ACADEMIC SKILLS
Session II
Mgr. Martin Jirušek, Ph.D.
Research paper
 Non-normative & objective
 Presentation of research outcomes and how they were
collected
 Informs about the research and the proces leading to the result
 Presents the whole research process
- the reader must be able to replicate the research with the same results –
reliability!
 Does NOT need to contain description of all research steps in
a detail
- Focuses on WHATs, WHYs & HOWs of the research
 Stressing what is important
 Coherent and easy to follow
 Published in academic journals
Research paper II
1) introduction
- description of the issue
- purpose statement
- literature review (can be added as a separate section in more
extensive papers)
- theoretical foundations (or separately as a following chapter)
- objectives
2) methodology (i.e. nature of the text and methods)
3) results
4) interpretation/discussion
 Keep the WHAT/WHY/HOW structure
Research paper III
 Take a look at the content again
- What is missing?
- Why?
 Guide your readers through the research – be transparent!
BUT!
 Don´t describe everything that happened during the process
 The reader has to know the tools, sources and the result, not
the actual proces and trivia surrounding the subject matter
Research paper IV
 Replicability = reliability
 Applies to sources, methods, outcomes as well as
referencing
 Although not every part of the research process is
thoroughly described in the actual text, everything has to
be reflected and clear guidance must be provided
 The reader should be able to find out:
- Which sources were used?
- Which actors were interviewed?
- Are those interviews available? Where?
- Are the weblinks still accessible? When were they accessed?
- ...
Research paper V
Research paper VI
 Try to think of your own research topic
 In-class work of the Week 13
 Use the top-down process
- should also work vice versa
 Start with a broad area
 Narrow down the topic
 Mind the ‘doability’ of the research
 Let´s give it a try 
Poster
 Non-normative&objective
 Used at conferences, conventions, exhibitions,...
 Presentation of actual research/research plan in brief and
comprehensive manner
 Similar to fact sheet in the way information is presented
(tables, graphs, pictures,...)
 Should be understandable in a multi-disciplinary (multinational)
environment
 Follows the process of research paper in concentrated form
(objective, purpose, methods, results, discussion/further work)
 Should be self-contained
Poster II
 Should be comprehensive
- but also easy-to-digest and understand (even for people
from outside the field)
- visitors should not be forced to spend long time trying to
figure out what is going on
 Should be attractive (but not overly glaring)
 Structure should be simple and understandable
 Be ready to explain your research when necessary
- stressing main points and outcomes
- if the visitor is interested, a detailed description may follow
 Should contain references to the employer/sponsor/university
(acknowledgements) and contact to the author
SWOT analysis
 Subjective & normative (if recommendations are included)
 Structured way of assessing particular issue
- not an actual method, rather a way of structuring a broader analysis
 Presents Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats in
comprehensive and understandable manner
 Uses precise and verifiable statements
 Prioritizes influencing factors
 Recommendations should be derived from clear outcomes
Your own SWOT analysis
 Choose an issue...
 Identify its strengths, weaknessesses, opportunity, threats
Thesis
 Similar to writing an article/research paper, only much worse 
 Keep that WHAT-WHY-HOW structure
 Complex description of the research process including purpose,
motivation, literature review, methodology,
the research process, all underlying information
and data, conclusion, dicussion, ...
 Thesis is the record of the WHOLE research
process
- Paper: info about the research
- Thesis: research itself
 Research papers are usually derived from such
records (i.e. theses)
Research
paper
Thesis
Writing style
 Only a question of self-confidence...?
 Use The study shows..., It was proved that... instead of The
outcomes might show that..., It is likely that the evidence
might point to... where possible
 Avoid shortened forms (e.g. use are not instead of aren´t)
 Try to be concise and NOT wordy
 Keep the text coherent (should make sense) and cohesive
(should be interlinked)
Content & some mixed advices
 A word of advice: what is it you want to tell the reader?
- Focus on the message, surround it with the context later
- Use (mind) maps, graphs, networks, etc. when necessary
 If not sure, always ask yourself:
- Is this getting me closer to the conclusion?
- What is this good for?
- Is this making the thing easier to understand or not?
 Put the issue first
- Methodology should serve the purpose, not the other way around
Probably the most important thing to
remember...
 Research paper & thesis should not only present outcomes of
the research but should also serve as description of the
research process
 The aim is to provide a description enabling reader to
replicate the research and come up with the same conclusions
 This enhances reliability of the research
Assignment
 Submit a poster presenting a research project
- For this purpose students can use some of their earlier work
(bachelor/master thesis)
 Research topic with description of a procedure and outcome (if
available)
 Students can consult their project with the lecturer
 Must be uploaded into the Information System by 10th
November 23:59
Thank you for attention
jirusek.martin@mail.muni.cz