Research Paper
Mrs. Cumberland
Senior Project: Getting
Started
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Choose a topic
Narrow your Topic
Research your topic
Present your Topic
Questions to consider when
choosing a topic
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7.
What area/interest is of greatest importance to me?
What area/interest is most reflective of my talents?
What area/interest will I most likely use following
graduation?
What area/interest will most contribute to my future
career?
What area/interest will give me access to the most
resources for my research?
What area/interest is most original?
What area/interest will enable me to be comfortable in
my topic presentation?
The Proposal
• What your project is about
• What you hope to learn
• How you intend to undertake your
project
The Categories to Choose
From:
• Applied Studies Project
• A Physical Product
• Build a table and chairs
• Design and Make a new fashion and model
it
• Create a visual display
• Create a model of something
• Interdisciplinary/Disciplinary
Project
• Interdisciplinary
• Research paper or project applying
knowledge from two or more academic
areas (ex. Music and science)
• What effect does music have on the growth of
plants?
• Disciplinary
• Research paper or project applying
knowledge within one academic area
• What is the best 35 mm camera on the
market within the price range of…
• What types of reading interest 11th grade
students
• Future Project
• Examine options for careers
• Research alternatives, preparations,
and entrance requirements for fields
of interest, analyze your own
aptitude, shadow individuals in the
field you are interested in.
Sample Proposal
• For my senior graduation project, I would like
to research…. Some of the reasons for selecting
this topic are (1)… (2)… (3)…
• This project could probably be classified as a….
Project ( applied studies,
interdisciplinary/disciplinary, futures). The
research will hopefully reveal…
• In order to complete my project, I tentatively
plan to (1)…(2)… Upon completion of my
project, I expect to have a research paper, an
outline detailing all my activities,… and…
created by me.
Subject vs. Topic
• When asked for your senior project
research paper topics, I heard students
say things like…
• “I want to do my senior project on nursing.”
• “There’s an awful lot of information about
antique cars.”
• “I feel so relieved, I know that I am going to
do my senior project research paper on
baseball”
Subject, Topic, Thesis
• What’s the
problem?
• Nursing
• Baseball
• Antique Cars
• Subjects
not
topics
Subject
• A subject is a large category within which you may hope
to find your actual topic
• A subject is too large to be usefully enlisted as a topic in
itself
• Think of a subject as a large, unopened sack of topic.
• You will find your topic in your subject.
Topic
• The topic of the paper is the issue it deals with
• A topic is a slice or a portion of the subject
• A topic is a narrowed-down subject
Choosing a Topic
• Overall Topic: Careers
• Which career am I interested in
learning something about?
Let’s say you choose Fire Engineering as a
possible career.
• Start looking into the topic. After
all, before you can narrow your
project down, you have to know
what it is that you are talking
about.
Questions to ask
• What is a Fire Engineer?
• No, not a fireman, a fire engineer is
someone who helps organizations take
preventative measures against fire hazards.
Fire engineers also design or recommend
materials and equipment, such as alarm
systems, fire extinguishing systems. They
also provide advice on location, handling and
maintenance of such devices and systems.
Now you can start deciding the Who,
What, Where, When, Why, and How
of your Senior Project.
• Who would a possible mentor be?
• A local fireman, a fire inspector… are
there other possibilities?
• What kind of physical project could be
created from this topic?
• How about going to a local organization,
such as the YMCA and doing a diagram,
either with blueprints or a model of the site,
then designing a fire prevention plan for
them? Do they have all the fire extinguishers
that they need? What type of fire
extinguishers should they have? Etc.
• When can you access your
resources?
• If you contact a business that will only
let you come out during school hours,
you may have to find another location.
• Where are your research resources?
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Library
Internet
Interviews
Magazine Articles
You want to make sure you have plenty of
sources, so you won’t suddenly run out of
information.
• Why did you choose this project?
• If the only reason you chose the topic is
because you couldn’t think of anything else,
it is going to be hard for you every step of
the way. If you chose the topic because you
really are considering this as a career field,
(or hobby), the the knowledge and skills you
gain are going to help you reach your goal.
• How can you accomplish this?
• Do you have transportation to the
sites? Can you create a model of the
building, or can you get a copy of the
floor plan? Do you have access to all
the materials, people, and information
that you would need? You need to
consider all the possibilities.
Too Much
• It is possible for a topic to be too
broad. You want to create a
research paper, not write a new
encyclopedia.
Narrow it down
• Nursing > The process in obtaining your LPN
• Baseball > The history of the New York Yankees
• Antique cars > Camaros > Rebuilding a ‘68
Camaro motor
Example of Narrowing the
Topic
• Overall topic title: Painting
• What will you research?
• Painters
• Styles of Painting
• What interests you most about the topic?
• Watercolor landscapes
• Which?
• Narrow your choices, but have reasons for
selecting the ones you do.
• Example: three painters who influenced the art
• Compare the two and adjust them to
match
• Which?
• Example: Three artists who influenced the
art world using the medium of watercolors to
create landscape paintings.
• Exactly what?
• Example: Watercolor landscapes
• What will your physical product be?
• Create an original painting
• What will you do?
• Example: learn to paint
• What do you need?
• Example: a mentor, books, supplies
Expand your list
• What will you do?
• Example: Learn to paint and create an
original painting
• What will you need?
• Example: A mentor who is an artist or an art
teacher. Books about paintings and books
that have examples of paintings. Paints,
brushes, canvas, cleaning supplies.
• Which?
• Example: Three artists who influenced the
art world using the medium of watercolors to
create landscape paintings
• Exactly what?
• Example: Watercolor landscapes
• What will you do?
• Example: Learn to paint landscapes with
water colors and create an original
watercolor landscape
• What will you need?
• Example: A mentor who is an artist or
an art teacher. Books about painting
and books that have examples of
paintings. Paints, brushes, canvas,
cleaning supplies
Combine these
• My research paper will cover:
• The general topic of the painting of
watercolor landscapes and three
artists who influenced the art world
using the medium of watercolor to
paint landscapes.
Practice Narrowing
• Topic: Battered women
• Narrowed topic: battered women in
Luzerne County
• More focused: Services to battered
women in Luzerne county
• Product Examples
• Plan and execute an activity for children of
battered women.
• Do a fundraiser to help the battered
women’s shelter
Narrowing Tips
• Choose a topic that interests you
• Make sure your project can be based on something you
already know how to do, or have already done, and
cannot be too simple for you. You are required to learn
something new and demonstrate what you are capable of
learning and doing.
• Read articles, books, and search the Internet on the topic
• Narrow the topic in time and space. Do not cover too long
a time period or too broad an area.
Narrowing Tips Continued
• Do not cover every element of the
topic; instead, cover those you feel
are most important to your
research and what you want to
accomplish.
• Ask yourself: Will your topic hold
your interest?
Develop a Thesis Statement
• What exactly is a thesis?
• A thesis is a short (usually one
sentence) summation of what your
paper or project is going to be about.
Definition
• The thesis idea controls the content
of the entire essay.
• A thesis statement that contains
subpoints also helps a reader know
how the essay will be organized
See if you can find the thesis statement
and subpoints in the example
• Psychologists have argued for decades about how a
person’s character is formed. Numerous psychologists
believe that one’s birth order (i.e. place in the family as
the youngest, oldest, or middle child) has the greatest
influence. I believe birth order can have a significant
impact in the formation of a child’s character based on
my own experience growing up in a family of four
children. Birth order can strongly affect one’s
relationship with parents, relationships with others, and
how one views responsibility as an adult.
• Thesis: “I believe…”
• Subpoints: ( blue)
Main Idea in a Complete
Sentence
• Since the thesis statement is the
main statement for the entire
essay, it should express a complete
thought and be a complete
sentence. The thesis statement is
asserting an opinion or idea, so it
should not be a question.
Main Idea in a Complete
Sentence
• The sport of cross-country running
• This is not a complete sentence
• The sport of cross-country running has allowed me to
get in better shape and meet some interesting people.
• Thesis statement
• Why do I want to be a teacher?
• This is a question, not a statement
• Being a teacher is a great profession, because it allows
one to work with students and be creative.
• Thesis statement
Location
• English readers like to know what
an essay will be about near the
beginning of the essay rather than
at the end. This is why the thesis
statement is often found at the end
of the introductory paragraph.
Example
• For most of my life I have lived with bad
health, smelly clothes, and a chronic cough. My
children and husband begged me to stop the
habit that caused these conditions, but I
couldn’t. The habit of smoking had wrapped its
addicting arms around me and was slowly
strangling me until one day I realized I had to
stop. This realization came after three
terrifying events occurred in my family.
• The thesis comes at the end of the introductory
paragraph. This sentence tells the reader that he/she
can expect to read about the events that caused the
author to stop smoking in the rest of the essay.
Another Example
• Maya Angleou is an accomplished AfricanAmerican author in the United States. While
growing up, she suffered tremendous hardship.
Some of her most difficult life events are
portrayed in novels and poems such as, I Know
Why the Caged Bird Sings, and Still I Rise. Her
written works often include strong themes such
as perseverance through trials, love for family,
and passionate optimism.
• The thesis statement comes at the end of the
introductory paragraph. This sentence tells the reader
that he/she can expect to read more about how Maya
Angelou expresses these themes in her writing.
States an Opinion or
Attitude
• Good thesis statements often
express a writer’s attitude on a
particular topic. This makes the
thesis statement more specific and
requires the writer to explain or
prove his/her opinion in the essay.
States an opinion or
attitude
• I learned to play
many musical
instruments when I
was young
•
•
This would not be
considered a good thesis
statement because it is only
expressing a fact. It doesn’t
give the writer’s opinion or
attitude on playing musical
instruments
This doesn’t give the writer
much to explain in his/her
essay
• Learning to play many
musical instruments when
I was young helped me to
become a more
intelligent and wellrounded person
•
This thesis statement is
much better because it
expresses how the writer
feels about the experience
of learning to play musical
instruments. This requires
the writer to explain how
and why playing a musical
instrument made him/her a
better person.
Another Example
• Cancun is a
popular vacation
spot in Mexico
• This would not be
considered a good
thesis statement,
because it is only
expressing a fact.
• Cancun is one of the
best vacation spots in
Mexico because of its
comfortable climate
and proximity to
some well-known
archeological sites.
• This thesis is much
better
Subtopics
• You can make your thesis statement
more specific by including subtopics
or supporting ideas. By doing this,
you give your reader a clear idea of
what will follow in the body
paragraphs of your essay.
Subtopics
• The large influx of people in
California has had major effects on
the state
• No subtopics are named in this thesis
statement
Subtopic
• The large influx of people to California
has had major effects on the ability to
the state to provide housing, electricity,
and jobs for all residents.
• This statement names three subtopics.
• Housing
• Electricity
• Jobs
Another Subtopic Example
• Some of the most serious problems in
today’ inner-city public schools are the
overcrowded classrooms, the low
percentage of trained teachers, and the
lack of resources such as textbooks for
students.
• This statement names three subtopics
• Overcrowded classrooms
• Low percentage of trained teachers
• Lack of resources
Don’t State the Obvious
• In thesis statements, you should avoid
using statements like, “This essay will
discuss…” or “I’m going to write
about…”. Try to write a thesis statement
that captures your reader’s attention
without announcing your main topic and
stating the obvious. See examples
Don’t state the obvious
• In this essay, I am going to discuss the
effects of long-term drug abuse.
• Incorrect
• Long-term drug use can have disastrous
effects on one’s marriage, career, and
health
• Correct
Example
• This essay will discuss some ways
teachers can fight teenage drug abuse.
• Incorrect
• Teachers can fight teenage drug abuse by
educating young people on its dangers
and by being good role models.
• Correct
Key Features of Thesis
Review
• States the main idea of the essay in a
complete sentence, not a question.
• Is usually at the end of an introduction
• States an opinion or attitude on a topic.
• Often lists subtopics
• Does not directly announce your main
topic
Thesis Statement
Key Feature
• States the main idea of the essay in a complete
sentence, not in a question
• Is usually at the end of an introduction
• States an opinion or attitude on a topic. It
doesn’t just state the topic itself
• Lists the subtopics
How do you write a thesis
statement?
• Try telling a neighbor what your project
is about in one sentence, then write
down what you just said.
• Ask Yourself:
• Does this sentence explain what I’m going to
be doing in my project?
• Is this sentence specific enough?
• Will someone who knows nothing about my
topic understand what I’m trying to say?