Outline
Research Paper
“It’s the writer’s curiosity—not the teacher’s—that is at the heart of the college research paper.”
from The Curious Researcher by Bruce Ballenger
Background: The purpose of a research project is to investigate something that interests you and share what you learn with other members of an academic community. For this final project, you will look more deeply into a current topic of your choice and present your findings in the form of a research paper. You will need to identify a topic, formulate a question, conduct your research, and write about what you learn.
Your Task: We have been addressing the topics of the environment and identity in America. Our readings have covered a range of environmental and social issues. Your task is to start with any topic from any of our readings and use that topic as a basis for your own inquiry. Choose one of the following prompts to guide you.
Option 1: Choose a current environmental issue or social movement and find out more about it. Show how or why things have changed in recent years. Or, find out what factors may be standing in the way of change.
Option 2: Choose a current federal or state law or policy that relates to the environment or a social issue and find out more about it. What problem was it trying to address, and how effective has it been? What does this law or policy say about our culture/country at the moment.
CRITERIA FOR SUCCESS: A strong final paper will thoughtfully address each of these elements. Please use these criteria as a step-by-step guide as you write your essay. Your essay should be 6-8 full pp. in length.
Introduction (1 – 2 paragraphs) Introduce your topic in terms of an issue you care about and say why your reader should care, too. You do not need to directly state your research question in your final paper because your thesis will briefly answer it here, at the end of your introduction.
Brief Summary of the Issue (1 – 2 paragraphs) This section gives you the chance to explain the issue, movement, or law/policy in more detail. Provide relevant background information.
An Overview of Your Research (3 – 4 paragraphs) This section allows you to gather your research and use data and the experts’ voices to explore the situation in more depth. What facts did you discover in your research? Consider a mix of sources: newspapers, magazines, academic journal articles, and government or nonprofit websites.
Statement of Your Position (2 – 3 paragraphs) This section allows you to bring all your research together to support your argument. Based on your findings, what conclusions can you draw? Here, you will explain your thesis in more detail by providing your own analysis. Be careful not to overstate your findings. Only make claims that you can support with specific evidence within the scope of this paper.
Introduce and Answer Objections (1 – 2 paragraphs) Addressing opposition makes you a well-informed, fair, and trustworthy academic writer. Give the other side a fair chance–at least one complete paragraph about what critics might argue–before returning to defend your own position.
Conclusion / Statement of Benefits (2 – 3 paragraphs) This section is your opportunity to emphasize your point of view and to remind readers why it matters and why they should care. It is your last chance to influence your reader’s thinking about the topic.
Works Cited Page A Works Cited page lets the reader know that your ideas are valid because they are based on credible research. On the last (a separate) page, provide a list of all the sources that you used in MLA format. Every source in your paper must be listed in the Works Cited page and everything on the Works Cited page should appear in your paper at least once.
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