Research Paper: Introductions and Conclusions
As we have discussed in previous writing assignments, in introduction paragraphs,
you tell your audience what you are going to tell them. This includes your purpose for
writing and your thesis as well as all the categories of information you will address in
your paper. For this research paper, in particular, include the following in your
introduction:
 The historical significance or context of your movement
 Brief remarks about your artists/writers and their works
 Your purpose for writing: to examine the extent to which the life experiences of
your artists/writers impacted the ideas they express their work, particularly those
ideas related to your movement.
 Your thesis statement, which should focus on the artists/writers and the
messages in their works.
Example:
Since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, nuclear power
has been a source of social, political and environmental concern for people around the world. Even
today, when many nations have reduced their stores of nuclear weapons, some nations seek to
build them in order to gain power and leverage in international affairs. During the Cold War, fear
about nuclear destruction was widespread. Would we have World War III? Would it be a nuclear
war and would it wipe out humanity? These fears filled political discussion as well as popular
culture, and many writers and artists took up the anti-nuclear cause. For example, science fiction
writer, Ray Bradbury, who often wrote about the impact of technology on society, took on the
subject of nuclear fears in his story, “There Will Come Soft Rains.” Bradbury generally supported
humanity’s technological creativity, but, in this story, he shows human beings’ capacity for
destruction through nuclear war. As well, musician, Bob Marley, whose personal beliefs
encouraged him to stand up to oppression of any kind, stood up against the idea that nuclear
power was a necessary evil. In his “Redemption Song,” Marley cautions his audience to question
authorities that suggest nuclear production was the only way to ensure national security. While
both Ray Bradbury’s story and Bob Marley’s song express anti-nuclear themes, Bradbury asks
readers to reflect on the destructive power of nuclear energy, and Marley’s song calls listeners to
act against the political powers that promote its use. These works reflected not only Bradbury’s
and Marley’s disapproval of the use and production of nuclear weapons, but also the disapproval
of many people around the world. Protest from artists such as these as well pressure from the
people and anti-nuclear organizations eventually led to nuclear disarmament policies.
In your conclusion, you tell your audience what you told them. In other words, you
tell them how you proved your thesis by reviewing what you wrote, by restating your
thesis and by explaining the evidence you used to prove it. For this research paper,
include the following in your conclusion:
 A review of the major points you made about the movement
 A review of the messages in your artists’/writers’ works
 Your thesis and how you proved it to be true.
Example:
Whether to make audiences aware of the reality of a situation or to call audiences to
action, artists and writers often address the concerns of their society and the issues of their day.
Personal experiences or beliefs often drive artists to create works through which they can protest
conditions or policies they believe are wrong. Ray Bradbury and Bob Marley do this in their work.
Both artists express concerns of the anti-nuclear movement. Bradbury believed that technological
invention is one of humanity’s greatest achievements; however, he asks readers to consider that
our creative capacity can lead to tragedy if we are not careful. In his song, Marley questions
whether the threat of nuclear war is as big as politicians suggest and advises people to think for
themselves. To Marley, the best way to stand up to oppression is to be a free thinker. The
messages of both these artists’ works reflect not only their personal beliefs but also the antinuclear concerns of many people of their time. Although the threat of nuclear destruction may
never be completely eliminated, the objections these artists voiced through their work express the
anti-nuclear concerns of their generations.