contributors: jack raymond baker, allen brizee, ashley velбzquez. This handout provides detailed information about how to write research papers including discussing research papers as a genre, choosing topics, and finding sources. There will come a time in most students' careers when they are assigned a research paper. Such an assignment often creates a great deal of unneeded anxiety in the student, which may result in procrastination and a feeling of confusion and inadequacy. This anxiety frequently stems from the fact that many students are unfamiliar and inexperienced with this genre of writing.

Never fear mdash inexperience and unfamiliarity are situations you can change through practice! writing a research paper is an essential aspect of academics and should not be avoided on account of one's anxiety. In fact, the process of writing a research paper can be one of the more rewarding experiences one may encounter in academics. What is more, many students will continue to do research throughout their careers, which is one of the reasons this topic is so important. Becoming an experienced researcher and writer in any field or discipline takes a great deal of practice. Remember, even the most seasoned academic veterans have had to learn how to write a research paper at some point in their career.

Therefore, with diligence, organization, practice, a willingness to learn and to make mistakes! , and, perhaps most important of all, patience, a student will find that she can achieve great things through her research and writing. This handout will include the following sections related to the process of writing a research paper: genre this section will provide an overview for understanding the difference between an analytical and argumentative research paper. choosing a topic this section will guide the student through the process of choosing topics, whether the topic be one that is assigned or one that the student chooses himself. identifying an audience this section will help the student understand the often times confusing topic of audience by offering some basic guidelines for the process.

where do i begin this section concludes the handout by offering several links to resources at purdue, and also provides an overview of the final stages of writing a research paper. contributors: jack raymond baker, allen brizee, ashley velбzquez. A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition.

It is, perhaps, helpful to think of the research paper as a living thing, which grows and changes as the student explores, interprets, and evaluates sources related to a specific topic. Primary and secondary sources are the heart of a research paper, and provide its nourishment without the support of and interaction with these sources, the research paper would morph into a different genre of writing e.g. The research paper serves not only to further the field in which it is written, but also to provide the student with an exceptional opportunity to increase her knowledge in that field.

A research paper is not simply an informed summary of a topic by means of primary and secondary sources. It is neither a book report nor an opinion piece nor an expository essay consisting solely of one's interpretation of a text nor an overview of a particular topic. Instead, it is a genre that requires one to spend time investigating and evaluating sources with the intent to offer interpretations of the texts, and not unconscious regurgitations of those sources. The goal of a research paper is not to inform the reader what others have to say about a topic, but to draw on what others have to say about a topic and engage the sources in order to thoughtfully offer a unique perspective on the issue at hand.

two major types of research papers.

the argumentative research paper consists of an introduction in which the writer clearly introduces the topic and informs his audience exactly which stance he intends to take this stance is often identified as the thesis statement. An important goal of the argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the topic chosen should be debatable or controversial.

Law of Persons Past Exam Papers

For example, it would be difficult for a student to successfully argue in favor of the following stance. Cigarette smoking poses medical dangers and may lead to cancer for both the smoker and those who experience secondhand smoke. Perhaps 25 years ago this topic would have been debatable however, today, it is assumed that smoking cigarettes is, indeed, harmful to one's health. Although it has been proven that cigarette smoking may lead to sundry health problems in the smoker, the social acceptance of smoking in public places demonstrates that many still do not consider secondhand smoke as dangerous to one's health as firsthand smoke. In this sentence, the writer is not challenging the current accepted stance that both firsthand and secondhand cigarette smoke is dangerous rather, she is positing that the social acceptance of the latter over the former is indicative of a cultural double standard of sorts. The student would support this thesis throughout her paper by means of both primary and secondary sources, with the intent to persuade her audience that her particular interpretation of the situation is viable.

Argumentative Essay Huck Finn

The analytical research paper often begins with the student asking a question a.k.a. He has read the poem intently and desires to offer a fresh reading of the poem to the academic community. How should one interpret the poem beowulf ? his research may lead him to the following conclusion. beowulf is a poem whose purpose it was to serve as an exemplum of heterodoxy for tenth and eleventh century monastic communities. Though his topic may be debatable and controversial, it is not the student's intent to persuade the audience that his ideas are right while those of others are wrong. Instead, his goal is to offer a critical interpretation of primary and secondary sources throughout the paper sources that should, ultimately, buttress his particular analysis of the topic.

The following is an example of what his thesis statement may look like once he has completed his research. Though beowulf is often read as a poem that recounts the heroism and supernatural exploits of the protagonist beowulf, it may also be read as a poem that served as an exemplum of heterodoxy for tenth and eleventh century monastic communities found in the danelaw. This statement does not negate the traditional readings of beowulf instead, it offers a fresh and detailed reading of the poem that will be supported by the student's research.

Dissertation Phd Philosophy

It is typically not until the student has begun the writing process that his thesis statement begins to take solid form. In fact, the thesis statement in an analytical paper is often more fluid than the thesis in an argumentative paper. Such is one of the benefits of approaching the topic without a predetermined stance.

Papers on Operating System

The first step of any research paper is for the student to understand the assignment. If this is not done, the student will often travel down many dead end roads, wasting a great deal of time along the way. Do not hesitate to approach the instructor with questions if there is any confusion.

A clear understanding of the assignment will allow you to focus on other aspects of the process, such as choosing a topic and identifying your audience. A student will often encounter one of two situations when it comes to choosing a topic for a research paper. The first situation occurs when the instructor provides a list of topics from which the student may choose. These topics have been deemed worthy by the instructor therefore, the student should be confident in the topic he chooses from the list.