A monograph It is a document written by one or several authors, which deals with a specific topic for which it collects the pertinent information from various sources. The monograph is the most common genre for the presentation of research, reflections and academic work in general.
Despite dealing with a single topic, a monograph deals with it from different points of view, trying to exhaust it as much as possible and provide the greatest amount of information to readers, in addition to the reflections and specific considerations of the author, taking into account their cultural tradition and their personal perspectives.
A monograph must be a systematic, complete and extensive work that supposes a contribution to the subject attached to a defined and rigorous research methodology.
Parts of a monograph
A monograph can contain as many chapters as desired, but the traditional structure of a monographic text consists of:
- Summary. Many monographs and even articles are preceded by an abstract, in which the reader is given a quick overview of the monograph’s content, usually accompanied by keywords that identify the main topics.
- Introduction. It is a kind of chapter zero, in which the reader is provided with the conceptual tools to approach the research topic, that is, so that he knows its context and has the necessary ideas to delve into the text and really understand what it is about. You can also provide methodological or bibliographic information that is relevant before starting the development.
- Developing. It is the main body and consists of several chapters in which the subject is “entered into the matter” and the research topic is approached from different angles, trying to cover it as much as possible and do it in an organized manner. For example, if you have three chapters, the usual thing is that to understand the second you must have read the first and so on, going from one side to the other.
- Conclusions. It is the closing of the investigation where the reader is given the possible answers found after having delved into the subject. It should work as a summary, but also provide a final perspective that will be the one that will leave its mark on the reader once the explanatory statement, interpretations and final arguments are finished.
- Bibliography. In this section, the bibliographical references are provided and the list of texts consulted, cited authors and all the reference material that served as support for the investigation is displayed. It is an important segment as it gives the reader the opportunity to learn more about the subject or go to the original sources of many ideas cited in the document.
- Annexes. In this final section is all the graphic, photographic or illustrative material (tables, graphs, etc.) that was mentioned during development and requires more space to be fully displayed and interpreted comfortably. They will be numbered and classified, so that they can be easily referred to in the text.
Examples of monographs
Given the length of a real monograph, we leave here the necessary links to visit monographic examples online:
- “Islamic fortification in the upper Douro versus Christian fortification in the upper Duero”. Manuel Retorce and Fernando Cobos
- “The antibiotics“. (Anonymous author)
- “Contribution of the slogan ‘firm hand, big heart’ to the triumph of Álvaro Uribe Vélez’s political campaign for the Presidency of the Republic of Colombia in 2002”. Andres Felipe Rangel Gomez
- “Study for the implementation of cultural tourist attractions in the Barranco de Cuenca”. Viviana Ramon Auquilla
- “Radiographic interpretation of pulp diseases in deciduous and permanent teeth”. Mautino Chang-Navarro
- “Hydraulic design of a rapid for the project: construction of the main channel of Fortaleza, Congas district, Ocros province, Ancash Region”. Palomino Bendezu, Julio
- Comprehensive health care model. Contribution from the practice of the residence of family and community medicine”. Dr. Diana Domenech
- “Monograph on alcoholism”. Dr. Francisco Pascual Pastor and Dr. Josep Guardia
- “School coexistence: a necessary, possible and complex task”. Mr. Norberto Daniel Ianni
- “View of an educational management for the specialized classroom of the Bachelor’s degree in child pedagogy-lpin in the University corporation minute of God-uniminute”. Luisa Fernanda Amaya García, Yulieth Andrea Ortíz Díaz, Martha Paola Osorio Guarín