Research Paper Drafting Notes:
Format:
Make sure your paper is set up in the proper MLA format. Refer to the sample on the Purdue OWL:
stare and compare! You must use one-inch margins, 12 TNR font, double-spacing---no extra,
proper heading, title, header with your last name and page number
Using research:
-To avoid plagiarizing, make sure you cite your research when you
-quote a source word for word (and use quotation marks)
-paraphrase a source, putting source information in your own sentence structure and wording
-summarize a source (reducing a page to a paragraph, a paragraph to a sentence—your
words and style)
-The word(s) in the citation should be the first word(s) listed in the works cited page entry along with page
numbers (print sources). Refer to the citation format sheet
-Citing information adds credibility to your ideas. When in doubt, cite it!
-Do not use unnecessarily long quotes just to take up space.
*Remember you are required to include 12 citations and to represent at least 4 sources
Style and tone: Follow the rules of formal writing. A note on "I": Of course you are including your opinions
about and conclusions drawn from the research, but you can also include your personal experiences and
observations. Keep in mind that it is not necessary to say "in my opinion" or "I think
The introduction paragraph:
1-Grab attention: describe shocking statistics, an anecdote, a real or hypothetical scenario, opposing views (which you
will quickly discredit), truly thought-provoking questions, an analogy or comparison. Try to come up with a hook that you
could refer back to/sprinkle in/weave throughout your argument to enhance its cohesiveness.
2 -Introduce topic and define terms, conditions, parameters as needed.
3-Contextualize issue: What is its relevance today? Why is it something we do/should care about?
NOTE: Depending on the topic, Steps 2 and 3 might be featured in separate paragraphs after the introduction.
4 -Provide a blueprint of your essay's main points. Do not go into much detail, simply preview the topics you
will discuss (following the main sections in your outline). Do not say "In this essay I will talk about" or "this paper will
discuss"; state the topics/subtopics in a mini summary. Ex: Many oppose the death penalty, comparing it to torture
and to barbaric practices of our less civilized ancestors. Others who would like to see the practice abolished cite the
immense expense of executing a criminal. The death penalty's efficacy in preventing heinous crimes is hotly debated and
its fairness is questioned. You could even use questions to provide a blueprint. Ex: Is the death penalty truly a form
of torture? Is it torture to punish someone with a previously established penalty for committing an offense that has been
deemed unforgivable by society? Do its abilities to deter heinous crimes and keep communities safe from incorrigible
violent criminals warrant its immense cost and even its corruptibility and seeming unfairness?
5-State your thesis--your position/opinion. Wording should be powerful and concise.
Body Paragraphs: Use TIQCA if that helps.
 Use topic sentences to state paragraph’s focus. Each paragraph should focus on one
specific concept or point.
o
Introduce and embed your research into your paragraph. Describe source credentials
the first time the source is used (Joe McKee, an economics professor at Georgetown…)
o CITE all research whether quoted or paraphrased.
o Analyze and explain and draw conclusions from the research you include: What does it
mean? What does it show? What does it suggest? This is where you earn an A.
o Connect the information back to your position or opinion (thesis).
o Use transitions to connect the body paragraphs together
Sample Introductions:
Recruiting Violations: A College Tradition
Imagine yourself as a gifted high school athlete who is destined for the
professional level, but must wait three or four years before you are able to earn money
and provide for your family. A college recruiter calls you and tells you that he will pay
you $50,000 to play for the university that he represents. $50,000 is not quite a
professional contract, but it will definitely be a boost for your family as well as your
college experience. Do you take the money or keep your integrity and play for the love
of the game? This situation is what some high school athletes, most of whom play
men’s basketball or football, face when being recruited by college athletic programs
and university boosters. Boosters are wealthy alumni who donate to their alma maters
and occasionally violate recruiting policy by paying student athletes. Teams are put on
probation and lose both scholarships and playoff games if players are found guilty of
accepting improper benefits (money). The current punishments are not slowing down
the rate of violations; in fact, the rate of violations is increasing (Clark and Batista 20).
An increase in college recruiting violations may not seem close to home, but the
violations are much more relevant than they appear. Your favorite team could win a
championship only to have it tarnished by recruiting violations. Even worse, your
favorite team could lose to a team that commits recruiting violations. On another note,
these teams are not black market businesses; they are parts of colleges, the most
prestigious institutions in the country. Are universities losing their aura of integrity
because some colleges have no class and pays athletes to play for its team? With the
highs of billion-dollar broadcast deals and the lows of recruiting violations, is the NCAA
the best or worst that it has ever been? Is the increase in violations really that
significant or are there just more infractions being discovered? Are there even more
recent violations that are being covered up by the splendor of broadcast and
sponsorship revenue (Thamel)? Can these violations cease within a reasonable
amount of time or is it too late to make the risks of violations greater than the rewards
(Thamel)? Some of these questions are impossible to answer with certainty, but
something must be done to try to stop the increase in violations. Universities found
guilty of committing significant recruiting violations should be punished severely,
regardless of what the punishment costs the school.
The Cost of Energy
At what point does energy become too expensive for what it's worth? $100 for a
barrel of oil? $110? Fortunately, there is a new emerging way of acquiring energy.
This process is cheaper, provides jobs in the U.S, and could supply America with
energy for years. It is known as “Fracking” -- hydraulic fracturing done to harvest
natural gas from shale buried in the earth's surface. The point of conflict surrounding
fracking regards the cost involved, not only in dollars but in human life. The debate
over the safety of fracking focuses on issues including pollution, specifically
groundwater contamination and air quality, which can very easily deteriorate around a
fracking well. There is also the issue of the government's involvement in the process
and the question of how much fracking should be regulated. Fracking as currently
practiced is too dangerous and risky to continue, but if the technology for it is improved
and it is more highly regulated, the harvesting of natural gas could prove to be a
successful endeavor for the United States.
Agroforestry: Farming for the Future
One of our countries most valuable natural resources is in jeopardy of ruin. The
Olgalla Aquifer, our world’s largest and most valuable source of irrigation water, is
currently being depleted and contaminated by inefficient farming practices. What this
country needs is a long term solution to the contamination and depletion and there may
be one on the horizon. This possible solution is a reliable method of farming in which
trees and crops are combined. This system is agroforestry. Although labor intensive
and demanding, agroforestry is extremely beneficial and should be used as widely as
possible. There are numerous reasons for using agroforestry, ranging from increased
profit to regenerating depleted ground. The environmental benefits obtained from the
use of agroforestry will outweigh the extra work and specialization to any farmer who
cares about the environment. These considerate farmers know that agriculture is
damaging to the environment; due to the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
Agroforestry can certainly reduce this pollution substantially. With its limited
drawbacks, endless benefits, and countless variations, agroforestry can improve the
environment and the life of the farmers that utilize it.
A Family is a Family
“In my nineteen years, not once have I been confronted by an individual who
realized independently that I was raised by a gay couple” stated Zach Wahls the Iowa
House of Representatives to oppose the House Joint Resolution Six which would end
civil unions in Iowa. Those opposed to sex-same couples raising children, believe
these children are negatively impacted by psychological, emotional, and physical
issues due to their parent’s sexual orientation. Wahls continues with “The sexual
orientation of my parents has had zero affect on the content of my character.” Children
growing up in homes run by same-sex parents or by heterosexual parents are no
different from one another in their looks, actions, and feelings. Children with same-sex
parents do face obstacles and challenges. Those opposed to same-sex parents would
argue that same-sex couples shouldn’t raise children because their children suffer.
However, the suffering of these children is not caused by the sexual orientation of their
parents, but from the negative forces outside of the home. Children raised by samesex parents are discriminated by some members of the community and by
government. Children raised by same-sex parents and their parents often face criticism
from other family members, peers, co-workers, and others they might encounter in their
community. Same-sex couples are denied some basic rights that heterosexual married
couples receive under the Defense of Marriage Act defining, “marriage as only a legal
union between one man and one woman.” Those opposed to same-sex child rearing
should take a step back and reflect is it the parents or is it the world? With a few simple
changes, these negative attitudes toward same-sex relationships and parents can be
minimized and hopefully, one day, ended.