Persuasive Research Paper

Persuasive Research Paper

"The important thing is not to stop questioning."
Albert Einstein

A research paper requires that you focus on a particular subject, develop a claim or thesis, and support your position with convincing evidence: background information, facts, statistics, descriptions, and results of interviews or surveys.

For a research paper, you use the same techniques and strategies you used earlier - remembering, observing, evaluating, and investigating. Your paper should present your view of the topic, but you need to read, think, and reflect on the topic and on the sources you have read before you construct your thesis statement.

The research paper is a project that will take more of your thought and effort than the papers you have written to this point, and you might feel overwhelmed at times as you plan and draft the paper. But a thoughtful process leads to a thoughtful project. As writer Antoine de Saint Exupery said, "You know you've achieved perfection in design, not when you have nothing more to add, but when you have nothing more to take away."

As your text suggests, you should avoid "ready-made pro-con subjects such as abortion, drinking age, drugs, and euthanasia" (Reid 468). I would also add to this list gun control and the death penalty.

Physical requirements:

Your paper should be at least six pages in length, and formatted in proper MLA style.
You should use a standard font (nothing unusual or cute please, this will be a formal paper) in a ten to twelve point size.
You must have at least 5 current journal articles referenced in your paper. Remember that "works cited" means you have actually cited these articles in your paper. You may also refer to and cite a web page and/or a book, but these should not be your primary sources.

Process requirements: Realize that a project like this takes time, and at times you will feel that you are not making progress. To help you adjust to a new pace, begin by keeping a research notebook, and outlining a realistic timetable for the paper.

Research Notebook: Use a loose-leaf notebook. Divide the notebook into four sections: research log, bibliography, notes from sources (including photocopies of articles), and drafts and ideas.

Taking Notes

Record complete bibliographical information in the bibliography section of your research notebook.
Record notes in the source notes section of your research notebook.
Photocopy important sources (articles) for later rereading and reference.
As you read sources and take notes, record your own reactions and ideas in the drafts-and-ideas section of your research notebook.

Choosing a Subject

You might choose a subject that you already know well, through personal experience or research, or a topic about which you would like to learn more. Reread your journal entries for ideas, and explore topics that you have already written about and find another aspect of the topic to write about.

Narrowing and Focusing Your Subject

Limit your topic by focusing on a particular research question. Your question may lead to a thesis statement or claim that you will demonstrate in your research paper. Limit your paper by considering your purpose and audience. In addition, consider the kinds of claims you might want to make about your topic:

Claims of Fact
Claims of Cause and Effect
Claims of Value
Claims of Policy

Ask the wh questions:

Who?
What?
When?
Where?
Why?

Evaluating Library Sources

Sources should be relevant to your subject, purpose, and audience.
Sources should be current, particularly if your topic is scientific or technical in nature.
Sources should be reliable, free of bias and inaccuracies.

Background Information and General Reference

You might get a general overview about your topic by looking in encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, or other general sources. Realize, however, that these sources help you find general information about your topic. Encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies, or other general sources shouldn't be used as sources in your paper.

The Online Catalog: Search Strategy

You will be searching for your topic by key words in our online databases, as you have practiced doing throughout the semester. One way to find key words associated with your topic is to look at the Library of Congress Subject Headings in the library. In addition, you can narrow or expand your topic by using Boolean search strategies, that is, combining terms with and, or, or not to narrow or expand your findings. For a tutorial on Boolean searches, visit ADAM: Boolean Search Tips from Surrey Institute of Art & Design.

Shaping

Although the drafting process may be overwhelming at this point, master the project by breaking up the information into manageable doses. First of all, reconsider your purpose and thesis. Reread your own notes and especially your draft sections from your research notebook. Then answer the following questions:

What is your general subject?
What aspect of your general subject is most interesting to you now? What question will you answer or explain?
Is your purpose primarily to inform, explain, evaluate, describe a problem and propose a solution, or to argue a claim?
What thesis, claim, or proposal do you want to impress upon your readers?
Analyze your audience. How can you interest them in your subject? What aspects of your collected data are most appropriate for you audience?

Shaping Strategies

Review strategies for shaping that are appropriate for your particular purpose.
Explain to a friend or classmate your purpose, audience, and working thesis.
Try freewriting, looping, or clustering.
Reread your notes and drafts.
Take a break.
Try branching or treeing your main ideas.
Build a working outline. Organize your notes based on your outline.

Drafting

As you draft, use your outline as a guide, but don't worry if the natural flow of your writing takes you in other directions. Reread your material and decide whether you have strayed from the topic or introduced a new, welcome dimension to the project.

Using Sources

Use your sources accurately, fairly, and honestly. You must cite a source for any fact or bit of information that is not general knowledge. You do not need to indicate a source for your own ideas, but if you find a source that agrees with your idea, cite that source. Citing a source that supports your idea lends additional credibility to the essay. For more information on how and why to document sources, see Documenting Sources from the George Mason University Writing Center.

How to Cite Sources

You will use Modern Language Association (MLA) style. According to MLA style, the in-text citation contains the author and page number of your source (Torres 50). For information on MLA documentation style, follow these links:

MLA Style from the Modern Language Association site.
Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Format by the Purdue University Online Writing Lab.

Identify Cited References

Identify in the text the person or source of the fact, paraphrased idea, or quotation.
If you cite the author in your sentence, the parentheses will contain only the page reference.
Use block format for quotations of five lines or more.
Vary your introductions to quotations.
Edit quotations when necessary to condense or clarify.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

Be honest and give credit for the work of others by carefully documenting all facts, ideas, charts, diagrams, and actual phrases or sentences borrowed from your sources.

Revising and Peer Review

When rereading your paper, be flexible enough to identify weaknesses in your paper such as missing data or passages that no longer seem relevant. Correct them or delete them before submitting for peer review. Remember, though, that you are the expert at this point. Don't incorporate suggestions that you feel would not make your paper better.

TIMETABLE

Pitch your topic: Tuesday, November 6th. Be prepared to write a paragraph in class about your topic and your claim. Discuss it with your peers and see if it will "fly." You may tweak or revise your topic a bit between now and Thursday. You should be keeping this material in your Research Notebook, which is discussed in your text and is part of your grade (see homework for Day Twenty-Two). Topic Paragraph: 30 points.

Bibliography and Three Articles: Thursday, November 8th. Have a nicely formatted (and typed) bibliography with you today for review. You should have at least three articles today. (Typed bibliography and articles, 30 points). I'll return the paragraph written in class on Tuesday, and if the topic has any problems, I'll address those in writing. You may/should make some adjustments to your focus if that has been suggested. Otherwise, you may not make a major change to your topic without losing the points you have earned thus far on this assignment.

First Draft: Your first draft is due in class (typed and complete, in a folder with all prewriting and sources) on Thursday, November 15th at 1:30 sharp. Students who arrive late with their papers will lose 1/2 credit for the day. You receive points both for participating in peer review (30), and for having your first draft completed (50). If you do not have a complete rough draft, you will not be allowed to participate in peer review.

Final Draft: Make necessary corrections on your first draft, and submit on Tuesday the 20th at 1:30 sharp in your research notebook. You will be free to enjoy your Thanksgiving break, and your teacher will have to order dinner out. If you expect to have an illness, injury, major romantic breakup, or death in your family that week, plan on submitting your paper in ADVANCE. Students who arrive late with their papers will not receive full credit. Final Draft by deadline: 300 points.

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