A research paper combines the information you learn about a topic while doing research AND your own ideas to prove a thesis statement.
The thesis statement is the main idea of the paper. It is often a point you want to argue or support.
It explains:
Make sure you understand the assignment and highlight the important requirements. What are you being asked to do?
Select the theme and the text you would like to work with.
Ask yourself:
What do you already know about this topic?
What do I need to find out when I do my research?
Write a list of questions you would like to answer with your research.
What information do you need based on your research assignment and your questions on your topic?
Gather background information to help you understand your topic better.
Background information includes basic information on a research topic such as important terms and concepts, relevant names of people or places, and dates of specific events.
Dictionaries and encyclopedias provide general information that help you better understand your topic.
Answer Who, What, When, How and Where Questions. The answers to these questions are very important to your research.
To find numerous definitions for a word or term, use the prompt below to search for a definition in google:
define: ___________
Example: define: public hysteria.
To find current news information on a topic in google, limit your your search results to NEWS results.
As you gather information from websites, evaluate your sources for relevance, accuracy, authority and bias. Do not use unreliable sources.
Use the attached chart to evaluate your sources.
It is the MAIN IDEA of your paper.
What is a thesis? It addresses the prompt; it makes a claim or presents an argument and it is an opinion (arguable).
Your thesis statement is NOT a factual sentence. Example: The Crucible had a theme of mass hysteria.
Your thesis is not a question.
A good thesis statement needs to do the following:
Look at the information you have gathered so far and the prompt your teacher provided you with for your assignment. How can you turn it into a thesis statement?
Look through your background notes. Underline names, events or important concepts. We will use these words as keywords when we conduct our research.
Look at the keywords you have underlined. What other words could you use to find information on your topic (think of synonyms or related words).
Consider what information you will need to find based on your assignment. Look at your keywords to determine how to begin your search.
We will be starting our research in databases. Research databases are organized collections of computerized information such as periodical articles, books, graphics and multimedia that can be searched to retrieve information.
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Make sure the citation for your source is included on your note taking sheet! You will need this for citing purposes.
1.Begin your Works Cited page on a separate page at the end of your research paper.
2. Title the page Works Cited and center the words Works Cited at the top of the page
3. Double space all citations. Do not skip spaces between entries.
3. Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.
Example:
Works Cited
Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." The New York Times, 22 May 2007,
www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/science/earth/22ander.html?_r=0. Accessed 29 May 2019.
Ebert, Roger. Review of An Inconvenient Truth. Ebert Digital, 1 June 2006,
www.rogerbert.com/truth-2006. Accessed 15 June 2019.
Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Extinction: Toward a Co-Evolutionary Economics of Sustainability."
International Journal of Development and World Ecology, vol. 14, no. 1, 2007, pp. 27-36.