Introduction

Genre

Topic

Scope

Thesis or Question

Introduction

Example

Defining features

Constructing effective statements/questions

The "So What?" Test

Research

Outline

First Draft

Revisions

Proofreads

Additional Resources

Writing a Research Paper

Thesis or Question

Constructing effective thesis statements and research questions

There is no one way to come up with a good thesis statement or research question; as you practice writing this genre, you will develop your own rituals and techniques. Of course, that's not to say we can't present you with some useful ways of approaching the process . . .

Thesis

As Kathy Livingston's site points out, thesis statements are basically made up of your topic and a specific assertion about that topic, therefore,

If you remember our Personal Impact of Media Technologies example, the paper was set up exactly that way:

• we started with a medium "radio" as our initial topic

• we refined it to "music-listening" (as opposed to talk shows, commercials, contests, etc.)

• and further refined it to "music-listening while studying" as opposed to other contexts where people would listen to radio music

• for our assertion, we looked at the title of the course and reasoned that a good term paper would likely look at the personal impact of our topic on something else

• after some thought and observation, that something else turned out to be "student grades"

• our specific assertion though was THE NATURE OF THAT IMPACT (which we felt was a positive one in our sample thesis statement: music-listening while studying enhances academic performance)

• With great thanks to the writers at the University of Michigan-Dearborn Online Writing Center, here's a summary of some other questions you can ask yourself:

  What is a gut feeling you get when you think at or look at your topic?

  • "I could never get through studying without music on!"

   Why do you think you feel like that?

  • "If I didn't have music, I'd fall asleep or get bored. Music keeps me motivated, engaged, and alert."

  What qualifications or conditions might be needed to make your response more objective and specific, especially for skeptics?

  • "Oh yeah, I listen to instrumentals; I should probably mention that. The tempo of the music is probably important or I would fall asleep. And volume mattersąAnd what I'm studying might matter tooą"

  Is there any other information you will need to include that's critical to the comprehension of your idea?

  • "I may need to include some definitions. And I should definitely point to the fact that mine is opposite to popular opinion."

Research Question

The best technique for coming up with a research question is to do a lot of brainstorming that keeps breaking up your topic into subunits and/or specific conditions--all by repeatedly asking yourself questions. The journalist's 5Ws can be helpful here.

Below is the imaginary evolution of our sample research question. As you read it, think of it as a kind of inventive "dialogue" you might have had with yourself once you'd chosen radio as your medium:

Is it the medium itself I'd like to look at?--light, portable, easily worn close to the ears (maybe I could look at the effect of walkmans on hearing)

Or am I more interested in the content of radio?

So what are the different parts of a radio program?

- music, news, commercials, contests, sports broadcasting, talk shows (what is it like to hear a sport but not see it? how does it change the spectator experience?)

Hmmm. I don't like sports--what about music? Where do people listen to radio music?

Jogging (walkmans)? (Do they run farther because of it?)

In the car? (Does it ever contribute to accidents?)

At the dentist's office, at work?(Are people more satisfied at their jobs?)

At home? Where at home? In the bedroom? Who listens to it? I do! Who am I?

A student!! That's it! When do I listen to music? When I study! (Does that impact my grades?)

 Just keep asking yourself questions about words and other questions. There are half a dozen possible research questions embedded in the note-taking exercise above. Finding one that interests you can't be too hard.