When asked to write an empirical paper, many learners don’t know where to start. That’s because most students don’t know much about this paper. Perhaps, you came across this article after searching for the meaning of this paper online. Well, you’ve come to the right place because this article will explain everything you want to know about this paper.
Contents
In most cases, humans decide based on evidence. Thus, most people decide based on what they can prove as valid or measure. When presented with plausible alternatives, most individuals tilt towards choices that have been proven effective. Empirical research adopts a similar approach.
In this study, researchers arrive at results by testing their empirical evidence. And they test the available evidence using quantitative and qualitative observation methods, as determined by the research nature. Perhaps, you’re torn between a theoretical paper vs. empirical paper. Just like the name suggests, a theoretical paper is largely based on theories. On the other hand, a paper whose basis is empirical research is largely based on evidence. Ideally, the features and methodology of empirical research set it apart from the other study approaches. Therefore, researchers must understand what constitutes this study.
What is an Empirical Paper?
An empirical research paper is a write-up that is based on verifiable evidence. Ideally, the conclusion of this paper is arrived at after analyzing verifiable evidence. In simple terms, it’s a paper that solely depends on evidence acquired via scientific methods of gathering data or observation.
Researchers can conduct empirical research using quantitative or qualitative observation methods, based on their data sample. That is non-numerical data or quantifiable data. As hinted, this is what differentiates empirical papers from theoretical papers. Ideally, theoretical papers depend on pre-conceived notions regarding research variables. On the other hand, empirical research entails engaging in a scientific investigation and measuring the experimental probability of those variables.
Importance of an Empirical Paper
Perhaps, you’re wondering why you should engage in a scientific investigation to write this paper. Well, empirical research is very common because it’s used to perform systematic investigations. Researchers use this method to validate different research hypotheses in fields like law, anthropology, and medicine. Based on the empirical paper definition, this task is important for the following reasons:
- Authenticating traditional research via observations and experiments
- Providing more authentic and competent findings
- Understanding the dynamic changes that happen over time
- Studying rules, institutions, and procedures to understand their operations
- Testing and validating multiple hypotheses to improve human knowledge
- To study human cultures and behavioral patterns
For your paper to serve its purpose effectively, it should be carefully and thoroughly researched. All information included in your paper should be factual and supported with evidence.
How to Write an Empirical Research Paper
As hinted, the basis of your paper should be verifiable research. Therefore, you must conduct extensive research before you write your paper.
Preparation
Start by preparing to write your paper. This step requires you to do several things as follows.
- Select a topic: Start by choosing a topic for your paper. Pick a topic you’re comfortable researching and writing about. Make sure that your topic is not too broad or too narrow. That’s because you won’t cover a too broad topic exhaustively. And if your topic is too narrow, you won’t meet the specified word count for your paper.
- Research the topic: Gather as much information as possible about the topic. Take your time to analyze the information and understand different aspects of your topic. That way, you will know the best angle to take when writing your paper.
Before you proceed to actual writing, you can find and read an APA empirical paper sample to understand what the educator expects from you.
Actual Writing
Now that you have the topic and information that you need to write the paper, you can proceed to the actual writing step. Here’s a guide on how to write an empirical paper.
- Write the title page: This page should summarize your main point, question, or findings that you will present in the paper. It should also include your institutional affiliations and name. Make the title informative, professional, and interesting. That’s because the title is the first thing your readers will see.
- Write the abstract: In empirical research papers, the abstract can be written after completing the paper. That’s because it’s a paragraph that summarizes the paper for the readers. When writing this section, explain your research question briefly. You can also explain research methods, samples, and conclusions briefly.
- Write the introduction: When writing the introduction of empirical paper, include the research problem and then tell your readers why it’s important. Also, provide background information about your topic. Your introduction should explain specific hypotheses while demonstrating how your chosen research design corresponds with them.
- Methodology: In this section, describe the research methods you used to conduct your research. If writing an APA paper, label subsections like participants, sampling procedures, sample size, and study design. Don’t skip this section because you can easily some of the research methods.
- Results: Perhaps, this is the most important part of an empirical research paper structure. Here, you include statistics and data analysis. Report your findings consistently if you mention them in other sections. That way, your readers can easily follow and understand your findings.
- Discussion: Restate your study findings in this section using plain terms. Also, explain how your research findings relate to your hypotheses. Ideally, interpret results in this section while discussing their implications. And this should include practical and theoretical consequences. If you encountered research limitations, acknowledge them in this section.
- Reference: Use the APA guidelines to compose the reference section of your paper. This is an important part of the paper because it provides additional information on your topic.
The order of parts in empirical paper may vary but these are the most important sections of this write-up.
Proofreading
Once you’ve written your paper, take your time to go through it correcting all typo, spelling, grammatical, and factual errors. That’s because you could have brilliant ideas and findings but minor errors can damage the quality of your paper.
Interesting Empirical Research Topics to Consider
One of the most challenging parts of the process of writing this paper is choosing a topic. That’s because learners want to choose topics they will be comfortable researching and writing about. They also want unique topics that will impress educators to award them good grades. If struggling to find a topic for your paper, consider these ideas.
- An empirical analysis of foreign exchange management in developing economies
- An empirical analysis of liquidity problem in commercial banks
- How capital structure affects profitability- Empirical analysis of selected companies
- An empirical analysis of the effect of multi-national oil companies on an economy
- Conflicts management in financial institutions- Empirical analysis of the staff
- An empirical analysis of the impact of monetary policies on a country’s economy
- Impact of currency depreciation on a country’s economy- Empirical analysis
- An empirical analysis of the effect of political institutions on the development and economic growth
- How religion affects social development- Empirical analysis
- Effects of policies, institutions, and events on a society
You can pick any of these empirical paper topics, research extensively, and analyze your findings to compose a winning paper. Nevertheless, make sure only relevant and evidence-backed information goes into your paper.
Useful Tips and Insights
Follow these tips and insights to write a brilliant paper:
- Check your educator’s guidelines and follow all the instructions, including word count and formatting.
- Create your empirical research paper outline to come up with a properly organized paper with logically flowing ideas.
- Be concise and clear by including important information only.
- Use headings and subheadings to make your paper easy to read.
- Cite multiple credible sources in your paper.
- Include figures and tables to convey information if you find it hard to discuss using paragraphs.
- Get our thesis writing help if you’re got stuck.
Always remember that your paper should be based on research. And the evidence in your paper should be verifiable. You can gather empirical evidence using qualitative and quantitative research methods. The above guidelines and tips should help you come up with a winning paper. However, follow the instructions provided by your educator when writing this paper. If unable to complete this assignment even with these tips and guidelines, get and read a good empirical research paper example first. That way, you will know the kind of information and presentation the educator expects from you.
