RESEARCH PAPER REMINDERS

Introduction  Hooks reader in with an interesting concept  Does not give information that would make concept confusing for the reader  Make sure that the information leads to the thesis.  Should not be info that is better suited to body paragraphs  Ends with a precise and focused thesis  This is something ALL of your body paragraphs can relate to in the topic sentences.

Components of EVERY Body Paragraph 1) Topic Sentence:  Indicates what the paragraph will be about  Focuses on a feature of the thesis or furthers its development 2) Quotes and Paraphrases from your sources 3) Conclusion Sentence:  Ties information from paragraph together  Allows for transition to next paragraph/idea

Topic Sentences  Example Thesis: The Christian missionaries eliminated the negative Igbo customs through evangelization of the willing democratic Igbo society, which essentially demolished the entire culture. 1) The Igbos had a background that made them unique from other cultures. 2) Before the evangelization, the Igbos had many unique religious and marriage customs. 3) In contrast with the positive customs, the tribe had some practices that other cultures considered to be cruel and unethical. 4) Both the need for education and the positive outlook of the Igbos helped with the colonization of their culture.

Incorporating Research 1. ALL information from sources needs a citation. 2. The paragraph should NOT consist only of research from sources. 3. Your analysis of the information is the important part of each paragraph. Incorporate this by showing how this quote/paraphrase connects back to your thesis. 4. Pull information from various sources for each paragraph; you don’t want a summary of a source! 5. In-text citations are REQUIRED

Example Contrary to beliefs that Homer is a single person, a differing view states that because of lack of information and the different writing styles, Homer could not have been just one man. Although it was shown that The Odyssey itself was written in a uniform writing style, the overall style differs from Homer’s other great work, The Iliad. While they are usually authored together, “further controversy about authorship springs from the differing styles of the two long narrative poems, indicating they were composed a century apart” (“Homer”). Though the Greeks were advanced, it would have been impossible to write the two works in a lifetime. Homer, assuming he wrote The Iliad, could have told another man the story of The Odyssey, and it could have been written down after his death by another writer.

In-text Citations 1. Need this for all ideas that are not originally yours! 2. Should follow the information. If at the end of the sentence, the period goes on the OUTSIDE.  “Quote from source is here...” (Smith).  Possible formats:  (Author’s Last Name)  (“Title of Article”)  (“First Words of Article Title”)  (Organization)

Conclusion Sentences To the commanding officers, the benefits of using child soldiers in combat seem to outweigh the possible negative repercussions. Child soldiers may also pose a psychological and moral dilemma for their adult opponents when on the battlefield. Even the most belligerent and truculent adult soldier may have a brief moment of hesitation before shooting a young child.

Conclusion 1. Reinforce the idea of the thesis 2. Don’t add any new information 3. Sum up the major points 4. Answer “So what?” or provide a thought to grow on

Conclusion Paragraph Socrates is responsible for introducing a groundbreaking idea during his lifetime. This would later influence students and other critical thinkers to delve into their thoughts. Throughout his lifetime, although his ideas were not widely accepted, Socrates was able to find students who documented many of his ideas and works, making the Socratic thinker possible today. The Socratic thinker uses methods that include logical thinking and wide range brainstorming to invent various outcomes and solutions to a given problem. This method of thinking is used by innovative minds and carries on to guide think-tank professionals who specialize in thinking “outside the box” to solve problems. The Socratic method is the base that guided humans to creative ideas in modern day life and opens many more to limitless possibilities in the future.

Make sure....  There are NO PERSONAL PRONOUNS (I, me, we, us, our, you)  There are NO CONTRACTIONS (can’t, didn’t, couldn’t, etc.)  There are NO EXTRA SPACES between paragraphs  That everything is in Times New Roman, size 12 font  That you have a CREATIVE title  That your header and page numbers are correct  That you have a Works Cited page