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The 10 Best Websites to Find Academic Writing Jobs

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If you're a student looking for some extra dough, academic writing is one of the best ways to encash your skills. At the same time, it enhances your knowledge and helps you grow as a learner. In fact, it's not just for students; you can do it full-time if you are a professional writer.

Having the freedom to work from home, at your own pace, and having opportunities to grow are just a few perks of this job. So, if you are ready to delve deeper, let's look at ten great websites for finding academic writing jobs.

1. WritingCreek

WritingCreek is one of the best academic writing sites to work with if you are a beginner. It has a simple and free-of-cost hiring process, which usually takes 24 to 48 hours to complete. Once the team approves your account, you can start bidding and earning straight away. It offers a rate of $4.00 per page to beginners and up to $12.00 to experts.

The site lets you choose the subjects you are proficient in and has a regular stream of academic tasks with short and long deadlines. WritingCreek gives you the liberty to choose your tasks and work at your own pace, and its support team is always available for a live chat whenever you need them.

It also helps you enhance your skills as its in-house editors give feedback on the papers accepted by the client, offering useful tips for improvement. WritingCreek usually pays twice a month through different payment methods like Payoneer and PayPal without deducting any extra charges. You can also check out these technical writing jobs if you have the expertise.

2. EssayShark

You can get started on EssayShark within a week after taking and passing its test. If you are a college student and have solid writing skills, this platform can help you earn a decent amount to aid you in your studies. The site lets you bid on papers that fall under your subject area.

You can choose your preferred subjects in advance to get relevant tasks and can chat with the customers directly to discuss the details of the paper. EssayShark pays you twice a month, and along with the pay, it also offers bonuses and rewards if the customers give you good ratings because of your timely submissions and high-quality work.

3. Writers.ph

Being among the top academic writing websites, this platform targets professional-level writers and researchers to work for them. It usually takes 24 to 48 hours to review your application, and once approved, you can start working immediately. The site gets projects from all around the world and has a constant flow of work. It also offers 24/7 support to help you with any issues that you might face.

In addition, Writers.ph offers job promotions based on your performance, leading to status improvement and increased pay rates. It also has proofreading, editing, and presentation-related tasks, along with academic paper writing. Also, check out these great smartphone apps for freelance writers .

4. LancerHop

LancerHop provides you with multiple fields to work in. It hires academic writers, web developers, editing experts, web content writers, copywriters, editing experts, and bloggers. The hiring process is similar to that of other academic writing websites, where you need to create a profile, and after passing the test, you can start working.

It creates a dashboard where the system assigns you tasks. All of your information regarding payment, task completion, and editing is available on the dashboard. The platform allows you to set flexible timings for your work by choosing from different time zones and also flexible working days like weekdays only.

5. Academia Research

Academia Research offers you decent pay rates and career growth opportunities in the academic writing field. The registration process requires a test to get selected. Once the team approves your account, you start at a General level, where the pay is $3.00 per page for high school and college level papers.

You can move on to Advanced, Premium, and First Class levels to get paid $2.00 per page for master's and Ph.D. level papers. The site has a variety of tasks with flexible deadlines related to different subjects and education levels. It pays you twice a month through the payment method of your choice.

6. Essay Service

This platform provides you with an easy-to-use website with a mobile-friendly interface to let you access your account from anywhere. Moreover, it has an efficient system for competitive bidding that also offers a price negotiation facility.

Essay Service helps you build a career and a network, and you can share your professional portfolio with your clients and other contacts, helping you expand your customer base in the process. You also get a 24/7 online support system to guide you at each step.

You can withdraw money every 48 hours through Skrill or wire transfer. In addition, it lets you stay connected through SMS, email, and push notifications without needing to go online.

7. Writers Labs

Writers Labs provides you with a variety of opportunities, including academic writing, article writing, and essay writing. Its pay rates are pretty decent, varying from $5.00 to $26.00 for one page, and it also offers a 2% to 4% bonus on high efficiency.

You get a list of tasks on the site and can choose from those tasks based on your preference and availability. In addition, its support team is there to guide you through the process to help you get started. Check out these ways to source clients as a freelance writer .

8. Write My Essay Online

Write My Essay Online is a platform suitable for both academic writing beginners and experts. The website has a regular influx of tasks and helps you get assignments in the areas of your interest.

Registration on this website is free, much like on most sites on this list, and it has flexible work timing, allowing you to choose your projects as per your desire. Through bidding, you can decide your own rates and get paid twice a month.

9. Academic Minds

Academic Minds provides numerous services to help you unleash your academic writing potential. You have the option of taking up multiple roles, like tutoring, marking work, writing essays and dissertations, and editing. The website is UK based and helps international students in excelling in their academic tasks.

You can start bidding once your account is completely set up, and there is a potential to earn as much as $4000.00 per month through dissertations and tutoring. You can also showcase your online writing portfolio on these free platforms .

10. WriterBay

WriterBay provides you with projects and assignments in numerous fields. It has a free lifetime membership that offers a platform where you can get long-term work.

After registering with WriterBay, you can manage the workload at your own pace. In addition, it offers competitive pay and opportunities for personal growth. Most of its services are similar to those offered by other sites on this list.

Find Your Next Academic Job Through These Sites

Academic writing jobs provide a valuable opportunity for learning and growth. It is a huge field of work that allows you to earn and grow in your career.

Most of the websites shared above help you earn well and offer flexible timings for easier management. You can choose one or more of these sites to move forward while enjoying the rewards from the comfort of your home.

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What are the main reasons for me to work in your company, what are apa, harvard and mla formats, how can a writer avoid plagiarism, what kind of sources can a writer use, what number of written pages is necessary, what are the time limits, what is the salary, what is the process of taking and submitting the order, how does the company guarantee payments on a regular basis, how many years has academia-research been offering and rendering writing services, how do e-gold and paypal work, how does the online system work.

You have to understand first of all that the work we offer here will broaden your mind and at the same time expand your opportunities. When you work in our company, you get the freedom of working at the time comfortable for you, from the place you want, and on the topics that you personally want to write about. Also you can easily improve your basic knowledge, and develop your personal skills of a writer, and make money on your skills! Moreover, you can get even more experience and develop your writing talents!

Mentioned formats or styles are commonly accepted for academic written pieces such as research papers, dissertations, and term papers. The main requirements are the following: there must be margins of at least 1inch from each side of the work, the text must be double-spaced; the necessary fonts are Courier New or Times New Roman of 12-points font size, the page numbers must be placed in the right top part of the written work. Every single style needs a reference list presented on the very last page. Referencing is one of the inevitable parts of a research paper, as research calls for using a vast majority of sources, the number of which is usually mentioned by the customer. Accurate referencing helps writers to exclude plagiarism from any written work. References in the body of the text, as a rule, are usually named as inside-text citations. Such citations usually include the title and publication year, both of them must be mentioned in brackets. Such inside-text citations usually make it possible to find those sources that were used at the last page – list of cited works or reference list. All the styles have their own requirements. In general, these requirements are very common in the frameworks of publication info: title, year, name, name and place where the publishing house is situated, etc.

Firstly, you may use the needed number of citations and quotes. As a writer, you can write any resource that you use for reference. Secondly, you can also use another similar phrase at any paragraph or sentence to keep the key ideas which were presented in the source you’ve used. Another way to avoid plagiarism is to replace words with synonyms in case you want to save the main idea approximately unchanged.

Any sources may be used: whether these are paper pages or pages in the Internet. You may look through or download source materials from libraries, journals, and other publications. In case the customer requires some specific sources, you have to use the mentioned sources when conducting a research or writing essays. Remember, the text you write cannot be just downloaded from the Internet, you can only use the sources.

The approximate amount of pages for every written essay ranges from one to fifty.

Any deadline is exclusive for each writer and it can be viewed in the details to every single order. It stands for the appointed time or the certain day till which the written work have be prepared and sent to a certain customer. IT IS NOT THE TIME BY WHICH THE ORDER SHOULD BE SUBMITTED BY THE CUSTOMER. The writer can sometimes ask for extending the time-limit for the submission of essay. In case you realize the extension is really necessary, you have to contact us as soon as possible to make a request for some extra time.

We provide regular payments to our assigned writers ranging from $5 up to $20 per one page.

All the writers here have a personal access to our online writers’ panel where they can view all active orders and take one of them by clicking on “get order”. When a writer wants to submit a completed paper, he/she has to go to “current orders” page and click “upload”.

At the current moment, our company cooperates with over 2,000 writers. As each of them has showed real dedication to what he\she does, regular hard work and according to it we find it necessary to provide payments strictly on time. As a rule, payments take place either every month or every two months, depending on the means of payment that the writer has defined in his\her signup options.

Academia- Research has been working for 5 years in the industry, though our members of administration have been involved in freelance writing job much earlier. All of them have created a vast majority of academic texts, including various essays on broad-ranging topics.

We use the fastest and easiest methods of payment which are E-Gold and PayPal. Just register on the corresponding E-Gold or PayPal websites to present us with your e-mail, name and last name which you used when registered with Paypal, or your account number for E-Gold if you have them.

These are the main principles of how our online system works:

• Let us start with defining the terms and abbreviations: “CPP” stands for cost per page “Total price” stands for CPP multiplied with the number of written work pages “Deadline” is the latest time when the completed paper must be sent to the client “Messages” stands for number of messages sent by either the customer, admin or writers concerning the order execution “Style” means paper format that must be used for creating the specific piece of writing (MLA, APA etc., see format tips link on index page) “Pages” stands for the number of written pages (near 250 words per one page) “Sources” is the number of sources used to support your paper “Files” means number of the files downloaded by a customer to inform a writer about the details of an order
• When your test is approved, your account is automatically activated and you receive the access to personal writer’s online panel. In case you want to view available orders, you should login on the main page and click on the button ‘available orders’. To receive the listed order’s specifications, you should click on the ‘view and get’ button on the left side of the panel. The orders page will show you the required details and instructions, messages and uploaded files sent by customer. To receive an order, click ‘get order’ button and wait for the confirmation message sent to you by e-mail. You may launch the order execution process only after you received a confirmation letter!
• The completed orders must be uploaded online and – what is also extremely important – in proper time! To upload an order, you should login and click ‘current orders’. After that, find the completed order in the presented list and click ‘browse’ to view the paper on your display. After that, click ‘upload’. The last step is to click ‘completed orders’ to check whether an order has been successfully uploaded.
• We also insist on your writing titles for completed orders containing no more than 8 characters. That is also important because long titles, as we have recently find out, cause some problems or misunderstandings when you try to upload the orders and sometimes when customers are trying to download them. The absolute limit for the length of titles is 16 characters. In case you violate this limitation, the customer will not be able to download the order. Please take this into account, as your work’s result sometimes depends on small details which are better to be kept in mind.

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Scam warning: academia-research.com

Hey all, just thought I'd make this thread so future writers don't fall into this trap. Writing academic papers for desperate students isn't my thing, but I was recommended this site for their proofreading work, which they claim you can only access by becoming one of their writers. This includes taking a 'test' where you basically write a research paper, using whatever topic they designate, within 3 days. So I worked away at this paper, ensuring it's on point. This took me about 2 days, and only 15 minutes for them to respond with a rejection notice, claiming a 'lack of academic writing skills' and 'structural drawbacks'. I'm a science graduate who gets paid decent money to edit academic papers, and has previously written a bunch, but the real kicker is that I had not one, but two of my previous professors check over the work to make sure it's up to scratch. We might all be wrong, but I would assume academic professionals know more about this sort of thing than some two-bit cheating service providers.

I'm particularly frustrated because I broke my own rule of never writing for free, but proofreading work is a great way to supplement income and I figured they were trustworthy. Have you guys had experiences with writing free samples for potential work? Has it ever worked out well?

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Academia Research has a rating of 3.4 stars from 35 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Reviewers satisfied with Academia Research most frequently mention premium writer. Academia Research ranks 26th among Work At Home sites.

“Good Website for Writers”

Even though it is a good site for developing writers, but, career development is not integrated in their levels. For instance, it is difficult to rise from the general level. I think the top 20 writers at any level should be promoted to enhance the writers' skills. A person in a managerial position from a supervisor guarantees that their leadership skills and activities would advance, that is what is needed in Academia-Reserch

“My test assignment got declined listing errors that do not even exist in my paper.”

My test assignment was declined on this website based on listing a number of errors that were not even present in my paper. I got the paper screened and verified through a number of experts and Grammarly premium. My paper's overall score of Grammarly was 99%. I have hereby attached the list of "errors" found by academia research in my paper.

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• Follow Tashika W.

I finished the test essay and fulfilled all the requirements just for them to email me with "We are terribly sorry to inform that you have not met all the requirements and failed the test. Below are the reasons of test failure: Lack of academic writing skills; Structural errors; Poor content; Grammar and punctuation errors; Referencing/formatting drawbacks; Compromised identity You may try again in a year if you are interested in this opportunity. We appreciate your trying to cooperate with us." Keep in mind that I have been writing papers for two separate companies for years. I was just looking for a different company to start writing with. My last grade on an assignment was a 95% and it was on a much more complicated subject. Yeah... I'd trust my history of getting As by qualified professors over this ridiculous company.

Hello! Quality is our main priority! Here you may check the detailed feedback: Lack of academic skills: • Non-academic sources (e.g., “StudyMoose. (2020, October 30). Hamlet Act 3 scene 1 Free Essay Example.”) • Misattributed quotes (e.g., “To Be or Not to be, this is the question.”(StudyMoose (2020)”) • Lack of proofreading (e.g., “…the betrayal he faced from Claudias,” instead of Claudius) Structural drawbacks • The paper should be about how does Shakespeare conveys the complexities of the human condition in Hamlet. But, unfortunately, the introduction does not mention either Shakespeare or Hamlet in any way. • Lack of a thesis statement • The conclusion does not connect back to the introduction and the essential question, "what are the complexities of being human?" Referencing/formatting issues: • Lack of a title page with the title of the paper and the author's name • No page numbering throughout • Improper in-text citations (e.g., “(February 2020) (Green (2017))”) • The reference list should begin on a new page separate from the text of the essay • All lines after the first line of each entry in the reference list should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. Best Regards, academia-research.com

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I recently had a highly disappointing…

I recently had a highly disappointing experience with this company. As a writer, I expected fair treatment and professionalism from the platform, but unfortunately, my encounter was far from satisfactory. First and foremost, the treatment of writers by is utterly unfair. Instead of fostering an environment of collaboration and support, they seem to relish in imposing exorbitant fines for merely seeking clarification on assignments. This punitive approach not only demoralizes writers but also stifles creativity and productivity. Furthermore, the support team, particularly individuals like Liam and Christopher, exude nothing but arrogance and disregard for writers' concerns. Despite being in a position supposedly designated to assist, they approach interactions with an air of superiority, dismissing valid inquiries and feedback with disdain. What's most frustrating is the blatant disregard for writers' concerns, even when they are undeniably in the right. This company appears to prioritize its own agenda over the well-being and fair treatment of its writers, creating an environment of distrust and disillusionment.

Date of experience : March 06, 2024

This site is a complete joke

This site is a complete joke, from beginning to end. First, it most probably is a spoof of the (defunct?) website 'academia-research'. It is registered in Cyprus and Ukraine, so be careful with the personal info you submit (better to create an email account just for registering, also use passports/IDs close to their useful life!). The site is completely and utterly disorganized: -"Verification" can take months. Yes. Literally 3 or 4 months, and only after many mails to various contacts. -You cannot 'chat' with the writer/customer service unless you are NOT logged in! (first in the world occurrence of this feature). -You cannot ask info or see details about orders, unless you take them on! -Orders are mostly (in 90% of cases) not described adequately. -Chatting to customers is not forwarded properly -Recompense is a joke. I was never paid, although this may be because I only managed to get a small order. However, I have seen orders like: "Solve these 4 partial differential equations" (in 1 page!), and "Write a summary of my vacation for school" (in 1 page), getting paid the same. -Getting orders/Bidding rules are not to be found anywhere. -Reasons for bid rejection are never explained. Fine/Bonus rules are nowhere to be found. I could go on and on describing the parlous state of this business, if it is indeed a business and not a scam, to create fake IDs and/or scam writers out of their work money. In a two-word conclusion: Stay away! If you are a writer, upwork, fiverr etc get a far smaller percentage of your money as fees, and allow direct negotiations with customers. As a result (if you are a customer), the price you will pay will also be far smaller.

Date of experience : November 19, 2019

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Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship 2024

Bloomsbury and Writers & Artists are delighted to confirm the  Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship  will run for a second successive year.

The purpose of the Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship 2024 is to help early career academics get their book idea into a form which is ready for publication. If you are of African or African Caribbean heritage, based in the UK, and have an idea you would like to develop into an academic book but are unsure where to start, this Fellowship is for you.

The recipient of the Fellowship will receive a package of creative support throughout 2025. This will include editorial support and mentorship for one year, £1,000 of financial support, practical resources, and event and networking opportunities. The ultimate goal of this invaluable, industry-standard package of support is for the author to develop their work to a point in which they feel in a position to begin approaching prospective publishers.

'To ensure that the subjects covered by these works are wide-ranging and topical, your manuscript should focus on one of the following  UN Sustainable Development Goals  or cover a key thematic topic from across the Humanities and Social Sciences such as: Gender and sexuality; Economics and international development; Social welfare, society and communities; Politics, current affairs and government; Equality and diversity; Climate and environment; History and cultural heritage; Popular culture and media; Literary studies.

Simply submit a short statement (<200 words) about how your work aims to educate and inspire within one or more of the key thematic areas listed below. You must also include a 200-word synopsis of your work, and a 1,000-1,500 word sample extract.

Please note : it's possible to start and then save an application. Saved applications are stored under the 'My competition entries' section of your W&A dashboard.

Key thematic areas

Relevant United Nations Sustainable Development goal/s Gender and sexuality Economics and international development Social welfare, society and communities Politics, current affairs and government Equality and diversity Climate and environment History and cultural heritage Popular culture and media Literary studies

Dates and further announcements

Our 2024 closing date for entries is 23:59 (GMT) Monday 30th September 2024. The successful applicant(s), as chosen by our judging panel, will be announced in January 2025.

Click here to read about the first ever recipient of the Bloomsbury Academic Writing Fellowship

Judging panel

David Avital is Editorial Director for Bloomsbury Politics, International Development and Area Studies. David has nearly 20 years’ experience in scholarly publishing across a number of subject areas at Bloomsbury, Continuum and Routledge.  

Dr Aleida Borges leads the Grassroots Women Leaders research stream at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership (GIWL) and is a Visiting Lecturer at the African Leadership Centre at King’s College London. Her research offers critical perspectives at the intersection of politics, gender and decoloniality. 

Dr Constantino Dumangane, Jr is a Senior Lecturer / Assistant Professor at the University of York. He serves as the Deputy Postgraduate Programme Director and is an active board member of his University’s Staff Race Equality Forum and EDI Action Group. He has published in the British Education Research Journal and Qualitative Research . His most recently publication chronicling the experiences of Black male students in UK Higher education can be found in Blackness at the Intersection (2024). 

Nayiri Kendir is Commissioning Editor for Environmental Politics and Political Sociology at Bloomsbury Academic. Nayiri has worked at Bloomsbury Publishing since 2018, across subject areas including Politics & International Relations and Middle East Studies. 

Eli Keren is a non-fiction agent at Curious Minds. He was previously at United Agents for eight years. He has been a regular judge on the Pat Kavanagh Prize and the Page Turner Awards and was an industry judge for the London Library’s Emerging Writers Programme 2022/23 and Retreat West’s upcoming First Chapter Prize 2024. In 2022 he developed and taught Jericho Writers’ How To Write a Non-Fiction Proposal course, and in 2023 he was elected treasurer of the Association of Authors’ Agents. 

Dr Kadian Pow is a Lecturer in Sociology and Black Studies at Birmingham City University. As an Expert Consultant in Cultural Trends at Canvas8, Kadian has worked on racial equity projects with Beatfreeks, and Museums in the UK and USA. She is the author of Stories of Black Female Identity in the Making: Queering the Love in Blackness (2023). 

Eligibility

To enter the Fellowship, all entrants must:

-    Be of Black African or African Caribbean heritage

-    Be over 18 and living in the UK

-    Not have a publishing contract or agent for the proposed work

The Fellowship

The successful recipient(s) of the Fellowship will receive a package of creative support throughout 2025. This will include:

Editorial support and mentorship:

• A bespoke mentoring programme offering industry-standard creative support (and unique insight into working with a publisher). This will be managed by Writers & Artists and Bloomsbury, and will include milestone editorial meetings throughout the year. (Mentor to be appointed based on the Fellowship recipient’s field of work, career history and aspirations, as well as shared experiences and challenges). A typical one-year mentoring programme includes four milestone meetings of one-hour between mentor and mentee. Submission deadlines will be agreed before each of these sessions, with mentees expected to submit a tranche of original writing (to an agreed word count) in advance so that their mentor can prepare accordingly. Each one-hour meeting will be used to discuss progress, editorial suggestions and next steps. Mentors will offer a short follow-up report outlining everything discussed within the session. Where possible, we will encourage that at least one of the milestone meetings takes place in-person at Bloomsbury Publishing.

Financial support:

• The Fellowship will offer £1,000 in financial support to the recipient at the start of the fellowship year

Events and networking opportunities:

• Registration to a UK-based academic conference attended by Bloomsbury in 2025
• A complimentary place on Writing Non-Fiction, a five-week online course from Writers & Artists
• A complimentary place at any appropriate Writers & Artists events taking place in 2025
• An invitation to attend all appropriate relevant Bloomsbury Academic author events
• Invitations to participate in any relevant Bloomsbury Academic fellowship panels, recordings or events
• The option of a thirty-minute one-to-one consultation with a literary agent, who will provide proposal feedback and marketplace insight
• Full access to Writers’ & Artists’ online listings : a one-year subscription to a database of thousands of industry contacts
• £250 of Bloomsbury Academic titles 

The end goal of this invaluable, industry-standard package of support is that the author feels in a position to begin approaching prospective publishers.

Full entry details

To apply for the Fellowship, all entrants must:

-    Provide a short statement (maximum 200 words) about how their work aims to educate and inspire one of the following  UN Sustainable Development Goals or a key thematic topic from across the Humanities and Social Sciences such as: Gender and sexuality; Economics and international development; Social welfare, society and communities; Politics, current affairs and government; Equality and diversity; Climate and environment; History and cultural heritage; Popular culture and media; Literary studies

-    Provide a provisional Table of Contents and projected word count

-    Provide a 200-word synopsis of the work

-    Upload a 1,000-1,500 word sample extract of the work

-    Have an account with writersandartists.co.uk, which is free to create

-    Submit their entry via our online form

You do require an internet connection to submit your competition entry; however if you have any questions or specific accessibility queries, please do contact us at [email protected] .

Full terms and conditions here

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How to Write a Research Paper [Steps & Examples]

As a student, you are often required to complete numerous academic tasks, which can demand a lot of extra effort. Writing a research paper is one of these tasks. If researching for the topic isn't challenging enough, writing it down in a specific format adds another layer of difficulty. Having gone through this myself, I want to help you have a smoother journey in writing your research paper. I'll guide you through everything you need to know about writing a research paper, including how to write a research paper and all the necessary factors you need to consider while writing one.

Order for Preparation of your research paper

Before beginning your research paper, start planning how you will organize your paper. Follow the specific order I have laid out to ensure you assemble everything correctly, cover all necessary components, and write more effectively. This method will help you avoid missing important elements and improve the overall quality of your paper.

Figures and Tables

Assemble all necessary visual aids to support your data and findings. Ensure they are labeled correctly and referenced appropriately in your text.

Detail the procedures and techniques used in your research. This section should be thorough enough to allow others to replicate your study.

Summarize the findings of your research without interpretation. Use figures and tables to illustrate your data clearly.

Interpret the results, discussing their implications and how they relate to your research question. Address any limitations and suggest areas for future research.

Summarize the key points of your research, restating the significance of your findings and their broader impact.

Introduction

Introduce the topic, provide background information, and state the research problem or hypothesis. Explain the purpose and scope of your study.

Write a concise summary of your research, including the objective, methods, results, and conclusion. Keep it brief and to the point.

Create a clear and informative title that accurately reflects the content and focus of your research paper.

Identify key terms related to your research that will help others find your paper in searches.

Acknowledgements

Thank those who contributed to your research, including funding sources, advisors, and any other significant supporters.

Compile a complete list of all sources cited in your paper, formatted according to the required citation style. Ensure every reference is accurate and complete.

Types of Research Papers

There are multiple types of research papers, each with distinct characteristics, purposes, and structures. Knowing which type of research paper is required for your assignment is crucial, as each demands different preparation and writing strategies. Here, we will delve into three prominent types: argumentative, analytical, and compare and contrast papers. We will discuss their characteristics, suitability, and provide detailed examples to illustrate their application.

A.Argumentative Papers

Characteristics:

An argumentative or persuasive paper is designed to present a balanced view of a controversial issue, but ultimately aims to persuade the reader to adopt the writer's perspective. The key characteristics of this type of paper include:

Purpose: The primary goal is to convince the reader to support a particular stance on an issue. This is achieved by presenting arguments, evidence, and refuting opposing viewpoints.

Structure: Typically structured into an introduction, a presentation of both sides of the issue, a refutation of the opposing arguments, and a conclusion that reinforces the writer’s position.

Tone: While the tone should be logical and factual, it should not be overly emotional. Arguments must be supported with solid evidence, such as statistics, expert opinions, and factual data.

Suitability:

Argumentative papers are suitable for topics that have clear, opposing viewpoints. They are often used in debates, policy discussions, and essays aimed at influencing public opinion or academic discourse.

Topic: "Should governments implement universal basic income?"

Pro Side: Universal basic income provides financial security, reduces poverty, and can lead to a more equitable society.

Con Side: It could discourage work, lead to higher government expenditure, and might not be a sustainable long-term solution.

Argument: After presenting both sides, the paper would argue that the benefits of reducing poverty and financial insecurity outweigh the potential drawbacks, using evidence from various studies and real-world examples.

Writing Tips:

Clearly articulate your position on the issue from the beginning.

Present balanced arguments by including credible sources that support both sides.

Refute counterarguments effectively with logical reasoning and evidence.

Maintain a factual and logical tone, avoiding excessive emotional appeals.

B.Analytical Papers

An analytical research paper is focused on breaking down a topic into its core components, examining various perspectives, and drawing conclusions based on this analysis. The main characteristics include:

Purpose: To pose a research question, collect data from various sources, analyze different viewpoints, and synthesize the information to arrive at a personal conclusion.

Structure: Includes an introduction with a clear research question, a literature review that summarizes existing research, a detailed analysis, and a conclusion that summarizes findings.

Tone: Objective and neutral, avoiding personal bias or opinion. The focus is on data and logical analysis.

Analytical research papers are ideal for topics that require detailed examination and evaluation of various aspects. They are common in disciplines such as social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences, where deep analysis of existing research is crucial.

Topic: "The impact of social media on mental health."

Research Question: How does social media usage affect mental well-being among teenagers?

Analysis: Examine studies that show both positive (e.g., social support) and negative (e.g., anxiety and depression) impacts of social media. Analyze the methodologies and findings of these studies.

Conclusion: Based on the analysis, conclude whether the overall impact is more beneficial or harmful, remaining neutral and presenting evidence without personal bias.

Maintain an objective and neutral tone throughout the paper.

Synthesize information from multiple sources, ensuring a comprehensive analysis.

Develop a clear thesis based on the findings from your analysis.

Avoid inserting personal opinions or biases.

C.Compare and Contrast Papers

Compare and contrast papers are used to analyze the similarities and differences between two or more subjects. The key characteristics include:

Purpose: To identify and examine the similarities and differences between two or more subjects, providing a comprehensive understanding of their relationship.

Structure: Can be organized in two ways:

Point-by-Point: Each paragraph covers a specific point of comparison or contrast.

Subject-by-Subject: Each subject is discussed separately, followed by a comparison or contrast.

Tone: Informative and balanced, aiming to provide a thorough and unbiased comparison.

Compare and contrast papers are suitable for topics where it is important to understand the distinctions and similarities between elements. They are commonly used in literature, history, and various comparative studies.

Topic: "Compare and contrast the leadership styles of Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X."

Comparison Points: Philosophies (non-violence vs. militant activism), methods (peaceful protests vs. more radical approaches), and impacts on the Civil Rights Movement.

Analysis: Describe each leader's philosophy and method, then analyze how these influenced their effectiveness and legacy.

Conclusion: Summarize the key similarities and differences, and discuss how both leaders contributed uniquely to the movement.

Provide equal and balanced coverage to each subject.

Use clear criteria for comparison, ensuring logical and coherent analysis.

Highlight both similarities and differences, ensuring a nuanced understanding of the subjects.

Maintain an informative tone, focusing on objective analysis rather than personal preference.

How to Write A Research Paper [Higher Efficiency & Better Results]

Conduct Preliminary Research

Before we get started with the research, it's important to gather relevant information related to it. This process, also known as the primary research method, helps researchers gain preliminary knowledge about the topic and identify research gaps. Whenever I begin researching a topic, I usually utilize Google and Google Scholar. Another excellent resource for conducting primary research is campus libraries, as they provide a wealth of great articles that can assist with your research.

Now, let's see how WPS Office and AIPal can be great research partners:

Let's say that I have some PDFs which I have gathered from different sources. With WPS Office, these PDFs can be directly uploaded not just to extract key points but also to interact with the PDF with special help from WPS AI.

Step 1: Let's open the PDF article or research paper that we have downloaded on WPS Office.

Step 2: Now, click on the WPS AI widget at the top right corner of the screen.

Step 3: This will open the WPS PDF AI pane on the right side of the screen. Click on "Upload".

Step 4: Once the upload is complete, WPS PDF AI will return with the key points from the PDF article, which can then be copied to a fresh new document on WPS Writer.

Step 5: To interact further with the document, click on the "Inquiry" tab to talk with WPS AI and get more information on the contents of the PDF.

Research is incomplete without a Google search, but what exactly should you search for? AIPal can help you with these answers. AIPal is a Chrome extension that can help researchers make their Google searches and interactions with Chrome more effective and efficient. If you haven't installed AIPal on Chrome yet, go ahead and download the extension; it's completely free to use:

Step 1: Let's search for a term on Google related to our research.

Step 2: An AIPal widget will appear right next to the Google search bar, click on it.

Step 3: Upon clicking it, an AIPal window will pop up. In this window, you will find a more refined answer for your searched term, along with links most relevant to your search, providing a more refined search experience.

WPS AI can also be used to extract more information with the help of WPS Writer.

Step 1: We might have some information saved in a Word document, either from lectures or during preliminary research. We can use WPS AI within Writer to gain more insights.

Step 2: Select the entire text you want to summarize or understand better.

Step 3: Once the text is selected, a hover menu will appear. Click on the "WPS AI" icon in this menu.

Step 4: From the list of options, click on "Explain" to understand the content more deeply, or click on "Summarize" to shorten the paragraph.

Step 5: The results will be displayed in a small WPS AI window.

Develop the Thesis statement

To develop a strong thesis statement, start by formulating a central question your paper will address. For example, if your topic is about the impact of social media on mental health, your thesis statement might be:

"Social media use has a detrimental effect on mental health by increasing anxiety, depression, and loneliness among teenagers."

This statement is concise, contentious, and sets the stage for your research. With WPS AI, you can use the "Improve" feature to refine your thesis statement, ensuring it is clear, coherent, and impactful.

Write the First draft

Begin your first draft by focusing on maintaining forward momentum and clearly organizing your thoughts. Follow your outline as a guide, but be flexible if new ideas emerge. Here's a brief outline to get you started:

Using WPS AI’s "Make Longer" feature, you can quickly elaborate key ideas and points of your studies and articles into a descriptive format to include in your draft, saving time and ensuring clarity.

Compose Introduction, Body and Conclusion paragraphs

When writing a research paper, it’s essential to transform your key points into detailed, descriptive paragraphs. WPS AI can help you streamline this process by enhancing your key points, ensuring each section of your paper is well-developed and coherent. Here’s how you can use WPS AI to compose your introduction, body, and conclusion paragraphs:

Let's return to the draft and start composing our introduction. The introduction should provide the background of the research paper and introduce readers to what the research paper will explore.

If your introduction feels too brief or lacks depth, use WPS AI’s "Make Longer" feature to expand on key points, adding necessary details and enhancing the overall narrative.

Once the introduction is completed, the next step is to start writing the body paragraphs and the conclusion of our research paper. Remember, the body paragraphs will incorporate everything about your research: methodologies, challenges, results, and takeaways.

If this paragraph is too lengthy or repetitive, WPS AI’s "Make Shorter" feature can help you condense it without losing essential information.

Write the Second Draft

In the second draft, refine your arguments, ensure logical flow, and check for clarity. Focus on eliminating any unnecessary information, ensuring each paragraph supports your thesis statement, and improving transitions between ideas. Incorporate feedback from peers or advisors, and ensure all citations are accurate and properly formatted. The second draft should be more polished and coherent, presenting your research in a clear and compelling manner.

WPS AI’s "Improve Writing" feature can be particularly useful here to enhance the overall quality and readability of your paper.

WPS Spellcheck can assist you in correcting spelling and grammatical errors, ensuring your paper is polished and professional. This tool helps you avoid common mistakes and enhances the readability of your paper, making a significant difference in the overall quality.

Bonus Tips: How to Get Inspiration for your Research Paper- WPS AI

WPS Office is a phenomenal office suite that students find to be a major blessing. Not only is it a free office suite equipped with advanced features that make it competitive in the market, but it also includes a powerful AI that automates and enhances many tasks, including writing a research paper. In addition to improving readability with its AI Proofreader tool, WPS AI offers two features, "Insight" and "Inquiry", that can help you gather information and inspiration for your research paper:

Insight Feature:

The Insight feature provides deep insights and information on various topics and fields. It analyzes literature to extract key viewpoints, trends, and research directions. For instance, if you're writing a research paper on the impact of social media on mental health, you can use the Insight feature to gather a comprehensive overview of the latest studies, key arguments, and emerging trends in this field. This helps you build a solid foundation for your paper and ensure you are covering all relevant aspects.

Inquiry Feature:

The Inquiry feature allows you to ask specific questions related to your research topic. This helps you gather necessary background information and refine your research focus effectively. For example, if you need detailed information on how social media usage affects teenagers' self-esteem, you can use the Inquiry feature to ask targeted questions and receive relevant answers based on the latest research.

FAQs about writing a research paper

1. can any source be used for academic research.

No, it's essential to use credible and relevant sources. Here is why:

Developing a Strong Argument: Your research paper relies on evidence to substantiate its claims. Using unreliable sources can undermine your argument and harm the credibility of your paper.

Avoiding Inaccurate Information: The internet is abundant with data, but not all sources can be considered reliable. Credible sources guarantee accuracy.

2. How can I avoid plagiarism?

To avoid plagiarism, follow these steps:

Keep Records of Your Sources: Maintain a record of all the sources you use while researching. This helps you remember where you found specific ideas or phrases and ensures proper attribution.

Quote and Paraphrase Correctly: When writing a paper, use quotation marks for exact words from a source and cite them properly. When paraphrasing, restate the idea in your own words and include a citation to acknowledge the original source.

Utilize a Plagiarism Checker: Use a plagiarism detection tool before submitting your paper. This will help identify unintentional plagiarism, ensuring your paper is original and properly referenced.

3. How can I cite sources properly?

Adhere to the citation style guide (e.g., APA, MLA) specified by your instructor or journal. Properly citing all sources both within the text and in the bibliography or references section is essential for maintaining academic integrity and providing clear credit to the original authors. This practice also helps readers locate and verify the sources you've used in your research.

4. How long should a research paper be?

The length of a research paper depends on its topic and specific requirements. Generally, research papers vary between 4,000 to 6,000 words, with shorter papers around 2,000 words and longer ones exceeding 10,000 words. Adhering to the length requirements provided for academic assignments is essential. More intricate subjects or extensive research often require more thorough explanations, which can impact the overall length of the paper.

Write Your Research Paper with the Comfort of Using WPS Office

Writing a research paper involves managing numerous complicated tasks, such as ensuring the correct formatting, not missing any crucial information, and having all your data ready. The process of how to write a research paper is inherently challenging. However, if you are a student using WPS Office, the task becomes significantly simpler. WPS Office, especially with the introduction of WPS AI, provides all the resources you need to write the perfect research paper. Download WPS Office today and discover how it can transform your research paper writing experience for the better.

• 1. How to Write a Conclusion - Steps with Examples
• 2. How to Write a Proposal [ Steps & Examples]
• 3. How to Use WPS AI/Chatgpt to Write Research Papers: Guide for Beginners
• 4. How to Write an Abstract - Steps with Examples
• 5. How to Write a Hook- Steps With Examples
• 6. Free Graph Paper: Easy Steps to Make Printable Graph Paper PDF

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• SJSU Events Calendar
• Monday, September 23

Foundations of Graduate Writing Series / Workshops 1 & 2

Monday, September 23, 2024 1 pm to 4 pm

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About this Event

Graduate writing is different from undergraduate writing, and writing is a communication skill that you need to master regardless of your major. Do you know all the parts of a graduate research paper? How to write an abstract or literature review? How to find articles based on your research question? How to seamlessly integrate sources into your writing? 

The Writing Center is here to help! We have partnered with the College of Graduate Studies to help you gain the resources and skills you need to improve your writing skills as you enter into advanced study of your field/discipline. 

The Foundations of Graduate Writing series includes seven carefully selected workshops to help you increase your confidence and comfort with writing at the graduate level. Learn more about the seven workshop topics . All sessions are conducted online via Zoom. 

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Foundations of Graduate Writing Series FULL Schedule

Monday, September 23rd, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (PT)

- Graduate Writer Mindset (Workshop 1), 1:00 - 2:15

- Break, 2:15 - 2:30

- Academic Voice (Workshop 2), 2:30 - 3:45

- Discussion, Q&A, Evaluations, 3:45 - 4:00

Monday, September 30th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (PT)

- Recognizing the Parts of a Research Paper (Workshop 3), 1:00 - 2:15

- How to Find Good Articles (Workshop 4 with Librarian Bernd Becker), 2:30 - 3:45

Monday, October 7th, 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM (PT)

- Abstracts and Literature Reviews (Workshop 5), 1:00 - 2:15

- Sentence Variety and Rhythm (Workshop 6), 2:30 - 3:45

Monday, October 14th, 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM (PT)

- Writing Group Creation Training (Workshop 7), 1:00 - 2:15

- Discussion, Q&A, Evaluations, 2:15 - 2:30

Zoom registration is required to attend. Spots fill quickly, so sign up soon! Though attendees will receive the most benefit from attending all the workshop sessions as a cohesive whole, you are welcome to register for whichever dates you can attend.  

Register: https://sjsu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqcumhqjkuHdCc2HZEWNkfx54Q5htBEw1t    

Questions? Contact the Writing Center Director, Michelle Hager ( [email protected] ). 

Event Details

Target Audience

Phone Number

408-924-2308

Writing Center

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How We Could Warm Mars

A new idea among a rich history of proposals to make the surface of the cold planet habitable.

The Problem

The surface of Mars averages about -80 degrees Fahrenheit, well too cold to be suitable for microbial life.

A method using engineered dust particles released into the atmosphere that could potentially warm the Red Planet by more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

Why It Matters

This could be a first step toward making Mars habitable.

Graduate Student Samaneh Ansari, Professor Hooman Mohseni

Ever since learning the surface of the planet Mars is cold and dead, scientists have wondered if there was a way to make it friendlier to life.

In a groundbreaking study  published Aug. 7  in Science Advances , researchers from Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and University of Central Florida have proposed a revolutionary approach toward terraforming Mars. This new method, using engineered dust particles released into the atmosphere, could potentially warm the Red Planet by more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit, to temperatures suitable for microbial life — a crucial first step toward making Mars habitable. 

The proposed method is more than 5,000 times more efficient than previous schemes to globally warm the planet, representing a significant leap forward in our ability to modify the Martian environment, according to lead author and Northwestern electrical and computer engineering graduate student Samaneh Ansari, who works in the lab of Northwestern professor Hooman Mohseni .

What sets this approach apart is its use of resources readily available on Mars, making it far more feasible than earlier proposals that relied on importing materials from Earth or mining rare Martian resources.

This strategy would take decades. But it appears logistically easier than other plans proposed so far, the researchers said.

“This suggests that the barrier to warming Mars to allow liquid water is not as high as previously thought,” said Edwin Kite, an associate professor of geophysical sciences at the University of Chicago and corresponding author on the study.

Making the planet suitable for humans to walk on the surface unaided requires much more work — astronauts still won’t be able to breathe Mars' thin air. But perhaps groundwork could be laid by making the planet habitable for microbes and food crops that could gradually add oxygen to the atmosphere, much as they have done for Earth during its geologic history.

A new approach to an age-old dream

There is a rich history of proposals to make Mars habitable — Carl Sagan himself came up with one back in 1971. These have ranged from outright daydreams, such as science fiction writers depicting turning one of Mars’ moons into a sun, to more recent and scientifically plausible ideas, such as engineering transparent gel tiles to trap heat.

Any plan to make Mars habitable must address several hurdles, including deadly UV rays and salty soil. But the biggest is the planet’s temperature — the surface of Mars averages about -80 degrees Fahrenheit.

The average temperature of Mars' surface

Times more efficient the proposed method is than previous schemes to warm mars, the amount the new method could potentially warm the planet.

One strategy to warm the planet could be the same method that humans are unintentionally using here on Earth: releasing material into the atmosphere, which would enhance Mars' natural greenhouse effect, trapping solar heat at the surface.

The trouble is that tons of these materials would be needed — literally. Previous schemes depended on bringing gases from Earth to Mars, or attempting to mine Mars for a large mass of ingredients that aren’t very common there are both costly and difficult propositions. But the team wondered whether it could be done by processing materials that already exist abundantly on Mars.

Changing the shape of the planet’s dust

Scientists have learned from rovers like Curiosity that dust on Mars is rich in iron and aluminum. By themselves, those dust particles aren’t suitable to warm the planet; their size and composition mean they tend to cool the surface slightly rather than warm it. But if dust particles could be engineered to have different shapes or compositions, the researchers hypothesized, perhaps they could trap heat more efficiently.

The researchers designed particles shaped like short rods, similar in size to commercially available glitter. These particles are designed to trap escaping heat and scatter sunlight towards the surface, enhancing Mars' natural greenhouse effect.

“How light interacts with sub-wavelength objects is fascinating,” Ansari said. “Importantly, engineering nanoparticles can lead to optical effects that far exceed what is conventionally expected from such small particles.”

A step toward feasibility

Mohseni, a study co-author and the AT&T Professor of Information Technology at the McCormick School of Engineering, as well as a professor of physics and astronomy in the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences , believes that they have just scratched the surface.

“We believe it is possible to design nanoparticles with higher efficiency, and even those that can dynamically change their optical properties,” he said.

“You'd still need millions of tons to warm the planet, but that’s five thousand times less than you would need with previous proposals to globally warm Mars,” Kite said. “This significantly increases the feasibility of the project.”

Calculations indicate that if the particles were released into Mars’ atmosphere continuously at 30 liters per second, the planet would warm by more than 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The effect could be noticeable within as soon as months. Similarly, the warming would be reversible, stopping within a few years if release was switched off.

The authors used the Quest high-performance computing facility at Northwestern and the University of Chicago Research Computing Center.

Potential impact and future research

Much work remains to be done, the scientists said. They don’t know exactly how fast the engineered dust would cycle out of Mars’ atmosphere, for example. Mars does have water and clouds, and, as the planet warms, it’s possible that water would increasingly start to condense around the particles and fall back to the surface as rain.

"Climate feedbacks are really difficult to model accurately," Kite cautioned. "To implement something like this, we would need more data from both Mars and Earth, and we'd need to proceed slowly and reversibly to ensure the effects work as intended."

While this method represents a significant leap forward in terraforming research, the researchers emphasize that the study focuses on warming Mars to temperatures suitable for microbial life and possibly growing food crops — not on creating a breathable atmosphere for humans.

“This research opens new avenues for exploration and potentially brings us one step closer to the long-held dream of establishing a sustainable human presence on Mars,” Kite said.

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• Academic Life

Report: Teaching Online Students to Self-Regulate Learning

New research suggests that short skill-building activities can motivate self-regulated learning among learners taking courses remotely.

By  Ashley Mowreader

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Online learners may need help learning self-regulated learning skills. Here are two online interventions that can support them.

supersizer/E+/Getty Images

The availability of online courses has jumped since the COVID-19 pandemic forced remote instruction. In fall 2022, 30 percent of undergraduate students were enrolled in distance education classes exclusively and 60 percent were in at least one distance education course, according to data from the National Center for Education Statistics .

A recently published study from the Postsecondary Teaching and Technology Collaborative evaluates the effectiveness of two strategies to improve online community college students’ skills. Researchers found that exposure to reflection exercises and informational videos had a positive relationship with students’ engagement on the learning management system for planning and assessment.

The background: In online education, students’ ability to self-regulate their learning is critical because they’re often expected to work independently and exert control over their own learning journey, compared to face-to-face instruction, according to the report. Prior research has also pointed to a positive relationship between self-regulated learning and students’ outcomes in an online environment.

Self-regulated learning (SRL) skills include time management, metacognition and effort regulation. Interventions that promote these skills include online training modules, prompts, self-assessment and peer support opportunities.

The study, authored by researchers from Columbia University and SRI International, seeks to understand how learners from historically marginalized populations at broad-access postsecondary institutions respond to interventions, as they had yet to be studied.

The study: Researchers analyzed two strategies (videos and prompts) implemented across two semesters (fall 2022 and spring 2023) at a community college in northeastern U.S. categorized as a minority-serving institution. Three instructors participated in the experiment, each teaching multiple sections of one or more fully online STEM classes.

The first intervention, a three-part video series, consisted of short clips designed by educational researchers and instructors to introduce students to SRL in general and one specific skill to attempt. Each video addresses one SRL mindset or practice, some strategies to develop the skill, and an activity for the student to consider their own practices.

The prompts, or short-answer questions, asked learners to plan for the upcoming week, monitor their progress or reflect on their understanding of course concepts.

Instructors received materials and a suggested timeline for administrating the strategies, as well as encouragement to make adaptations according to their course content.

To evaluate the impact of the intervention, researchers examined students’ online behavior on the learning management system. The full sample included 231,462 actions (clickstream data from the LMS) performed by 141 students across 10 sections within four courses.

The results: Student data revealed a positive relationship between the videos/prompts and students’ SRL behavior, meaning viewing and engaging with the interventions pointed to improved learning skills. Students who engaged with both strategies had a strong correlation to engaging with course information. Those who worked with the prompts were more likely to participate in strategic planning and evaluation, and those who engaged with the video were also likely to improve strategic planning, as well as effort regulation.

Among student sub-groups, first-generation students had stronger improvements after being exposed to the prompts, compared to their continuing-generation peers, as did women compared to men (though less prominently).

Supporting Online Learner Success

For practitioners looking for best practices in distance education, some other areas to consider include:

• Accessibility for students with disabilities in course content and university websites.
• Peer connections for belonging and retention.
• Wraparound mental health care services that support online learner demographics.
• Financial aid tied to student learning behaviors.
• Universal design principles that center online education first.
• Motivational support for asynchronous learning.

So what? The preliminary study finds students exposed to learning skills and strategies were more likely to demonstrate skill-building behavior, aligning with existing literature and pointing to future evaluation of how students need assistance with preparing for the future as they navigate course tasks.

Additionally, students from historically marginalized backgrounds were more likely to respond well to the skill-building, suggesting that this could be one way to support equitable learning.

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In the future, researchers will expand their analysis to include additional data sources, institutions and iterations of the study.

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