Research Paper Assignment

General Introduction Pattern

An introduction should not be something that takes a lot of time, and it should also be short in length (typically under five sentences). However, there are some key points that should always be covered in an introduction to follow the deductive pattern of writing and get the essay off to a great start. The following sentences should always be considered when writing an introduction:

Hook (Recommended for the Research Essay)

An essay can always begin with a hook, which could be a quotation or story that grabs the reader’s attention. It could also be a question or interesting comment. Remember, the hook must fit accurately with the topic of your essay and should never exceed two sentences.

1) Option #1: Write down the quote. No other explanation provided.

“Stop the count!” – Donald Trump on Twitter

2) Option #2: Write down the quote and include the context (where/when, etc.).

“Stop the count!” was a message that was sent out on Twitter in November 2020 by Donald Trump, who was seeking to stop mail-in votes from being counted towards the total number of votes for Joe Biden, his opponent.

Introductory Sentence (Required)

The introductory sentence is the first sentence that must be included in any essay. Typically, the introductory sentence should answer the general purpose or theme of why you are writing the essay. Ask yourself the question: “Why does my professor want me to write an essay about this issue/topic?” Remember, this sentence should be written generally.

In claiming that mail-in votes should not count and that counting such votes would constitute election fraud, Trump sought to bring his supporters together for a cause that would not be considered factual, thereby creating his own version of “fake news”.

Topic Sentence (Required)

After writing about the theme/purpose of the essay, the topic sentence should introduce your specific topic, along with a comment about the relationship of the specific topic to the theme/purpose of the essay. This sentence should not get into too much detail about the topic, which will be shared in the rest of the essay.

While the idea of fake news is not new, it has become more prominent and difficult to spot in the era of social media.

Thesis Statement (Required) PTOCR

The thesis statement states the opinion that is being taken on the issue/topic, along with an academic concept/idea to give the essay focus. Key words that will hold the essay together must be used in this sentence.

Perspective

Topic

Opinion

Concept

Roadmap (causes or effects)

From a psychological perspective, the issue of fake news in the United States requires the politicians to push for tougher laws because of its tendency to spread easily through social media through the following causes: the increasing number of fake news websites, a lack of vetting individuals of authority, one’s tendency of not questioning what is published, and the prominence of “bots”.

The Thesis Statement

When you are drafting your thesis statement for any kind of research paper, it is significant to consider all of the following features.

The thesis statement:

· Considers a specific perspective – generally, don’t look at multiple perspectives but rather limit to one/two (i.e. Sociological, Economic, or Socioeconomic)

RUAH: The Quadrants of Human Experience ( Mind Sociological & Political Human Creation/ Invention or Constructs Soul Religious & Spiritual Things that are believed but cannot be proven with senses Heart Psychology Feelings & Emotions Strength Biological & Scientific Experienced only through the senses )

· Limits the topic – a specific topic, appropriate to the essay length, with necessary limitations

Consider: specific group of people, age, place, time, condition, situation, type

· Develops an Opinion – take one side (avoid advantages and disadvantages) unless your question asks you to examine both. The opinion may be strong, as in argumentative essay; or may be created simply by the connections you make

To test for opinion, ask yourself, “would everyone agree?” If the answer is “No,” then you have an opinion

One idea for developing an opinion is to consider the idea of responsibility (Who causes the problems? Who should fix the problems?) for an issue. In this sense, you could consider the following social levels, which would also help you to determine at least one of your perspectives:

After your research, who do you think is MOST responsible for the issue?

· Society (sociological perspective)

· Government (political perspective)

· Industry (Business) (economic perspective)

· One specific group within society

Second question to ask is: What is the solution? What do you think should be done to address the issue?

· Connects with a concept – an academic idea/concept should always be included with the development of the opinion. This should be used as the THESIS KEY WORD to focus the paragraphs in the essay.

One thing to consider is that your concept is almost always learned through your research, and should be something that is theoretical (a university level, scholarly/academic idea). Did you learn a new idea/concept that you think describes why the issue occurs? Is there a common theoretical idea amongst several of the articles you have read that you agree with? If yes, then this would be a great idea for the concept.

· Lists the roadmap – The roadmap needs to include at least four causes or effects.

Thesis statement formula:

From a ________ perspective, specific topic + your opinion + (BECAUSE) connection to concept + (THROUGH, IN, WITH, BY) the following (CAUSES/EFFECTS): roadmap.

Thesis Statement Vocabulary

Avoid: Use:

People Specific, narrow topic such as “young, unmarried men” or “Korean couples”

Important State what makes it important or significant

Significant

Similar Be more specific. It is not enough to say that

Different things are similar or different. Why?

Good Use more specific, scholarly words such as effective or ineffective

Bad

Problem (Use the word issue instead)

Things

Advantages/ Be more specific.

Disadvantages For example, “improved communication, increased empathy, and deeper spiritual development”

Causes/Makes Use more scholarly words that show the actual relationship. Here are some examples:

· X and Y are mutually beneficial.

· X and Y are correlated.

· X tends to improve Y.

· The root cause of X is Y.

· X is foundational.

Background Paragraph(s)

A background paragraph/section is a necessary element of most university essays. Academic writing often requires a definition of key words and terms that goes beyond what can fit in an introduction, so background information that generally defines the topic should be placed in a paragraph (or section, for longer essays) that immediately follows the introduction.

COMMON FEATURES OF A BACKGROUND PARAGRAPH

· The background paragraph should generally be shorter than a body paragraph (i.e. if a body paragraph is 7-11 sentences, a background paragraph should be 3-5 sentences).

· The information used should define the main topic and should be researched (i.e. citations/references) and factual (descriptive information about the topic, not opinion about the topic, which is what the body paragraph is for).

· The information should be paraphrased (written in your own words), not “quoted” (i.e., it should not be copied directly from the sources used). It does NOT need to be introduced with context (Citations are sufficient).

· The information can come from only one source, but more commonly comes from several different sources to prove effective researching skills.

· At the end of a background paragraph/section, at least one sentence must be written that transitions from the background information to the thesis.

STEPS FOR WRITING A BACKGROUND PARAGRAPH

1. As you research, make notes of the most valuable factual/descriptive information for understanding the topic.

2. Pretend that your reader has no knowledge of your topic. What information would they need to generally understand what it is and how it relates to your opinion/reasons.

** Definitions **

3. Do not share all the details you discover about the topic—instead, choose 3-4 of the most valuable/interest pieces of evidence.

4. Write the information out in your own words, begin with the most general and then move to the most specific.

** Historical Events **

5. Transition words such as “Moreover”, “In addition”, “Additionally”, and “Consequently” are all helpful to move smoothly from one point to the next.

** Factual Information **

6. The last sentence is a “Transition Sentence”. Using the thesis key word (or better, a synonym of the thesis key word), transition to the body paragraphs by rephrasing the thesis in a different, more simplified way. Do not restate the thesis exactly, and do not restate the assertion key words.

ADDING A SECOND BACKGROUND PARAGRAPH (OPTIONAL)

For longer essays, it is common to add more than one background paragraph (if you have read long academic journal articles you probably noticed background sections called “literature reviews” that are 3-4 pages long). For an essay that is 6 pages or longer, consider using a second background paragraph by focusing the first paragraph on the general topic, and the second on the limited (narrow) topic.

For example:

IF: The topic of the research essay is the increasing trend of suicide among seniors in South Korea-

THEN: First background paragraph Definitions (e.g. who is considered to be a “senior”), historical background (e.g. aging parents and grandparents used to be left alone on the mountain to die – often by choice)

Second background paragraph Discuss the trend of suicide among all age groups in South Korea and discuss EITHER causes or effects (depending on your roadmap)

Body Paragraph 2 continued….

Body Paragraph 1

Introduction

Background Paragraph 1

*General Topic

*Can be longer if only one background paragraph used (approx 6-9 complex sentences)

*Last Sentence is transition to specific topic.

Body Paragraph 3

Background Paragraph 2

(optional)

*Specific Topic

*If two background paragraphs are used, they should be approximately 4-6 sentences

*Last sentence is transition to the body paragraphs

Body Paragraph 2