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The Current State of Research

Faculties: SW

Under the section “State of research,” you establish a connection between your topic and the scientific field by presenting current findings from research.

Info: Here you will find an overview of the overall structure of a paper in the social sciences.

Place your topic in the context of the social sciences by presenting findings from research. You can describe related studies that answer the given question in a different way or address similar questions in a similar manner.

If you intend to close research gaps with your academic work – which is rarely the case in term papers – discuss the current topics that are in demand.

Furthermore, you should provide the foundational knowledge that enables readers to understand your paper.
The current state of research is an optional part of the structure of an academic paper.

Frequently asked questions

How do I relate my topic to the current state of research?

This is where your literature review comes in. Present the current state of research in detail.

What should I bear in mind when describing the current state of research?

If predecessors have already worked on your question or task, it can be useful to describe the connection to these studies. However, your paper should always differ from these works in some way.

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Describing the Research Method

Info: Here you will find an overview of the overall structure of a paper in the social sciences. What belongs in the methodology chapter? For empirical studies, the methods you used to collect or generate your data and the methods used for analysis and interpretation belong in a separate chapter of your academic paper, together …

Faculties: BW, SW

Contributors: Carola Gröhlich, Susanne Heidenreich, Maria Noll, Erika von Rautenfeld, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Wolfgang Wahl, Deirdre Rieker

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Discussing Your Results

Info: Here you can find an overview of the overall structure of a paper in the social sciences. Present your results clearly. Either summarize them or categorize the most important results logically. In empirical works, results are usually presented in a separate chapter. In qualitative research, however, results and your interpretation (discussion) are often closely …

Faculties: SW

Contributors: Carola Gröhlich, Susanne Heidenreich, Maria Noll, Erika von Rautenfeld, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Wolfgang Wahl, Deirdre Rieker

This article was published in August 2025 and last updated in April 2025.

Faculties: SW

Contributors: Carola Gröhlich, Susanne Heidenreich, Maria Noll, Erika von Rautenfeld, Schreibzentrum, Dzifa Vode, Wolfgang Wahl, Deirdre Rieker

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