Research Writing
This is Casey, a student in English 101. The semester is coming to an end, and so far things have gone pretty smoothly. She has successfully written several papers, participated in peer reviews, and feels more confident as a writer overall. Until this moment; this is the moment that she hears the dreaded words: research paper. Casey immediately gets nervous, she begins to bite her nails and looks around the room anxiously. Everyone else looks so calm. Why? Why are they not panicking like she is? Why are they so confident about writing a research paper?
Research paper anxiety is very common among students. Many of them face the assignment with worries about developing a topic, finding sources, developing a point of view, formatting the paper, and presenting a good analysis. However, research papers are nothing to be feared! With some simple steps, research papers can become a process that all students can feel confident exploring.
What Is a Research Paper?
Research papers analyze perspectives by presenting your point of view supported through experts in the field. A research paper requires the writer to spend time not just finding sources, but evaluating whether those sources are credible and how they could be used in the paper.
There are two main types of research papers that a student may be assigned. In an argumentative research paper, the student will have to persuade the reader. This paper takes a position on a debatable topic, shares the reasons to support the argument, and finds sources to present facts and evidence to these reasons. Let’s say Casey was assigned this type of research paper. She decides to present the argument that building codes should be in place to ensure all current and future buildings are designed to be ”green” buildings. This is her point of view. Casey then decides on her reasons why this is true. She brainstorms a list that includes what current codes and regulations are in place, what current trends are developing with ”green” buildings, and the short and long term benefits for environmentally friendly building codes.
The second type of research writing is analytical research, which offers a critical viewpoint. The student is not looking to persuade the audience of a viewpoint, but to present findings, as if the audience was going on an exploration journey with the writer. This type of research is very common in literature classes. Let’s go back to Casey. She decides to write a research paper on a poem that she read during the course. She really liked the voice of the poem, and she decides to explore who the voice represents. She follows the poem and the changes that she sees in the speaker. From there, she researches what other literary critics have said and uses them to support her point of view.
The first step to research writing is to understand the assignment itself. It should be made clear what kind of argument is required. From there, a student can begin the second step, choosing a topic. In some classes, an instructor may have a list of approved topics to choose from. In other cases, the students may be free to choose. In either scenario, be sure that you are choosing a topic with which you are familiar. You want to be comfortable beginning the research process! If you are writing an argumentative paper, you also need to be sure that you use a debatable topic. An argument paper is much more than a summary of facts.
Researching the Research Paper
Now that the assignment is understood and the topic is chosen, it is time to research! Let’s go back to Casey. Earlier, she decided to write an argumentative research paper on building codes being put in place to ensure all current and future buildings are designed to be ”green” buildings. She had previously brainstormed her reasons for her choice, and now she is ready to start the third step, researching her reasons.
To begin research, first know what is being researched. Are you looking for facts? Statistics? News stories? Expert opinions? If you know what type of evidence you want to find, you can limit your research further and decide on the type of source you may need. It is important that you have a narrow search in mind. For Casey, she is researching her specific reasons rather than the large topic of architecture or engineering. Just imagine how many articles she would find if she looked up those topics!
When researching, there are many different types of materials that can be used. These include books, periodicals, journals, government records, interviews, and many more. You also have the option to find sources online or to use print sources.
Before using any research, the sources that you find should be evaluated. Not everything you come across in your research will be valuable. Some of your sources may not even be credible!
To evaluate and determine whether a source is credible, find an author with experience, choose current information, and look for unbiased platforms. If Casey reads an article in a magazine at a grocery store, chances are it is not an academic source. To help with this, focus the research to scholarly journals and articles. You want to find people who have experience in the field and have a background on writing about your topic. You may have to make sure that the statistics you find are accurate and up to date – a study done in 1972 will not be as helpful to Casey as a study done in 2020!
Casey is still working away. She did the first part of the research and focused her research to specific ideas. Now, she has to decide what kind of research to use and evaluate the sources that she finds. To help with this, she goes to the library and looks only at updated journals and articles. She finds statistics on decreasing emissions in factories and new lighting codes already in place. She reads articles about the benefits of environmentally friendly HVAC and solar light sources. By the end of this step, she definitely feels more prepared to write.
Writing the Research Paper
A good step to take before writing the research paper is to develop an outline. Casey already has her reasons and a list of evidence, so she should plan how she wants to use it in her paper. Remember that a research paper is not just a list of facts or a summary of someone’s ideas; it is an organized argument.
Just like any paper, a research paper begins with an introduction. Your audience should know the background and thesis of your paper. In the outline, your reasons should become topic sentences with supporting details, and the supporting details should follow. Let’s take a look at Casey’s outline. She has an introduction with a thesis for the last sentence. She has three main reasons, a supporting facts list, and the research she wants to use.
After the outline is completed, you are ready to draft your research paper. Remember the main goal of this paper is to present an argument and the reasons the audience should be persuaded. Pretend the thesis is a guide to the map of your paper. Each reason is a point on the map, and the journey should lead to a final call to action.
Finally, and while this may seem strange, don’t rely just on your sources. They are there to support your point of view and opinion. If you rely too much on the source, you begin to lose your voice in the paper, and it quickly becomes a summary of someone else’s work. You want to be the main voice of your own writing!
Lesson Summary
Research papers are a very common academic genre that asks the author to analyze perspectives. There are two main types of research papers: argumentative and analytical. An argumentative paper presents a point of view and tries to persuade the audience of this opinion. An analytical paper shares a critical viewpoint and proves that this viewpoint is accurate.
The research paper begins with first understanding the assignment and choosing a topic. In some cases, an instructor may assign the topic, but not always. So, be sure that you are choosing a topic and argument that you are comfortable exploring. Once you have chosen the topic, you should brainstorm a thesis and a list of reasons to support this thesis. Next, you may begin your research. When researching, you should look for academic articles and evaluate how they can be used in your paper. Remember that not all sources are credible, so you should look for experts in the field, credible journals, up-to-date information, and non-biased writing platforms. Once you find sources to support your reasons, create an outline for your paper before drafting. Finally, when drafting, remember that you are the voice of your paper and only use your sources to support your ideas.
Let’s visit Casey one more time. She is now ready to submit her research paper. However, she no longer looks nervous. She is smiling and feels confident in her argument. She not only understands the assignment, but she now understands the process, which has made her a more confident writer!