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How
to write a research paper intro:
A research paper is a piece of academic writing that requires
a more abstract, critical, and thoughtful level of inquiry
than you might be used to.
Writing
a research paper involves (1) first getting acquainted with
the works of "experts"--for example, on the page,
through internet, or in the flesh through personal interviews--to
build upon what you know about a subject and then (2) comparing
their thoughts on the topic with your own.
You'll end up using relevant information--facts and/or opinions--from
these expert sources, these "others," to support
the topic you have been given or chosen to explore.
A
few things to remember:
1.
Decide
what you are writing about:
A clear, concise thesis statement does more than outline
the subject in question; it makes the reader aware of the
writer's stand on the subject in question, connecting a
subject with a controlling idea.
2. Think
about all the elements your paper will deal with:
A thesis generally consists of a subject that contains within
itself a number of smaller facts; the topic sentence of
each paragraph that makes up the body of the paper should
refer (in some clear way) back to the ideas contained within
the thesis statement in order to keep the paper from digressing.
3. Think
about the purpose and tone of your paper:
A thesis statement should contain the main point of the
paper and suggest to the reader a direction that the paper
will take in exploring, proving, or disproving that main
point.
4. State
your main point in a sentence or two:
A good writer can assert the main idea of a short, coherent
essay briefly. Instead of rambling, be as straightforward
as possible.
5. Revise
your thesis as you develop your paper:
A final version of a thesis statement will only be available
after a draft of the paper it is a part of has been completed.
The focus of the paper may change and evolve over the period
it is written in; necessarily, the thesis statement should
be revised to reflect the alterations in the paper.
Few writers finish a paper writing about the exact topic
they begin with. While you write a paper, your main point
may change. As you're finishing, make sure your thesis statement
has changed along with the subject and controlling ideas
of your paper.
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