The Research Paper
Writing a research paper is an important skill for all college students. Going forward, many of you will continue to do research in your careers, so learning how to conduct thorough research is important. As we have already learned with our essays, writing a research paper isn’t about talent; it’s about skill. Follow this guideline, step by step, and build your research paper.
Research
A research paper is the culmination of research, critical thinking, evaluation, organization, and composition. Utilizing both primary and secondary sources is absolutely critical to the success of a research paper. The research paper not only provides a detailed report of the subject, but it also propels the student to increase their knowledge within the field.
A research paper is not a simple rewriting of facts and statistics, nor is it an opinion piece based solely of one's interpretation of a text or combinations of texts on a particular topic. Instead, it is an endeavor that demands the student to research and evaluate sources. Do not simply inform the reader on what others have to say about your topic, but, instead, learn from a variety of sources until the material is ingrained in your mind so that you not only have a comprehensive understanding of your topic, but begin to think critically about that subject and develop your own unique perspective—one that you must convey in the writing of the research paper.
Two Types of Research Papers:
Argumentative Research Paper
The primary goal of the argumentative research paper is to persuade the reader, which means the topic chosen should be debatable and contain an element of opinion. You must support your thesis throughout your paper with evidence supplied by cited sources, and with the intent to persuade the reader that your opinion is well researched, viable, and presented thoughtfully.
Analytical Research Paper:
The analytical research paper often begins with the student asking a research question on which they have no personal opinion. This type of research paper is an exercise in exploration and evaluation. For example, this type of research paper is often used when evaluating literature or art.
Though the topic may be debatable, it is not your job to persuade the reader, but rather display a deep understanding of the subject from close reading and understanding of citable sources.
It is possible and understandable that you may not have a clear thesis statement when you begin your research. And, often times, from your research, you may change your thesis statement based on the knowledge you’ve gained.
Where do I begin?
Research
You should not begin writing your first draft until you have done an adequate amount of research and engaged in prewriting to discover your unique perspective on the subject; otherwise, you will end up writing without a purpose or direction, wasting valuable time, which could lead to becoming discouraged and overwhelmed. Your thesis statement is your guide; always follow it.
Prewriting
Once you have gathered an adequate amount of sources, and completed several hours of research, you many then begin prewriting. At this point, you should engage in whichever form of prewiring helps you best, perhaps even a combination of several methods. It is crucial that you do not attempt to skip the prewriting stage, as this is the stage in which you will begin to see the larger picture, and make connections that you might have missed, otherwise.
Outlining
The next step, outlining, helps to organize your main points, thoughts, opinions, and research. Some students like to outline out every point and thought, while others just like to make a basic outline. This is a personal choice and you should do what works best for you.
Drafting
Finally, you are ready to compose a first draft. Use the skills and rules that you’ve learned in class to build your research paper. Write your thesis and use it as your guide. Choose the main points that you will attempt to prove in the body of your paragraphs, and write out your topic sentences for each of your main points. Make sure they all serve to prove your thesis. Just like how your topic sentences have usually been the first sentences in each of your topic paragraphs for your essays, your topic sentences will now be the most important sentences for each of your sections, which can and should, be longer than a single paragraph for a research paper. Use an abundance of evidence to prove your topic sentences. This is a research paper, after all, and the amount of sources included will have a direct impact on the success of your writing.
Then, write an introduction and a conclusion by using the handout that we used in class.
What are the Next Steps?
Revising, Editing, and Proofreading
Revising is the process consisting of:
• Major, sweeping, changes to the various drafts of a project
• Thoughtful evaluation of word choice and sentence structure
• The paring down of sentences, paragraphs and even large chunks of text
• Evaluation of the entire text and how it serves the thesis statement, and the topic sentences of each topic paragraph
Editing includes the following:
• Analysis of tone and voice of the research paper
• Correction of minor errors and typos
• Assessment of the flow of thought between paragraphs
Proofreading is the final stage in the writing process, and consists of a detailed, final reread in order to find any mistakes that may have been overlooked in the previous revisions.
Guidelines:
• MLA Format
• 2500-3000 Words
• Cited Sources in Body
• Cited Sources Section (MLA)
• Minimum of 1 Cited Sources Per Topic Paragraph
• Late Papers Will Not be Accepted