So, you need to write a ‘quantitative’ research paper, and you want to know: what is the correct way of writing such a paper? The answer is, unfortunately: it depends …
For one, there is no universally accepted, ‘correct’ way of writing any paper in the social sciences in general. Moreover, even just within the so-called ‘quantitative’ research tradition specifically, there exist different viewpoints on what makes for a good research paper. To muddy things up even further, how to write a paper will also depend on the specific research question(s) that it addresses. Hence, even the same scientist might opt for varying approaches in different papers. Having said that, it is possible to identify some common rules and practices that are often followed, as well as a number of practices that should generally be avoided. Based on these common rules and practices, this document is meant to help you on your way with writing a ‘quantitative’ research paper by offering a number of tips, tricks and rules-of-thumb. None of these rules and practices are set in stone, and you (or your teacher/supervisor) may have excellent arguments to deviate from them. However, in general, following them will greatly increase the quality of your paper.