1) Literature review (summarize what others have written).
2) Original data analysis. Data analysis is the process of systematically applying statistical and/or logical techniques to describe and illustrate, condense and recap, and evaluate data. Techniques may include sums, differences, averages, correlation, distribution, skew, compare/contrast, spatial comparison, etc. It is not enough to simply summarize the data someone else collected. The data used in original research should be presented in the text, supported by at least one graphical summary such as a pie chart, bar graph, or line graph properly inserted into the paper.
3) Critical analysis: The use of both library research and original data analysis used as evidence to reach a conclusion that answers the research question.
