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How to Write Recommendations in a Report

The recommendations section of any report is important because it calls people to action based on the evidence that has been gathered and analyzed in the report. It needs to be actionable, specific and make sense as a solution to the problems detailed in the report. Some readers will skip the report and turn directly to the recommendations section, which represents the essence of the report’s work, so you need to take special care with clarity and correctness.

Review the body of the report for conclusions and fashion recommendations based on them. The recommendations section should flow logically and directly from information in the body.

Put recommendations in a numbered or bulleted list format. If action is imperative, list them in order of priority so that decision makers know which items need attention first. If recommendations are of equal importance, list them in the same order that they occurred in the body of the report.

Categorize the list, if it is long and items within it fall into logical groupings. For example, one part of the list might need action from educators and another part by administrators. You could divide the list into two categories, depending on who should perform each action. Also, if different situations in the future demand different recommendations, you can separate the list to account for these contingencies.

Write one-sentence recommendations, starting with actionable verbs and using concise language. While you may follow that sentence with some details, reminding the audience what motivates the recommendation, the body of the report itself has already done that work. It is more important to cut through the verbiage and give the audience clear, easy to understand actions. To recommend implies that there will be some action, so starting with a verb reinforces this.

Include an action plan for each recommendation if this fits the scope of the report. Often someone will commission or design a report simply to list possible solutions, not to investigate how to implement them. However, if a conference that explored recommendations and how to put them into effect, for example, was the basis of the report, the recommendations section would reflect this. It would include sub lists or sentences explaining the action and how to achieve it.

Reread the section repeatedly, checking for clarity, grammar and punctuation flaws.

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How to Write Recommendations in a Research Paper Correctly and Appropriately

Updated 25 Jun 2024

Completing a research paper can be daunting, but it becomes more manageable if you delve deeper into the process. Academic papers adhere to specific formats that must be followed to ensure high-quality content.

The conclusion and recommendations sections are crucial components of a research paper. They mark the end of your research, leave a lasting impression on your readers, and should be approached with great care. No wonder many students search for information about how to write recommendations in research papers. Explore this comprehensive guide to infuse your content with thoughtfulness and coherence, thereby elevating the impact of your research paper.

Recommendations in a research paper: meaning and goals

Before you start learning how to write recommendations in a research paper, the first thing is to clarify the meaning of this term. It is a significant element in the research paper structure, as it is critical to your discussion section and conclusion. While conducting research and analyzing gathered data, you may come across ideas or results that only partially align with the scope of your research topic. Alternatively, your findings offer possible implications or causal relationships between the aspects not covered in existing research.

This section will provide practical solutions for further research based on your conclusions and findings. The particular goals of this section depend on the research nature and usually include the following:

• Providing strategies to address the issues considered in the paper;
• Delivering suggestions on how the investigation findings can be applied in practice;
• Identifying gaps in the subject area and suggesting ways to extend existing knowledge;
• Enhancing reliability and validity of the research findings. 

Where to put recommendations?

To better understand how to write recommendations in research, you should know where to insert them. These elements are typically added in the conclusion (a short version) and discussion sections. Still, if you’re doing research with a practical or business focus, you can also include your suggestions in an advisory report or separate section. This text part should be completed based on the research findings and evidence. It should be clear, specific, and actionable, targeted to the intended audience, such as researchers, practitioners, or policymakers.

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What should recommendations look like?

When providing your solutions for further research, it’s important to ensure they are specific, fully connected to your investigation, and supported by a comprehensible rationale. The essential goal is to show how other researchers can generate the same results to make conclusions and offer potential directions for future research. 

Recommendations should be clear and include actionable words. While completing this section, the writer should show a solution-oriented approach by highlighting the scope for future investigation. Using bullet points is a better way to ensure clarity instead of writing long paragraphs.

Look at the following recommendation in a research paper example:

It is recommended that company X should create and promote sugar-free biscuits along with their existing product range. The marketing department should focus on creating a positive and healthy image. 

Let’s rewrite this paragraph to make it clear and well-structured:

• The corporation has to introduce and promote sugar-free products;
• The company has to create a new positive image;
• The company has to launch an advertising campaign to show their products’ benefits for health.

When visiting the EduBirdie website, you’ll find many helpful tips on writing a research paper, ranging from completing a research paper conclusion to exploring examples of a well-thought-out recommendations section. Don’t miss your chance to improve your paper with our assistance!

Structure of recommendations

Let’s consider the typical structure of this part. You’ll come across many various ways to organize it. The most common approach uses a simple formula with three elements: research question, conclusion, and recommendation. Now, you’ll see how this structure can be implemented.

Research question:

Which category of people is more prone to social exclusion? 

Conclusion:

The study found that individuals over 65 have a greater risk of being isolated from society.

Recommendation:

It is recommended that the institutions dealing with overcoming social exclusion should focus on this particular group. 

In this example, the author delivers a suggestion based on the research findings (the risk of social isolation grows among people aged 65 and more). The measures to improve this situation are indicated (the organizations dealing with problems of social isolation should pay more attention to people over 65 years old).

How to write recommendations in research papers: essential guidelines

Look at some tips from EduBirdie research paper writing services to help you complete a flawless chapter for your papers.

• Be concise in your statements.  Ensure that your suggestions are written in clear and concise language, avoiding jargon or technical terms difficult to understand. Try to limit yourself to one-sentence statements to present your recommendation. Not only it can help with language learning overall, but will also look more professional.
• Organize your ideas logically and coherently . You may use lists or paragraphs depending on your institution's guidelines or field of study. Use headings and subheadings to structure your section for easy navigation.
• Provide specific and concrete suggestions.  Clearly state the issues you explore and offer specific measures and solutions. Your call to action and suggestions should be related to the issues mentioned in the previous sections. Focusing on the most relevant and actionable suggestions directly stemming from your research is crucial.
• Match recommendations to your conclusion.  Ensure that your suggestions logically align with your conclusions. Refrain from suggesting too many solutions. You can create one recommendation addressing several conclusions when you must provide numerous suggestions for every study conclusion.
• Ensure your solutions are achievable.  Your recommendations should be practical and feasible to implement. Suggest specific and actionable steps to effectively address the considered issues or gaps in the research, avoiding vague or impractical suggestions.
• Use a comprehensive approach.  Make sure your solutions cover all relevant areas within your research scope. Consider different contexts, stakeholders, and perspectives affected by the recommendations. Be thorough in identifying potential improvement areas and offering appropriate actions.
• Don’t add new information to this part of your paper.  Avoid introducing new issues or ideas to complete your argument when writing recommendations in a research paper. Your academic paper has to stand on its own merits. 
• Create content tailored to your readers.  Ensure that your recommendations are aimed at your audience, namely your colleagues in the field of study who work on similar topics. The ideas you provide in the paper should be based on limitations identified during research. They should offer concrete possibilities for further study to rely on areas your investigation could not cover when completed.
• Explain how your recommendations can solve the issues you explore.  Go beyond listing suggestions and provide a rationale for each, including why it is essential, how it handles the research problem, and what evidence or theory supports it. Use relevant literature citations to strengthen your content. Explain how the suggested solutions can effectively answer the research question. This can be done by adding the following:
• Ideas for improving the methodology or approach;
• Policy suggestions;
• Perspectives for future research.
• Don’t undermine your research contribution or criticize yourself.   Avoid criticizing yourself in this section. Instead, use it as a perfect opportunity to provide ideas on how future studies can build upon your findings, making them a natural extension point. 
• Acknowledge any limitations or constraints of your research.  Reflect on how these limitations may impact the feasibility or generalizability of your solutions. This demonstrates critical thinking and awareness of the limitations of your study.
• End this section with a summary.  Highlight the key suggestions and their potential impact in a short conclusion. Emphasize the significance of your ideas and their valuable contribution to the field.

Don’t forget to consult and adhere to the requirements and specific guidelines provided by your institution for this section.

How do the discussion and the conclusion sections differ in a research paper? 

The discussion usually entails a comprehensive analysis of the results, delving into the significance of your findings and providing contextualization using citations of relevant sources. On the other hand, the conclusion is typically more concise and general. It briefly considers the main research question and provides suggestions from your findings.

Can the research paper conclusion come with new arguments? 

Although adding fresh evidence or arguments in the conclusion might be tempting, especially if you have a compelling point, we don’t recommend doing it. Research papers, dissertations, or theses typically adhere to a formal structure. Exposing all your arguments and findings in the thesis body is crucial. It’s better to do it in the discussion and results chapters. The conclusion should serve as a summary and reflection of your evidence and arguments rather than a place to introduce new ideas.

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Written by Steven Robinson

Steven Robinson is an academic writing expert with a degree in English literature. His expertise, patient approach, and support empower students to express ideas clearly. On EduBirdie's blog, he provides valuable writing guides on essays, research papers, and other intriguing topics. Enjoys chess in free time.

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• Recommendation Reports
• © 2023 by Joseph M. Moxley - University of South Florida , Julie Staggers - Washington State University

Recommendation reports are texts that advise audiences about the best ways to solve a problem. Recommendation reports are a type of formal report that is widely used across disciplines and professions. Subject Matter Experts aim to make recommendations based on the best available theory, research and practice.

Different disciplines and professions have different research methods for assessing knowledge claims and defining knowledge . Thus, there is no one perfect way to write a recommendation report.

As always, when composing—especially when you’re planning your report—it’s strategic to focus on your audience, rhetorical analysis, and rhetorical reasoning. At center, keep the focus on what you want your audience to feel, think, and do.

While writers, speakers, and knowledge workers . . . may choose a variety of ways to organize their reports, below are some fairly traditional sections to formal recommendations reports:

• Letter of transmittal
• Problem Definition
• Potential solutions to the problem
• Empirical Research Methods used to investigate the problem
• Recommendations
• List of Illustrations

Report Body

Note: your specific rhetorical context will determine what headings you use in your Recommendation Report. That said, the following sections are fairly typical for this genre, and they are required, as appropriate, for this assignment.

Report back matter

Collect material for the appendices as you go. The report back matter will include:

• Bibliography, which is sometimes referred to as Works Cited or References (Use a citation format appropriate for your field (APA, MLA, Chicago, IEEE, etc.)
• Appendices, if necessary (e.g., letters of support, financial projections)

Formatting and design

Employ a professional writing style throughout, including:

• Page layout: Appropriate to audience, purpose, and context. 8.5 x 11 with 1-inch margins is a fail-safe default.
• Typography: Choose business-friendly fonts appropriate to your audience, purpose, and context; Arial for headers and Times New Roman for body text is a safe, neutral default.
• Headings and subheadings: Use a numbered heading and subheading system, formatted using the Styles function on your word processor.
• Bulleted and numbered lists: Use lists that are formatted correctly using the list buttons on your word processor with a blank line before the first bullet and after the last bullet
• Graphics and figures: Support data findings and arguments with appropriate visuals – charts, tables, graphics;  Include numbered titles and captions
• Page numbering: use lower-case Roman numerals for pages before the table of contents, Arabic numerals; no page number on the TOC.

Additional Resources

• Final Reports by Angela Eward-Mangione   and Katherine McGee
• Professional Writing Style

Brevity - Say More with Less

Clarity (in Speech and Writing)

Coherence - How to Achieve Coherence in Writing

Flow - How to Create Flow in Writing

Inclusivity - Inclusive Language

The Elements of Style - The DNA of Powerful Writing

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Academic Writing – How to Write for the Academic Community

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Research Recommendations – Guiding policy-makers for evidence-based decision making

Research recommendations play a crucial role in guiding scholars and researchers toward fruitful avenues of exploration. In an era marked by rapid technological advancements and an ever-expanding knowledge base, refining the process of generating research recommendations becomes imperative.

But, what is a research recommendation?

Research recommendations are suggestions or advice provided to researchers to guide their study on a specific topic . They are typically given by experts in the field. Research recommendations are more action-oriented and provide specific guidance for decision-makers, unlike implications that are broader and focus on the broader significance and consequences of the research findings. However, both are crucial components of a research study.

Difference Between Research Recommendations and Implication

Although research recommendations and implications are distinct components of a research study, they are closely related. The differences between them are as follows:

Types of Research Recommendations

Recommendations in research can take various forms, which are as follows:

These recommendations aim to assist researchers in navigating the vast landscape of academic knowledge.

Let us dive deeper to know about its key components and the steps to write an impactful research recommendation.

Key Components of Research Recommendations

The key components of research recommendations include defining the research question or objective, specifying research methods, outlining data collection and analysis processes, presenting results and conclusions, addressing limitations, and suggesting areas for future research. Here are some characteristics of research recommendations:

Research recommendations offer various advantages and play a crucial role in ensuring that research findings contribute to positive outcomes in various fields. However, they also have few limitations which highlights the significance of a well-crafted research recommendation in offering the promised advantages.

The importance of research recommendations ranges in various fields, influencing policy-making, program development, product development, marketing strategies, medical practice, and scientific research. Their purpose is to transfer knowledge from researchers to practitioners, policymakers, or stakeholders, facilitating informed decision-making and improving outcomes in different domains.

How to Write Research Recommendations?

Research recommendations can be generated through various means, including algorithmic approaches, expert opinions, or collaborative filtering techniques. Here is a step-wise guide to build your understanding on the development of research recommendations.

1. Understand the Research Question:

Understand the research question and objectives before writing recommendations. Also, ensure that your recommendations are relevant and directly address the goals of the study.

2. Review Existing Literature:

Familiarize yourself with relevant existing literature to help you identify gaps , and offer informed recommendations that contribute to the existing body of research.

3. Consider Research Methods:

Evaluate the appropriateness of different research methods in addressing the research question. Also, consider the nature of the data, the study design, and the specific objectives.

4. Identify Data Collection Techniques:

Gather dataset from diverse authentic sources. Include information such as keywords, abstracts, authors, publication dates, and citation metrics to provide a rich foundation for analysis.

5. Propose Data Analysis Methods:

Suggest appropriate data analysis methods based on the type of data collected. Consider whether statistical analysis, qualitative analysis, or a mixed-methods approach is most suitable.

6. Consider Limitations and Ethical Considerations:

Acknowledge any limitations and potential ethical considerations of the study. Furthermore, address these limitations or mitigate ethical concerns to ensure responsible research.

7. Justify Recommendations:

Explain how your recommendation contributes to addressing the research question or objective. Provide a strong rationale to help researchers understand the importance of following your suggestions.

8. Summarize Recommendations:

Provide a concise summary at the end of the report to emphasize how following these recommendations will contribute to the overall success of the research project.

By following these steps, you can create research recommendations that are actionable and contribute meaningfully to the success of the research project.

Download now to unlock some tips to improve your journey of writing research recommendations.

Example of a Research Recommendation

Here is an example of a research recommendation based on a hypothetical research to improve your understanding.

Research Recommendation: Enhancing Student Learning through Integrated Learning Platforms

Background:

The research study investigated the impact of an integrated learning platform on student learning outcomes in high school mathematics classes. The findings revealed a statistically significant improvement in student performance and engagement when compared to traditional teaching methods.

Recommendation:

In light of the research findings, it is recommended that educational institutions consider adopting and integrating the identified learning platform into their mathematics curriculum. The following specific recommendations are provided:

• Implementation of the Integrated Learning Platform:

Schools are encouraged to adopt the integrated learning platform in mathematics classrooms, ensuring proper training for teachers on its effective utilization.

• Professional Development for Educators:

Develop and implement professional programs to train educators in the effective use of the integrated learning platform to address any challenges teachers may face during the transition.

• Monitoring and Evaluation:

Establish a monitoring and evaluation system to track the impact of the integrated learning platform on student performance over time.

• Resource Allocation:

Allocate sufficient resources, both financial and technical, to support the widespread implementation of the integrated learning platform.

By implementing these recommendations, educational institutions can harness the potential of the integrated learning platform and enhance student learning experiences and academic achievements in mathematics.

This example covers the components of a research recommendation, providing specific actions based on the research findings, identifying the target audience, and outlining practical steps for implementation.

Using AI in Research Recommendation Writing

Enhancing research recommendations is an ongoing endeavor that requires the integration of cutting-edge technologies, collaborative efforts, and ethical considerations. By embracing data-driven approaches and leveraging advanced technologies, the research community can create more effective and personalized recommendation systems. However, it is accompanied by several limitations. Therefore, it is essential to approach the use of AI in research with a critical mindset, and complement its capabilities with human expertise and judgment.

Here are some limitations of integrating AI in writing research recommendation and some ways on how to counter them.

1. Data Bias

AI systems rely heavily on data for training. If the training data is biased or incomplete, the AI model may produce biased results or recommendations.

How to tackle: Audit regularly the model’s performance to identify any discrepancies and adjust the training data and algorithms accordingly.

2. Lack of Understanding of Context:

AI models may struggle to understand the nuanced context of a particular research problem. They may misinterpret information, leading to inaccurate recommendations.

How to tackle: Use AI to characterize research articles and topics. Employ them to extract features like keywords, authorship patterns and content-based details.

3. Ethical Considerations:

AI models might stereotype certain concepts or generate recommendations that could have negative consequences for certain individuals or groups.

How to tackle: Incorporate user feedback mechanisms to reduce redundancies. Establish an ethics review process for AI models in research recommendation writing.

4. Lack of Creativity and Intuition:

AI may struggle with tasks that require a deep understanding of the underlying principles or the ability to think outside the box.

How to tackle: Hybrid approaches can be employed by integrating AI in data analysis and identifying patterns for accelerating the data interpretation process.

5. Interpretability:

Many AI models, especially complex deep learning models, lack transparency on how the model arrived at a particular recommendation.

How to tackle: Implement models like decision trees or linear models. Provide clear explanation of the model architecture, training process, and decision-making criteria.

6. Dynamic Nature of Research:

Research fields are dynamic, and new information is constantly emerging. AI models may struggle to keep up with the rapidly changing landscape and may not be able to adapt to new developments.

How to tackle: Establish a feedback loop for continuous improvement. Regularly update the recommendation system based on user feedback and emerging research trends.

The integration of AI in research recommendation writing holds great promise for advancing knowledge and streamlining the research process. However, navigating these concerns is pivotal in ensuring the responsible deployment of these technologies. Researchers need to understand the use of responsible use of AI in research and must be aware of the ethical considerations.

Exploring research recommendations plays a critical role in shaping the trajectory of scientific inquiry. It serves as a compass, guiding researchers toward more robust methodologies, collaborative endeavors, and innovative approaches. Embracing these suggestions not only enhances the quality of individual studies but also contributes to the collective advancement of human understanding.

Frequently Asked Questions

The purpose of recommendations in research is to provide practical and actionable suggestions based on the study's findings, guiding future actions, policies, or interventions in a specific field or context. Recommendations bridges the gap between research outcomes and their real-world application.

To make a research recommendation, analyze your findings, identify key insights, and propose specific, evidence-based actions. Include the relevance of the recommendations to the study's objectives and provide practical steps for implementation.

Begin a recommendation by succinctly summarizing the key findings of the research. Clearly state the purpose of the recommendation and its intended impact. Use a direct and actionable language to convey the suggested course of action.

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How to Write a LinkedIn Recommendation for Anyone (With Examples!)

Most of us have worked with plenty of great colleagues, bosses, and employees we’d be delighted to recommend on LinkedIn (or anywhere, really). 

Problem is, sitting down and writing said recommendation always takes more time than you think it will. What can you say that will make your contact stand out but still sound genuine? Should you describe every amazing skill this person has or keep it short and sweet?

SEARCH OPEN JOBS ON THE MUSE! See who’s hiring here , and you can even filter your search by benefits, company size, remote opportunities, and more. Then, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll deliver advice on landing the job right to you.

Don’t worry. We’ve turned that daunting task into a five-step, five-minute process. Next time you’re asked to recommend someone, grab our advice for writing and posting a message that’ll give your colleague a career boost (and you some career karma points).

Bonus: We’re sharing a copy-and-paste template and some examples to make your job extra -easy.

What are LinkedIn recommendations, and why should I write them for people?

How do i publish a linkedin recommendation, 5 simple steps to write the perfect linkedin recommendation, 10 best linkedin recommendation examples (plus a template).

Let’s back up for a sec and cover the what and the why: This little feature of everyone’s favorite business-meets-social-media platform allows you to write brief testimonials of people you’ve worked with. Think of them as the equivalent of online reviews for your current and former coworkers, employees, and managers (or anyone else you’ve worked with).

Recruiters and hiring managers often scroll down to someone’s LinkedIn recommendations when they’re considering whether to interview or hire them. While those little blurbs are arguably not as important as a strong resume and well-written cover letter , they do provide additional intel about a person’s background and strengths from a third-party perspective—sort of like a mini reference check.

So why should you write one? Again, think of the reasons you write reviews for your favorite restaurant or hair stylist: It’s an easy way to show you appreciate and support them, and it helps them look good in the eyes of new customers (or employers). It’s also a non-awkward way to reconnect or stay top of mind with old contacts. They’ll get notified when you add your recommendation, which is bound to make them smile—and hopefully encourage them to return the favor when you’re looking for your own recommendations .

One final benefit? Writing someone a LinkedIn recommendation can signal to everyone in both of your professional networks that you’re a thoughtful, gracious colleague—the kind that any potential employer would of course want to hire.

There are two ways to go about it:

• From your profile: Go to your profile, scroll down to the “Recommendations” section, and hit the “+” sign. You’ll be asked whether you want to ask for or give a recommendation—select the latter. From there, a pop-up box will prompt you to pick the contact you’d like to recommend.
• From the other person’s profile: Head to the profile of the person you’d like to recommend. Click the “More” button to the left of the “Message” button and then hit “Recommend.” Alternatively, you can scroll to their “Recommendations” section and click on “Recommend [Name].”

Either way, you’ll then be prompted to enter the following:

• Your relationship: Did you manage the person? Did they report to you? Did you work together? Select your relationship from one of many options in the drop-down menu.
• Their position at the time: In which position were they in when you worked with this person?
• Your recommendation: A brief (no more than 3,000 characters—but even shorter than that is better) description of your time working with this person. This is where you’ll want to focus most of your time, which brings us to…

Follow these steps to turn that blank screen into a recommendation that’ll sing your colleague’s praises.

Step 1: Start with a knockout line.

As with any good writing, you want to start with a line that grabs your audience’s attention and makes them want to learn more. (You want hiring managers to actually read the thing, right?) Ideally, this opening will show right away what an awesome person your recommendee is.

Note that you don’t have to use “the best” or “my favorite” for every person—there are plenty of other words and phrases that sound just as strong. For instance:

• “It’s rare that you come across standout talent like Maria.”
• “Few people have the opportunity to report to a manager who is also a coach and mentor—but I did when I worked for Susan.”
• “‘Ridiculously efficient’ is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about Vivek.”

Step 2: Describe your relationship.

Next, you’ll want to give the reader some context as to how you know the person, such as your reporting relationship, what you worked on together, or the length of time you’ve known each other. While you don’t have to give all the details (LinkedIn will show the company and both of your job titles on your recommendation), it’s important to let readers know why you’re qualified to give the recommendation.

• “I had the pleasure of working with Fara for two years at the Smith Company, collaborating on several project teams.”
• “I hired Carmen as a freelance designer in 2019 after seeing her online portfolio, and she’s completed six flawless projects for me since then.”
• “Marques expertly filled the role of social media coordinator for my company’s marketing team for just over a year.”

Step 3: Share a standout trait.

If you’re recommending someone, there’s a good chance you think they’re smart, talented, organized, wonderful to work with—the list goes on. So there’s no need to use the limited characters in your recommendation to state the obvious. Instead, think about one or two things this person does better than anything else—or that make them an exceptional colleague in your mind—and focus your recommendation there.

You can also ask the person if there’s something specific they’d like you to mention. For example, if your former executive assistant is now applying to their first management role , they’ll likely want you to highlight their experience managing volunteers over their organizational skills .

• “I was particularly impressed by Darren’s ability to handle even the toughest clients effortlessly. That skill often takes years to develop among customer service professionals, but it seemed to come perfectly naturally to him.”
• “I was always in awe of Keisha’s ability to command a room and get people on board with ideas—even people who were initially on completely different pages.”
• “Matt’s ability to juggle multiple projects was unlike any I’ve seen before and made a dramatic difference in the productivity level of our team.”

Step 4: Add a touch of personality.

Most people want to hire someone who not only gets the job done, but who’s also great to work with. So if you can share a tidbit about what it’s like to work with this person or some insight into their personality, do so. (Just, you know, know your audience. “Sophie always bought everyone tequila shots at happy hour!” might not go over so well with future employers.)

• “He also made sure our Monday morning staff meetings were never without bagels and coffee. Talk about motivating a team!”
• “And we still miss her on the office softball team!”
• “No matter how tense a meeting, Annie made sure everyone left with a smile.”

Step 5: End with your solid recommendation.

Finally, it’s always nice to seal your recommendation with a final line that makes it clear that you give your contact an enthusiastic thumbs-up. You don’t need to do much here—think short, sweet, and solid.

• “Allison would be an asset to any team.”
• “As a team member or a leader, Jianyu earns my highest recommendation.”
• “Any employee would be lucky to have Tanisha as a manager.”

While we recommend following the steps above to create a new recommendation for each contact, here’s a quick template you can use if you’re pressed for time—just don’t forget to fill in the relevant details!

“[Descriptive phrase] is the phrase that comes to mind when I think about [Name]. I’ve had the pleasure of knowing [Name] for [length of time], during which [description of your working relationship]. Above all, I was impressed with [Name]’s ability to [description of what makes the person really stand out]. And, of course, their [personality trait]. [Name] would be a true asset for any positions requiring [1-2 skills they excel at] and comes with my heartfelt recommendation.”

That’s it—five steps, five (or so) sentences, and five minutes to a recommendation that will ensure your contact shines. Want to see exactly how this comes together? Check out these samples. (You can use them as inspiration for your recommendation—we won’t tell!)

1. For a colleague on your team

One of the values on our engineering team is “constant improvement,” and I’ve never seen anyone embrace and embody that philosophy like Meha. During the past year we’ve worked together, I’ve watched her constantly look for new challenges to tackle, whether it’s getting to the root of a buggy software, writing a script to land a reservation at an always-booked restaurant, or running charity races in her off hours. She’s also always the first to jump in if newer members of the team run into issues. I’ve loved my experience working with Meha, and I know that anyone looking to hire or work with her will, too.

2. For a colleague you worked with on a project

Keeping a project team of 50+ people aligned toward the same tasks might sound impossible, but it seemed like a breeze to Peter. We worked closely together for six months rolling out a new product launch, and I was constantly amazed not only by his technical project management skills, but also by his ability to keep the team motivated through the inevitable challenges and supply chain disruptions. I can honestly say I left every weekly status meeting he led in a better mood. For any company or team that needs a proven PM with a get-it-done-with-a-smile approach, Peter is your guy.

3. For a boss

I couldn’t have asked for a better first manager than Seema, who was my direct supervisor for two years until she was promoted to VP of Sales. Because of her coaching and training, I went from meeting my sales target 50% of the time to exceeding it every quarter. She also went out of her way to encourage different perspectives and diverse viewpoints, which deepened our connections with other team members and made us stronger as a team. If you ever have the chance to work for Seema, I’d wholeheartedly recommend that you take it.

4. For a mentor

As a former brand manager who knew next to nothing about paid marketing, I thank my lucky stars I had Jordan to learn the ropes from. Though not my direct manager, Jordan always went out of their way to help me learn the fundamentals of digital ads during my first year at APO Agency—and as a result of that training, I was able to launch several successful programs for my clients. Not to mention, Jordan gave monthly office hours (with DONUTS!) for anyone on the team to ask questions about new platforms and features. If you’re looking for a colleague, collaborator, manager, or leader on your digital marketing team, I can’t think of anyone I’d recommend more highly.

5. For someone senior to you

Almost everything I learned about managing a team, I learned from Cris. He led the communications team at Fintech Focus while I worked in project management, but during the times when our teams collaborated, I had the chance to witness and benefit from his leadership. In an industry known for being hard-charging, Cris broke the mold and created an environment where everyone felt supported and heard. (Except during football season, but that’s a different story.) Anyone would be lucky to work with a true leader like Cris.

6. For a direct report

I knew Susan was a star when I hired her for a social media coordinator position and she came to the interview with a presentation about how brands could engage with (the then-emerging) TikTok. During the three years she worked for me, I promoted her from coordinator to manager to team lead due to her innate ability to spot new trends and quickly implement on-brand strategies for our clients. Best of all, her social strategy skills are matched with an ability to move even the most bureaucratic clients to quick action. I’d hire Susan again in a heartbeat.

7. For a person junior to you

Nikita is a rising star in the PR world. As our team’s account coordinator, she effortlessly juggles reporting, scheduling, and research for five account managers (myself included). But her strengths go far beyond staying on top of our team’s needs and details. She proves her interest and drive in the field daily by going out of her way to make connections with editors and look for outside-the-box opportunities for our clients. (She’s also helped me up my PowerPoint game—big time.) Any PR team would be lucky to have Nikita, and I can’t wait to see where the future takes her.

8. For a freelancer

Efficient meets exceptional is how I describe Sehoon. He’s been my real estate company’s go-to freelance writer for the past two years, tackling everything from long-form white papers on market trends to email newsletters to pithy social media copy. Since we started working together, the number of compliments I’ve received on my newsletters (and client referrals I’ve gained from them) has skyrocketed. As an added bonus, his turnaround times are always shockingly fast. If you’re looking for a writer who can take your company’s content to the next level, I’d highly recommend hiring Sehoon.

9. For a client

It’s not often you find a client who feels like a true partner, but that’s exactly what I’ve found in Kat while my content agency has worked with her marketing team for the past two years. As a client, she’s a dream—she sends comprehensive project briefs, she trusts my team with the creative process, and she keeps me updated with content performance and project results, which help me continue to improve the work product. She also pays on time—every time! If you’re considering working with Kat as an employee, colleague, or vendor, I couldn’t recommend the experience more highly.

10. For a student

Rarely do undergraduate students come with as much drive as Chandler. When he was a sophomore, he took two of my business strategy classes and served as president of the Future MBA student group I chaired. During that time, I was impressed by his ability to connect topics covered in class with both case studies and of-the-minute business news. He showcased leadership outside of the classroom, too—effortlessly juggling a wide array of extracurriculars and social events. I’m confident that Chandler will have a bright future in his chosen career path of management consulting and that he’ll be an asset to any employer.

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How to Write Citation? | A Practical Guide for Citation and References

How to Write References Quickly and Accurately? | A Practical Guide

Writing research recommendations involves suggesting future research directions or actions that can be taken based on the findings of a research study. The most crucial element of the analysis process, recommendations, is where you provide specific suggestions for interventions or solutions to the problems and limitations found throughout the assessment.

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The following guideline will help you explore how to write recommendations : 

What are the Recommendations?

Research recommendations are suggestions for future research based on the findings of a research study. The researcher may make these recommendations, or they may be requested by the publisher, funding agency, or other stakeholders who have an interest in the research. The purpose of research recommendations is to identify areas where further investigation is needed and to provide direction for future research in the field.

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The recommendation section, whether it is included in the discussion section or conclusion, should involve the following:

• The research questions that the recommendation addresses.
• A concise summary of the findings from the research.
• The implications of the findings for practice.
• The strengths and limitations of the research.
• How do the findings relate to other research in the field?
• Recommendations for further research.

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What kind of recommendations are appropriate.

The appropriateness of recommendations depends on the research study and the research field. Generally, research recommendations should be based on the findings of the study and should address research gaps or limitations. Here are some types of recommendations that may be appropriate:

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1- Further Investigations

Suggest further investigations into specific research questions or hypotheses. This can include exploring new variables, testing different methods, or using different samples.

2- Development of New Research Methods or Techniques

Propose new research methods or techniques that can be used to address research questions or improve the quality of research.

3- Replication of the Study

Recommend replication of the study with larger or more diverse samples to increase the generalizability of the findings.

4- Extension of the Study

Suggest extending the study to different populations or contexts to explore the generalizability of the findings.

5- Collaboration with Other Researchers

Recommend collaboration with other researchers or research teams to leverage expertise and resources.

6- Integration of the Study Findings into Policy or Practice

Suggest ways in which the study findings can be used to inform policy or practice in the relevant field.

7- Addressing Limitations or Gaps in the Current Research Literature

Propose ways the study findings can address limitations or gaps in the current research literature.

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Structuring of Recommendations

When learning how to write recommendations, start with structuring the recommendations section.

1- Summarize your Research Findings

Before making any recommendations, briefly summarise your study's key findings. This will provide context for your recommendations and ensure that they are relevant to the research topic.

2- Identify Research Gaps

Based on your research findings, identify gaps in the literature or areas requiring further investigation. Consider the limitations of your study and the potential implications of your findings.

3- Prioritize Recommendations

Determine the most important recommendations based on their potential impact and feasibility. You may want to organize your recommendations into short-term and long-term goals.

4- Provide Clear and Specific Recommendations

Your recommendations should be concise and specific. Avoid vague or general statements and provide actionable steps that can be taken to address the research gaps you have identified.

5- Justify Your Recommendations

Provide a rationale for each of your recommendations, explaining why they are necessary and how they will contribute to the overall research field.

6- Consider Potential Challenges

Be sure to consider potential challenges or limitations that may arise in implementing your recommendations. Provide suggestions for overcoming these challenges where possible.

7- Conclude with a Summary

End your recommendations with a brief summary of your main points. This will help reinforce the importance of your recommendations and ensure they are clearly understood.

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Remember to tailor your recommendations to your specific research study and field of study. Keep in mind that your recommendations should be based on evidence and have practical applications for researchers, practitioners, or policymakers.

Building Concrete Research Recommendations

• The research process should be systematic and logical.
• Conduct the research in an objective and unbiased manner.
• The research findings should be reproducible.
• The research recommendations should be made with a concrete plan in mind.
• The research recommendations should be based on a solid foundation of evidence.
• The research recommendations should be clear and concise.
• The research recommendations should be achievable and realistic.
• The research recommendations should be made to further the research project's goals.
• They should be made to improve the quality of the research project.
• The research recommendations should make the research project more efficient.
• The recommendations should make the research project more effective.
• The research recommendations must aid in making the research project more successful.

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What is the Smart Strategy for Writing Research Recommendations?

In academic writing, there are generally three types of Recommendations:

• Obligations

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Recommendations can be further characterized as "SMART" or "non-SMART." A SMART Recommendation is one that is Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Time-bound. The following sections will provide more information on each of these characteristics.

• A Recommendation is " Specific " if it clearly spells out what actions need to take place, who needs to take those actions, and when they need to occur.
• A Recommendation is " Measurable " if specified indicators can be used to gauge whether it has successfully achieved its objectives.
• A Recommendation is " Actionable " if the necessary steps required to implement the recommendation are spelt out and achievable.
• A Recommendation is " Realistic " if it is achievable given the available resources (e.g., time, money, human resources).
• Finally, a Recommendation is " Time - bound " if there is a specified timeframe within which the recommendation should be achieved.

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What are the Dos and Don'ts of Research Recommendations? 

1- be specific.

Provide clear and specific recommendations that are relevant to the research study and the field of study. Use precise language and avoid vague or general statements.

2- Support Your Recommendations with Evidence

Base your recommendations on the research study's findings and other relevant literature. Provide evidence to support your recommendations and explain why they are necessary.

Identify and prioritise the most important recommendations based on their potential impact and feasibility.

4- Consider Practical Applications

Ensure that your recommendations have practical applications for researchers, practitioners, or policymakers. Think about how your recommendations can be implemented in practice and how they can contribute to the field.

5- Be Concise

Keep your recommendations concise and to the point. Avoid unnecessary details or explanations.

6- Provide a Rationale

Explain the rationale for each of your recommendations and how they will contribute to the overall research field.

1- Make Unsupported Claims

Avoid making claims that are not supported by evidence. Make sure that your recommendations are based on the research study's findings and other relevant literature.

2- Overgeneralize

Avoid overgeneralizing your recommendations. Make sure that your recommendations are specific to the research study and field.

3- Ignore Potential Challenges

Consider potential challenges or limitations that may arise in implementing your recommendations. Provide suggestions for overcoming these challenges where possible.

4- Disregard Practical Considerations

Ensure that your recommendations are practical and feasible. Consider the resources and constraints of the research field and how your recommendations can be implemented in practice.

5- Be Too Prescriptive

Avoid being too prescriptive in your recommendations. Provide guidance and direction, but allow room for interpretation and adaptation.

By following these dos and don'ts, you can ensure that your research recommendations are well-supported, relevant, and practical and will make a meaningful contribution to the research field.

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Explore the Current Samples of Acknowledgement

It is frequently the case that further research is needed to facilitate the advancement of a study. In your research plans, you can analyze potential study methodologies and the points regarding a subject that might be covered in such research.

The recommendations you include in your paper could be crucial to your research. Make sure your essay has clear recommendations that are simple to implement, can be used effectively, and are not unduly complex or challenging in any other manner. If you need further help writing recommendations, contact us via email or web chat.

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In academic work of any kind, effective referencing of your sources will ensure that you:

• show that you are writing from a position of understanding of your topic.
• demonstrate that you have read widely and deeply.
• enable the reader to locate the source of each quote, idea or work/evidence (that was not your own).
• avoid plagiarism and uphold academic honesty.

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How to Write an Awesome Recommendation

• June 28, 2022

If you’ve decided to write a MBA recommendation for someone, you’re awesome. The best kinds of people are the ones that spend their time and energy helping other people advance. I’ve helped thousands of people get into their dream MBA programs or hired into their dream jobs. That means I’ve seen thousands of recommendation letters, and let me tell you, they ain’t all pretty.

But writing great recommendations isn’t rocket science. If you just keep a few principles in mind and have good reasons for recommending the candidate, you too can be a ninja recommender.

And they’re not too long, either, generally consisting of:

• What is the nature of your interaction with this applicant?
• What are the applicant’s primary strengths and weaknesses?
• What’s the most important piece of constructive feedback you’ve given the applicant?

Here is my complete guide. Use it in good health. Your colleagues and the universe will thank you.

If you're an applicant and you want to hear more about how to choose recommenders, check this out:

Table of Contents

An mba recommendation horror story.

As an MBA coach, I didn’t always insist on reviewing my clients’ letters of recommendation, but my experience with Joseph changed all that.

Joseph was a really strong MBA candidate. 750 GMAT, strong GPA, 5 years of impactful engineering and product management experience, interesting hard luck back story. To my eye, he’d be a strong fit for schools consensus ranked 5-10. Booth and Michigan were his top choices. He put together great essays that showed his drive and compassion, prepped for interviews, and solicited letters from his two top choice recommenders.

Despite his strong candidacy. He didn’t get any interview invites in the first round. As we prepped for Round 2 applications, we solicited his direct supervisor’s recommendation, and much to our dismay, the mystery was immediately solved.

Here is essentially what the recommendation looked like, though of course this is not the actual text.

In what capacity have you known the applicant?

I’ve known Joseph for 3 years since he joined my team.

What are the applicant's most outstanding abilities or characteristics?

He’s dedicated to excellence. He always goes beyond the scope of his role to think about the rest of the team.

What is the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the candidate?

Though his communication skill is good, sometimes he asks too many questions instead of validating assumptions. He cares about advancement, so he immediately implemented this feedback.

A recommendation like this – devoid of any real investment or point of view on behalf of the applicant will amount to an immediate disqualification from consideration for any graduate program or job.

Why great MBA recommendations are so important

Plain and simple.

“If you asked me ‘could I make a decision on an application without essays?’ I would say ‘absolutely’, but ‘could I make a decision without recommendations?’ ‘No way.’ To me the recommendations are more important than the essays.” – Derrick Bolton, Former Director of Admissions at Stanford GSB.

Why? I think this is true for three reasons.

1. Incentives.

As a candidate, your incentive is to get in. That will lead you to say the right things, or at least the things that you think are the right things. It will also lead you to present yourself in the most favorable light. Even without lying or hyperbole, your perspective needs a sanity check. You aren’t the final authority on how awesome you are. The gatekeepers need a second opinion. This is the whole point of social proof.

2. Authority

Sure, you think you are great – but you’re just a kid. Or anyway you are just as experienced as you are. You don’t have the perspective of having managed a lot of people at your level, so even if you could be entirely objective about yourself, you don’t have a good basis for comparison. The decision maker needs to hear from an authority who can benchmark your awesomeness against at least a few and preferably many others.

3. Relationships

Ultimately, relationships fuel career success more than any other aspect of your life. If you don’t know how to play well with others, collaborate, and take feedback, your prospects are severely limited. People evaluating you for admission or hire need to know how you manage relationships. Any testimonial from someone with whom you have a professional relationship will give them deep insight into this aspect of your character.

Being asked to write a recommendation is a sacred trust. Doing it well will help your colleague tremendously. Doing it poorly will hurt them. So let’s talk about how to do it well. But first…

Reasons for recommending someone

If someone asks you to write a recommendation on their behalf, you have a choice. You can say no. I recommend you say no if you cannot answer yes to all of these questions:

• Do you have genuine affinity for this person?
• Are you enthusiastic about their abilities, strengths, and potential?
• Do you want them to get into the program, team, or job they are applying for (even if that’s bad news for you because they will leave your team or organization)?
• Are you willing to do the work yourself (and not ask them to write it for you)?

If you answered no to any of those question, then you might be doing a disservice to the candidate if you agree to recommend them.

Do not ask them to write it themselves

Let me debunk a myth of recommendations here. A lot of well meaning individuals will agree to “submit whatever you want me to say, so just write it up and I will submit it.” Particularly, busy senior folks do this, and it’s entirely understandable. But it’s a bad idea.

If you think back to the three reasons above that recommendations matter: Incentives, authority, and relationships, you can see that the candidate herself is not going to be able to do a very good job of recommending herself, because…

• She doesn’t have the perspective you have on her performance and that of others like her.
• She won’t be able to effectively simulate your authority and write from the perspective – with the priorities, observations, and insights – of someone with your level of seniority.
• She also won’t be able to depart significantly from her own voice. Whatever she writes will sound like her, not like someone with many years more experience.

It will be impossible for her to speak as highly of herself as a genuine admirer would. We humans are all innately humble (or at least want to appear that way). In my experience no candidate has ever written as strong praise for herself as her recommender does.

Perhaps most importantly, only YOU can provide insight into your relationship with her from YOUR perspective. The decision maker needs to understand how you view the candidate and how you value your relationship with her. She simply cannot speak to that, and any attempts will ring hollow and false.

The 4 components of an awesome MBA recommendation

Let’s let Harvard (and most other MBA programs) show us the way here. Reading between the lines of their recommendations, it’s easy to see what qualities are most highly prized for business leaders and therefore, what makes a strong recommendation. This is relevant even if the candidate is applying for a job.

Here are the three primary questions on the HBS recommendation form:

• Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, their role in your organization.
• How do the applicant's performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.
• Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant's response.

Let’s extrapolate from these questions what is really needed provide a stellar recommendation.

Question 1: Please provide a brief description of your interaction with the applicant and, if applicable, their role in your organization.

Here we need to establish context and the authority of the writer. How well do you know the candidate and what basis do you have to compare him or her to others? This is also where you want to make your first strong statement advocating for the candidate.

Question 2: How do the applicant's performance, potential, background, or personal qualities compare to those of other well-qualified individuals in similar roles? Please provide specific examples.

Since this is a POSITIVE recommendation, your comments on the candidate’s performance should focus on her unique strengths, positive personal qualities, and value adds.  You have creative license to concentrate this section only on the few qualities you feel truly make the candidate great.

Getting into the subtext, Harvard Business School is for leaders. If you are applying, you surely aspire to business or community leadership. As such, leadership potential is a key driver of admissions success. This is true at all business schools.

But even if your colleague isn’t applying to business school, employers want leaders. They want people who take initiative and ownership, generate innovative solutions to problems, mentor and develop others, have the essential qualities of confidence, empathy, and humility, and are willing to step up and be accountable for outcomes.  So these themes should be in the subtext of everything you write and should drive your choices of what to focus on.

In addition, we need examples. More on this later.

Question 3:   Please describe the most important piece of constructive feedback you have given the applicant. Please detail the circumstances and the applicant's response.

This question is designed to get at the candidate’s coachability and growth mindset. The most successful people are those who use their environment to learn. How has this candidate engaged you in her growth and used your input to improve. Please note, this question is not about weaknesses. You might talk about a past weakness, but the question is designed to deliver insight into how the candidate has moved beyond it.

So to bottom line all of this, every great recommendation needs to:

• Provide a window into your relationship with the candidate
• Clarify your personal perspective on a few of the candidate’s greatest strengths and potential to lead
• Include vivid illustrations and examples (showing not telling, so to speak)
• Illustrate the candidate’s coachability and desire to grow through feedback

Now let me illustrate each of these with a few examples. I’ll borrow from Joseph’s “before” example to illustrate the failures and then ameliorate them. All of the examples here are made up but illustrate the kind of content you want to aim for.

1. Provide a window into your relationship with the candidate

On an MBA recommendation, there may be a specific question to this effect. But any letter of recommendation should start by establishing the context of the letter and the nature of your relationship with the applicant. So this would be the opening paragraph of a longer letter.

Recommendation fail : I’ve known Joseph for 3 years since he joined my team.

A subtler fail : I am the director of the product team at WebCo, responsible for new releases and updates to AwesomeApp game platform. I studied computer science at Amazing School and got a graduate degree from Cool U. I have been programming for 30 years since I was 15 years old and have worked for Google and Apple before joining WebCo. My team churns out 5-6 new smartphone games a year for our Android and iPhone platform, and each launch typically yields 3,000 new customers and $100K or more in revenue. We have very tight timelines and a very ambitious growth plan. Joseph joined our team 3 years ago to help us meet our goals.

TL;DR  This is more than 100 words about the recommender and the company but it provides zero insight into the candidate. Keep the context relevant to the reader and focused on your relationship with the applicant.

Recommendation success : Joseph joined my team 3 years ago, and I have been his direct supervisor on three long projects that spanned a total of 17 months. Though we brought Joseph onto the team as a senior software developer, he quickly rose to take on the responsibilities of a product manager. Anytime Joseph was staffed on my projects, I could always count on us finishing on time, and under budget because he delivered so much value above his paygrade. Having worked in programming for 30 years, including at Google and Apple, I am well equipped to say that Joseph has the potential to be a leader in this industry.

Notice how the successful version starts right out of the gate advocating for Joseph. This is not a neutral statement of fact – it includes the personal testimony that this manager relies on Joseph, trusts him, and that his work has added greater than expected value to her team.

Also notice that the recommender is not saying that Joseph is the best person she has ever worked with. It’s best not to resort to hyperbole or truth stretching in these things: you have your own professional reputation to maintain and hopefully that includes a certain level of integrity. So if Joseph is NOT the best person you’ve ever supervised, then don’t say that. Here the recommender chose to say that he “has the potential to be a leader in this industry” – still a VERY strong positive statement, but one that does not require bending the truth.

2. Clarify your personal perspective on a few of the candidate’s greatest strengths and potential to lead

Recommendation fail : He’s dedicated to excellence. He always goes beyond the scope of his role to think about the rest of the team.

A subtler fail : Joseph has 3 strong qualities that I appreciate the most. He’s punctual, he’s organized, and he’s kind. I believe these are the three qualities that makes someone successful in this field and I can attest that Joseph has them is spades. In my opinion, employees that can do what is required of them through organization skills are essential to the success of the tech industry. And on top of that, kindness is the most desirable quality in a colleague. So I am happy to say that Joseph is impressive in these three dimensions.

This paragraph is failing in two big ways. First, it lacks any vivid detail. The recommender is just stating her opinion and providing no real insight into Joseph’s actual behavior or performance. I will illustrate an example that does this successfully in the next section.

But even if we did add a few specific details, this recommendation would still fail for a different reason. Consider this example.

An even subtler fail : Joseph has 3 strong qualities that I appreciate the most. He’s punctual, he’s organized, and he’s kind. I believe these are the three qualities that makes someone successful in this field and I can attest that Joseph has them is spades. In my opinion, employees that can do what is required of them through organization skills are essential to the success of the tech industry. And on top of that, kindness is the most desirable quality in a colleague. So I am happy to say that Joseph is impressive in these three dimensions.  He never submits his work late, he always has answers to my questions no matter how many tasks are on his plate, and he always has a cheery, bright demeanor and is nice to everyone. This is why I’ve really liked having him on my team.

Here the recommender has added some paltry specific details, but this recommendation still fails to engender confidence in Joseph as a potential leader. Punctuality, organization skills, and basic human decency are table stakes in any field. If you can’t do those, don’t bother coming to work. But while success at this level is necessary, it is not sufficient to prove that you are a worthy job candidate or potential leader. Here is a much more successful version.

3. Include vivid illustrations and examples (showing not telling, so to speak)

Recommendation success : Joseph’s single greatest strength is a combination of two: he always keeps his eye on the big picture while also maintaining absolute focus on the small details. I attribute both of these strengths to his willingness and desire to take ownership for the downstream outcomes of his work. It’s not enough for him to just do his own tasks well, though he does that – his code is always flawless and he is the best bug catcher I’ve ever seen, helping resolve multiple obscure coding errors when others couldn’t find the problem. But more than his attention to detail, he’s personally invested in the success of the overall project, product, and the company as a whole.

An example of this happened last month when in addition to managing multiple critical path bug fixes, he followed up with the UX team to understand the drivers of their end of the project. When he learned that they were behind schedule because two other members of his own team had fallen behind, he reached out to them to help. Engaging pair programming, he worked side by side with them late nights after he’d finished his own work to ensure the team could reach our milestones on time.

Whether you even know what coding means, you can tell that Joseph is an awesome professional, teammate, and leader. This recommendation succeeds because it not only focuses on leadership-oriented strengths, but it also shows in vivid detail HOW Joseph operates, build relationships, and takes ownership for big outcomes.

Let’s look at another quick example of vivid detail:

Recommendation Fail :  Last year when he was managing the launch of DSR – a VR game in first stage development, he managed to stay on top of not only the XR protocol and React.js scripts, he helped the influx control team finish their specs too.

It SEEMS like this recommender is giving a good example of the same qualities we saw about Joseph above, but the jargon in here (some of which I just made up because – let’s face it, to an outsider, you might as well make ‘em up!!) is unintelligible to someone who’s not part of your industry, organization, and team.

You do not have to speak perfect English. But you DO have to communicate the candidate’s accomplishments in lay terms that anyone can understand. You just can’t trust the reader to know what all the jargon means.

This goes double for MBA admissions committees, but even if the candidate is applying for a job within your industry, if an HR rep from the hiring firm is the first gatekeeper, he may not have the tech savvy to understand the terms. So keep it intelligible to all.  When in doubt, have someone not in your field read it for a sanity check.

4. Illustrate the candidate’s coachability and desire to grow through feedback

Now comes the question about feedback. A growth oriented mindset is desirable in all fields and is absolutely essential for leaders of every stripe. So any good recommendation, whether the question is asked directly or not, should include an insight into the candidate’s coachability.

Recommendation fail:  Though his communication skill is good, sometimes he asks too many questions instead of validating assumptions. He cares about advancement, so he immediately implemented this feedback.

Forget the grammar foible, this answer gives no insight into the process by which Joseph took the feedback on board and acted on it. Nor does it even show what precisely the feedback was, for that matter. Consider this better example:

Recommendation success : Joseph always seeks to add value beyond his mandate, but in his earlier days he struggled to communicate with as much impact as possible. His innate curiosity and intelligence led him to ask a lot of questions so that he could understand everything – a great habit because it enabled him to really master his tasks and understand the big picture, but it sometimes stressed out his managers and team and it also failed to reveal his proactive nature. After I suggested that he shift his approach and instead of simply asking questions, go further to propose answers and validate them, I was really impressed with how his behavior changed.

I was delighted to see first of all that he thanked me for the feedback and took the time to ask follow up questions so that he could fully understand my advice. But then I noticed an almost immediate shift in his strategy. The next week he brought me a list of five assumptions he was making about his deliverables so that I could validate them and provide additional insight. Four of the five turned out to be correct, giving him the chance to prove his management savvy, but also saving me time and increasing the leverage I could provide by going deeper into his ideas rather than simply answering questions. I can definitively say that Joseph has been extremely coachable and proactive in developing himself with the help of myself and the rest of our senior team.

This example illustrates in a vivid and specific way how Joseph used the feedback to improve. The more elaborate discussion of the issue further demonstrates a couple of exceptionally valuable skills – Joseph’s ability to take on constructive feedback and change and his willingness to proactively solve his own problems, seeking the manager’s input only to check his work.

How to write a great MBA recommendation quickly

We’re all busy, so let’s get ‘er done with minimal drama. Here is a process I recommend:

Step 1: Brainstorm a list of the person’s key strengths related to their leadership potential. Then choose 3-4 to focus on in your letter.

While I strongly suggest that you not ask them to write the recommendation, this is the one place that they can provide some useful input. Ask them what top 3-4 qualities they would like you to highlight given the opportunity they are applying for. Here is a list of ideas to get you started.

Step 2: Recall your past experiences with them and decide on the specific examples of their work and behavior you will cite as evidence of these top 3-4 qualities.

Step 3: Organize your thoughts into an outline.

Here is a foolproof one.

Paragraph 1 : A VERY BRIEF description of your role, the context in which you have known the applicant, any information that establishes your authority in comparing this candidate to others, and a firm statement of how awesome the candidate is. (~100 words)

Paragraph 2-5 : Delineate each of the 3-4 key strengths you want to focus on in subsequent paragraphs including vivid, rich examples. (300- 500 words total)

Paragraph 6 : Describe the candidate’s coachability through one clear example of feedback. (~250 words)

Paragraph 7 : Add your closing words, including strong positive endorsement and advocacy. (50-100 words)

Step 4: Do not skip this step. After you have written it, go back and make sure each paragraph checks these four boxes and ameliorate them if they don’t:

• The lion’s share of word count focuses on the candidate, not you, the project, or the organization.
• It’s free of jargon or internal terminology that a person with nothing more than basic high school education wouldn’t understand.
• There are specific details about the person’s actions and choices (this is optional in paragraph 1, but essential in all the others).
• You are making unequivocally positive statements about the candidate, his contributions, and leadership potential.

If you know the candidate well, you should be able to do all of that in an hour or two at most.

Thanks for helping the people in your life get ahead. That makes you one of the good ones.

Looking for more expert advice on recommendations, MBA applications, or taking your career to the next level? Check out our Authentic MBA Application Project ,  Career Services , or  fill out this form to request a free strategy call  today – you'll be glad you did!

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Angela Guido

Student of Human Nature| Founder and Chief Education Officer of Career Protocol

Have you been asked to write an MBA recommendation letter for a hopeful applicant? Angela Guido has some useful MBA recommendation advice on #MBAMonday!

Writing a great MBA recommendation letter can feel like a lot of pressure. Angela Guido offers some top tips for MBA recommendation letter to help you out!

Don't choose the wrong recommender for your MBA application – the best choice might not be who you're thinking! Read on for some MBA recommendation tips.

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Writing a Research Paper Conclusion | Step-by-Step Guide

Published on October 30, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on April 13, 2023.

• Restate the problem statement addressed in the paper
• Summarize your overall arguments or findings
• Suggest the key takeaways from your paper

The content of the conclusion varies depending on whether your paper presents the results of original empirical research or constructs an argument through engagement with sources .

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Table of contents

Step 1: restate the problem, step 2: sum up the paper, step 3: discuss the implications, research paper conclusion examples, frequently asked questions about research paper conclusions.

The first task of your conclusion is to remind the reader of your research problem . You will have discussed this problem in depth throughout the body, but now the point is to zoom back out from the details to the bigger picture.

While you are restating a problem you’ve already introduced, you should avoid phrasing it identically to how it appeared in the introduction . Ideally, you’ll find a novel way to circle back to the problem from the more detailed ideas discussed in the body.

For example, an argumentative paper advocating new measures to reduce the environmental impact of agriculture might restate its problem as follows:

Meanwhile, an empirical paper studying the relationship of Instagram use with body image issues might present its problem like this:

“In conclusion …”

Avoid starting your conclusion with phrases like “In conclusion” or “To conclude,” as this can come across as too obvious and make your writing seem unsophisticated. The content and placement of your conclusion should make its function clear without the need for additional signposting.

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Having zoomed back in on the problem, it’s time to summarize how the body of the paper went about addressing it, and what conclusions this approach led to.

Depending on the nature of your research paper, this might mean restating your thesis and arguments, or summarizing your overall findings.

Argumentative paper: Restate your thesis and arguments

In an argumentative paper, you will have presented a thesis statement in your introduction, expressing the overall claim your paper argues for. In the conclusion, you should restate the thesis and show how it has been developed through the body of the paper.

Briefly summarize the key arguments made in the body, showing how each of them contributes to proving your thesis. You may also mention any counterarguments you addressed, emphasizing why your thesis holds up against them, particularly if your argument is a controversial one.

Don’t go into the details of your evidence or present new ideas; focus on outlining in broad strokes the argument you have made.

Empirical paper: Summarize your findings

In an empirical paper, this is the time to summarize your key findings. Don’t go into great detail here (you will have presented your in-depth results and discussion already), but do clearly express the answers to the research questions you investigated.

Describe your main findings, even if they weren’t necessarily the ones you expected or hoped for, and explain the overall conclusion they led you to.

Having summed up your key arguments or findings, the conclusion ends by considering the broader implications of your research. This means expressing the key takeaways, practical or theoretical, from your paper—often in the form of a call for action or suggestions for future research.

Argumentative paper: Strong closing statement

An argumentative paper generally ends with a strong closing statement. In the case of a practical argument, make a call for action: What actions do you think should be taken by the people or organizations concerned in response to your argument?

If your topic is more theoretical and unsuitable for a call for action, your closing statement should express the significance of your argument—for example, in proposing a new understanding of a topic or laying the groundwork for future research.

Empirical paper: Future research directions

In a more empirical paper, you can close by either making recommendations for practice (for example, in clinical or policy papers), or suggesting directions for future research.

Whatever the scope of your own research, there will always be room for further investigation of related topics, and you’ll often discover new questions and problems during the research process .

Finish your paper on a forward-looking note by suggesting how you or other researchers might build on this topic in the future and address any limitations of the current paper.

Full examples of research paper conclusions are shown in the tabs below: one for an argumentative paper, the other for an empirical paper.

• Argumentative paper
• Empirical paper

While the role of cattle in climate change is by now common knowledge, countries like the Netherlands continually fail to confront this issue with the urgency it deserves. The evidence is clear: To create a truly futureproof agricultural sector, Dutch farmers must be incentivized to transition from livestock farming to sustainable vegetable farming. As well as dramatically lowering emissions, plant-based agriculture, if approached in the right way, can produce more food with less land, providing opportunities for nature regeneration areas that will themselves contribute to climate targets. Although this approach would have economic ramifications, from a long-term perspective, it would represent a significant step towards a more sustainable and resilient national economy. Transitioning to sustainable vegetable farming will make the Netherlands greener and healthier, setting an example for other European governments. Farmers, policymakers, and consumers must focus on the future, not just on their own short-term interests, and work to implement this transition now.

As social media becomes increasingly central to young people’s everyday lives, it is important to understand how different platforms affect their developing self-conception. By testing the effect of daily Instagram use among teenage girls, this study established that highly visual social media does indeed have a significant effect on body image concerns, with a strong correlation between the amount of time spent on the platform and participants’ self-reported dissatisfaction with their appearance. However, the strength of this effect was moderated by pre-test self-esteem ratings: Participants with higher self-esteem were less likely to experience an increase in body image concerns after using Instagram. This suggests that, while Instagram does impact body image, it is also important to consider the wider social and psychological context in which this usage occurs: Teenagers who are already predisposed to self-esteem issues may be at greater risk of experiencing negative effects. Future research into Instagram and other highly visual social media should focus on establishing a clearer picture of how self-esteem and related constructs influence young people’s experiences of these platforms. Furthermore, while this experiment measured Instagram usage in terms of time spent on the platform, observational studies are required to gain more insight into different patterns of usage—to investigate, for instance, whether active posting is associated with different effects than passive consumption of social media content.

If you’re unsure about the conclusion, it can be helpful to ask a friend or fellow student to read your conclusion and summarize the main takeaways.

• Do they understand from your conclusion what your research was about?
• Are they able to summarize the implications of your findings?
• Can they answer your research question based on your conclusion?

You can also get an expert to proofread and feedback your paper with a paper editing service .

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The conclusion of a research paper has several key elements you should make sure to include:

• A restatement of the research problem
• A summary of your key arguments and/or findings
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

No, it’s not appropriate to present new arguments or evidence in the conclusion . While you might be tempted to save a striking argument for last, research papers follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the results and discussion sections if you are following a scientific structure). The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

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Reference List: Common Reference List Examples

Article (with doi).

Alvarez, E., & Tippins, S. (2019). Socialization agents that Puerto Rican college students use to make financial decisions. Journal of Social Change , 11 (1), 75–85. https://doi.org/10.5590/JOSC.2019.11.1.07

Laplante, J. P., & Nolin, C. (2014). Consultas and socially responsible investing in Guatemala: A case study examining Maya perspectives on the Indigenous right to free, prior, and informed consent. Society & Natural Resources , 27 , 231–248. https://doi.org/10.1080/08941920.2013.861554

Use the DOI number for the source whenever one is available. DOI stands for "digital object identifier," a number specific to the article that can help others locate the source. In APA 7, format the DOI as a web address. Active hyperlinks for DOIs and URLs should be used for documents meant for screen reading. Present these hyperlinks in blue and underlined text (the default formatting in Microsoft Word), although plain black text is also acceptable. Be consistent in your formatting choice for DOIs and URLs throughout your reference list. Also see our Quick Answer FAQ, "Can I use the DOI format provided by library databases?"

Jerrentrup, A., Mueller, T., Glowalla, U., Herder, M., Henrichs, N., Neubauer, A., & Schaefer, J. R. (2018). Teaching medicine with the help of “Dr. House.” PLoS ONE , 13 (3), Article e0193972. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193972

For journal articles that are assigned article numbers rather than page ranges, include the article number in place of the page range.

For more on citing electronic resources, see  Electronic Sources References .

Article (Without DOI)

Found in a common academic research database or in print.

Casler , T. (2020). Improving the graduate nursing experience through support on a social media platform. MEDSURG Nursing , 29 (2), 83–87.

If an article does not have a DOI and you retrieved it from a common academic research database through the university library, there is no need to include any additional electronic retrieval information. The reference list entry looks like the entry for a print copy of the article. (This format differs from APA 6 guidelines that recommended including the URL of a journal's homepage when the DOI was not available.) Note that APA 7 has additional guidance on reference list entries for articles found only in specific databases or archives such as Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, UpToDate, ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global, and university archives. See APA 7, Section 9.30 for more information.

Found on an Open Access Website

Eaton, T. V., & Akers, M. D. (2007). Whistleblowing and good governance. CPA Journal , 77 (6), 66–71. http://archives.cpajournal.com/2007/607/essentials/p58.htm

Provide the direct web address/URL to a journal article found on the open web, often on an open access journal's website. In APA 7, active hyperlinks for DOIs and URLs should be used for documents meant for screen reading. Present these hyperlinks in blue and underlined text (the default formatting in Microsoft Word), although plain black text is also acceptable. Be consistent in your formatting choice for DOIs and URLs throughout your reference list.

Weinstein, J. A. (2010).  Social change  (3rd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield.

If the book has an edition number, include it in parentheses after the title of the book. If the book does not list any edition information, do not include an edition number. The edition number is not italicized.

American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.).

If the author and publisher are the same, only include the author in its regular place and omit the publisher.

Lencioni, P. (2012). The advantage: Why organizational health trumps everything else in business . Jossey-Bass. https://amzn.to/343XPSJ

As a change from APA 6 to APA 7, it is no longer necessary to include the ebook format in the title. However, if you listened to an audiobook and the content differs from the text version (e.g., abridged content) or your discussion highlights elements of the audiobook (e.g., narrator's performance), then note that it is an audiobook in the title element in brackets. For ebooks and online audiobooks, also include the DOI number (if available) or nondatabase URL but leave out the electronic retrieval element if the ebook was found in a common academic research database, as with journal articles. APA 7 allows for the shortening of long DOIs and URLs, as shown in this example. See APA 7, Section 9.36 for more information.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Poe, M. (2017). Reframing race in teaching writing across the curriculum. In F. Condon & V. A. Young (Eds.), Performing antiracist pedagogy in rhetoric, writing, and communication (pp. 87–105). University Press of Colorado.

Include the page numbers of the chapter in parentheses after the book title.

Christensen, L. (2001). For my people: Celebrating community through poetry. In B. Bigelow, B. Harvey, S. Karp, & L. Miller (Eds.), Rethinking our classrooms: Teaching for equity and justice (Vol. 2, pp. 16–17). Rethinking Schools.

Also include the volume number or edition number in the parenthetical information after the book title when relevant.

Freud, S. (1961). The ego and the id. In J. Strachey (Ed.),  The standard edition of the complete psychological works of Sigmund Freud  (Vol. 19, pp. 3-66). Hogarth Press. (Original work published 1923)

When a text has been republished as part of an anthology collection, after the author’s name include the date of the version that was read. At the end of the entry, place the date of the original publication inside parenthesis along with the note “original work published.” For in-text citations of republished work, use both dates in the parenthetical citation, original date first with a slash separating the years, as in this example: Freud (1923/1961). For more information on reprinted or republished works, see APA 7, Sections 9.40-9.41.

Classroom Resources

Citing classroom resources.

If you need to cite content found in your online classroom, use the author (if there is one listed), the year of publication (if available), the title of the document, and the main URL of Walden classrooms. For example, you are citing study notes titled "Health Effects of Exposure to Forest Fires," but you do not know the author's name, your reference entry will look like this:

Health effects of exposure to forest fires [Lecture notes]. (2005). Walden University Canvas. https://waldenu.instructure.com

If you do know the author of the document, your reference will look like this:

Smith, A. (2005). Health effects of exposure to forest fires [PowerPoint slides]. Walden University Canvas. https://waldenu.instructure.com  

A few notes on citing course materials:

• [Lecture notes]
• [Course handout]
• [Study notes]
• It can be difficult to determine authorship of classroom documents. If an author is listed on the document, use that. If the resource is clearly a product of Walden (such as the course-based videos), use Walden University as the author. If you are unsure or if no author is indicated, place the title in the author spot, as above.
• If you cannot determine a date of publication, you can use n.d. (for "no date") in place of the year.

Note:  The web location for Walden course materials is not directly retrievable without a password, and therefore, following APA guidelines, use the main URL for the class sites: https://class.waldenu.edu.

Citing Tempo Classroom Resources

Clear author: 

Smith, A. (2005). Health effects of exposure to forest fires [PowerPoint slides]. Walden University Brightspace. https://mytempo.waldenu.edu

Unclear author:

Health effects of exposure to forest fires [Lecture notes]. (2005). Walden University Brightspace. https://mytempo.waldenu.edu

Conference Sessions and Presentations

Feinman, Y. (2018, July 27). Alternative to proctoring in introductory statistics community college courses [Poster presentation]. Walden University Research Symposium, Minneapolis, MN, United States. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/symposium2018/23/

Torgerson, K., Parrill, J., & Haas, A. (2019, April 5-9). Tutoring strategies for online students [Conference session]. The Higher Learning Commission Annual Conference, Chicago, IL, United States. http://onlinewritingcenters.org/scholarship/torgerson-parrill-haas-2019/

Dictionary Entry

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Leadership. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved May 28, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/leadership

When constructing a reference for an entry in a dictionary or other reference work that has no byline (i.e., no named individual authors), use the name of the group—the institution, company, or organization—as author (e.g., Merriam Webster, American Psychological Association, etc.). The name of the entry goes in the title position, followed by "In" and the italicized name of the reference work (e.g., Merriam-Webster.com dictionary , APA dictionary of psychology ). In this instance, APA 7 recommends including a retrieval date as well for this online source since the contents of the page change over time. End the reference entry with the specific URL for the defined word.

Discussion Board Post

Osborne, C. S. (2010, June 29). Re: Environmental responsibility [Discussion post]. Walden University Canvas.  https://waldenu.instructure.com  

Dissertations or Theses

Retrieved From a Database

Nalumango, K. (2019). Perceptions about the asylum-seeking process in the United States after 9/11 (Publication No. 13879844) [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

Retrieved From an Institutional or Personal Website

Evener. J. (2018). Organizational learning in libraries at for-profit colleges and universities [Doctoral dissertation, Walden University]. ScholarWorks. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6606&context=dissertations

Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis

Kirwan, J. G. (2005). An experimental study of the effects of small-group, face-to-face facilitated dialogues on the development of self-actualization levels: A movement towards fully functional persons [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Saybrook Graduate School and Research Center.

For further examples and information, see APA 7, Section 10.6.

Legal Material

For legal references, APA follows the recommendations of The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation , so if you have any questions beyond the examples provided in APA, seek out that resource as well.

Court Decisions

Reference format:

Name v. Name, Volume Reporter Page (Court Date). URL

Sample reference entry:

Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954). https://www.oyez.org/cases/1940-1955/347us483

Sample citation:

In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Supreme Court ruled racial segregation in schools unconstitutional.

Note: Italicize the case name when it appears in the text of your paper.

Name of Act, Title Source § Section Number (Year). URL

Sample reference entry for a federal statute:

Individuals With Disabilities Education Act, 20 U.S.C. § 1400 et seq. (2004). https://www.congress.gov/108/plaws/publ446/PLAW-108publ446.pdf

Sample reference entry for a state statute:

Minnesota Nurse Practice Act, Minn. Stat. §§ 148.171 et seq. (2019). https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/148.171

Sample citation: Minnesota nurses must maintain current registration in order to practice (Minnesota Nurse Practice Act, 2010).

Note: The § symbol stands for "section." Use §§ for sections (plural). To find this symbol in Microsoft Word, go to "Insert" and click on Symbol." Look in the Latin 1-Supplement subset. Note: U.S.C. stands for "United States Code." Note: The Latin abbreviation " et seq. " means "and what follows" and is used when the act includes the cited section and ones that follow. Note: List the chapter first followed by the section or range of sections.

Unenacted Bills and Resolutions

(Those that did not pass and become law)

Title [if there is one], bill or resolution number, xxx Cong. (year). URL

Sample reference entry for Senate bill:

Anti-Phishing Act, S. 472, 109th Cong. (2005). https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/senate-bill/472

Sample reference entry for House of Representatives resolution:

Anti-Phishing Act, H.R. 1099, 109th Cong. (2005). https://www.congress.gov/bill/109th-congress/house-bill/1099

The Anti-Phishing Act (2005) proposed up to 5 years prison time for people running Internet scams.

These are the three legal areas you may be most apt to cite in your scholarly work. For more examples and explanation, see APA 7, Chapter 11.

Magazine Article

Clay, R. (2008, June). Science vs. ideology: Psychologists fight back about the misuse of research. Monitor on Psychology , 39 (6). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2008/06/ideology

Note that for citations, include only the year: Clay (2008). For magazine articles retrieved from a common academic research database, leave out the URL. For magazine articles from an online news website that is not an online version of a print magazine, follow the format for a webpage reference list entry.

Newspaper Article (Retrieved Online)

Baker, A. (2014, May 7). Connecticut students show gains in national tests. New York Times . http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/08/nyregion/national-assessment-of-educational-progress-results-in-Connecticut-and-New-Jersey.html

Include the full date in the format Year, Month Day. Do not include a retrieval date for periodical sources found on websites. Note that for citations, include only the year: Baker (2014). For newspaper articles retrieved from a common academic research database, leave out the URL. For newspaper articles from an online news website that is not an online version of a print newspaper, follow the format for a webpage reference list entry.

OASIS Resources

Oasis webpage.

OASIS. (n.d.). Common reference list examples . Walden University. https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/writingcenter/apa/references/examples

For all OASIS content, list OASIS as the author. Because OASIS webpages do not include publication dates, use “n.d.” for the year.

Interactive Guide

OASIS. (n.d.). Embrace iterative research and writing [Interactive guide]. Walden University. https://academics.waldenu.edu/oasis/iterative-research-writing-web

For OASIS multimedia resources, such as interactive guides, include a description of the resource in brackets after the title.

Online Video/Webcast

Walden University. (2013).  An overview of learning  [Video]. Walden University Canvas.  https://waldenu.instructure.com  

Use this format for online videos such as Walden videos in classrooms. Most of our classroom videos are produced by Walden University, which will be listed as the author in your reference and citation. Note: Some examples of audiovisual materials in the APA manual show the word “Producer” in parentheses after the producer/author area. In consultation with the editors of the APA manual, we have determined that parenthetical is not necessary for the videos in our courses. The manual itself is unclear on the matter, however, so either approach should be accepted. Note that the speaker in the video does not appear in the reference list entry, but you may want to mention that person in your text. For instance, if you are viewing a video where Tobias Ball is the speaker, you might write the following: Tobias Ball stated that APA guidelines ensure a consistent presentation of information in student papers (Walden University, 2013). For more information on citing the speaker in a video, see our page on Common Citation Errors .

Taylor, R. [taylorphd07]. (2014, February 27). Scales of measurement [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PDsMUlexaMY

OASIS. (2020, April 15). One-way ANCOVA: Introduction [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/_XnNDQ5CNW8

For videos from streaming sites, use the person or organization who uploaded the video in the author space to ensure retrievability, whether or not that person is the speaker in the video. A username can be provided in square brackets. As a change from APA 6 to APA 7, include the publisher after the title, and do not use "Retrieved from" before the URL. See APA 7, Section 10.12 for more information and examples.

See also reference list entry formats for TED Talks .

Technical and Research Reports

Edwards, C. (2015). Lighting levels for isolated intersections: Leading to safety improvements (Report No. MnDOT 2015-05). Center for Transportation Studies. http://www.cts.umn.edu/Publications/ResearchReports/reportdetail.html?id=2402

Technical and research reports by governmental agencies and other research institutions usually follow a different publication process than scholarly, peer-reviewed journals. However, they present original research and are often useful for research papers. Sometimes, researchers refer to these types of reports as gray literature , and white papers are a type of this literature. See APA 7, Section 10.4 for more information.

Reference list entires for TED Talks follow the usual guidelines for multimedia content found online. There are two common places to find TED talks online, with slightly different reference list entry formats for each.

TED Talk on the TED website

If you find the TED Talk on the TED website, follow the format for an online video on an organizational website:

Owusu-Kesse, K. (2020, June). 5 needs that any COVID-19 response should meet [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/kwame_owusu_kesse_5_needs_that_any_covid_19_response_should_meet

The speaker is the author in the reference list entry if the video is posted on the TED website. For citations, use the speaker's surname.

TED Talk on YouTube

If you find the TED Talk on YouTube or another streaming video website, follow the usual format for streaming video sites:

TED. (2021, February 5). The shadow pandemic of domestic violence during COVID-19 | Kemi DaSilvalbru [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGdID_ICFII

TED is the author in the reference list entry if the video is posted on YouTube since it is the channel on which the video is posted. For citations, use TED as the author.

Walden University Course Catalog

To include the Walden course catalog in your reference list, use this format:

Walden University. (2020). 2019-2020 Walden University catalog . https://catalog.waldenu.edu/index.php

If you cite from a specific portion of the catalog in your paper, indicate the appropriate section and paragraph number in your text:

...which reflects the commitment to social change expressed in Walden University's mission statement (Walden University, 2020, Vision, Mission, and Goals section, para. 2).

And in the reference list:

Walden University. (2020). Vision, mission, and goals. In 2019-2020 Walden University catalog. https://catalog.waldenu.edu/content.php?catoid=172&navoid=59420&hl=vision&returnto=search

Vartan, S. (2018, January 30). Why vacations matter for your health . CNN. https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/why-vacations-matter/index.html

For webpages on the open web, include the author, date, webpage title, organization/site name, and URL. (There is a slight variation for online versions of print newspapers or magazines. For those sources, follow the models in the previous sections of this page.)

American Federation of Teachers. (n.d.). Community schools . http://www.aft.org/issues/schoolreform/commschools/index.cfm

If there is no specified author, then use the organization’s name as the author. In such a case, there is no need to repeat the organization's name after the title.

In APA 7, active hyperlinks for DOIs and URLs should be used for documents meant for screen reading. Present these hyperlinks in blue and underlined text (the default formatting in Microsoft Word), although plain black text is also acceptable. Be consistent in your formatting choice for DOIs and URLs throughout your reference list.

Related Resources

Knowledge Check: Common Reference List Examples

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• Referencing

A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples

Published on 14 February 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on 15 September 2023.

Referencing is an important part of academic writing. It tells your readers what sources you’ve used and how to find them.

Harvard is the most common referencing style used in UK universities. In Harvard style, the author and year are cited in-text, and full details of the source are given in a reference list .

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Table of contents

Harvard in-text citation, creating a harvard reference list, harvard referencing examples, referencing sources with no author or date, frequently asked questions about harvard referencing.

A Harvard in-text citation appears in brackets beside any quotation or paraphrase of a source. It gives the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication, as well as a page number or range locating the passage referenced, if applicable:

Note that ‘p.’ is used for a single page, ‘pp.’ for multiple pages (e.g. ‘pp. 1–5’).

An in-text citation usually appears immediately after the quotation or paraphrase in question. It may also appear at the end of the relevant sentence, as long as it’s clear what it refers to.

When your sentence already mentions the name of the author, it should not be repeated in the citation:

Sources with multiple authors

When you cite a source with up to three authors, cite all authors’ names. For four or more authors, list only the first name, followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Sources with no page numbers

Some sources, such as websites , often don’t have page numbers. If the source is a short text, you can simply leave out the page number. With longer sources, you can use an alternate locator such as a subheading or paragraph number if you need to specify where to find the quote:

Multiple citations at the same point

When you need multiple citations to appear at the same point in your text – for example, when you refer to several sources with one phrase – you can present them in the same set of brackets, separated by semicolons. List them in order of publication date:

Multiple sources with the same author and date

If you cite multiple sources by the same author which were published in the same year, it’s important to distinguish between them in your citations. To do this, insert an ‘a’ after the year in the first one you reference, a ‘b’ in the second, and so on:

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A bibliography or reference list appears at the end of your text. It lists all your sources in alphabetical order by the author’s last name, giving complete information so that the reader can look them up if necessary.

The reference entry starts with the author’s last name followed by initial(s). Only the first word of the title is capitalised (as well as any proper nouns).

Sources with multiple authors in the reference list

As with in-text citations, up to three authors should be listed; when there are four or more, list only the first author followed by ‘ et al. ’:

Reference list entries vary according to source type, since different information is relevant for different sources. Formats and examples for the most commonly used source types are given below.

• Entire book
• Book chapter
• Translated book
• Edition of a book

Journal articles

• Print journal
• Online-only journal with DOI
• Online-only journal with no DOI

• General web page
• Online article or blog
• Social media post

Sometimes you won’t have all the information you need for a reference. This section covers what to do when a source lacks a publication date or named author.

No publication date

When a source doesn’t have a clear publication date – for example, a constantly updated reference source like Wikipedia or an obscure historical document which can’t be accurately dated – you can replace it with the words ‘no date’:

Note that when you do this with an online source, you should still include an access date, as in the example.

When a source lacks a clearly identified author, there’s often an appropriate corporate source – the organisation responsible for the source – whom you can credit as author instead, as in the Google and Wikipedia examples above.

When that’s not the case, you can just replace it with the title of the source in both the in-text citation and the reference list:

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Harvard referencing uses an author–date system. Sources are cited by the author’s last name and the publication year in brackets. Each Harvard in-text citation corresponds to an entry in the alphabetised reference list at the end of the paper.

Vancouver referencing uses a numerical system. Sources are cited by a number in parentheses or superscript. Each number corresponds to a full reference at the end of the paper.

A Harvard in-text citation should appear in brackets every time you quote, paraphrase, or refer to information from a source.

The citation can appear immediately after the quotation or paraphrase, or at the end of the sentence. If you’re quoting, place the citation outside of the quotation marks but before any other punctuation like a comma or full stop.

In Harvard referencing, up to three author names are included in an in-text citation or reference list entry. When there are four or more authors, include only the first, followed by ‘ et al. ’

Though the terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a difference in meaning:

• A reference list only includes sources cited in the text – every entry corresponds to an in-text citation .
• A bibliography also includes other sources which were consulted during the research but not cited.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, September 15). A Quick Guide to Harvard Referencing | Citation Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved 24 June 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/harvard-style/

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Writing recommendations with explanations

In Economics and Business, students write with a specific purpose as they communicate their interpretations to others. Students aim to explain, critique or analyse real-world situations.

In writing responses, students will often be required to provide one or more:

• recommendations that propose the best course of action to take in response to an economic or business situation
• explanations that justify implementing their chosen course of action.

Three strategies to support students to develop economic and/or business recommendations with explanations are:

• use a framework to structure an explanation or recommendation
• explicitly teach the language features of an explanation or recommendation
• use a sample to model how to write an explanation or recommendation.

Use a framework to structure a recommendation with explanations

• Ask students what the term 'recommendation' might mean and where they might have heard the term used before, e.g. recommendations by movie or food critics. Teachers might wish to show a sample of a recommendation by a movie or food critic to prompt student ideas for responses to the following questions about creating an appropriate recommendation. Possible suggested student responses are given in brackets:
• 'What is a recommendation?' (advice about the best thing/action t o do)
• 'What information would you expect to see in a recommendation?' (a suggestion to take a course of action, data/evidence) 
• 'What would convince you to accept someone's recommendation?' (e.g. their expertise or experience in the field)
• Outline to students that when a recommendation is made in Economics or Business, several elements need to be considered. These include:
• an explanation of the nature of the Economic or Business issue being considered
• one or more suggested strategies to address the issue being considered
• arguments for and against each strategy using evidence to support points made
• a recommendation based on the evidence put forward.
• Purpose: Examines positive and negative aspects of potential strategies to address an issue and comes to a logical recommendation based on the evidence.
• Focus: Selection of the best strategy to address an issue based on evidence.

Explicitly teach the language features of a recommendation

To explicitly teach students the different language features of a recommendation, teachers can:

• model examples of appropriate sentences (see the 'Commonly used' column below for examples).
• provide students with sentences that are inappropriate for economic/business recommendations (see the 'Avoid using' column below for examples)
• instruct students to change them into more appropriate sentences (see the 'Commonly used' column below for examples).

The table below lists seven language features teachers should explicitly teach students to use in their writing in Economics and Business.

To assist students with their writing, you might display posters of frequently used connectives as an easy reference and a reminder to students to use them. Some examples of these are given below.

Curriculum links for this example are: VCEBC013 , VCEBR011 , VCEBR020 , VCEBR021 , VCEBR022 , VCEBW025 , VCEBE019 , VCEBE028 .

Use a sample to model how to write a recommendation

• Provide students with a sample of a recommendation to an economic/business problem. Worked examples [ HITS strategy 4 ] help demonstrate to students how a written response can be structured using a practical example.
• Ask students to annotate the sample using the language features in Explicitly teach the language features of a recommendation by indicating the number corresponding to the specific language feature in a copy of the sample. Students can work individually or in pairs to annotate the sample (see below).

A recent issue for Victorian state and local governments is the problem of how to deal with household and business waste in the community (1) . This has become a significant issue as other countries are declining (3) to take our waste for processing and, therefore, the government needs to consider (3) what action can be taken to address the waste generated in their communities effectively. Three possible strategies that can be considered. (1) Firstly (5) , more waste can be taken to landfill sites. In the short term, this might help to effectively address the immediate problem of where to dispose of the waste that countries will no longer take from Australia. However, according to data supplied by local councils to the ABC (Oaten, 2019) (7) , over 4,600 tonnes of recyclables were estimated to go to landfill in one week. Therefore, in the longer term, the government might need to expand, or create, more landfill sites to dispose of the growing amount of waste which is costly (8) and environmentally unsustainable (2) (8) . Secondly (5) , the government can encourage households and businesses to recycle more waste by providing facilities such as container deposit stations where they can be paid for bringing in their recyclable waste. NSW, the ACT and SA have a container deposit scheme already in place. Whilst (6) this might encourage more households and businesses to separate their waste for recycling, leading to less waste going to landfill, it can be costly to the government to pay for such a scheme. According to The Age (2019), the Victorian Parliamentary Budget Office estimates it will cost the state government $9 million over 4 years. It also still leaves the problem of what to do with the recyclable waste once the government collects it. Finally (5) , the government can encourage the creation of innovative businesses that can re-use waste. Although (6) providing incentives for waste and recycling businesses, such as the Innovation Connections Grant, might cost the government money in the short term, in the long term it might help the government achieve some of its economic goals. For instance, more Victorians can be employed (2) by successful (8) new waste and recycling businesses, more taxation revenue (2) will be received from these businesses to help fund other government programs and the cost of garbage collection by Victorian governments might fall as few recyclables are put into landfill. Overall, the most appropriate strategy is for innovative waste and recycling businesses to be supported and encouraged by the government (4) . Even though there might be short term costs to the government to do this, the benefits should outweigh the costs i n the long term. References (7) Oaten, J. (2019, September 30). Victorian councils sending thousands of tonnes of recyclables to the landfill as waste crisis deepens. ABC News. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-08-06/councils-sending-thousands-of-tonnes-of-recycling-to-landfill/11385458 . Prei ss, B., & Lucas, C. (2019, August 7). Cash for drink containers scheme would cost taxpayers $9 million. The Age. Retrieved from https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/cash-for-drink-containers-scheme-would-cost-taxpayers-9-million-20190807-p52ewm.html .

• Provide students with an issue and ask them to determine two to three strategies that might help to address it. Students discuss and write down the cost(s) and benefit(s) of using each strategy and then share their views as a whole class.
• Possible issues include: making your business more sustainable, reviewing the tax system or Austudy payments, reducing solar panel and battery rebates.
• Instruct students to use the framework from Strategy 1 and the language features from Strategy 2 to create their own recommendation.
• Once students have drafted their recommendation, ask them to swap their written response with a partner for proofreading, using the peer editing process . This is an example of Collaborative Learning [ HITS strategy 5 ] and allows students to share and compare their written responses with one another. Teachers should remind students about how to give respectful feedback. Teachers can provide the following prompts for students to consider as they look at their partner's draft. 'Does your partner's writing:
•  follow the correct structure for a recommendation? If not, how can they improve this?'
• use the language features for a recommendation? If not, how can they improve this?'

Curriculum link for this example is: VCEBE028 .

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#HenleyMBA:

How to craft an a-grade recommendations chapter.

So, let’s have a look at the 6 components of a solid recommendations chapter.

#1: Directly address the key issues from your analysis chapter.

It sounds obvious, but all too often, there is a disconnect between the analysis chapter and the recommendations chapter. In other words, students start solving problems that didn’t exist in the analysis and ignore those that did.

Simply put, there should be a firm, intuitive, logical link between the end of your analysis chapter and the beginning of your recommendations chapter. There should really be no surprise for the reader – in fact, they should pretty much be able to anticipate what you’ll prescribe. To highlight this link, you should have a brief summary (in bullet point or visual format) at the end of your analysis chapter that reminds the reader of your key findings. Then, your recommendations chapter should directly address the issues/shortcomings highlighted there.

There’s always a temptation to digress into the irrelevant when writing assignments. Don’t create new issues and don’t present new information – stay focused on the key issues raised in your analysis. Keep yourself on track by regularly checking whether your recommendations directly link to the issues you found in your analysis. If not, it’s time to kill your darlings.

#2: Explicitly discuss the “what”.

Another obvious sounding one, but one which is no less common in assignments. All too often, I read lengthy recommendations that roll on for pages and pages, and I’m still left asking myself, “but what exactly are you recommending be done?”.

Simply put, students are not specific and detailed enough regarding their recommendations. They speak at a high level, very conceptually and theoretically, but not practically. There is not enough real-world detail and, as a result, it’s unclear what exactly is being recommended. They might draw on plenty theory, but there’s no real-world application – resulting in limited marks.

Here’s an example:

“The reward structure must be strategically realigned to encourage and incentivise staff behaviours which are required by the organisation’s strategy (Higgs, 2006).”

Sounds great, right? It even includes the word “strategically”! But what does it mean? There are no specifics, no details.  It means nothing.

Compare it to the following:

“The focus of the reward structure must be shifted from the top left quadrant (pay structure) to the bottom right quadrant (work environment) to encourage collective behaviours (teamwork), intrinsic motivation and discretionary behaviour, as required by the organisation’s innovation-centric strategy (Higgs, 2016). For example, leadership communication could be improved by…”

The difference is in the level of detail. Notice how the latter example explicitly states what must be shifted, from where to where, and what the outcome is expected to be. Additionally, it provides a practical example, linking theory to practice , the conceptual world to the real world.

For complex recommendations, you might also consider presenting a revised model or framework, visually demonstrating the recommended change(s). In other words, you’ll have a “before and after” type presentation . For example, if your recommendation was to revise a process map (which you presented previously in the analysis), you could present the new and improved process map in the recommendations chapter. Oftentimes, visual representations can save you a good deal of word count, while also aiding marker comprehension and breaking “walls of text” – so make use of this approach wherever you can.

#3: Justify your recommendations both practically and theoretically.

You’ll notice that the last example also touched on the “why?” – in other words, the justification for the recommendation. It’s critically important that your recommendations are justified . There are, however, two forms of justification – practical and theoretical:

Practical justification : which problem (identified in your analysis chapter) does this solve? Be very explicit about which problem(s) each recommendation solves, so that you systematically resolve as many of the highlighted issues as possible. Also, briefly explain how this solves the problem – it might be obvious, but don’t leave it to the markers imagination. This needn’t be lengthy and detailed, for example:

“This recommendation resolves the key issue of X by ensuring that…”

Short and sweet.

Another aspect of the practical justification is (very brief) consideration of the feasibility . In other words, how likely is it that the organisation can pull it off. Naturally, good recommendations are realistic ones, so make it clear how each recommendation is feasible in the real world. Again, this can be a one-liner, something like this:

“This recommendation can be implemented using the organisation’s existing resources, including X and Y.”

Don’t get into an implementation discussion (this is typically a separate chapter, if at all) – just demonstrate that your recommendation is not a far-fetched pipe dream.

Theoretical justification : simply put, I’m talking about citations/references here. Whenever you make a recommendation, be sure to credit the author of the underlying theory . While some of your recommendations may just be common sense or logical deductions, it’s still likely that you came to each conclusion as a result of a model, framework or theory, which needs to be cited. By citing generously, you’ll demonstrate the link between theory and practice, which will earn you marks.

#4: Aim for a handful of key recommendations.

Typically, you should aim to present 3-5 hearty key recommendations, as opposed to a list of 10-15 lightweight recommendations. In other words, go deep, not broad.

If you have a long list of recommendations, run through them and bundle them into homogenous groups . By doing so, you’ll add more depth to each recommendation, while also making your overall argument easier for the marker to digest. Aim for quality, not quantity. Also, note that some assignments may require that you only make “one key recommendation” (for example, MP). In such cases, you need to think very carefully about how you package your recommendation to earn good marks.

On a related presentation note, you should aim to maintain a consistent structure and argumentative approach for each recommendation. In other words, for each recommendation, structure the discussion in the same order. For example:

• A detailed explanation of what is being recommended.
• Identification of what issue(s) it resolves.
• Explanation of how it resolves the issue(s), including examples.

Consistency is more important than order here. Pick any order that works for you, but be sure to apply it consistently.

#5: Summarise at the end of the chapter.

In common with the introduction chapter, you should provide a concise summary of your key recommendations at the end of the chapter to aid digestibility of your full argument. Remember, while this is the umpteenth time you’ve read your assignment, it’s the first time for the marker. Make it easy for them to understand and recall your key points. After all, this is what they’ll mark you on…

In terms of presentation, there is nothing wrong with using bullet points to summarise previously discussed content, as long as you are not presenting new information. Alternatively, if you used a particular model or framework to summarise your analysis issues, you could again present a “before and after” figure, detailing how your recommendations resolve the issues.

Here’s an example:

#6: Note the assumptions and limitations.

Last but not least, you need to briefly acknowledge the assumptions and limitations of your recommendations. Every argument features assumptions and qualifications , and as a result, has limitations. Therefore, it’s important to acknowledge the assumptions that went into your analysis and consequently recommendations, and the resultant limitations these create. Highlighting the potential shortcomings of your work is not a weakness , but rather a strength in academia. It shows that you can think critically, not just of other’s points, but of your own.

That said, there’s no need to go deconstruct and discredit your entire argument. Just include a concise paragraph highlighting the key assumptions and limitations. You might also mention how these could be resolved with further data or fieldwork.

Let’s recap…

Incorporate these 6 practices into your next recommendations chapter and you will no doubt increase your mark earning capability. To recap:

• Directly address the key issues highlighted in your analysis.
• Explicitly discuss the “what”.
• Justify your recommendations both practically and theoretically.
• Group similar recommendations and apply a consistent structure.
• Summarise your key recommendation at the end of the chapter.
• Note the assumptions and limitations.

Have a question or suggestion?  We’d love to hear from you. Simply leave a comment below or get in touch with us.

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11 Comments

Very helpful Derek. Thank you very timely advice.

My pleasure! Glad you found it useful 🙂

Thanks Derek! I appreciate your tips…

It’s a pleasure, Thomas.

Thanks Derek, this is refreshing. Relevant for both the Assignment and Dissertation.

Thank you Derek. This will be extremely useful as a guide to structure my assignment writing and important points for client reports also.

That’s great, Judy. Thanks for the feedback.

Thank very much for the writing tips I have just read they been beneficial to me because am a distance law school student. Thanks, Derek, keep it up.

My pleasure Rebeca – all the best with your degree!

Thanks Derek. Extremely useful for my MBA assignment.

Super useful, thank you for your content. This is making my dissertation so much easier to do

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• How to Write a Letter of Recommendation [+ Free Template]

Updated: June 26, 2024

Published: June 13, 2024

I’ve been helping people create letters of recommendation for jobs they want, internships, promotions, and more, for over ten years. I’ve learned during this time that if you’re not selling yourself effectively, you won’t make a lasting impression.

A recommendation letter differs from a resume or a cover letter because it comes from someone who knows you well, so it should feel more personal.

Read further to discover how to write a letter of recommendation that will help you land the job or opportunity you’ve been dreaming of.

Table of Contents

What is a letter of recommendation?

Do i write my own letter of recommendation, free letter of recommendation template, letter of recommendation samples to inspire you.

• Tips for Creating Effective Letters of Recommendations
• How to Ask For a Letter of Recommendation

A letter of recommendation is a one to two-page description of your merits from someone who has a particular insight into your character, work ethic, projects you’ve completed, and more.

Typically, a letter of recommendation is written by someone who is an authority figure to you, such as a past employer or manager. This person should be able to recommend your professional work or academic experience.

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You might be thinking, “Wait, don’t I have my (boss, colleague, or friend) write a letter of recommendation for me? Why must I read this blog to create a letter of recommendation?”

You can, of course, ask them to write a letter of recommendation for you from scratch. But don’t be surprised if it takes them a really long time to write it. Even then, it may not meet your expectations.

There’s nothing wrong with giving the person you're asking an outline, a list of your past achievements, or even a draft of a letter of recommendation.

In fact, it’s expected that you will give the writer an idea of what you want them to include in the letter of recommendation while still allowing them the creative freedom to add their spin.

They can adjust whatever the letter is to fit what they feel comfortable signing their name to, and you will save them a significant amount of time — meaning you get a better letter of recommendation faster.

How to Write a Letter of Recommendation

Whether you’re writing a letter of recommendation for a professional or academic opportunity, the basic elements are the same.

Start by including the date and recipient’s information, introducing the writer, describing the applicant and their performance, and signing off with the writer’s contact information.

A long relationship with the candidate or a deep familiarity with their work is an important element of writing a letter of recommendation.

When ideating which details of your professional relationship to include, ask yourself which projects they worked with you on, what strengths you admire in them, specific moments they came through for you, and what you’ll miss about working with them when they leave.

Remember, a letter of recommendation is more than just a list of their professional experience, that’s what a resume is for, as the writer you can give a hiring manager insight into the personality of the candidate and if they’d be a good fit for the role.

Check out this free letter of recommendation template to get started.

Letter of Recommendation Format

Including a date is important for establishing the validity of a letter of recommendation.

Use the specific date that corresponds with the candidate's last day at an organization or even some time after they worked with the writer of the letter of recommendation.

If you’re asking for a letter of recommendation from a coworker or boss while still employed, be sure to tread lightly as most employers won’t be thrilled to recommend you to a job when you’re leaving.

If you do trust that they are ok recommending you, despite leaving the company, go ahead and put that day’s date.

2. Recipient's Information

Write out the name, position, and company of the person the letter of recommendation is going to. Or, if you’re not sure what companies you will be applying your letter of recommendation to, feel free to keep this section generic so you can fill it out later as opportunities arise.

3. Introductions

Introduce the writer of the letter of recommendation. Remember, use the first person (whether you’re the person writing the letter of recommendation, or the receiver creating a draft).

Go ahead and list their areas of expertise, education, current title, and anything else applicable. If the writer is a previous manager you’ll want to list their position, how long they’ve been at the company and their education. You should also say how long they’ve worked with or known you.

4. Performance and Qualifications

Use this section to talk about the commitment of the letter's requester in your organization. You

can also mention their most notable traits, skills, and abilities through adjectives.

This section is the bulk of your letter and the most important part. Remember, your boss/coworker/friend can put their own spin on what you say in the letter, you’re just giving them an idea of what you’d like included.

Ask yourself these questions when writing this section:

• How can I tell the story of my accomplishments?
• What personal details need to be included?
• What motivates me?
• What challenges have I overcome?
• What are my most relevant skills?
• Why do I want to work at this company or apply to this school?
• What makes me a good fit for this role?

Here’s an example of what answering these questions might look like:

“Jane Doe became my employee in 2016 after transferring from the Sales department. She is extremely motivated by sales-centric goals, employee satisfaction, and choosing tactics that deliver a high return on investment.

In my time working with Jane Doe, I’ve watched her tackle challenging projects, such as when our startup was bought out by a bigger brand.

She made sure each member of her team transitioned seamlessly while also still meeting her quarterly goals, an accomplishment that only one other team at the company achieved during this time.

Her background in sales has made her a friendly team player, a wise financial decision-maker, and an influential leader. She would be an excellent fit for any role that needs someone who is going to meet hard-to-reach targets, lead a team to excellence, and maintain organization.

In my time working with Jane Doe, I’ve often used her as my go-to-person because I know she is both reliable and hard-working.”

Don’t forget to write this section in the first person, and don’t be afraid to really sell yourself and your achievements!

If you’re not comfortable with being this specific, here’s an example that leaves space for the writer to put in their own thoughts.

“[NAME] became my employee in [YEAR] after transferring from [DEPARTMENT]. She is extremely motivated [ENTER PERSONAL QUALITIES].

In my time working with [NAME], I’ve watched her tackle challenging projects, such as [PAST PROJECT(S)]. [SENTENCE ABOUT WAS DONE WELL].

Their background in [ENTER BACKGROUND] has made them [FAVORABLE PERSONAL QUALITIES]. They would be an excellent fit for any role that needs [DESCRIPTION OF ROLE THEY’RE APPLYING FOR].

In my time working with [NAME], [DESCRIPTION OF HOW WE’VE WORKED TOGETHER IN PAST].”

5. Contact Information

Finally, you can close this letter wishing the applicant luck in their new professional stage. Most importantly, provide detailed contact information, as interviewers will need to confirm the information provided in this document.

How long should a letter of recommendation be?

Like a cover letter or a resume, a letter of recommendation should be about one page long. I’ve often erred on the side of shorter than longer because you really can say everything you need to in one page.

If you’re having a hard time whittling your letter of recommendation down to one page, consider asking a friend with writing experience to edit it down to the most important details, or even using AI tools to help you.

Writing your letters of recommendation from scratch can be time-consuming and difficult. Download your free recommendation template (pictured below) here as a Google Docs or Microsoft Word file.

Don't forget to share this post!

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Draft a professional recommendation letter in a matter of minutes with the help of this template.

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How to Reference in Assignment: A Practical Guide

Table of Contents

A journey through different referencing styles

Apa (american psychological association), mla (modern language association), chicago (chicago manual of style), in-text citations vs. bibliographies: let’s understand the difference, in-text citations, bibliographies, how to write references in assignment, apa style examples, mla style examples, chicago style examples, how to cite an assignment with quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, how to cite sources in the assignment: special cases, multiple authors, personal communications, secondary sources, referencing tools and software, avoiding plagiarism: the importance of accurate referencing, let’s make conclusions.

Referencing can be a difficult task, but do not worry! Our detailed guide will explain the steps to follow.

In academic writing, referencing is essential. It acknowledges the work of others and strengthens and clarifies your views. You must cite your sources properly to avoid plagiarism and show that you have read the pertinent literature. We will thoroughly explain how to cite sources in the assignment in this post, guaranteeing that you follow the rules of academic integrity.

There are numerous reference formats, each with its own set of rules and instructions for citing sources. The topic of study or the precise criteria of the assignment frequently influence the choice of referencing style. This overview looks at several of the most used citation formats for academic writing, including APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard.

The social sciences, such as psychology, sociology, and education, frequently employ the APA style. It provides guidelines for structuring reference lists, in-text citations, and general document design. In-text citations in APA format for assignments include the author’s last name and the publication year (e.g., Smith, 2019).

The humanities, language studies, and other academic fields use MLA style often. It focuses on brief in-text citations and a thorough “Works Cited” page at the end of the paper. In-text citations in MLA format often include the page number and the author’s last name (e.g., Smith 45). Every source cited in the study is fully described on the “Works Cited” page.

Chicago style provides two citation formats: notes and bibliography and author-date. The notes and bibliography method employs a separate bibliography at the end. The author-date system uses in-text citations with the author’s last name and publication year (e.g., Smith 2019).

The social sciences, business, and other disciplines frequently choose the Harvard referencing style. It focuses on author-date citations, which include the author’s last name and the year of publication (e.g., Smith, 2019) within the text. A complete reference list with full publishing details for each mentioned source is provided at the end of the document.

These are only a few examples of referencing styles. There are many more, including IEEE (used in engineering and computer science) and Vancouver (present in the medical and scientific areas). These styles may vary or have requirements depending on the institution or professor. To guarantee accurate reference, it is essential to refer to the relevant style manual or any other instructions provided for your work.

By knowing the difference between in-text citations and bibliographies, you may successfully and correctly cite sources in text and improve the credibility of your writing. So, let’s start comparing!

To begin with, both of them serve the purpose of acknowledging the sources used — it’s their common feature. However, they differ in where they are located in the text and how much information is given.

Within the content of your assignment, in-text citations are brief references. They direct readers to the complete source material in your bibliography or reference list. They are used to credit information, concepts, or quotations to their sources.

Depending on the chosen citation style, in-text citations are frequently placed inside parentheses or as superscript numbers. They give major details, including the author’s name, the year of publication, and the page number. For illustration, an in-text citation in APA style would appear as follows: (Author, year). In MLA style, it would be: (Author page number). In-text citations are placed immediately after the information or quote is referenced.

Writers can show that they participate in intellectual discussions by incorporating in-text citations. Also, It enables readers to check the integrity of the presented data.

On the other hand, reference lists or bibliographies are thorough lists of all the sources used in a project. Usually, authors add them at the end of the assignment. It gives readers all the information necessary to discover and access the sources. Each entry in the bibliography contains comprehensive information, including the author’s name, the book’s title, the year of publication, and some other information.

The bibliography for assignment must be arranged alphabetically by the author’s last name or, if none is given, by title. The bibliography’s format and presentation must adhere to its rules. No matter what citation style is used — APA, MLA, Chicago, or another.

Now, let’s look at clear referencing examples using popular citation styles and various source types.

In-text citation:

One author: (Smith, 2022);

Two authors: (Smith & Johnson, 2022);

Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2022).

“Et al.” is an abbreviation derived from the Latin phrase “et alia,” which translates to “and others” in English. It is commonly used when citing sources with multiple authors.

Bibliographic reference:

Book: Smith, J. (2022). Title of Book. Publisher.

Journal article: Smith, J., & Johnson, A. (2022). Title of Article. Journal Name, volume(issue), page range.

Website: Smith, J. (2022). Title of Webpage. Retrieved from URL.

One author: (Smith 32); Two authors: (Smith and Johnson 45); Three or more authors: (Smith et al. 56)

Book: Smith, John. Title of Book. Publisher, year. Journal article: Smith, John, and Anne Johnson. “Title of Article.” Journal Name, vol. 10, no. 2, 2022, pp. 45-60. Website: Smith, John. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name, Publisher/Website, URL.

One author: (Smith 2022); Two authors: (Smith and Johnson 2022); Three or more authors: (Smith et al. 2022).

Book: Smith, John. Title of Book. Publisher, year. Journal article: Smith, John, and Anne Johnson. “Title of Article.” Journal Name volume number (year): page range. Website: Smith, John. “Title of Webpage.” Website Name. URL (accessed Month Day, Year).

When you include information from other sources in your assignments, it’s essential to quote, paraphrase, and summarize correctly. These methods allow you to use someone else’s ideas while giving them credit. Let’s explore each way and discover how to cite an assignment properly.

To cite correctly, provide a complete reference for each source in your bibliography or reference list. Follow the rules of the citation style you’re using (like APA, MLA, or Chicago) for books, articles, websites, etc.

Referencing sources is usually straightforward. However, some exceptional cases require additional attention.

When a source has multiple authors, include all the authors’ names in the reference. Use the word “and” before the last author’s name. For in-text citations, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”

For example, (Smith et al., 2022) or Smith et al. (2022).

If a source does not have an author, use the work’s title in the in-text citation and bibliography. Enclose the title in quotation marks or use italics if it is a longer work like a book or a journal.

For example, (“Title of the Article,” 2022) or Title of the Book (2022).

If a source does not have a publication date, use “n.d.” (which stands for “no date”) in both the in-text citation and the reference list.

For example, (Smith, n.d.) or Smith (n.d.).

If you want to reference interviews, emails, or conversations, provide the individual’s name and specify the type of communication. In the in-text citation, include the person’s name and the date of the contact.

For example, (J. Smith, personal communication, May 1, 2022).

Sometimes, you may need to cite a source you have not directly accessed but found through another author’s work. It is called citing a secondary source. In the in-text citation, include the original author’s name and the author of the work you have read, followed by “as cited in.” Provide the complete reference for the work you have read in the reference list.

For example, (Smith, as cited in Johnson, 2022) or Johnson (2022) cited Smith.

As you see, creating accurate references can be time-consuming and challenging. Thankfully, there are referencing tools and software available to simplify this task.

One such tool is the APA Citation Generator . It is designed specifically for APA style, allowing users to effortlessly generate citations for various sources. Input the necessary information, and the generator will create the citation in the correct format.

Similarly, the MLA Reference Generator is a valuable tool for generating citations in MLA style. It streamlines the process by providing a user-friendly interface to enter the required details, resulting in accurate and properly formatted citations.

These tools will save you time and reduce the chances of errors.

In academic writing, plagiarism is a severe infraction with adverse effects. Accurate reference is crucial to avoiding this unethical and intellectual disaster. You credit the original authors and demonstrate integrity by properly citing your sources.

Failure to do so may result in academic sanctions, reputational harm, and legal implications. Plagiarism weakens the standards of intellectual integrity and originality and diminishes the value of your work. You may promote academic integrity, honor the scholarly contributions of others, and protect your academic and professional future by adopting appropriate referencing procedures.

To sum up, mastering the art of referencing is a fundamental skill for every student and researcher. Throughout this practical guide, we have explored the critical referencing elements, including in-text citations, bibliographies, and reference lists. We have discussed the importance of accurately citing sources and avoiding plagiarism, ensuring academic integrity, and upholding the ethical standards of scholarship.

Embrace the habit of acknowledging your sources to give credit where it is due and strengthen the credibility and reliability of your assignments. As you continue your academic journey, make accurate referencing an integral part of your writing process. It will elevate the quality of your work and showcase your commitment to academic excellence. Happy referencing!

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5 Ways to AI-Proof Your Writing Assignments

June 28, 2024 | John Jennings

EdTech Insights | Artificial Intelligence , Best Practices , Writing

We spend a lot of time writing about the positive aspects of AI here at EdTech Evolved . But it’s probably disingenuous not to also address the elephant in the room that is AI-enabled cheating and plagiarism. Even as teachers become more comfortable with the idea of AI , many still feel like they are locked in a constant battle to compensate for and detect it when designing and grading assignments. Fortunately, the past two years have given us ample time to learn how to effectively “AI-proof” those assignments.

Large language models like ChatGPT are here to stay. With each iteration, their outputs are becoming harder to distinguish from human communications. Many schools have tried some form of “AI detector” software, but these programs are riddled with inaccuracies , lack transparency, and have proven to be inherently biased against non-native English speakers . In the arms race between AI-generated content and AI detection capabilities, the latter is miles behind, with no chance of ever closing the gap.

But what’s the alternative? If we can’t rely on technology to help us catch students in the act, how do we stop them from abusing these tools and making a mockery of our instruction? It’s easy to say “we need to change the way we approach writing,” but what does that look like in practical application? Here are five ways to AI-proof your writing assignments. We’ve even included some prompts and ideas for those who want to fight fire with fire by enlisting ChatGPT’s help for lesson design.

1) Break Writing Projects into Multiple Steps

The easiest way for students to game the system is to just ask for a completed essay on a given topic. By breaking projects down into multiple deliverables, both digital and non-digital, you can make it impossible for them to jump straight to an AI-generated solution.

For example, I used the following prompt to generate a five-step lesson plan. Students might be able to get help from ChatGPT for some of these steps, but not without putting in enough independent work to support their learning goals along the way.

Imagine you’re a fifth-grade reading teacher. Create an outline for a multi-step informational writing project, including: brainstorming activities for topic generation, drafting an outline, creating a rough draft, a peer review and editing step, and adding polish to the final draft. Include non-digital activities such as mind mapping wherever possible. Emphasize the importance of research and require students to identify credible sources.

You are welcome, of course, to tailor the above prompt to fit your needs. Focus on achieving the appropriate level of rigor and fitting the project within your time constraints.

2) Make it Personal

ChatGPT can be good at making up stories, but one thing it can’t do is replicate personal experiences. Ask your students to write about something they did or something that affected them. Then, validate their writing with follow-up questions. It won’t be too hard to separate those who are writing from the heart vs. those who enlisted outside assistance.

Potential prompts might include:

• What was your favorite experience over the summer?
• What is your favorite family tradition?
• What is one accomplishment from the past year that you’re most proud of?
• Write about what friendship means to you. Provide an example of a time when you were a good friend or someone was a good friend to you.
• What is your favorite place you’ve ever visited and why?
• What is one goal you want to achieve this year and how are you going to make it happen?

If you suspect a student of cheating on any of these assignments, you can further AI-proof this lesson by simply asking them questions that aren’t explicitly addressed in the text. When did this happen? What would you do differently next time? Who else was involved?

3) Get that Handwriting Practice In

One common thread emerging from science of reading legislation and state guidelines throughout the country is the need for more consistent explicit handwriting instruction as part of the daily routine ( example from Wisconsin’s Act 20 vendor rubric shown below ). While this is often emphasized in the early grades, it can also be a viable strategy with for those looking to AI-proof assignments for older students who might be more likely to turn to AI for assistance.

By requiring a handwritten first draft with in-class checkpoints, you can eliminate the possibility of AI assistance. Sure, savvy students might turn to AI for editing and polish, but that’s a skill we should probably be fostering and encouraging anyway. That’s not much different from autocorrect, which has been around for ages.

4) Localize It

Writing assignments based on school events or community happenings introduce obstacles that even the savviest students will have a hard time working around. Consider requiring students to write about their connections to the events. Did they participate in them? Do they know anyone who did?

One fun example we’ve heard from teachers is to build entire multidisciplinary units around writing prompts. You might, for example, explore a science or social studies topic as a whole-class, then assign group or individual projects to delve into different aspects of that topic. Ask students to write a three-part essay covering the preparation for the project or presentation, recapping how it went, and reflecting on what they learned. Not only is that the kind of thing ChatGPT can’t replicate, it’s also a fair approximation of many real-world writing applications.

5) Make it Multimedia

Not only is this a surefire way to AI-proof your lesson, it’s also something most students will find engaging. One approach this author has successfully tried with a group of fifth grade students was combining writing assignments with podcasts. Have students map out their key talking points, cite evidence, and script a powerful opening and conclusion. Then, give them free reign to have a brief conversation based on the research they’ve done. This works best in small groups of one, two, or three. There are many free podcasting options available. You can also “fake it” and avoid any privacy or security concerns by using a simple voice recorder.

Podcasts aren’t the only option. So many students now are already wrapped up in the streaming/YouTuber culture; why not give them an opportunity to be the star attraction? Script writing is still writing, and like the example in number 4, you can even incorporate some interdisciplinary topics to make the project even more impactful. Sure, it’s a little more work on the front end, but it’s a memorable experience. It can also help students feel more connected with their writing assignments.

Adjusting to a New Normal

As many predicted in the weeks and months following ChatGPT’s release, the fight against AI in the classroom is a losing battle. The long-term solution is not to catch and punish as many offenders as possible. We’ll need to change the way we approach instruction. Students have been cheating forever, with as many as 95% of high schoolers admitting to cheating in some capacity and 58% admitting to plagiarism in a 2002-2015 survey .

The key to curbing that behavior lies in understanding the motivations behind it. Weave ethical discussions into daily classroom routines. Keep students engaged by connecting with them on a deeper, more personal level. AI-proof your assignments and remove the incentives for cheating. The result will be a much clearer picture of your students’ proficiency and progress.

Stay ahead of the curve by staying on top of AI

What’s happening with AI in the classroom? How are district leaders supporting strong and meaningful adoptions? How can teachers and students leverage this powerful new technology in support of longstanding needs? Subscribe to EdTech Evolved to get articles like this delivered to your inbox every month.

eSpark is the #1 Writing Tutor for Elementary Students

eSpark Writing features high-interest topics, student choice for prompts, and AI-enabled, real-time feedback and instruction for grades 2-5. There’s no better way to incorporate independent writing assignments into your literacy blocks.

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Regular expression syntax cheat sheet

This page provides an overall cheat sheet of all the capabilities of RegExp syntax by aggregating the content of the articles in the RegExp guide. If you need more information on a specific topic, please follow the link on the corresponding heading to access the full article or head to the guide .

Character classes

Character classes distinguish kinds of characters such as, for example, distinguishing between letters and digits.

Assertions include boundaries, which indicate the beginnings and endings of lines and words, and other patterns indicating in some way that a match is possible (including look-ahead, look-behind, and conditional expressions).

Boundary-type assertions

Other assertions

Note: The ? character may also be used as a quantifier.

Groups and backreferences

Groups and backreferences indicate groups of expression characters.

Quantifiers

Quantifiers indicate numbers of characters or expressions to match.

Note: In the following, item refers not only to singular characters, but also includes character classes and groups and backreferences .

Quarto will use Pandoc to automatically generate citations and a bibliography in a number of styles. To use this capability, you will need:

A quarto document formatted with citations (see Citation Markdown ).

A bibliographic data source, for example a BibLaTeX ( .bib ) or BibTeX ( .bibtex ) file.

Optionally, a CSL file which specifies the formatting to use when generating the citations and bibliography (when not using natbib or biblatex to generate the bibliography).

Bibliography Files

Quarto supports bibliography files in a wide variety of formats including BibLaTeX and CSL. Add a bibliography to your document using the bibliography YAML metadata field. For example:

You can provide more than one bibliography file if you would like by setting the bibliography field’s value to a YAML array.

See the Pandoc Citations documentation for additional information on bibliography formats.

Citation Syntax

Quarto uses the standard Pandoc markdown representation for citations (e.g.  [@citation] ) — citations go inside square brackets and are separated by semicolons. Each citation must have a key, composed of ‘@’ + the citation identifier from the database, and may optionally have a prefix, a locator, and a suffix. The citation key must begin with a letter, digit, or _ , and may contain alphanumerics, _ , and internal punctuation characters ( :.#$%&-+?<>~/ ). Here are some examples:

You can also write in-text citations, as follows:

See the Pandoc Citations documentation for additional information on citation syntax.

Citation Style

Quarto uses Pandoc to format citations and bibliographies. By default, Pandoc will use the Chicago Manual of Style author-date format, but you can specify a custom formatting using CSL ( Citation Style Language ). To provide a custom citation stylesheet, provide a path to a CSL file using the csl metadata field in your document, for example:

You can find CSL files or learn more about using styles at the CSL Project . You can browse the list of more than 8,500 Creative Commons CSL definitions in the CSL Project’s central repository or Zotero’s style repository .

CSL styling is only available when the cite-method is citeproc (which it is by default). If you are using another cite-method , you can control the formatting of the references using the mechanism provided by that method.

Bibliography Generation

By default, Pandoc will automatically generate a list of works cited and place it in the document if the style calls for it. It will be placed in a div with the id refs if one exists:

If no such div is found, the works cited list will be placed at the end of the document.

If your bibliography is being generated using BibLaTeX or natbib ( Section 7 ), the bibliography will always appear at the end of the document and the #refs div will be ignored.

You can suppress generation of a bibliography by including suppress-bibliography: true option in your document metadata

Here’s an example of a generated bibliography:

Including Uncited Items

If you want to include items in the bibliography without actually citing them in the body text, you can define a dummy nocite metadata field and put the citations there:

In this example, the document will contain a citation for item3 only, but the bibliography will contain entries for item1 , item2 , and item3 .

It is possible to create a bibliography with all the citations, whether or not they appear in the document, by using a wildcard:

Using BibLaTeX or natbib

When creating PDFs, you can choose to use either the default Pandoc citation handling based on citeproc, or alternatively use natbib or BibLaTeX . This can be controlled using the cite-method option. For example:

The default is to use citeproc (Pandoc’s built in citation processor).

See the main article on using Citations with Quarto for additional details on citation syntax, available bibliography formats, etc.

When using natbib or biblatex you can specify the following additional options to affect how bibliographies are rendered: