English 3: Research Paper
SAMPLE TOPIC: GUN CONTROL
Research question:
The nation has been alarmed by a series of school
massacres by student gunmen. Is gun control a
common-sense step to restrict access to guns and
reduce violent crime or a violation of a basic right
that is enshrined in the Constitution's Second
Amendment?
Position
Thesis (in favor of stricter gun-control laws):
Stricter gun-control laws need to be enforced in
order to reduce violent crime.
Antithesis (against stricter gun-control laws):
Enforcing stricter gun-control laws will not reduce
violent crimes, and it is a violation of the Second
Amendment to the United States Constitution.
Outline
 Introduce topic and state thesis.
 Establish a need by presenting evidence about
gun violence in the USA.
 Discuss and interpret the Second Amendment to
the United States Constitution.
 Illustrate how stricter gun-control laws will
reduce violent crime:
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Present evidence (facts, statistics, direct quotes, and
illustrative examples) to support argument.
Refute opposing view.
 Restate thesis, summarize main points, and leave
a lasting impression or make a call to action.
Helpful Sources
 CQ Researcher at
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
Username: fenton
Password: bison
 Issues and Controversies at
http://www.2facts.com/ICOF/issues-home-feature.asp
Username: fenton100
Password: facts
 Issues and Controversies in American History at
http://www.2facts.com/ICAH/hist-am-home-feature.asp
Username: fenton100
Password: facts
 Multnomah County Library at
http://www.multcolib.org/homework/sochc.html
Note Taking
 Two-column notes
 Source and note cards
 Direct references
 Indirect references
 Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing is rewriting someone else’s ideas
in your own words; therefore, paraphrasing is approximately
the same length as the original work.
 Summarizing: A summary is much shorter than the original
text because the purpose of a summary is to capture the main
idea of the author’s argument.
Two-Column Notes
Source: “Great Chicago Fire, The.” Disasters. Eds. Henry Billings,
Melissa Billings, and Dan Dramer. Chicago, Illinois: Jamestown
Publishers, 1999. 146-148. Print.
Notes:
 The Great Chicago Fire began
“late in the evening of October
8, 1871” (147).
 Daniel Sullivan “claimed he
saw Daisy kick over the
lantern” (147).
 Bales hypothesis is that
Sullivan most likely started
the fire, “probably from his
pipe ashes, and then pinned
the blame on poor Daisy”
(147).
Explanation/Commentary:
 This is when the Great Chicago
Fire occurred. It probably raged
out of control since it occurred
late and caught people unaware.
Plus, the fire equipment back in
1871 was not as effective as it is
today.
 This is the common myth
associated with the cause of the
Great Chicago Fire.
 This is the most likely the real
cause of the fire; “poor Daisy”
was a convenient scapegoat.
Source and Note Cards
Note Card
Source Card
2
Smith, Carl. “Introduction.” The
Great Chicago Fire and the Web of
Memory. 1996. The Chicago
Historical Society and the Trustees
of Northwestern University. Web.
23 Feb. 2008.
<http://www.chicagohs.org/fire/>.
2
Effects
The fire inspired “flights
of creativity and
imagination.”
np
Paraphrasing
Direct Reference:
“Organisational Development (OD) practitioners assume that it is
important for people to be accepted by their work group and that the
climate in most groups and organisations does not encourage open
expression of feelings. The necessity of hiding feelings, Organisational
Development practitioners believe, has a negative effect not only on group
member’s willingness and ability to solve problems constructively, but also
on job satisfaction and performance. Encouraging openess can be difficult
and risky, but it can lead to greater job satisfaction and more effective
group performance” (Stoner and Wankel, 1986).
Paraphrasing:
The emotional suppression encouraged by the workplace negatively affects
the employee’s problem solving ability, motivation, enjoyment and
productivity at work; therefore, it is essential to encourage openness in the
workplace (Stoner and Wankel, 1986).
Source:
Stoner, J. A. F. & Wankel, C. (1986) Management. (3rd Edition), New Jersey:
Prentice-Hall.
Summarizing
Evaluating Web Sites
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Who made it?
When was it last updated?
Is it clear what it's about?
Are there a lot of ads?
Is it easy to find the information you need?
Are other sources cited?
Do the links work?
What type of Web site is it (e.g., .com, .org, .edu, or .gov)?
Keep in mind that there will not always be a good Web site
for your topic; you may need to refer to other sources
(e.g., books, magazines, and newspapers). Don’t be afraid
to ask your teachers or librarians for help.
Are these reliable Web sites?
 http://www.dhmo.org/
 http://zapatopi.net/treeoctopus/
 http://www.martinlutherking.org/ (This Web site
looks official and reliable, but it presents false
information about MLK in a malicious attempt to
demean his legacy and promote racism and hatred.
In fact, FHS has blocked it.)