Research Papers

A research paper can be an intimidating project for any student. However, by following a clear plan of action and understanding the parts of a paper, it can be a manageable and enjoyable process. Think of this as a roadmap. A person cannot drive down the street and expect to end up at his or her final destination. The driver needs a map, a plan to get where he or she wants to go. Similarly, if a writer understands the basic principles of research papers and plans out the project ahead of time, he or she will end up at the final destination—a great paper.

So What Is the Point?

By understanding the objectives for these kinds of assignments, writers will be able to figure out how this all fits together. In fact, the skills that a person learns while researching and writing will be invaluable in other courses, as well as in his or her future career.

The objectives for writing research papers are:

To make and defend a reasoned argument
To display critical and analytical thinking
To find and correctly use credible sources to further the argument
To correctly cite sources so other researchers can find and use those sources for their research
To write a coherent, well-organized, grammatically correct paper

If a writer understands the objectives for the project, then it will make more sense as he or she is working on it.

How Does One Get Started?

Identify the research question.
The research question is the question that the paper will answer. For example, if writing a history paper about Napoleon, the writer might want to know about Napoleon’s childhood and its impact on his life. The research question would be: “How did Napoleon’s childhood affect the success of his military career?” The research question can then be transformed into a thesis statement.

Research Question: How did Napoleon’s childhood affect the success of his military career?

Thesis: Napoleon’s difficult childhood had a detrimental impact on his military career.

All of the points in the paper would then be used to substantiate or prove the thesis statement.
Decide what points should be made in the paper.
Remember, only one point per paragraph. Creating an outline ahead of time allows the writer to focus the research and ignore information that does not apply to the topic.

Example outline:
1. Introduction
2. Early childhood events
  1. Facts
  2. How it affected his military career
3. Relationship with father
4. Conclusion
With limited time, writers should not wander aimlessly through the library. Planning keeps the research focused.
Draw up a timeline.
Be sure to follow the timeline to ensure that enough time is available to revise, edit, and proofread the work before turning it in for a grade.

Writing the Paper

A major problem many students encounter is not understanding how the points should fit together to form a whole. Think of the paper like a math problem: all of the parts add up to form a conclusion, just as 1 + 1 + 1 = 3.

Example structure:

Introduction
1. Background
2. Research question (what the writer is trying to prove). The thesis statement is the answer to this question.
Point 1
1. Evidence
2. Sources
3. Significance
Point 2
1. Evidence
2. Sources
3. Significance
Point 3
1. Evidence
2. Sources
3. Significance
Conclusion
Tie all points together. Think of this as the “therefore” of the paper.

Within Each Point

It is not enough to simply present evidence; writers must explain their reasoning to the reader. For example, suppose a writer argues that the moon is made of cheese. The evidence might be that the moon is round, yellow, and has holes in it. If the paragraph ends there, the reader has not been convinced.

The writer must explain how the evidence proves the point. An explanation connects the evidence back to the thesis. One way to test this is to ask: if you explained your point out loud to a friend, does everything you said appear in the paragraph? If not, the reasoning has not been fully explained.

Good Strategies and Pitfalls to Avoid

Good Strategies

Prepare in advance
Make a plan and stick to it
Use an outline to keep the paper organized
Use credible sources to support ideas
Incorporate quotes effectively
Talk with the instructor about specific questions
Leave time to revise

Avoid

Waiting until the last minute
Plagiarism—always cite sources correctly in the paper and on the Works Cited page
Informal language, slang, or first- and second-person pronouns
Saying too much—keep the topic narrow

Notice how each point in the paper directly relates to and helps prove the thesis statement. The smaller points add up to the overall project. If a paragraph does not support the thesis, it does not belong in the paper.