Structuring your Research Essay

1. Structuring your Research Essay Yay Fun 

2. Drafting Your Rough Draft • Parts of a research paper: • 1. Introduction • 2. Body • 3. Conclusion • 4. Works Cited Page

3. Introduction • Begin with an interesting quote, anecdote, or detail to GRAB your readers’ attention!!! • Choosing an appropriate ‘Lead’ for your introductory paragraph is just as important as constructing the perfect sentence to end your essay with

4. Introduction: How NOTto start an Essay • In this report I will tell you about… • Hi! My name is… • My story is about… • Once upon a time… • One sunny day… • I like football… • Germs are bad… • Women should vote… • My experience with a tough challenge… • My mom is the most influential person in my life…

10. Your Turn To Practice!!! • You have 2 minutes to construct a possible lead for your essay!!! • Remember that the 5 types of leads are: • Zoom into one of the 5 senses • Hint at something to come • Ask a provocative question • Start in the middle of the action • Introduce a character or person • ***Be Creative****

11. Introduction Continued • After you have started your introduction with a FABULOUS lead, you must present some background information. • This information is what provides context the context for your essay. • Context: the set of circumstances or facts that surround a particular event, situation, etc. (sets up your research)

12. Introduction Continued • After you have included some background information, or context for your research, you must then have a CLEAR THESIS STATEMENT • The thesis statement should present your TOPIC and MAJOR RESEARCH QUESTION

13. Example Introduction: • My topic is: Facebook has changed social networking and how people label ‘friends’ • Type of lead: Introducing a Character/Person A college dropout and a billionaire, Mark Zucherberg attempted to bring the world closer together by constructing the social media empire that is Facebook.

14. Example: Introduction Continued • Background Information/Context: In this modern age, social media has become a dominant fixture in the lives of many around the world. Relationships are discovered, destroyed, forgotten, and rekindled through social media sites like Facebook.

15. Example Introduction: Thesis Statement • What is my primary research question? • Do individuals who use Facebook on a regular basis, adopt a new definition for categorizing ‘friends’?

16. Sample Introduction: (lead)A college dropout and a billionaire, Mark Zucherberg attempted to bring the world closer together by constructing the social media empire that is Facebook. (Background)In this modern age, social media has become a dominant fixture in the lives of many around the world. Relationships are discovered, destroyed, forgotten, and rekindled through social media sites like Facebook. (Thesis Statement)By labeling all individuals as ‘friends’ people lose touch with reality and develop problems creating relationships outside the realm of social networks.

17. Thesis Statement ‘Life Boat’ • Thesis Statement Sample Structure: • (Blank) is (Blank) because (blank) and (blank) • Example: • Individuals lose touch with reality and develop problems creating relationships (because) the realm of social networks allows individuals to label anyone as a ‘friend’. • By labeling all individuals as ‘friends’ people lose touch with reality and develop problems creating relationships outside the realm of social networks.

18. body

19. Think/Pair/share • With a partner: • Read over your partner’s introduction • Write down 1-2 positive comment • Write down 1-2 possible area of improvement • Underline where you believe their thesis statement to be • Underline/determine the type of lead used in the introduction paragraph

20. Structuring The Body of Your Essay

21. Planning Out Your Essay: 1. Determine the type of structure that fits the BEST with the end goal for your paper

22. Planning Your Essay: 2. Plan out the specific examples (areas your research will support) you will use in your essay. • Graphic organizers that focus on planning out body paragraphs

23. Planning Out Your Essay: 3. Start by constructing your topic sentences (which will introduce the focus/subject of each of your paragraphs)

24. Planning Out Your Essay 4. Plan out the example that will be used within each of the paragraphs

25. Planning Out Your Essay: 5. Figure out the type of resource needed to support your example and/or provide evidence for your example • In other words, will you be looking for statistical data, quotes from experts, or academic studies from verifiable sources.

26. Planning Out Your Essay: 6. Choose appropriate transitions • Transitions should help move the reader along in a logical and coherent manner • Transitions should move your ideas forward and guide your reader through to the end of your essay

27. Planning Out Your Essay: • Transitions: • Addition: • also, again, as well as, besides, coupled with, furthermore, in addition, likewise, moreover, similarly

28. Planning Out Your Essay: • Consequence: • accordingly, as a result, consequently, for this reason, for this purpose, • hence, otherwise, so then, subsequently, therefore, thus, thereupon, wherefore

29. Planning Out Your Essay: • Contrast and Comparison: • contrast, by the same token, conversely, instead, likewise, • on one hand, on the other hand, on the contrary, rather, • similarly, yet, but, however, still, nevertheless, in contrast

30. Planning Out Your Essay: • Exception: • aside from, barring, beside, except, excepting, excluding, exclusive of, other than, outside of, save

31. Planning Out Your Essay: • Illustration: • for example, for instance, for one thing, as an illustration, • illustrated with, as an example, in this case • Similarity: • comparatively, coupled with, correspondingly, identically, likewise, similar, moreover, together with

32. Planning Out Your Essay: • Sequence: • at first, first of all, to begin with, in the first place, at the same time, • for now, for the time being, the next step, in time, in turn, later on, • meanwhile, next, then, soon, the meantime, later, while, earlier, • simultaneously, afterward, in conclusion, with this in mind, • Summarizing: • after all, all in all, all things considered, briefly, by and large, in any case, in any event, • in brief, in conclusion, on the whole, in short, in summary, in the final analysis, • in the long run, on balance, to sum up, to summarize, finally

33. Building a Body Paragraph: • Topic Sentence: (always contain both (1) a topic and (2) a controlling idea. • Sample Topic Sentence: • Reserving the ‘label’ of friends for those individuals only met face-to-face has several advantages.

34. Building a Body Paragraph: • Example: ‘meat’ of your paragraph • Sample: • Face to face encounters ensure that there will be a higher possibility of getting to know the ‘real’ person. An individual will be able to read the genuine nature of a person who is physically present, much clearer than an individual trying to decipher the true nature of a potential ‘cyber ghost’.

35. Building a Body Paragraph: • Type of Source: your support/evidence for your example • Sample Evidence: • (Blank) statistics show that the number of individuals who create cyber alter egos is increasing at a rate of (Blank). • Dr. (Blank)’s studies in (Blank) have shown that people are much more likely to formulate lies about themselves when shielded by something like a social media platform.

36. Building a Body Paragraph: • Transitions: words or phrases that transition the flow of your ideas coherently • Sample Transition: • Therefore, it is crucial for people to keep a ‘safe’ distance from those who they only ‘know’ through social media network.

37. Sample Body Paragraph: (Topic Sentence) Reserving the ‘label’ of friends for those individuals only met face-to-face has several advantages. (Example) For example,Face to face encounters ensure that there will be a higher possibility of getting to know the ‘real’ person. An individual will be able to read the genuine nature of a person who is physically present much clearer than an individual trying to decipher the true nature of a potential ‘cyber ghost’. (Evidence) (Blank) statistics show that the number of individuals who create cyber alter egos is increasing at a rate of (Blank). (Transition) Therefore, it is crucial for people to keep a ‘safe’ distance from those who they only ‘know’ through a social media network.

38. Your Turn!!! 

39. Planning Out Your Essay: Conclusion Paragraph

40. Different elements of a conclusion paragraph: • Restate your thesis/ present conclusions to your research question • Summarize KEY points made in the body of your essay • End with some sort of INSIGHT about the research

41. Restate your thesis/ present conclusions to your research question In conclusion, by labeling all individuals as ‘friends’ people lose touch with reality and develop problems creating relationships outside the realm of social networks. Individuals should consider reserving the social media platform for entertainment only while remaining cautious about the people they ‘meet’.

42. Summarize Key Points Made In the Body of Your Essay As the research shows, it is far too easy for deception to become the basis for the majority of relationships formed online. There are some aspects of the human experience that cannot be replicated through a virtual medium. Personal connections, like those that develop into friendships, should remain in the realm of the physical.

43. End With Some Sort of Insight About the Research There are some qualities of the human experience that need to remain respected and unaltered.

44. In conclusion, by labeling all individuals as ‘friends’ people lose touch with reality and develop problems creating relationships outside the realm of social networks. Individuals should consider reserving the social media platform for entertainment only while remaining cautious about the people they ‘meet’. As the research shows, it is far too easy for deception to become the basis for the majority of relationships formed online. There are some aspects of the human experience that cannot be replicated through a virtual medium. Personal connections, like those that develop into friendships, should remain in the realm of the physical. There are some qualities of the human experience that need to remain respected and unaltered.