RESEARCH PAPER Topics, Research, Library Sources and Thesis Writing

Step One: Pick a Topic

•What do I like?

•What do I want to know more about?

•What will hold my interest for 4-6 pages?

•What can I prove about my potential topic?

•Will I be able to find reliable sources?

•Will I be able to find the required sources?

SAMPLE TOPICS Juvenile Death Penalty Alternative Energy Sources Education Genetic Disorders/ Syndromes Censorship Iraq War Organ Donors Genetic Engineering Negative Impact of large salaries/ media English as US language Research Drugs Dress Code Public Smoking Laws

GENERAL TOPIC

Your general topic

should not be too broad or too narrow

should be of interest to you

should be “researchable” information

SPECIFIC TOPIC

Your Specific Topic

Your goal now is to narrow your research topic based on the information you have found

Find a topic you can get enough information on for 4-6 pages. Choosing too many topics will result in too much information. Example- Mental disorders

Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, ADD, Multiple Personalities, etc CHOOSE ONE OF THESE DISORDERS TO RESEARCH,

not all of them.

Thesis Statements

A thesis sums up what the paper will tell the reader. It is not the topic. The topic is the subject of the paper, the thesis tells the reader something about the topic.

The thesis should be at least one complete sentence, it must be logical, and

the writer must make a claim that he or she can prove with the content of the

paper.

Rules for Writing a Thesis Statement

•It must be a complete sentence.

• It can not be a question.

•It should be provable with facts, anecdotes, stories, etc.

•It needs to represent you and your ideas.

•Do not generalize.

•Do not use first or second person pronouns.

•Do not use clichés.

SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS Topic: Video Technology Thesis: Video and audio techniques have become so

advanced, the movie industry can and will be able to create lifelike scenes and actions.

Topic: Mike Piazza Thesis: With his leadership skills, offensive output,

and work ethic, Mike Piazza excels as the best Major League catcher in the history of baseball.

Topic: Graphic Design Thesis: The Graphic design industry has taken the

video game to a whole new level and because of advancing technology, will continue to do so in the future.

SAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS (CONTINUED)

Topic: Middle East Conflict Thesis: Different Moslem ideologies make Israeli-

Palestinian peace difficult.

Topic: Navy Recruitment Thesis: The United States Navy has a history of

attracting the finest men and women to serve in its forces, and will continue to meet the naval needs of the nation by enlisting highly qualified individuals in its service.

Topic: Death Penalty Thesis: The death penalty has always been a popular

form of punishment in the United States, and will continue to thrive due to new technology and research.

PROVING THE THESIS:

What do I already know about this subject?

Where can I verify that information in print?

What do I still need to find out?

What will I need to cover to prove my thesis?

ARGUMENTATIVE RESEARCH PAPER

An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this clam with specific evidence.

The claim can be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and-effect statement, or an interpretation.

The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

EXAMPLE OF ARGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT

High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness.

The paper that follows should: present an argument and give

evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college.

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FINAL NOTE

Please work diligently and keep track of all due

dates!!

See Mrs. Minahan ASAP if you have any questions or

problems!!