How to Write a Strong Conclusion and References Section in Your Research Paper

You’ve presented your findings, discussed their meaning, and now you’ve reached the final step: the Conclusion and References. While these may seem like minor sections compared to your Results or Discussion, don’t be fooled—they carry significant weight in the eyes of readers, reviewers, and editors.

Here’s how to wrap up your paper with clarity, credibility, and professionalism.

1. Craft a Memorable and Concise Conclusion

The Conclusion is not just a summary—it's your final opportunity to reinforce the impact of your research.

✅ A good conclusion should:

• Briefly restate the research aim and methodology
• Highlight your key findings
• Summarize the implications of those findings
• End with a takeaway message that underscores the study’s contribution

🚫 Avoid:

• Introducing new data or arguments
• Repeating entire paragraphs from earlier sections
• Writing a conclusion that’s too vague or too long

🎯 Goal: Keep it brief, clear, and worth remembering.

Example:

"In summary, this study used a longitudinal design to evaluate the effects of dietary fiber on gut microbiota diversity. The results demonstrated a significant increase in microbial richness after 8 weeks, suggesting that dietary fiber may play a key role in maintaining gut health. Future research should explore the long-term effects and potential clinical applications of these findings."

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2. Cite Your Sources Thoroughly and Accurately

The References section is the backbone of your paper’s credibility. Every claim you make that’s not original must be backed up with a proper citation.

✅ Do:

• Cite all references in the text where relevant
• Include a full list in a References or Bibliography section
• Follow the citation style required by your target journal (APA, MLA, Vancouver, etc.)

🚫 Don’t:

• Include uncited references in your bibliography
• Use incomplete or broken citation formats
• Skip citing because “everyone knows this”—it still needs a source

Even if you miss some obscure references, that alone won't prevent publication—but failing to cite key sources or copying text without proper attribution can lead to plagiarism accusations.

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3. Use Bibliographic Software to Stay Organized

Managing citations manually is error-prone and time-consuming. That’s where reference managers come in handy.

📚 Popular tools include:

• EndNote
• RefWorks
• Mendeley
• Zotero

Benefits of using reference management software:

• Easy to insert and update citations in your manuscript
• Automatically formats references to match your journal’s style
• Makes collaboration and editing more efficient
• Helps you avoid missed citations and formatting errors

🎯 Pro Tip: Use folders/tags in your software to organize references by topic or section. It makes the writing process smoother—especially during revisions.

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Final Thoughts

A well-crafted Conclusion and meticulously formatted References section are essential for tying your paper together and establishing its legitimacy in the scientific community.