Argumentative Research Paper
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Research Paper *
What is it?
A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition. It is, perhaps, helpful to think of the research paper as a living thing, which grows and changes as the student explores, interprets, and evaluates sources related to a specific topic. Primary and secondary sources are the heart of a research paper and provide its nourishment; without the support of and interaction with these sources, the research paper would morph into a different genre of writing (e.g., an encyclopedic article). The goal of a research paper is not to inform the reader what others have to say about a topic, but to draw on what others have to say about a topic and engage the sources in order to thoughtfully offer a unique perspective on the issue at hand.
The foundation of a good research paper is a good research question . Assuming you have your question well-defined, the comments below are intended to help you. If you don't have a question, it is imperative that you define one before beginning your research. The paper is to be analytical, not descriptive. So, you MUST have a question around which the paper will be organized.
The argumentative research paper consists of an introduction in which the writer clearly introduces the topic and informs his audience exactly which stance he intends to take; this stance is often identified as the thesis statement . An important goal of the argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the topic chosen should be debatable or controversial. For example, it would be difficult for a student to successfully argue in favor of the following stance.
Cigarette smoking poses medical dangers and may lead to cancer for both the smoker and those who experience secondhand smoke.
Perhaps 25 years ago this topic would have been debatable; however, today, it is assumed that smoking cigarettes is, indeed, harmful to one's health. A better thesis would be the following.
Although it has been proven that cigarette smoking may lead to sundry health problems in the smoker, the social acceptance of smoking in public places demonstrates that many still do not consider secondhand smoke as dangerous to one's health as firsthand smoke.
In this thesis, the writer is not challenging the current accepted stance that both firsthand and secondhand cigarette smoke is dangerous; rather, she is positive that the social acceptance of the latter over the former is indicative of a cultural double-standard of sorts. The student would support this thesis throughout her paper by means of both primary and secondary sources, with the intent to persuade her audience that her particular interpretation of the situation is viable.
Research papers are generally longer pieces of written work than other essays. Writing a research paper involves all of the steps for writing an essay plus some additional ones.
To write a research paper you must first do some research , that is, investigate your topic by reading about it in many different sources, including books, magazines, newspapers, and the Internet. In some cases you may also conduct interviews. The information you gather from these sources is then used to support the points you make in your paper.
Writing a research paper also involves documenting your sources of information in footnotes or endnotes. This way the reader knows where you got your information and can judge whether it is reliable.
Here are the steps to follow when writing a research paper.
1-Establish Your Topic
1. Try to pick a topic that's fun and interesting. If your topic genuinely interests you, chances are you'll enjoy spending time working on it and it won't seem like a chore.
2. Finding a topic can be difficult. Give yourself plenty of time to read and think about what you'd like to do. Trying to answer questions you have about a particular subject may lead you to a good paper idea.
· What subject(s) are you interested in?
· What interests you most about a particular subject?
· Is there anything you wonder about or are puzzled about with regard to that subject?
2- Look for Sources of Information
1. Take a trip to the library.
· Use the electronic catalogue or browse the shelves to look for books on your topic. If you find a book that is useful, check the bibliography (list of sources) in the back of that book for other books or articles on that topic.
· Also check indexes of periodicals and newspapers.
· Check with a librarian if you need help finding sources.
2. Try to use as many different types of sources as you can, including books, magazine articles, and internet articles. Don't rely on just one source for all your information.
3. Keep a list of all the sources that you use. Include the title of the source, the author, publisher, and place and date of publication. This is your preliminary, or draft, bibliography .
3-Read Your Sources and Take Notes
After you've gathered your sources, begin reading and taking notes.
1. Use 3 x 5 index cards, one fact or idea per card. This way related ideas from different sources can be easily grouped together or rearranged.
2. On each index card, be sure to note the source, including the volume number (if there is one) and the page number. If you wind up using that idea in your paper, you will have the information about the source ready to put in your footnote or endnote.
· If you copy something directly from a book without putting it in your own words, put quotation marks around it so that you know it is an exact quotation. This will help you to avoid plagiarism .
· Before you sit down to write your rough draft, organize your note cards by subtopic (you can write headings on the cards) and make an outline.
4- Organize Your Ideas
Using the information collected on the note cards, develop an outline to organize your ideas. An outline shows your main ideas and the order in which you are going to write about them. It's the bare bones of what will later become a fleshed-out written report.
1. Write down all the main ideas.
2. List the subordinate ideas below the main ideas.
3. Avoid any repetition of ideas.
5-Write a First Draft
Every essay or paper is made up of three parts:
1. The introduction is the first paragraph of the paper. It often begins with a general statement about the topic and ends with a more specific statement of the main idea of your paper. The purpose of the introduction is to:
· let the reader know what the topic is
· inform the reader about your point of view
· arouse the reader's curiosity so that he or she will want to read about your topic
2. The body of the paper consists of a number of paragraphs in which you develop your ideas in detail.
· Limit each paragraph to one main idea. (Don't try to talk about more than one idea per paragraph.)
· Prove your points continually by using specific examples and quotations from your note cards.
· Use transition words to ensure a smooth flow of ideas from paragraph to paragraph.
3. The conclusion is the last paragraph of the paper. Its purpose is to
· summarize your points, leaving out specific examples
· restate the main idea(thesis) of the paper
6- Use Endnotes to Document Sources
1. As you write your first draft, including the introduction, body, and conclusion, add the information or quotations on your note cards to support your ideas.
2. Use endnotes to identify the sources of this information.
· If you are using endnotes, the note will appear together with all other notes on a separate page at the end of your report (Works Cited page).
7- Write a Bibliography (Works Cited)
A bibliography is a list of the sources you used to get information for your paper. It is included at the end of your paper, on the last page.
You will find it easier to prepare your final bibliography if you keep track of each book, encyclopaedia, or article you use as you are reading and taking notes. Start a preliminary, or draft, bibliography by listing on a separate sheet of paper all your sources. Note down the full title, author, place of publication, publisher, and date of publication for each source.
Also, every time a fact gets recorded on a note card, its source should be noted in the top right corner. When you are finished writing your paper, you can use the information on your note cards to double-check your bibliography.
When assembling a final bibliography, list your sources (texts, articles, interviews, and so on) in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources that don't have authors (encyclopaedias, movies) should be alphabetized by title.
8-Revise the First Draft
1. Try to set aside your draft for a day or two before revising. This makes it easier to view your work objectively and see any gaps or problems.
2. Revising involves 1) rethinking your ideas, 2) refining your arguments, 3) reorganizing paragraphs, and 4) rewording sentences.
3. Read your paper out loud. This sometimes makes it easier to identify writing that is awkward or unclear.
4. Have somebody else read the paper and tell you if there's anything that's unclear or confusing.
9- Proofread the Final Draft
1. Look for careless errors such as misspelled words and incorrect punctuation and capitalization .
2. Errors are harder to spot on a computer screen than on paper. If you type your paper on a computer, print out a copy to proofread. Remember, spell checkers and grammar checkers don't always catch errors, so it is best not to rely on them too much.
Academic Argument Essay
Length: 5-7 pages, Times New Roman 12 pt. font, 1-inch margins.
Minimum of five cited sources: 3 must be from academic journals or books.
NOTE: Be always prepared to show me the hard copies of your sources. Keep good notes. Be sure you have records on the title of the article, the title of the journal, the author/s names, date of publication, page numbers and other information required on your reference page and in your in-text citation, plus the key points from the source. Identify whether you are paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting.
Map for Research Paper
Introduction:
Introduction is the first paragraph of the paper. It often begins with a general statement about the topic and ends with a more specific statement of the main idea of your paper.
1-Background information (6 sentences) about your topic
2- Introduce your topic
a-let the reader knows what the topic is
b-arouse the reader's curiosity so that he or she will want to read about your topic
3- Introduce your research question
One might ask the following question: Research question?
4-State your thesis/ your position: (inform the reader about your point of view).
1. Body: The body of the paper follows the introduction. It consists of several paragraphs in which you develop your ideas in detail.
A- A-Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that includes one of the reasons behind your thesis.
1-Explain it
2-Support it with outside sources (direct quotation, summary, or paraphrase). Don’t forget to give citation to your source.
3-Give your insight
B-Limit each paragraph to one main idea. (Don't try to talk about more than one idea per paragraph.)
C- Prove your points continually by using specific examples and quotations from your note cards.
D-Use transition words to ensure a smooth flow of ideas from paragraph to paragraph.
Conclusion:
The conclusion is the last paragraph of the paper. Its purpose is to
· summarize your points, leaving out specific examples
· restate the main idea(thesis) of the paper
· Research Proposal : 1/4/ 2021
· (See Handout)
· Annotated Bibliography: 1/ 18/ 2021
· (See Handout)
· Research Paper due: 3/2/2021
*Adapted from fact monster and The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University