The Research Essay. Only for Quality!

Strategies for Writing a Research Essay

To begin this assignment, you’ll want to first think of a research topic. You’ll want to narrow your focus to an issue addressed or explored throughout our year-long discussion. Talk to your instructor about possible topics. Your research essay might focus on ethical arguments, proposal arguments, cause/effect arguments, classification arguments, or arguments of definition.

Once you have narrowed down a research topic, you need to construct a series of questions that you will attempt to answer throughout your research. You may not know the answers to these questions, but you probably won't. That's a good thing because your research is an opportunity for you to investigate the answers.

When considering research questions, you might focus on issues specific to a particular time, place, media, or circumstance. You can transition from your research topic to your research questions by narrowing your focus and looking at what would make your research "original."

Coming up with an “original topic” might mean:

· You frame your research topic within a particular time. This topic is relevant and original because I’m focusing on recent advancements and concerns.

· You frame your research topic by examining particular examples. This topic is relevant and original because I’m focusing on these specific examples.

· You go against the grain. This topic is relevant and original because I’m going to present counter-arguments that are often overlooked or dismissed.

· You frame your research topic by examining specific locations. This topic is relevant and original because I’m focusing my research on North Texas.

Also, think about how you can construct specific research questions by avoiding questions that have simple “yes” or “no” answers. Instead, construct your research questions so that they start with “what,” “how,” and “why.” So, rather than a research report on homelessness, consider research questions that are specific to time, location, and/or media. Research questions that move beyond merely summarizing a topic and that move toward presenting an original argument might look something like this:

· How are organic foods discussed in news articles throughout the past five years?

· Why is the news coverage of organic foods relevant?

· And, how do these news stories shape the public opinion and, in turn, shape public policy?

When narrowing your research topic, consider alternative research methods to explore the issue from an original or unique perspective by developing questionnaires; conducting interviews; engaging in close readings of film, television, or social media; or crafting and distributing surveys. While you’ll need to include scholarly research from the TCCD library databases to locate your topic in a broader conversation and support your claims, you can also use other research methods to develop a more robust and original focus.