R ESEARCH P APER Topics, Research, Library Sources and Thesis Writing

Step One: Pick a Topic What do I like? What do I want to know more about? What will hold my interest for 4-6 pages? What can I prove about my potential topic? Will I be able to find reliable sources? Will I be able to find the required sources?

S AMPLE T OPICS Juvenile Death Penalty Alternative Energy Sources Education Genetic Disorders/ Syndromes Censorship Iraq War Organ Donors Genetic Engineering Negative Impact of large salaries/ media English as US language Research Drugs Dress Code Public Smoking Laws

G ENERAL T OPIC Your general topic should not be too broad or too narrow should be of interest to you should be “researchable” information

S PECIFIC T OPIC Your Specific Topic Your goal now is to narrow your research topic based on the information you have found Find a topic you can get enough information on for 4-6 pages. Choosing too many topics will result in too much information. Example- Mental disorders Bipolar Disorder, Schizophrenia, ADD, Multiple Personalities, etc CHOOSE ONE OF THESE DISORDERS TO RESEARCH, not all of them.

Thesis Statements subject about prove A thesis sums up what the paper will tell the reader. It is not the topic. The topic is the subject of the paper, the thesis tells the reader something about the topic. The thesis should be at least one complete sentence, it must be logical, and the writer must make a claim that he or she can prove with the content of the paper.

Rules for Writing a Thesis Statement It must be a complete sentence. It can not be a question. It should be provable with facts, anecdotes, stories, etc. It needs to represent you and your ideas. Do not generalize. Do not use first or second person pronouns. Do not use clichés.

S AMPLE T HESIS S TATEMENTS Topic: Video Technology Thesis: Video and audio techniques have become so advanced, the movie industry can and will be able to create lifelike scenes and actions. Topic: Mike Piazza Thesis: With his leadership skills, offensive output, and work ethic, Mike Piazza excels as the best Major League catcher in the history of baseball. Topic: Graphic Design Thesis: The Graphic design industry has taken the video game to a whole new level and because of advancing technology, will continue to do so in the future.

S AMPLE T HESIS S TATEMENTS ( CONTINUED ) Topic: Middle East Conflict Thesis: Different Moslem ideologies make Israeli- Palestinian peace difficult. Topic: Navy Recruitment Thesis: The United States Navy has a history of attracting the finest men and women to serve in its forces, and will continue to meet the naval needs of the nation by enlisting highly qualified individuals in its service. Topic: Death Penalty Thesis: The death penalty has always been a popular form of punishment in the United States, and will continue to thrive due to new technology and research.

P ROVING THE THESIS : What do I already know about this subject? Where can I verify that information in print? What do I still need to find out? What will I need to cover to prove my thesis?

A RGUMENTATIVE R ESEARCH P APER An argumentative paper makes a claim about a topic and justifies this clam with specific evidence. The claim can be an opinion, a policy proposal, an evaluation, a cause-and- effect statement, or an interpretation. The goal of the argumentative paper is to convince the audience that the claim is true based on the evidence provided.

E XAMPLE OF A RGUMENTATIVE THESIS STATEMENT High school graduates should be required to take a year off to pursue community service projects before entering college in order to increase their maturity and global awareness. The paper that follows should: present an argument and give evidence to support the claim that students should pursue community projects before entering college.

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F INAL N OTE Please work diligently and keep track of all due dates!! See Mrs. Minahan ASAP if you have any questions or problems!!