Research Paper

This is not a report. You should start with a thesis and your research should be directed to finding information related to that thesis. But the information you gather is only one part of the process. Your own original thought and analysis of the data you collect is ultimately the point.

Of course, as you find out more about your topic, your thesis may change, or you may find that your original thesis is unprovable. This is fine. You can write a wonderful paper about unmet expectations, lack of evidence, gaps in enquiry. You can also do your bit to fill in some of those gaps yourself.

What should remain constant is the quality of your writing. This includes:

  • A clear point. Keep the distinction between your topic and your argument clear. You may be writing on media mixed messages, but what do you want to *say* about those mixed messages?
  • A clear sense of audience. Who do you imagine would benefit from reading your paper? To whom do you want to get your argument across? (And of course, underlying all this should be a sense of why it matters *to you* to do this.)
  • An introduction that at once engages the reader (keeping in mind your target audience) and sets up the rest of the paper.
  • Organization that supports your thesis.
  • Supporting facts and analysis. Whether this takes the form of song lyrics, government studies, newspaper coverage, or literary criticism, you cannot construct a convincing argument without supporting evidence. Mere assertion is never enough.
  • A conclusion that is not a restatement of your thesis. Your entire paper should be building toward the conclusion. It is the set up for the punchline, if you will.
  • Formatting. As with all your other papers, your research paper should be correctly formatted according to MLA guidelines, page numbers and last name in the upper right hand corner. You do not need to include a cover sheet. You do need to staple your paper together.
  • Attention to grammatical and mechanical issues. If your paper includes too many basic errors, all the excellent research and well argued points you make will not matter. Your reader will give up in frustration before s/he had finished reading.