Conclusions

About conclusions

Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your paper, to summarize your thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.
The conclusion pushes beyond the boundaries of the prompt and allows you to consider broader issues, make new connections, and elaborate on the significance of your findings.
Your conclusion should make your readers glad they read your paper. Your conclusion gives your reader something to take away that will help them see things differently or appreciate your topic in personally relevant ways. It can suggest broader implications that will not only interest your reader, but also enrich your reader’s life in some way. It is your gift to the reader.

Strategies for writing an effective conclusion

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion.

Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that question and answer it. Here’s how it might go:
You can also use this strategy on your own, asking yourself “So What?” as you develop your ideas or your draft.
Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle. For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
Synthesize, don’t summarize: Include a brief summary of the paper’s main points, but don’t simply repeat things that were in your paper. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.
Include a provocative insight or quotation from the research or reading you did for your paper.
Propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study. This can redirect your reader’s thought process and help her to apply your info and ideas to her own life or to see the broader implications.
Point to broader implications. For example, if your paper examines the Greensboro sit-ins or another event in the Civil Rights Movement, you could point out its impact on the Civil Rights Movement as a whole. A paper about the style of writer Virginia Woolf could point to her influence on other writers or on later feminists.

Strategies to avoid

Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in closing.” Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite in writing.
Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.
Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical paper.
Including evidence (quotations, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the paper.

Four kinds of ineffective conclusions

The “That’s My Story and I’m Sticking to It” Conclusion. This conclusion just restates the thesis and is usually painfully short. It does not push the ideas forward. People write this kind of conclusion when they can’t think of anything else to say. Example: In conclusion, Frederick Douglass was, as we have seen, a pioneer in American education, proving that education was a major force for social change with regard to slavery.
The “Sherlock Holmes” Conclusion. Sometimes writers will state the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion. You might be tempted to use this strategy if you don’t want to give everything away too early in your paper. You may think it would be more dramatic to keep the reader in the dark until the end and then “wow” him with your main idea, as in a Sherlock Holmes mystery. The reader, however, does not expect a mystery, but an analytical discussion of your topic in an academic style, with the main argument (thesis) stated up front. Example: (After a paper that lists numerous incidents from the book but never says what these incidents reveal about Douglass and his views on education): So, as the evidence above demonstrates, Douglass saw education as a way to undermine the slaveholders’ power and also an important step toward freedom.
The “America the Beautiful”/”I Am Woman”/”We Shall Overcome” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion usually draws on emotion to make its appeal, but while this emotion and even sentimentality may be very heartfelt, it is usually out of character with the rest of an analytical paper. A more sophisticated commentary, rather than emotional praise, would be a more fitting tribute to the topic. Example: Because of the efforts of fine Americans like Frederick Douglass, countless others have seen the shining beacon of light that is education. His example was a torch that lit the way for others. Frederick Douglass was truly an American hero.
The “Grab Bag” Conclusion. This kind of conclusion includes extra information that the writer found or thought of but couldn’t integrate into the main paper. You may find it hard to leave out details that you discovered after hours of research and thought, but adding random facts and bits of evidence at the end of an otherwise-well-organized essay can just create confusion. Example: In addition to being an educational pioneer, Frederick Douglass provides an interesting case study for masculinity in the American South. He also offers historians an interesting glimpse into slave resistance when he confronts Covey, the overseer. His relationships with female relatives reveal the importance of family in the slave community.

In Simpler terms, consider these simple steps.
Effective conclusions

Reflect on how your topic relates to larger issues (in the novel, in society, in history)
Show how your topic affects the reader’s life
Evaluate the concepts you have presented
Issue a call for action on the part of your audience
Ask questions generated by your findings
Make predictions
Recommend a solution
Connect back to introduction, esp. if you used a metaphor, anecdote, or vivid image
Give a personal statement about the topic

How to Write a Research Introduction

The introduction to a research paper can be the most challenging part of the paper to write. Introductions are generally half a page in length, though they can run longer if the topic requires additional information. They usually begin with supporting statements, and end with a description of your hypothesis. They offer a theoretical context to a paper, allowing readers to understand the reasoning behind your work. Well-written introductions set the tone for the paper, catch the reader's interest, and communicate the hypothesis or thesis statement.

Steps

Begin the opening paragraph with a few sentences containing supporting information about your topic. Give the reader an idea of what issue you will be discussing, such as, "Just a few years ago, the term "virtual reference" had little meaning to many librarians." Immediately opening with your main argument can be too abrupt.

For a scientific research paper, you can begin with a discussion of the significance of your study, and then lead into the rationale behind your experimental model and how it met your objectives.
A Humanities based paper is best suited by the "funnel" or "inverted pyramid" technique. To use this approach, start with some general background information on your subject, becoming more narrow and specific in focus as you work toward a description of your hypothesis.

Place the thesis statement or hypothesis in the final sentence of your introduction's first paragraph. An example of such a closing sentence is, "A librarian can add the warmth and personal touch to an online interaction that an automated search engine cannot." You may need to write multiple sentences to explain your thesis.

You want to make the objective of your paper clear in the first paragraph, because while an introduction can run several paragraphs in length, it will confuse readers if you introduce your topic in subsequent paragraphs.

Continue your introduction by acquainting your audience with the major points of your paper, and your objectives and results in a scientific paper, in the order they will appear. This lets the reader know what to expect.

Consider other "starters" for your introduction if your initial approach doesn't fit well with your topic.

Anecdotes, quotations, recent debates, or timely news stories can also be compelling ways to begin a research paper.
You can also introduce certain topics by comparing or contrasting 2 people, events, or ideas.

Evaluate your writing

Never use personal pronouns in your introduction, such as "I," "me," "we," "us," "my," "mine," or "our." Don't make pronouncements, such as "I am going to explain why global warming is destroying animal habitats." This is a hallmark of an inexperienced writer.

Don't overwhelm the reader with an overabundance of information. Keep the introduction as concise as possible by saving specific details for the body of your paper.
Avoid emotional or sensational introductions; these can create distrust in the reader.

Sample Scientific Research Introduction

Throughout the 20th century, our views of life on other planets has drastically changed. It was once thought to be an impossibility, as all we had seen of space showed us a barren landscape unfit for anything we would recognize as life. But, in the 21st century, our telescopes continue to discover planets in what we deem “habitable zones,” the small bands in solar systems in which a planet’s temperature is ideal to support life. Planets such as the newly discovered Planet KOI 172.02 may hold the key to discovering life outside of Earth.

Sample Research Introduction for Humanities

Dedicated scholars have been studying language and culture in parallel ever since the connection between the two was first established. Recently, though, new studies have emerged to provide data on the little-known subsections of language and culture: speakers of blended languages, often referred to as pidgin English or Spanglish. These communities are often fluent in their native language and partially fluent in another, which means they are generally able to function normally within their own communities speaking only a combination of the two.

The Dreaded Introductory Paragraph

Writing the introductory paragraph can be a frustrating and slow process -- but it doesn't have to be. If you planned your paper out, then most of the introductory paragraph is already written. Now you just need a beginning and an end.

Beginning Sentence(s)		Here's your chance to introduce your topic and grab your reader's attention. NEVER start your paper saying, "In this paper, I will" or "This paper is about." Start strong. In your research, have you come across an odd factoid or interesting quote? Try starting your paper with that. How about starting with an anecdotal story or humor?
Middle Sentences		Usually, the middle sentences cover the points in your paper. Since you've already planned which order to write the points, you already know which order to place them in your introductory paragraph. You don't have to include every single point, but make sure the important ones get in there.
Ending Sentence		All the previous sentences have been building up to this: your thesis. Your thesis statement expresses the overall idea of your paper and show where you stand on the topic. Indiana University has a great tutorial for writing thesis statements.

Example

Here's an introductory paragraph for a paper I wrote. I started the paper with a factoid, then presented each main point of my paper and then ended with my thesis statement.

Live & Learn

Friday, January 24, 2014

Essay Conclusions