From General Topic to Working Outline Beginning is the hardest part of the research essay.

Adoption – International adoption General Steps Adoption – International adoption You begin with a broad subject area and a general idea, a provisional conjecture about that subject (a hypothesis). As you read and think about your subject and consider your purpose and prospective audience, you narrow the subject to topic. As you determine what you hope to accomplish in your paper, you reduce your original hypothesis into a definite idea about your topic – a thesis. You investigate your topic by reading books and articles and by exploring other sources of information in search of material to support your thesis and then recording it on note cards or some other easily retrievable format. You organize your notes in a sensible plan. You write the results of your research in an organized essay, documenting the sources of all borrowed facts and opinions. Couples who cannot naturally conceive and greatly desire to adopt a child overseas. Although international adoption appears to be a win-win situation for both parties involved, couples desiring to adopt, in particular adopt abroad, need to be educated concerning a child’s history and culture.

Beginning to Research You have to consider your topic of choice as well as what questions you have. Given the international adoption fiasco with the United States of America and Russia, the topic could be current international adoptions. But, we need to narrow the scope. What about a question? Should we continue to allow international adoptions? This is broad, but a good place to begin. If other questions suddenly popped up, that is certainly good. Consider:

Mapping it Out Why aren’t there more domestic adoptions? Why the interest in foreign babies? How are new parents educated and informed about the delicacy of adopting abroad? What are the psychological effects on both the new parents and the child? What’s being done socially to reduce the need for foreign adoption? International adoptions Are there identity issues? Loss of culture? Is the child “damaged” in anyway? What’s the family history? Is there a history? What about the adjustment time for older adoptees?

Research Away Once you have some questions, decide if there are any connections. From these questions, begin your search for reliable sources. But also know, roughly, the direction you want to go. Write out some general claims. For example, “We should limit the amount of foreign adoptions. The process for adopting internationally should be reexamined. Your thesis will ultimately change, but that is natural as you dig deeper. You must also keep your audience in mind as you research and narrow your thesis.

Visualize Your Thesis Statement Context Subject Claim In America today, international adoption appears to be a win-win situation for both parties involved; however, American couples desiring to adopt abroad, need to be educated concerning a child’s history, acclimated to the child’s culture, and acknowledge the significant ramifications of adopting.

Clarifying the Thesis What do we mean by “educate?” The term here would seem to indicate more than factual information. Consider the international adoption situation with Russia. You cannot simply “return” a child. How can we adjust this thesis? Well, continuing with the research will certainly help with this process. Where should I begin and where should I continue?

Databases at The Art Institute http://library.aiwsites.com ProQuest SIRS CQ Researcher

Have a plan Don’t blindly research or even research to find a topic. If you’re struggling, consider some of the “hot-button” topics I have suggested on the third essay. The more time you prepare and sort things out, the better off you will be when it comes time to actually putting the paper together.