Researching the term paper

1. Researching the term paper

2. tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion. • is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper. • directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel. • makes a claim that others might dispute. • is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader, but can be a short paragraph ( a minor précis). The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation. A thesis statement:

3. If your task is to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you will include one. When in doubt, ask your instructor if the assignment requires a thesis statement. • When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to develop a thesis and to support it persuasively.

5. Your thesis statement is the central argument of your essay. It must be concise and well-written. • Your thesis goes in the introductory paragraph. Don't hide it; make it clearly asserted at the beginning of your paper. • Your thesis must make an argument. It is the road map to the argument you will subsequently develop in your paper From SJSU Political Science Dept. writing center

7. In-class exercise: Selecting and judging Thesis statements.

8. Analysis • Select, differentiate, dissect, break up • Synthesis • Integrate, combine, recast, formulate • Comprehension • Understand, explain, distinguish, interpret • Knowledge • Define, classify, describe, name, use, problem solve Organizing and expressing ideas

9. Research for your paper

10. Strong and weak thesis sentences.

11. Sources • Begin with key word searches in library databases. • Examine multiple abstracts to zero in on relevant articles • Experiment with different databases and related key words—important research can wind up in surprising places. Research

12. Purpose • Scope • Focus • Sample • Data • Approach • Validity Notes from your research reading(review handout)

13. While it may seem best to simply collect data in support of your thesis, you should also include and address counter arguments. • Determine early on whether or not your paper will be strengthened with quantitative data. Classifying and sorting research

14. Not relevant to most essay assignments that require analysis and evaluation. • Relevant when supporting an interpretation, but must be supported with sufficient data. • Useful only if it advances the paper. • Your term paper is about a subject, and your evaluation of evidence, not your opinion on the subject. About opinions

15. Prepare an outline for your paper. • Begin working on your first draft. • Bring in first few (2-3) pages next Tuesday for peer review and comment. Homework