How to Write an Overview for the Research Paper?

What is the first thing you will write when you draft your research paper? The answer to this question is the overview. The overview is the first thing people will read in your research paper. Some people are great at writing the overview for their paper and do a great job at including only the necessary option. On the other hand, a lot of people can have issues with writing an overview. This article will help you understand how to write an excellent overview that will grab your reader’s attention and make them read your research paper

Difference between overview, summary, and review

Overview, summary, review may seem like three words with the same meaning to a person who has not done academic writing before. Although the meanings of the words may be the same in the dictionary, there are key differences that make each word different from the other. If you are having trouble writing your research paper, get in touch with an essay writer. They make your work easy by helping you with drafts and even proofreading the drafts you make as well.

An overview is a retelling of all the major points you make in your research paper. It is used in academic writing most of the time and is very rarely used outside of academic writing as well. Other examples where you would see an overview are newspaper articles and journals. It has a formal tone and requires you to use proper vocabulary when you write it. 

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A summary is probably something everyone is aware of. Like an overview, a summary is meant to summarize all the main points you have made in your essay or research paper. The purpose of this restatement is to emphasize a point or make it easier for your intended audience to understand the topic of your research paper. Unlike an overview, which is only used for academic writing, the summary is used in both research papers and newspaper articles

In academic writing, a review is basically a retelling of someone else’s opinions or findings. A literature review usually takes three or four outside sources and gives insight into how those articles are linked to your specific topic. Reviews can be used both in an informal and formal tone. An example of a review in an informal tone is a movie review

The above points outline the similarities and differences between the three. The points also help in answering your question, ‘ Should I use a review, summary, or overview when I write my essay this term?’

Writing a perfect overview

Now that you know the differences between the three, we will look at what you need to keep in mind when writing an overview. The following points will make it clear to you about what you need to write in an overview. 

• The first thing you need to consider is the word count. Keep the overview short and sweet. No need to add any extra information
• Do not give the background of your study while writing an overview. The background should be given in the introduction section only. Do not waste your precious word count by mentioning the background of the study twice
• Start your overview by listing the thesis statement of your research paper. This should be done in a single sentence and no more. The thesis statement outlines what your research paper is all about so it should be in the first sentence of your review
• Write only your key findings in the overview. These should be the main talking points of your essay. Like the thesis statement, only use one sentence per talking point so that you do not spend your word count on the overview
• Do not go into detail about the main points. You will have plenty of time to explain in full detail what the main points of the study were. Also, remember to not include any unnecessary information in the overview.You can likewise contact paper writing service for more help.
• You should highlight why the research you have presented in your paper is of significance. This can help the reader understand the reasoning behind the study. This can also help in attracting the reader so that they will read the entire research paper that you have written 
• Give a little insight into the methodology used for the research. If you used a qualitative or quantitative approach, do mention this in your overview. Do not go into the details of the approach. If you used surveys or interviews for your research, it is better to include them in the methodology section, rather than adding them in the overview
• A brief description of your results should be included in the overview. Keep it short and sweet without giving too much away. If the reader wants to know what the results of your study were, then they better read the whole of the paper to find out
• Keep the tone formal throughout the overview. Informal tone or improper vocabulary are not welcome in an overview for a research paper.

Following the points above, should help you in writing an overview that is perfect for your research paper. If you still find it difficult to write an overview for your research paper, you can contact an essay writing service. The service is aimed to help you with all your essay writing needs.

Be sure to practice what you have learned from reading this article. Practice makes perfect and that is true for any sort of academic writing.

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