Research essay

Basic Planning for Research

Step 1:

Choose your Topic

What topic or issues have you read or discussed in school that might make for an argument?

What issues or controversies in your school, community, state, or nation have attracted your interest?

What trends or movements might have a direct impact on you or those you love?

Step 2:

Develop a Slant/Angle/Hook

What aspects of your indicated issues are most important? Why?

What aspects of your indicated issues are most interesting? Why?

What ideas or insights do you have that others seem not to have noticed or seem to undervalue?

Step 3:

Brainstorm, Discuss, Research

What sources are like to provide the most accurate and authoritative support for the argument?

What specific details, facts, etc, are likely to make your argument convincing?

Step 4:

Outline your Essay

**Choose the appropriate outlining techniques you deem vital to conveying your argument (remember this is the preliminary stages of planning so no research has been performed as of yet).

Step 5:

First Draft

**Compose a first draft only using the information you have gathered from your prior knowledge, observations, reasoning, and understanding.

Researching for Your Essay

Step 1:

Choose Your Topic

Step 2:

Draft a Thesis

Step 3:

Draft a Preliminary Outline

Step 4:

Conduct Your Research

Step 5:

First (Real) Draft

Step 6:

Peer Edit

What is this writer’s purpose?

What is this writer’s thesis?

What key points has the writer identified to clarify the thesis?

What key points has the writer identified to support the thesis? Does the writer effectively prove the thesis?

Step 7:

Revised/ Final Draft