Conference papers allow academics to present their research and work in front of a wider audience. However, writing a conference paper for the first time can be challenging since most beginners are unfamiliar with the paper’s format and purpose.

In this article, we will discuss how to write a conference paper.

What Is a Conference Paper?

A conference paper is a document that outlines a researcher’s oral presentation at a conference. The paper informs the audience of the contents of a research paper by highlighting its key details.

It acts as a guide for people who are unable to attend the conference in person, allowing them to review the key points of the research. If the papers are generated after a particular conference, the questions asked during the presentation showcase key points addressed during the conference.

How to Write a Conference Paper Step by Step

Every conference paper is unique since the research it presents should be unique as well. However, this basic process for how to write a conference paper will help you create a working draft.

Clarify Your Intentions

Before writing the conference paper, you must clarify what you want to communicate through your paper. Outline the key elements of your research or list your thesis statement. Doing so will allow you to craft a comprehensive purpose statement for your conference paper.

The purpose statement clearly describes what your research or study is exploring. In qualitative research, it discusses the central concept, whereas, in quantitative research, it compares measurable variables.

For instance, a qualitative psychological study on the career development of first-generation immigrants in the United States would be as follows:

The present paper details a qualitative study of career development of 20 high-achieving first-generation immigrant women in the United States. It covers the career progression of these women across 10 different occupational fields. The goal of this study is to discover the main influences that helped these women attain career progression and professional success.

Know Your Audience

You need to understand your audience to make your conference paper engaging. To tailor the paper according to your audience, you must ask yourself some questions.

Firstly, what does your audience already know about the topic? Are you presenting it to your peers? Moreover, you must learn the concerns related to that particular topic or audience in general. Lastly, you must identify whether relevant topics are critical to your research.

Learning audience interests allows you to list key points that connect with your audience and keep them engaged. Likewise, you can connect your research with the pain points of your target audience, proving its importance and relevancy.

Make an Outline from Your Oral Presentation

Create an outline of your research paper as you plan your oral presentation. An outline helps you in two ways:

  • An outline helps you organize your thoughts for the oral presentation.
  • An outline gives you a solid foundation to review and revise your research paper based on relevant questions pointed out at the end of the conference.

Write the Introduction

The next step is to write an introduction that captures the reader’s interest and engages with them effectively. Your conference paper is aimed at people who haven’t listened to your oral presentation. Therefore, in the initial section of the paper, describe what you want to share or prove in your research.

Expand on the Oral Presentation

Use the outline to start writing your first draft. With time, you can start adding more details connected to your research. In most cases, such details are minimized in oral presentations. The conference paper must include all relevant information that led you to your findings.

Moreover, you must support your claims using data from the conference paper. By backing up your arguments with your data, you will strengthen your argument and keep readers interested and engaged.

Give Your Conclusion and Results

The conclusion and results section of your conference paper will have similar content as your oral presentation. Therefore, it must include relevant evidence that backs your results.

While writing the conclusion of your conference paper, make sure that you comment on the future direction of the research and discuss possible follow-up work. You must solely focus on the work orally presented during the conference.

Include References

Never forget to include a reference to all sources you have used. You can cite the results of relevant sources to clarify the problem you are investigating in your research. The more authentic and trusted studies you cite, the more reliable your research will be considered. A comprehensive references section showcases that your research is novel and original.

Learning how to write an engaging and informative conference paper is essential to demonstrate your expertise as an accomplished academic. If you want to learn more tips on academic writing, follow our website.