Drafting the Research Paper

Correlating Page Numbers from 8th and 9th Edition of Little, Brown

Handbook

Preliminary Thesis

8th Edition--45a, Page 700

9th Edition--48a, Page 690

Creating a Structure

8th Edition--45b, Page 701

9th Edition--48b, Page 691

You provide shape to your essay

8th Edition--1st bullet, Page 702

see also 4th bullet

9th Edition--1st bullet, Page 692see also 4th bullet

Rethinking Thesis

8th Edition--Third Bullet, Page 702

9th Edition--Third Bullet, Page 703

Rethinking Outline

8th Edition--First full paragraph,

Page 704

9th Edition--First full paragraph,

Page 694

Not beginning to end

8th Edition--45c, Page 704

9th Edition--48c, Page 695

Tips for Drafting (705/695)

2nd Bullet--start where you feel most confident

4th Bullet--each section based on your insight

last bullet(s)--document carefully in each draft (see #2, 706/696)

Synthesis

8th Edition--#1, Page 705

9th Edition--#1, Page 695

Disagreements among Sources

8th Edition--bullet at top of 706

9th Edition--third bullet on 696

Revise=“to see again”

8th Edition--#1, Page 707

9th Edition--#1, Page 696

Write a preliminary thesis of one or two sentences. At this point, what central insight do you hope your readers will recognize and agree with.

List as many reasons as you can why your central insight or position is correct.

My position is X because . . .

Identify your best three reasons, putting an asterisk beside them.

Freewrite--develop as fast as you can

Your first reason Your second reason Your third reason

Opposing Argments

List as many reasons as you can why people disagree with you or not accept your central insight.

How to deal with opposition

Refute--show how opposition is wrong Concede--admit that the opposition has

a point Accommodate--slightly modify your

position to show that you understand your opposition and are willing to reasonably meet it on some balanced middle ground

Develop a Scratch Outline•Introduction

•First Point

•Johnson

•Williams

•Stevens

•However, some people say . . .

•Jones

•Answer with Smith

•Second Point

•Third Point