Now, write out your research paper outline using the structure below and the information from your mind map. Sometimes a subcategory might need two paragraphs, but I recommend planning out your paper as if each subcategory will only be one paragraph. Published on January 11, 2019 by Shona McCombes. Another post in this series will cover how to refine your thesis and make it shine, but for now, come up with the answers to these questions. How to write a thesis statement. Any work you do on your research paper outline needs to start with your thesis. Don’t spend too much time on this step, because you can (and probably will!) Let’s say you’ve allotted yourself two hours to write a 6 to 8-page essay. Sometimes your professor will give you guidelines in this area. Your thesis will look a bit different depending on the type of essay you’re writing. Whether you’re writing an argumentative paper, an informative essay, or a compare/contrast statement, you need a thesis. How many categories you have will depend mostly on how you can group the topics in your paper together, but how many subcategories you have will depend on the length of the paper. 1. But the most common place for a thesis statement (and probably why you’re reading this article) is in an essay. Now it is time to actually create the research paper outline. When you think you have everything pulled together, feel free to move around sections or rename them as you go. For example, for a paper I wrote last year about the religious causes of the American Civil War, my thesis towards the beginning of the project was  “The Second Great Awakening was a major driving force behind the American Civil War, especially as it contributed to religious sectarian division between North and South, increased public participation of African Americans in organized religion, and the growth of the abolition movement over the anti-slavery movement.”, – the religious sectarian division between North and South, – increased public participation of African Americans in organized religion, – growth of the abolition movement over the anti-slavery movement. Any work you do on your research paper outline needs to start with your thesis. A good guide is roughly 2 paragraphs per page. Want some feedback? I do the same thing with the subcategories within each category. A thesis statement should show exactly what your paper will be about, and will help you keep your paper to a manageable topic. When you have all the evidence pulled together and you think you have everything the way you want it, go back to your thesis. You need to fit all the information you have into only ten pages. You will learn to focus on the essential and get rid of any unimportant question or issue related to the topic of the paper. How are you going to convince them? he evidence you will use to argue (convince your reader) of your thesis. When I plan a research paper outline, I find it easiest to use a mind map type brainstorm, although you could probably use your favorite brainstorming technique. It is the name typically given to the major document candidates compose to earn a Masters degree or an MBA, but it can also be used to describe a PhD dissertation or even a culminating study a college student completes at the end of an undergraduate program. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary. Go ahead and start working on your outline! That just means that I may receive a small commission if you buy a product linked on this page. Comment below and let us know what research paper you’re working on, and what you think your thesis and some of your categories might be! There is no single way to write an introduction that will always work for every topic, but the points below can act as a guide. As you pull together all the supporting information for your argument, there is a good chance that some of your categories or subcategories will change, or that you will change the order you want to share them. It sure helps towards paying off those student loans! Revised on September 25, 2020. Set 1.25-inch margins for the left and right sides of the paper and 1-inch margins for the top and bottom of the page; Each page of your thesis should be numbered in the bottom right corner of the page, except for the title page; A typical thesis contains a lot of citations, and the … Tempted to stay up past my bedtime to listen to the last 2 hours. Finally, I branch out from each subcategory with quick notes about a few sources I might use for that subcategory. That way, when you go to write the paper itself, if you decide to use the actual quote instead of a paraphrase, you have it right there and don’t have to go find it again. A strong thesis statement is the foundation of an interesting, well-researched paper. The thesis is your argument – not like the one you had with your sister last week, but rather, what are you trying to convince your reader? Perhaps it is a synthesis of ideas and research that you have distilled into one point, and the rest of your paper will unpack it and present factual examples to show how you arrived at this idea. Study smarter, right? Waiting to write the introduction until the end can leave you with a poorly written setup to an otherwise well-written paper. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Sign Up Here! It’s a crunch, but you can manage. Open up a Word document, create your header information (name, course, etc.) For example, if you're writing a seven-to-ten page paper on hunger, you might say: World hunger has many causes and effects. How to write an eight page research paper thesis statement for birth control research paper ۱۲ بهمن؛ بازگشت امام خمینی به ایران، آغاز دهه فجر ۱۲ بهمن، ۱۳۹۸ A good introduction draws readers in while providing the setup for the entire paper. Your argument may have changed as you wrote the outline. Next, on my mind map I number each of the categories based on the order I think I want to put them in. Some are a bit shorter, around 8-10 pages, but they can sometimes be up to 30 pages or more. Some seminary grads are just so “Fuller” of it. I’ve really been enjoying. At the graduate and doctoral levels, the thesis is a complex academic document of 30, 50, or 100 pages, and the candidate provides an oral defense of it b… If you do the research paper outline well, you will have done the bulk of the work and the next step will be so much easier! 2. The Cafe Scholar’s Guide to Writing Awesome Research Papers. Weekly newsletter including latest posts, resources from around the web, and early access to free stuff! Then, break down the steps of how you will convince your reader into categories. This post, How to Write a Thesis Statement, is the first post in our 5 part Essay Writing Series. A history paper might have more background information, for example. Undergraduates intimidated by the task of writing a ten-page term paper may find it helpful to break the assignment and the paper into smaller units. However, even if do thorough research and fail to present the main idea and strong arguments in your thesis statement, all your previous efforts will be worthless. An essay is, generally, a piece of writing that gives the author's own argument — but the definition is vague, overlapping with those of a paper, an article, a pamphlet, and a short story.Essays have traditionally been sub-classified as formal and informal. While many essays can be given as in-class assignments or homework for the week, the length of a research paper requires more time to write it. Start with a circle in the middle with the basis of your thesis: “Second Great Awakening was a major cause of the American Civil War.”  Then, branch out from there with your categories. An academic thesis is a paper written by students who are pretty close to earning an academic degree. A thesis statement is a sentence that sums up the central point of your paper or essay.It usually comes near the end of your introduction.. I usually add a category for background information, which won’t be listed out in my thesis but will come right after the introduction. ; An expository (explanatory) paper explains something to the audience. For more information, please see my disclosures page. By signing up, you agree to receive email communications from us. At this point, you have a research paper outline! If so, that’s fine, but you just need to revise your thesis now that you have done all the research and prepared everything. This is a weak thesis statement for two major reasons. Does my thesis … So create the citation as a footnote or parenthetical citation depending on which format is required for your class. Length: A research paper is considerably longer than an essay. Don’t worry too much about the title either; it will probably change as you write the paper. Spend a half-hour researching your topic, then put in a solid hour explaining what you’ve learned in paper format, and finally, use the last half-hour to edit and compile a bibliography. Research is the cornerstone of a research paper. Determine what kind of paper you are writing: An analytical paper breaks down an issue or an idea into its component parts, evaluates the issue or idea, and presents this breakdown and evaluation to the audience. Now, start pulling together the evidence you will use to argue (convince your reader) of your thesis, and add a few quotes under each subcategory. « Week 3: 4 Things that Get Me Excited to Pay Off Debt, Should I REALLY Destroy ALL my Credit Cards? A thesis can be found in many places—a debate speech, a lawyer’s closing argument, even an advertisement. A thesis statement is, essentially, the idea that the rest of your paper will support. How to Write a Thesis for a Research Paper in a Right Way: Key Takeaways to Follow. Now, your thesis is going to evolve and get refined as you complete your research and writing, but you need to start with your thesis so you know where you are going. Set a paced schedule for yourself and then work carefully but briskly. Perhaps it is an opinion that you have marshaled logical arguments in favor of. Get the Quick-Start Guide to Build Your Author Website! Then, add subcategories for each of those categories. Here is a model breakdown, showing the structure of a hypothetical 22-paragraph essay, which would normally work out to about 10-12 pages. ». and a tentative title for your paper. When it comes time to writing the paper itself, all you will need to do is fill it in by turning those outlined points and quotes into cohesive paragraphs. In this series, we will break essay writing into a series of parts and solve some commonly asked questions to give you the tools to write consistent essays. Each gray rectangle represents one paragraph. Also, you want to include your citation information just as you would in the actual paper. Okay, time to get started! This is going to save you time later. When you do this, include the full quote even if you think you will paraphrase it in the paper. Make sure that your research paper outline is arguing your thesis. Writing an outline for an outline for an 8-10 page research paper is not easier than doing the same for a 10-page paper. How to Write a Good Thesis. What that means is that your paper is basically written, in bullet point form. A paper without a central claim to control the content and direction will leave the reader (and your teacher!) Now, your thesis is going to evolve and get refined as you complete your research and writing, but you need to start with your thesis so you know where you are going. change it later. Working on websites with my tea, with my tea. Disclosure: This page contains affiliate links. How much background information will depend on the length of your paper and the type of paper. Tips for Writing Your Thesis Statement. Each category will become a section of my paper, and each subcategory will be its own paragraph. You may end up with too much material and have to trim some out later, but that is easier than having to go do more research later just to meet your page count. For more information, please see our privacy policy. That’s good! If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. Write Your Thesis and Introductory Paragraph