Philip C. McCartyDepartment of SociologyUCSBWhat is a Research Paper?Page 1 of 6 version: 4/21/05Research papers constitute their own genre and are qualitatively different from other forms ofwriting such as fiction, policy statements, personal journals, and news articles. While materialproduced using these other forms of writing may occasionally be used as evidence for researchpapers, or are in some cases designed to produce data for research, these forms do notthemselves constitute a research paper.The following pages describe the major components and standards of a research paper, andprovide tips on how to write a good research paper. The last page is a sample checklist forgrading a research paper.1) MAKE AN ARGUMENTThe main objective of a research paper is to use academic theories, acceptedresearch methods, and reliable evidence to support a coherent argument that isrelevant to a given topic (namely your assignment). A research paper will use one or more ofthe following formats:a) use a theory or theories to explain variation in data.b) use evidence to support or challenge a theory.c) use evidence to compare or contrast more than one theory.d) use theory and evidence to compare given methods.Since the purpose of a research paper is to make a clear argument, a good paper will state themain argument, its thesis, as directly as possible. Even if you conclude that there aren’t enoughdata to come to a clear conclusion, that is your thesis. The main argument should organize therest of the paper. Every section, paragraph and example used in a research paper should beexplicitly linked to the thesis. I recommend that you put your thesis statement at the front of theintroduction. Unless you are writing for publication, I recommend that you bold or underline yourthesis as I have the thesis sentence above. The topic sentence of each following paragraphshould be italicized. This method will prevent you from wandering from your thesis, or remindyou to modify your thesis when necessary.The catch is that, contrary to popular belief, a research paper rarely starts out with a refinedthesis. The thesis often develops out of the argument (see section 9 Getting Started below). Ithelps to think of the thesis as a concept under construction, something that won’t be finisheduntil the last steps of writing the paper. This way you can feel comfortable starting with a crudethesis knowing that it will get better as you work with it.Theories used in a research paper by definition come out of, and relate back to, existing bodiesof academic literature. In general good theses develop from your own reaction to the theoriesand concepts discussed in the course and readings. Yes, this means you must engage with therelevant literature in order to write a research paper. Whether or not you agree with thetheoretical framework of the course, or even if your main objective is to challenge a giventheoretical framework, you must demonstrate your ability to use that framework and the availableevidence to make an effective argument.It helps to put on a new conceptual framework like a pair of sunglasses. Use it to reexaminewhat you already know. See what it allows you to see that other theories don’t let you see.Philip C. McCarty What is a Research Paper? 4/21/05Page 2 of 6 version: 4/21/05Once you can do that you will be more likely to use the vocabulary and concepts of the coursecorrectly throughout your argument.2) SUPPORT YOUR ARGUMENT WITH EVIDENCEYour argument must be supported by reliable evidence. Reliable evidence is collected byaccepted research methods. Your evidence or data may come from a variety of sourcesincluding other texts, research articles, existing data bases, it may be assigned in a course, or insome cases may be data you generate yourself. Either way, whether you borrow your evidenceor generate original data, the sources and methods used to collect the evidence that supportsyour argument should be made as explicit as possible. And any evidence cited in your researchpaper should be directly relevant to the thesis of the paper.3) USE FULL CITATIONSEvery use of borrowed theories, methods or data must be fully cited according to the standardsof your academic discipline. This includes references taken from the Internet, television, movies,personal conversations or otherwise. Failure to cite sources is called plagiarism. If you have anyquestion about the standard reference format you should be using ask your instructor orteaching assistant. If you do not have a referencing guide for your discipline get one and use it. Ifyou do not have a major then use the standard of the discipline in which the course is beingtaught. If neither you nor your course has a standard for citing sources then use either the APAor MLA standard.4) THE FORM OF THE PAPEREvery research paper should have a title, an introduction with a thesis that relates to theliterature, a body of argument that relates to the thesis, a conclusion, standard bibliographicreferences, and any necessary appendices. Unless otherwise specifically stated in yourassignment there should be no part of the paper that doesn’t bear directly on the main argument.INTRODUCTION. Write a full introduction. The introduction is a road map for the reader, it sets outyour thesis, introduces the sources you will use, and outlines the argument that will be made inthe rest of the paper, and foreshadows the conclusion. A good introduction states in plain termswhat the paper is about without using technical terms that have not yet been defined in thepaper. It should leave no room for surprises in the paper. It is usually safe to assume that themajority of your readers won’t get past the introduction. They will read it to see if your papercontains anything of interests to them. For these reasons the introduction is often the last part ofthe paper to be written.BODY. The body of a research paper will by definition take one of several definite forms. Youwill be combining theory and evidence to support a thesis that is relevant to issues in the field.You will often use theory to explain variation in the data or behavior, or you may use evidence tocompare competing theories, or to argue for the use of one method over another in particularsituations. No matter which way you go, your objective should be to make clear connectionsbetween defined concepts and reliable evidence in a direct, convincing manner.CONCLUSION. The conclusion of your paper