Writing Your Research Paper

Part IIFocusing Your Research Paper

By Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

Your research is finished. Congratulations!

But don’t start writing your paper just yet.

Good writers always start with a plan.

Your first task is to plan the structure of your research paper.

Here’s the plan that many instructors prefer. (Be sure, of course, to find out exactly how YOUR instructor wants your paper to be done.)

A writing plan always begins with a thesis.

A thesis is a sentence that states your main point.

It forms the basis for your entire paper.

The thesis does the “heavy lifting” in your research paper.

It goes on your first page.

Your thesis drives your paper.

Without a thesis, all you have is a jumble of ideas.

If you’re not sure whether you have a thesis for your paper…

…that’s an emergency!

You need to talk with your instructor or a librarian right away.

Let’s try a real-life example of how a thesis works.

Imagine a teenager who wants her parents to help her buy a used car.

Here’s what she’s saying to them:

Her point would come across better if she organized her ideas. First she needs to state her main point (her thesis):

“I need your help to buy a used car.”

She should support her thesis with three convincing points:

I need your help to buy a used car.

I’ve been driving for a year now without a single violation.

I’ll be more helpful at home if I have my own car.

I’ve already saved half the money I’ll need.

And she should put her most convincing point last: “I’ll be more helpful at home if I have my own car.” (Her parents will like that idea!)

I need your help to buy a used car.

I’ve been driving for a year now without a single violation.

I’ve already saved half the money I’ll need.

I’ll be more helpful at home if I have my own car.

You’ll learn more about supporting ideas in the next presentation, “Organizing Your Research Paper.”

Right now let’s concentrate on how to write a thesis.

A thesis:must be a complete sentence:

Benefits of Attending Preschool XPreschools teach young children important skills. ✓must not contain two contradictory ideas:Inmates should have to work, but businesses worry

about competition from cheap inmate labor. XInmates should learn a trade in prison. ✓

A thesis:must be a statement, not a question:

Was Reagan’s amnesty program a success? XThe US benefited from Reagan’s decision to grant

amnesty to undocumented workers. ✓must be an idea, not a fact:

President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863. X

The Emancipation Proclamation helped the North win the Civil War. ✓

A thesis must be an idea that you can unpack with...

data factsexamplesproofsanecdotesquotations from

experts

It should have a KEYWORD that will serve as the focus for the entire research paper.

Thesis: Preschools teach important skills to young children.

Keyword: skills

Thesis: Inmates should learn a trade in prison.Keyword: trade

Thesis: The US benefited from Reagan’s decision to grant amnesty to undocumented workers.

Keyword: benefited

Thesis: The Emancipation Proclamation helped the North win the Civil War.

Keyword: win

In the next presentation, we’re going to use this thesis to build a plan for a research paper about ragtime music:

The keyword is changed.

Here’s the plan for writing the paper.It features a thesis and supporting ideas.

Notice that each supporting idea is about how ragtime CHANGED American musical history.

You can read the entire ragtime paper free at www.ragtimeresearchpaper.com.

Please take a few minutes to look at it! You’ll see how it’s organized and how all the parts work together.

Be sure to watch all the parts in the Writing Your Research Paper series at

www.ResearchPaperSteps.com.

I Researching Your TopicII Focusing Your Research Paper

III Organizing Your Research PaperIV Drafting Your Research Paper

V Documenting Your Sources

If you need to sharpen your writing skills…

…go to Amazon.com for a free preview of What Your English Teacher Didn’t Tell You by Jean Reynolds, Ph.D.

And remember to check out the free resources at www.WritewithJean.com.