assistant. These tools have been designed to create efficiency in research, which allows researchers to invest significant time in data analysis and their primary research.
With the growing integration of AI products, we believe in the ethical use of AI in the world of research while also harnessing the innovative technology to streamline research processes amongst students and researchers alike. According to a study that looked at the usage of AI amongst students, it was found that every fourth student (25.2%) uses AI-based tools frequently, while almost half of the students (47.8%) use AI-based tools occasionally. Slightly more than a third of the students (36.6%) do not use AI-based tools at all.
In this blog, we recommend the 6 best AI-driven tools to assist you with annotating, citing and more!
ZAIA is a domain-specific LLM designed to assist researchers in understanding essential research concepts and finding relevant papers. This tool enhances the efficiency of the literature review process, providing answers backed by millions of academic research papers.
Housing over 200 million papers from all fields of science, this tool generates a comprehensive summary of an academic paper, including the area of study the research addressed and its overall impact on the discipline.
Paperguide is an all in one AI workspace for researchers to conduct literature reviews, understand and extract data from scientific papers, collaborate, manage and write research.
This tool generates date visualisation and analytical tools for businesses and researchers. The platform is equipped with Einstein AI which is driven by machine learning and delivers predictions and recommendations within Tableau workflows to assist with efficient decision-making.
This is a well-rounded citation tool that provides context to citations by clearly stating whether an academic paper supports or contrasts the cited claim. This helps researchers save time having to read lengthy papers and quickly determine whether the citation is relevant to their research.
This tool annotates insights about research papers using AI. It produces “study snapshots” to condense lengthy research papers by mentioning study aims, variables, and findings. The platform also provides credible responses backed by academic papers to queries, by presenting research papers that both support and contrast the query, allowing users to browse through objective responses.
Limitations of AI Tools
While AI tools are effective in streamlining research processes, they raise ethical concerns and can impact research integrity if misused. AI raises ethical issues including data privacy, algorithm bias and misuse of AI. However, due to the increasing usage of AI tools, policies are developing quickly to ensure the technology is adequately regulated.
Tips for Using AI Tools in Research
Follow these recommendations to ensure ethical AI usage:
Always fact-check content generated by AI tools
Do not write academic articles using AI tools. Instead, use these tools to edit and structure original research content.
Do not use AI tools to generate references, instead use it to manage and store the references.
Use AI tools that produce accurate results.
Incorporate your own voice and style of written content as much as possible.
In conclusion, AI is a resourceful innovation in academic research when used ethically. The correct and responsible usage of AI can create immeasurable efficiency in research processes, and aid in citation management, resource annotation, data visualization, literature discoverability and summarisation. Discover a comprehensive suite of AI-driven tools like summarisation, keyphrase highlighting and ZAIA – AI assistant for research on Zendy now.
Welcome to Zendy’s annual recap, where we reflect on another year of milestones. The ever-evolving landscape of scholarly communication this year was anything but stagnant, dominated by themes of openness, integrity, inclusion, and innovation. As we reflect on 2023, we’re proud to have welcomed new publishers, attended events, celebrated milestones with our users, and released some really great features to continue to support our users on their research and learning journey.
How we enhanced our user experience
We developed and launched ZAIA
Our most anticipated and exciting feature launch this year was ZAIA – Zendy’s AI assistant. Ask any question, and ZAIA will analyse millions of researchers papers to give you credible answers backed by references. If you haven’t already, log in to your Zendy account and put ZAIA to the test!
We launched Zendy Plus globally
We launched our global subscription plan at Frankfurt Book Fair 2023! The plan allows students, researchers and professionals globally to access scholarly material from leading publishers for the monthly price of a single research paper. This was a key milestone for us as our previous Zendy Plus plan was limited to several countries. Having an affordable and equitable access model strengthens our mission to remove the barriers to scholarly literature.
Keyphrase Highlighting
We released an AI-powered keyphrase highlighting tool. Instead of having multiple tabs open, looking for definitions and further research on a concept, Zendy highlights keyphrases in just one click to allow readers to grasp key research concepts quickly.
Summarisation
We also released an AI-powered summarisation tool. This tool summarises lengthy research papers into a concise paragraph on demand. This significantly helps readers save time during literature review.
Reading Lists
Earlier this year, we launched a reading list feature. Reading lists can be used to organise and categorise research papers according to projects, subject areas or whichever method the reader finds simplest to navigate through.
New UI coming soon
The team has been working on a brand new UI to transform the user journey on Zendy. Zendy will reveal a new fresh look very soon, with additional personalisation features to further enhance the discovery of scholarly literature.
Milestones we marked with our users
Welcomed over 400,000 readers
We’re proud to support over 400,000 readers from 200 countries and territories on Zendy! We thank our valued community for their consistent support. The trust of our community fuels our mission to keep striving for a world where equal access to research is a reality.
Over a 6 million searches & 2.5 million downloads
We have seen over 6 million keywords searched on the platform. Searches ranging from the neural networks, to enteric bacteria, and social impact – we’re proud to support a diverse community of students, researchers, and professionals. We marked over 2.5 million downloads on Zendy! As we continue to work with new publishers, we look forward to bringing an even better selection of content to our readers.
We exhibited, presented, and attended many events!
Presented at Charleston Hub 2023
Our Partner Relations Manager, Sara Crowley Vigneau presented at Charleston Hub in partnership with IGI Global. The presentation titled ‘On the Open Road: The story of an OA publication through the stakeholder journey’ looked at the journey of a publication through the eyes of each custodian.
Exhibited at STEP 2023
Earlier this year, our team exhibited Zendy at STEP 2023. Showcasing our Zendy alongside various startups inspired the team to learn from other tech products in the Middle Eastern region.
Sponsored and presented at the Forum for Open Research MENA
It was a pleasure to exhibit and connect with new and existing partners at Frankfurt Book fair 2023. We hosted a launch event at this year’s fair, showcasing our Zendy Plus global subscription offering. Thanks to all who attended!
Presented at the MENA Panel
Our co-founder, Kamran Kardan spoke at The MENA panel titled, “AI wrote this abstract: The Impact of AI on higher education and academic research.” The discussion touched on the impact of AI on higher education, dissecting how it affects teaching, learning and ethical guidelines.
Attended London Book Fair
We attended the London Book Fair earlier this year. Our team met with many of our partners and other key leaders in scholarly communication. We look forward to exhibiting at next year’s fair.
Exhibited at UKSG 2023
We also exhibited at our first UKSG conference this year. It was a really great experience connecting with and learning from some of the best minds in our global knowledge community.
Joint Webinar with InTechOpen
We partnered with InTechOpen to host a joint webinar titled, “Emerging Technologies – Partnering for Accessibility, Discoverability and a Sustainable Future.” Zendy’s Head of Marketing, Monica Chinsami, presented on the panel alongside Prof Tatiana Morosuk, Editorial Board Member of IntechOpen’s Green Energy and Environmental Technology (GEET) journal, and Dr Jo Havemann, Co-founder of AfricArXiv.
We welcomed new partners
IEEE
In September, we integrated IEEE’s open access research content. This partnership has brought significant technological research across various areas of study, like aerospace, robotics and more on Zendy.
IT Governance
In June, we partnered with IT Governance, which is a leading publisher of books on information technology, cybersecurity and governance.
IGI Global
We partnered with IGI Global, a leading publisher focused on research across different specialisms under the vast umbrella of Science. This partnership saw the addition of leading e-journals as well as book content across subject areas including Business & Management; Scientific, Technical, Medical (STM); and Education.
Bristol University Press
We also signed an agreement with Bristol University Press. BUP is well known for producing scholarship that advances theory, knowledge and learning within and beyond academia.
InTechOpen
We also welcomed IntechOpen to our partner community. InTechOpen specialises in journals and books in the fields of Medicine, Technology and Science.
A couple of things we published
Published SDG Report
This year, we published an SDG report in partnership with Knowledge E. This comprehensive report helps us keep track of our efforts in accelerating the aims of the UN’s publishers compact. With a focus on SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities), Zendy progresses to ensure that academic research is accessible to everyone everywhere.
An analysis of OER’s on Research Information
Our co-founder, Kamran Kardan, wrote a piece on the future of Open Educational Resources and how the industry is preparing for them. In summary, with the uncapped potential of responsible AI, the future looks bright and full of innovative opportunities to positively impact societal progress.
We look forward to continuing our journey together in 2024, and we thank you for your unwavering support.
In academic research, the hypothesis statement directs the course of investigation and exploration. It serves as the foundation of an experiment as it is a proposed outcome, this guides the methodology and findings of a research design. In this blog, we shed light on the significance and intricacies of formulating an effective hypothesis that solidifies the approach while investigating its impact on relevant variables.
What is a research hypothesis?
A research hypothesis is a testable statement that predicts the relationship between two variables and how they impact one another. A good research hypothesis has no ambiguity, clearly specifies variables and is structured to be proven or countered depending on the trajectory of the study. This statement should also specify how the study aims to generate new knowledge through the experiment.
What are the different types of hypotheses?
Hypothesis Type
Definition
Example
Simple
Proposes a relationship between independent and dependent variable.
Increased sunlight exposure leads to higher plant growth.
Complex
Proposes relationships between two or more independent and dependent variables.
Increased sunlight exposure impacts the growth rate of specific plant species, and this effect is contingent upon factors such as the plant’s genetic makeup, soil composition, and optimal climatic conditions, implying that while sunlight plays a crucial role, its influence on plant growth is mediated by multifaceted environmental and genetic variables.
Directional
Details the directions derived from theory, specifies the steps to be taken to identify a relationship between relevant variables.
Increased sunlight exposure significantly increases the rate of plant growth.
Non-directional
Does not predict exact nature of relationship between variables and is usually applied when there’s an absence of theory and contradictory results.
There is a relationship between sunlight exposure and plant growth.
Null
Proposes that there is no relationship between variables, justifies the generation of results through chance.
There is no significant effect of increased sunlight exposure on plant growth.
Alternative
Opposite to null, alternative hypothesis states that there is a significant relationship between two variables.
Increased sunlight exposure is associated with higher plant growth.
Components of a hypothesis
In the case of research experiments, a good hypothesis contains independent and dependent variables, the predicted relationship between them, and the outcome of this relationship.
Example hypothesis:
Variables: Employee job satisfaction (independent variable) influences productivity levels (dependent variable) within an organization.
Predicted Relationship: Higher job satisfaction among employees will lead to increased productivity levels.
Outcome: The study might find that departments or teams with higher job satisfaction scores tend to demonstrate greater productivity, implying a positive relationship between job satisfaction and productivity.
Why is a well-written hypothesis important?
A well-written hypothesis is the foundation of a research study, it helps the researcher determine how to address the investigation. A good hypothesis also aids in assuming the probability of the study’s failure or progress while also ensuring the methodologies are scientifically valid. Furthermore, the research hypothesis statement links the underlying theory to the research question while also measuring the reliability and validity of the study itself.
Common hypothesis errors to avoid
Your research hypothesis should be specific and clear. When constructing the hypothesis, try to be as concise as possible while understanding that less is more. The following should be avoided in research hypotheses:
Ambiguity, overgeneralisation and lack of specifics
Having too many variables without establishing clear relationship between them
Unvalid or insufficient justification of variable relationship
FAQs
What are some tips for ensuring testability of a hypothesis?
The hypothesis should be structured in a way wherein the possibility of it being being false or true is present. Furthermore, the results of the hypothesis should be reproducible.
How do I differentiate between a research question and a research hypothesis?
A research question states what the study will investigate without making any assumptions or predictions, whereas a hypothesis answers that question through predicting relationships between variables and their possible outcome.
What are the potential drawbacks of a poorly formulated hypothesis?
Having a poor hypothesis structure can negatively impact the research design as the hypothesis statement guides the methodology and findings sections.
Discover millions of open access research papers across an array of disciplines on Zendy now.
Originality is crucial in academic research. The initial approval process to conduct research relies on the originality of the idea and the new contribution the paper would make to the area of study. Academic research papers should be varied but rather drive the development of an idea or concept. This acceleration of new knowledge is hindered when plagiarism takes place.
What is plagiarism?
Plagiarism is the practice of presenting another person’s work or idea as your own. In the world of academia, this is a serious offense that can negatively impact a researcher’s career as their papers are usually retracted and they lose their credibility. Educational institutions like universities and colleges can expel and bar students from being admitted to other institutions as this ethical offense is reflected on their record.
Common types of plagiarism
Type
Definition
How to avoid
Direct Plagiarism
Word-for-word duplication of somebody else’s content
– Acknowledge and cite the source. – Paraphrase the content by changing sentence voice (active to passive or vice versa) – Include quotation marks in direct qoutes.
Paraphrasing Plagiarism
Original author’s work is restructured very similarly without citing them and their research.
– Use synonyms for non-generic words. – Paraphrase by changing sentence voice and change clauses to phrases.
Mosaic Plagiarism
Occurs when phrases are taken from the original author without quotation marks and citations.
– Appropriately cite sources using quotation marks and footnotes.
Self-plagiarism
Utilising your own sentence structures and ideas from previously submitted work without citing the source.
– Ensure there is sufficient material to justify the new paper. – Appropriately cite the original source.
Patchwork Plagiarism
Occurs when material is copied from several sources and rearranged to create their own flow on a new paper without crediting any new sources.
– Paraphrase material into your own words. – Enclose verbatim content in quotation marks and cite.
Accidental Plagiarism
Occurs when the author inaccurately cites sources, misquotes information or unintentionally paraphrases too similarly without the intent to present ideas as their own.
– Proofread research paper multiple times before submitting. – Cite everything that was not discovered by you, including widely-known information.
How to avoid plagiarism
When working on a research paper, you can try and apply the following strategies to avoid committing plagiarism:
Cite your sources
When stating an idea or presenting information that you have found through a different source, add the proper in-text citation to indicate that this material is “borrowed”.
Include quotation marks
When quoting a source verbatim, using quotation marks helps avoid plagiarism and indicates that these words are relevant but not yours. The quote should also include it’s source.
Paraphrase
Paraphrasing can be tricky as it is a thin line between itself and plagiarism, it involves restructuring ideas into your own words without changing their meaning and intent. This also needs to be appropriately cited.
Present your ideas
Your research paper should constructively explain your perspective on the information that is cited. Touch on how this is relevant to your findings or argument.
Use plagiarism tracker
Utilising plagiarism detection tools can help avoid accidental plagiarism. These tools highlight plagiarised content and provide an overall percentage to help users understand their paper’s problem areas.
Ethical writing practices
In academic writing, ethical guidelines demand authors to avoid weaknesses of bias and exclusive language, while encouraging authors to write on a range of perspectives that are relevant to the area of study and clearly indicate through citations where external material has been incorporated into the paper. The infographic below describes 3 strategies to make sure your academic writing skills are in line with ethical guidelines.
Plagiarism detection tools
These detection tools ensure that academic research papers are original. They compare the material to a vast database of existing information and highlight any duplicated material, this helps maintain the author’s credibility and authenticity while avoiding certain legal issues.
In conclusion, plagiarism is a serious academic offense that taints a researcher or student’s career by taking away their credibility and authenticity. Which is why the approval process of academic research is a rigorous one, to ensure the author and researchers have sufficient new contributions and perspectives within a specific area of study. Furthermore, establishing a practice of scanning lengthy research papers against recommended detection tools benefits researchers in citing all content appropriately and even avoids accidental plagiarism.
Zendy at Frankfurt Book Fair 2023, unveiling latest global subscription.
Frankfurt, Germany – October 19 2023 – Zendy, the AI-powered research library, announced the launch of its global subscription plan at the 75th annual Frankfurt Book Fair event in Germany. This launch enables students, researchers, and professionals around the world to access leading journals, e-books, and research papers on one intuitive platform.
Founded in 2019, Zendy has introduced an ‘affordable access’ model and is committed to fostering a more affordable and inclusive ecosystem for individuals to read and download scholarly material.
Despite progress with open science initiatives, the majority of published scientific findings — and the vast majority of prestigious new research is hidden behind paywalls. Given the global disparity in current access models, affordable and accessible solutions are required to facilitate the future of research.
This global subscription plan gives individuals unlimited access to paywalled research for the monthly price of a single research paper. Zendy also offers a free Open Access plan. Both plans come with a host of features including AI summarisation and keyphrase highlighting and more.
“Research should be accessible to everyone and it must be affordable. The only way we can address these issues is to shift our perspective on the economics of the publishing industry. Our affordable access solution with Zendy Plus helps publishers increase visibility and proceeds in emerging markets, and most importantly, gives individuals an affordable alternative. It’s taken us years of conversations and collaboration to reach this milestone so we thank our community for their unwavering support,” said Zendy co-founder Kamran Kardan.
Zendy partners with leading providers and publishers including Bristol University Press, De Gruyter, EBSCO, Emerald Publishing, IEEE, Taylor & Francis, Wiley, and more.
Zendy is a product of Knowledge E. Since its inception in 2019, Zendy has introduced over 350,000 users to a better way to research. Zendy’s intuitive AI-powered research library features millions of journals, articles, e-books, and more; allowing users to access unlimited content for an affordable monthly subscription. Zendy also offers a free open access plan.
In the current digital age, academic writing has undoubtedly been transformed from what it once was. The internet has brought a new era of convenience and efficiency for students and scholars alike. Academic writing is a writing style that demands a clear tone and formal language, finding the balance between the two can be challenging. As a result, online academic writing tools have emerged, offering resources and assistance to streamline the writing and citation processes. In this blog, we explore online tools that can help you conquer academic writing challenges, boost your productivity, and elevate the quality of your scholarly work.
Writing Tools
The chosen writing platform can impact the quality of an academic essay, however, this is dependent on personal preferences. A well-known universally adopted writing platform is Microsoft Word, which is very versatile and caters to a variety of writing projects. Platforms specifically geared towards academic writing usually host citation managers and other formatting specialities. Listed below are a few writing platforms that Zendy recommends.
A versatile tool that is user-friendly, provides formatting options, collaboration and sharing tools, citation features, templates, spell and grammar check, and auto-save.
Most used by academics as the platform is designed to smoothly manage heavy files including data in the form of text, visuals and equations. Provides writers with professional typesetting tools to easily meet institutional or journal requirements easily.
LibreOffice Writer provides an array of writing tools ranging from advanced formatting options to spell-checking, in terms of academic writing, this can be a good platform to conduct final touches on an academic paper.
Google Docs works best for researchers who are collaborating on an academic paper, it conveniently tracks everybody’s contributions ensuring equal participation and smooth workflow.
Dropbox paper can be considered a slightly advanced version of Google Docs as the platform is designed to assign tasks, organize documents and create to-do lists to ensure researchers collaborate efficiently.
Citation Management Tools
In academic writing, referencing and citations are arguably the most time-consuming tasks. Online citation tools are designed to generate accurate citations and curate specifically formatted referencing lists to ensure productivity in research. Citation managers generate both in-text citations and list versions to ensure the source is being used correctly to avoid plagiarism, furthermore, some citation tools also evaluate sources and rule out or alert the writer about the non-academic ones. Listed below are a few citation management tools that Zendy recommends.
Zotero is an efficient citation management tool that generates citations by dragging the link of the source to a dropbox. A unique feature is that Zotero also allows academic writers to annotate PDFs on the app to highlight key concepts within a research paper.
EndNote is a great way to organise citations by research paper. It hosts interesting features such as PDF annotation and allows users to generate citations from over 7000 referencing styles. This platform also allows researchers to share reference lists with other authorised collaborators.
Paperpile allows users to access their libraries across multiple devices and also functions as a plug-in to collaborate on Google Docs. It also secures bibliographies as it is a cloud-based reference manager.
RefWorks allows users to simply share citations and documents with other collaborators and efficiently manages multiple formats, including webpages.
Grammar and Spell-Check Tools
In academic writing, it is important to ensure there are no spelling or grammatical errors and that all sentences are structured in a formal and objective manner. The core of academic writing is to clearly and accurately convey information and findings, any grammatical or spelling errors have the potential to misinform readers. Listed below are a few grammar and spell-check tools that Zendy recommends.
Grammarly is a universal plug-in that enhances clarity and readability while also highlighting errors. This platform can be optimized to cater to any writing platform and tone. Allowing researchers to work on different projects error-free
This tool assesses an array of writing mistakes like sentences that interrupt the flow, word choices, consistency of tense usage, and readability.
MS Word Spelling and Grammar Checker
Efficient for writers who primarily utilise MS Word, as it is an efficient tool that saves time in the proofreading stage.
Plagiarism Detecting Tools
To be a credible academic, your record must be free of plagiarism as it can quickly taint your career and reputation. Plagiarism detectors ensure that all the content in a research paper is original and cited correctly, some detectors also evaluate how credible a source is and if it can be utilised in an academic paper and then highlight the problem areas. Regularly using plagiarism detectors helps researchers adhere to ethical guidelines to disseminate credible academic research. Listed below are two plagiarism detectors that Zendy recommends.
This platform educates students on identifying and crediting other authors’ works, using appropriate referencing techniques, and detecting plagiarised parts for students to efficiently paraphrase.
Copyscape helps identify plagiarism and the exact source from where content has been plagiarised, this helps students understand the context of the information while correcting the plagiarism.
In the fast-paced world of academia, where the pursuit of excellence is paramount, these online tools have proven to be indispensable for students and scholars alike. From harnessing the power of plagiarism detection to ensuring impeccable grammar and streamlining the tedious task of citation management, these digital aids have transformed our approach to academic writing. As we conclude our exploration of these tools, it’s worth noting that while they provide invaluable assistance, they are no substitute for the core skills of critical thinking, research, and writing. Instead, they serve as enablers, freeing up time and mental bandwidth, and allowing us to focus on the true essence of scholarship: the pursuit of knowledge and the articulation of innovative ideas.
Use Zendy to conduct your research through quality scholarly papers and easily consume the content with our AI-based summarisation and keyphrase highlighting features.
The literature review within an academic research paper stands to provide an understanding of existing literature and discourse within an area of study, this knowledge and information is presented as a comprehensive report. The relevant research is collected and summarised, this gives the author the opportunity to identify prior research, avoid plagiarism, identify the gaps in research and conflicts of previous studies, and justify the author’s research question and statement. This critical evaluation of existing research and debate dictates the researcher’s reviewing stance on their own research question. In this blog, we dissect how to write a compelling and comprehensive literature review for your next academic paper.
How to identify relevant resources for the literature review?
The first step to locating relevant academic resources for your literature review is to identify the key terminologies and concepts within your research question or statement. One of the most simple methods of finding relevant resources is to use boolean operators which are simple words like AND, OR, NOT etc. These produce more focused search results. It is also important to limit your searches to credible academic databases like:
There are criteria to decide whether a source is relevant and credible enough to be included in a literature review, the P.R.O.V.E.N. method serves as a guide for researchers on what to assess when locating sources.
P – Purpose: Why was the source created?
Does the information exist to inform, entertain, persuade or sell? Are the authors stating the purpose or attempting to disguise it?
Why is the information published in this medium? (Book, journal article etc.)
Who is the target audience?
R – Relevance: The value of the source
Is the source appropriate to utilise within your assignment?
How beneficial is this source? Does it add new information or support your argument?
O – Objectivity: How reasonable is the information?
What kind of language are the authors utilising? Is it offensive, emotional or strong?
Are the authors influenced by their opinions or perspectives? Do they state this clearly or attempt to disguise this?
Does the piece offer multiple perspectives? Are the authors critiquing these perspectives constructively?
V – Verifiability: Accuracy of the information
Is the information supported with facts? Does it cite other sources and are they credible?
What do experts state about this topic? Is this information found in other sources as well?
Does the material misinterpret other sources or present false evidence?
E – Expertise: Authority of authors and source
Are the authors credible? Do they have educational credentials related to the topic, and are they affiliated with institutions?
Is their expertise recognised by other authors?
Is the source peer-reviewed?
N – Newness: Age of information
Is your topic within an area that requires current research? Or are older sources still relevant and valid?
When was the source first published?
Are there newer sources that add new information?
How to analyse and critique sources for a literature review?
To utilise a specific source in a literature review, it has to be thoroughly analysed and critiqued. The academic paper would need to be checked for accuracy, reliability, and credibility; to effectively do so, there are 4 simple steps that compare certain sections of an academic paper with specific questions.
Look at the abstract, then the discussion sections
What is the significance of the conclusions and are they accurate?
Have the authors stated the limitations of the study?
Is the design appropriate for the research question?
Go through the methods section
Do the methods address potential bias?
Are there appropriate “controls” within the study?
Were the methods cited and described in detail?
Do the authors state the limitations of the selected methods?
Go through the results section
Were the results expected or anticipated by the authors and researchers?
Does the data support the outcome?
Has the author accurately presented the data?
Evaluate the discussion and conclusion sections
Is there a clear explanation of the hypothesis being supported or refuted?
Are the limitations of the study accurately addressed?
Other points to consider: Are there any ethical concerns? Have the authors cited themselves? Are there any financial or ethical conflicts of interest associated with the industry?
How to organise a literature review?
The organisation of a literature review is dependent on the area of study and scope that the academic paper will be covering. There are 3 approaches to organise a literature review which are thematic, chronological, and methodological as depicted in the infographic below.
Common mistakes to avoid in a literature review
Literature reviews often come with their fair share of pitfalls and common mistakes. Whether you’re a seasoned scholar or beginning to navigate the world of academic writing, it’s important to understand the strategies to steer clear of these pitfalls and create literature reviews that stand out for their clarity, depth, and impact.
Relying on low-quality sources
Avoid using non-academic sources like blog posts, opinion pieces, and publications by advocacy groups. These sources should only be included if they are of significance as they are not objective or research-based.
Lack of seminal literature
Seminal literature is essentially the research paper that previously highlighted and elevated the area of study and serves as the theoretical foundation of a strong literature review. Most students and authors focus on including timely research rather than crediting the origin, furthermore, seminal literature can be easily found on Google Scholar.
Lack of current literature
A strong literature review is a balanced comparison of seminal and current scholarly research, this comparison thoroughly evaluates the timeline, discoveries and discrepancies between the time periods.
Focus on descriptions
A good literature review evaluates and synthesises research papers instead of providing brief descriptions.
Writing the conclusion of a literature review
The conclusion of a literature review section should summarise key findings, concepts and debates in the area of study. Since the conclusion of the literature review does not conclude the entire research paper, it is beneficial to include opportunities for future studies to further explore and dissect existing literature or gaps. You can also use this section to highlight your own research question to smoothly lead to the next section of your academic paper.
FAQs
What is the purpose of a literature review? The purpose of a literature review is to collect, evaluate and synthesise existing research and information within a specific area of study to support, argue or evaluate a thesis statement while also identifying the gaps in existing research.
What citation style to use for a literature review? Literature reviews should contain in-text citations which should be referenced in the paper’s bibliography section. As for the citation style, this is dependent on the discipline and institution as it varies.
What is the significance of critiquing literature? Critiquing literature is important because not all published research can be considered reliable. Arguments and the interpretation of data can be biased or justified inefficiently.
In academia, where ideas and knowledge converge, the written word is a powerful tool for conveying research and arguments. However, the journey from a blank page to a polished essay involves more than inspiration; it demands a systematic and strategic approach. The steps involved in the writing process are considered the building blocks of an essay, the academic writing style itself provides a deep knowledge of the subject matter and helps writers construct evidence-based arguments within their respective fields. This blog post explores the essential steps, techniques, and insights to improve your writing process and gear the approach towards academic essays.
Essay Writing Basics
The purpose of academic essays is to advance ideas and exchange discourse amongst scholars while also teaching the writer to think critically and analyse various areas of research. When structuring and writing an academic essay, it is essential to plan the flow of information to complement one another strategically; the research points contained in each paragraph have to be simple to absorb and not overbearing.
An academic essay has 3 key components: introduction, body paragraph and conclusion.
Pre-Writing Phase
Before writing the essay, having several brainstorming sessions will help writers understand the topic, scope, and arguments within the academic essay. Brainstorming allows writers to build enthusiasm and commitment towards the essay, as the topic becomes clearer with research, discussion and planning. Listed below are a few effective brainstorming techniques:
Mind Mapping
A mind map is essential for brainstorming as it tracks related concepts. The first step is to write down the larger subject and then write down anything that is relevant to that, this helps writers and researchers visualise all the information related to the topic. It can be used to either break down a larger subject or focus on a certain component of a subject, this is beneficial for academic writers as it helps generate new ideas, foster collaboration and organise information.
Clustering
The cluster analysis is a great method to club or “cluster” information and data together over certain similarities. This learning technique can be adapted to a brainstorming method to allow academic writers to structure their essays strategically which would allow information and ideas to flow smoothly.
Free Writing
Free writing is a brainstorming method geared towards writers, it allows writers to write about a topic with no rules, guidelines or structure. The aim is to write as the thoughts come so that the writer can establish how much information they have on a topic. There are 3 simple rules to get this method right: don’t pause to read anything you have written, don’t cross out or erase anything as that is editing and not writing, and finally, don’t worry about spelling or grammar. This method allows writers to generate their ideas and polish them later, rather than having a thought and letting it go.
After having productive brainstorming sessions, the next step is to start the research. Certain institutions have guidelines as to what they consider reputable resources, for example, Wikipedia is not considered an academic source of information as the pages can be edited and written by anyone. Access reputable academic databases and libraries to conduct your research, We have listed a few below:
Once the research phase is done, you will have gathered a good amount of resources and information on your essay topic. The next crucial step is to develop a thesis statement, an essay has to have a thesis statement to serve as a guide for the reader and develop the author’s argument. Furthermore, formulating the thesis statement allows authors to see how their ideas are perceived in a sentence or two. A strong thesis statement specifies one main idea and asserts the author’s conclusions on the essay question or topic.
For example, if your essay is about the implementation of sustainable practices in the transport sector, your thesis statement can be: In recent years, there has been a rise in sustainable initiatives, this essay highlights and argues that sustainability in transportation is beneficial for human advancement and slowing climate change.
Writing The Essay
Once the initial stages of brainstorming, research, and the formulation of a thesis statement are done, the writing process is equipped with a clear roadmap. Each paragraph in an academic essay serves as a building block, cementing the foundation of the thesis while allowing room to explore other perspectives.
Introduction
The introductory paragraph of an academic essay sets the tone and outlines the map of the essay. It should give the reader a clear idea of the points, arguments and methods the essay will highlight and discuss. There are 4 main components of a good essay introduction paragraph; the hook, context, thesis statement and a clear structure of the essay.
Example: The rise of sustainable practices in the transport sector is imperative to its advancement (Hook). In recent years, the world has witnessed electric cars, alternative routes, carpooling applications, and improvements in public transport; these enhancements have encouraged the general population to utilise alternative methods of transport rather than driving their personal vehicles daily (Context). This essay states that sustainable practices in the transport sector are beneficial for human advancement and slowing climate change (Thesis). The essay discusses the development and implementation of sustainable aviation fuel in recent flights while acknowledging key drawbacks. Furthermore, the essay assesses how carpooling alternatives are valuable for the safety of the environment; and finally, the accessibility and affordability of public transport (Structure).
Developing Arguments
To effectively develop the arguments that support the thesis statement, the writer should deconstruct the topic and map all possible aspects of the topic. Based on available research, literature and evidence; create a stance that has appropriate citations. Each body paragraph should break down the argument and end with an explanation as to why the essay’s stance is convincing.
Structuring Body Paragraphs
In an academic essay, each body paragraph is dedicated to a specific point or argument; this paragraph would consist of a topic sentence, evidence, opposing research, context and explanation. Each developed argument should flow and serve the research paper’s positioning in the subject area. The best practice for structuring effective body paragraphs is to follow the P.E.E method which stands for point, evidence and explanation.
Example: The usage of sustainable aviation fuel is key to maintaining the same amount of weekly flights while reducing its effects on climate change (Point). In recent studies, Smith (2021) found that the components required to produce sustainable aviation fuel not only source environmentally friendly ingredients but also practice eco-friendly processes during the production and manufacturing phases (Evidence). The approach to creating sustainability in transport starts by examining the processes by which the vehicles are manufactured as the environmental output of those factories is significant, utilising sustainable aviation fuel eliminates harmful production practices and decreases pollution caused by aeroplanes (Explanation).
Writing the Conclusion
The conclusion of an academic essay should be an impactful recap of the essay, which should include supporting evidence for the arguments presented; by this paragraph in the essay, the reader should be drawn to supporting the thesis statement.
Editing and Polishing
During the editing stage, it is common for authors to look for grammatical errors; while this is important, it’s also beneficial to keep an eye out for clarity issues. In academic writing, structuring clear and concise sentences is imperative so that all readers can efficiently comprehend the material.
Here is a check-list of what you should look out for while editing an academic essay:
Correct running sentences with too many subordinate clauses
Sentences should be written in active voice
Assess whether a sentence is written in an academic and formal tone
Assess whether the essay is structured for the intended audience and purpose
Finalising the Essay
Once the essay has reached the finalising phase, it’s important to refer to your institutional formatting guidelines and ensure that all the requirements have been met. Once that is done, the bibliography has to be double-checked to ensure the references are in the correct style without grammar and formatting mistakes. The bibliography is an essential part of an academic essay as it helps readers, professors, and researchers understand where the evidence was retrieved from and how the arguments were constructed; having an accurate bibliography also gives the essay credibility. The final step is to give the essay one last proofread to ensure that it is free of errors.
FAQs
How long should an essay be?
Ideally, an essay should be about 5-7 pages which should contain about 1500-2000 words. However, a detailed essay can range from anywhere between 8-10 pages containing about 2500-3000 words.
What are the key elements of a perfect essay?
Great essays have a clear and concise introduction, thesis and conclusion. The body paragraphs within a good essay flow and connect back to the thesis statement, creating cohesive arguments as the academic paper progresses.
How can I improve my essay-writing skills?
Improving your essay writing skills lies in the planning and proofreading phases rather than the writing itself. Before beginning your essay, plan out the paragraphs, and arguments, and follow the structures to create uniformed paragraphs. In the proofreading stage, keep an eye out for grammatical errors as well as clarity-related errors.
Are there any online resources to assist with essay writing?
The most useful essay-writing tool is Grammarly, it offers multiple suggestions and corrections as you write so that the corrections can be made simultaneously, further simplifying the proofreading stage.
How important is the thesis statement in an essay?
The thesis statement gives the essay direction and provides a clear roadmap to the writer. Every other component of the essay should support or explain the thesis statement.
How do I avoid plagiarism in my essay?
The most effective way to avoid plagiarism is to keep a record of all the sources you will utilise in your essay and then paraphrase the points, you will then have to cite the original author using in-text citations.
Within the ever-evolving sphere of academic and scientific research, ethical considerations play an imperative role. Research ethics are a set of principles that guide research, study, or experiment design and process; they serve as a code of conduct for scientists and researchers to abide by when collecting data from people. Transparently communicating how a study followed ethical guidelines is beneficial for both the researcher and participant; the guidelines ensure the participant’s right to privacy is protected, while also enhancing research validity and maintaining scientific integrity.
Why are ethics important in research?
Research ethics are established to ensure that the rights and welfare of research participants are appropriately protected, and all research designs involving living beings are reviewed by an ethics committee prior to the execution; this is done to ensure all ethical standards are met.
Following ethics shows objectivity in research studies and experiments, the absence of harm combined with efficient result transparency gives the study credibility as well. Moreover, ethical research models and experiment designs attract more funding because research integrity and transparency are essential in gaining support to execute research. Finally, the standard ethics in research are also put in place to increase collaborative work across disciplines and institutions.
Voluntary Participation
When scouting and briefing volunteers for a research study, it is imperative to clarify that there are no negative consequences of withdrawing from the study. Voluntary participation is an ethical principle protected by international law and many scientific codes of conduct.
Informed Consent
All potential participants should receive and comprehend all the information about the study or experiment. The participant debriefing should include the following:
What is the study about?
Risks and benefits of participating
Timeline of study or experiment
Contact information and institutional approval number of the research supervisor
Right to withdraw at any given point in the study
The information withdrawal procedure
All of this information should be clearly mentioned and explained in a debriefing document which the participants should sign. It is important for all this information to be thoroughly comprehended by participants hence the material should be translated for those with limited English.
Anonymity
In a research study, anonymity can only be guaranteed by not collecting any personally identifiable information. An alternative to anonymising data is to generate data pseudonyms and replace personal information with these pseudonym identifiers instead.
Confidentiality
Participant confidentiality has to be maintained properly before, during and after the study. The information has to be stored safely during collection, analysis and utilisation. For example, all digitised files must be password protected and only approved researchers can access these databases. For cases in which confidentiality cannot be guaranteed, this must be thoroughly communicated in the debriefing phase.
Potential Harm
Any kind of harm during a study should be minimised. However, the researcher would need to consider all aspects of liability to debrief participants appropriately.
Psychological harm: sensitive questions or tasks that can trigger negative emotions such as anxiety or shame
Social harm: participation can involve social risks, public humiliation or stigma
Physical harm: any pain or injury that can result from study procedures
Legal harm: reporting sensitive data could lead to legal risks and potential breaches of privacy
Result Communication
Researchers should remember that good scientific research is honest and credible, as this keeps results as transparent as possible. There are 2 issues that can come from inaccurate result analysis and communication:
Plagiarism: the researcher should be vigilant to not commit plagiarism or self-plagiarism as this can benefit the researcher from presenting these findings and concepts as “new”
Research misconduct: falsifying or fabricating data which is considered academic fraud
In conclusion, ethical considerations in academia contribute to responsible research. Embracing principles such as honesty, integrity, transparency, fairness, and respect not only ensures the credibility of academic work but also fosters a culture of trust and collaboration within the scholarly community. As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of academia, it is imperative to remain vigilant in upholding these ethical standards. By doing so, we not only contribute to the advancement of knowledge but also serve as ethical role models for the next generation of scholars, shaping a brighter and more ethically grounded future for academia.
Z-library is an e-book and journal database that has sparked controversy, conversation, and reform since its launch in 2009. After countless lawsuits and domain seizures, the rise and fall of Z-library have allowed many non-pirated alternative digital libraries to emerge and provide students and researchers with legal content gateways. The steady increase of these non-restricted alternatives has elevated the dissemination of quality research globally for students, researchers and lifelong learners to benefit from.
In this blog, we uncover legal and safe academic platforms that are great alternatives to Z library. These platforms do not violate copyright or privacy laws and offer a far better navigation experience with advanced features to aid research consumption and comprehension.
This project initially started as a volunteer-driven effort to organise and digitise the literary content, it features more historic books for which US copyright laws have expired. Since its establishment, it has grown to offer over 60,000 literature and academic resources from an array of subjects and areas of study. The platform is completely free of cost and offers the available material in different formats to ease research consumption and dissemination.
Established in 2008, this library is a partnership between California State Library and Kahle-Austin Foundation and is an initiative overseen by Internet Archive. The Open Library specialises in e-books and offers over 20 million academic and literary sources to browse through and download without any restrictions or paywalls. The main goal of this library is to “create one web page for every book ever published” in an effort to make all library material accessible by anybody, anywhere.
Overdrive is one of the leading digital reading platforms globally, the organisation disseminates reading material within 88,000 libraries and schools in 109 countries. It is a very secure method of downloading and utilising ebooks and requires a student ID or public library pass to access. The platform houses everything from academic essays, university press books and freshly released novels. Overdrive also operates Libby, which is a new app under their umbrella that allows readers to borrow ebooks, audiobooks and magazines from local libraries, it stands to be accessible for all ages and offers a very wide range of reading material to encourage reading from a young age.
Launched in 2019, Zendy offers unrestricted academic research across all mediums like ebooks, journals, articles, case studies and much more. The platform was launched with the intention to bring diversity and global collaboration across various fields of scientific research; to ease research discoverability and consumption Zendy also hosts AI-powered features, advanced search and filtering options, personalized lists, and automatic citations.
This is an organisation that is run by the University of California, Davis. The platform hosts free courses and textbooks in an effort to make academia accessible worldwide, LibreTexts is centred around the value of providing open education resources in an ethical and legal way. Arguably, the best offering of this platform is the interactive visuals that can be enabled when reading a piece of research; this feature was launched to ease comprehension and aid visual learners.
This digital library offers free ebooks that have been thoroughly and professionally typeset and designed. It features a user-friendly browsing and reading experience and offers a wide range of content; everything from novels to academic research. Standard Ebooks is a volunteer-based project that formats, typesets, proofreads and corrects reading material and creates new editions that are compatible with e-reader technology. The website is not only widely accessible but also easy to use.
Run by the University of Minnesota and supported by Open Education Network, this platform covers public domain and open access textbooks. It allows users to download, edit and disseminate textbooks at no cost. With a current offering of over 1,200 textbooks across several areas of study, Open Textbook Library has been gathering academic content for over 10 years in the industry and is a well-reputed resource.
Founded in 2008, HathiTrust is an esteemed collaboration between research libraries and academics worldwide. The platform offers over 17 million digitised academic materials and access to some of the most prestigious libraries globally, like the Bodleian Library in Oxford and original digitised collections from the Harvard University Library. It is a valuable academic platform that houses research content across an array of disciplines without paywalls and restrictions.
SciHub
Launched in 2011, SciHub is a resource that provides free access to scientific and academic research papers. It was established with the goal to eliminate all barriers in science to foster global collaboration, promote open access practices and provide academic research to individuals regardless of their institutional affiliations, financial situations and geographic location. The website hosts over 80 million academic research papers across an array of disciplines.
