TACKLING THE RESEARCH PAPERSusan Susan Wise Bauer

NOTE: This is the handout that accompanies
my taped lecture, "Tackling the Research Paper."
    For a fuller version of this material, go to
the Research Paper series online.

I.  Preparation
    A.  Content.
    B.  Grammar and Composition  (formal study)
        1. Grammar:  Beka Book
            Seventh grade: Grammar & Composition I
            Eighth grade: Grammar & Composition II
            Ninth grade: Grammar & Composition III
            Tenth grade: Grammar & Composition IV
            Eleventh grade: Grammar & Composition Handbook
                    and Workbook
            Twelfth grade: Grammar & Composition Handbook and
                   Workbook B

        2. Composition skills.
            Writing Strands 1-7, National Writing Institute
            Writing Exposition

        3. Style

            Correct parallel phrases:
              Our prayer and God's grace are like two buckets in a
               well; while the one ascends, the other descends.

            Incorrect parallel phrases:
               The fear of the police and his hiding from Inspector
               Flavert ruined Jean Valjean's peace.

      The Elements of Style, William Strunk & E. B. White.  New
        York: Allyn & Bacon, 1979.

      A Rulebook for Arguments, Anthony Weston.
        Indianopolis: Hackett, 1982.

       Both available from Canon Press, 1-800-488-2034.

 C. Outlining skills

     I.
      A.
       1.
         a.

D. Organization

  Canon Press logic series:
     Introductory Logic, Douglas Wilson
     Intermediate Logic, James Nance

 E. Practice

II. The Research Paper: Getting Started

     A. Picking a Topic ( inventio)

          1.  Pre-reading

          2.  Settling on a topic

          3. Developing a thesis statement.

            These are not thesis statements:
               The cost of the space mission
               Jane Austen's miserable home life

            These are thesis statements:
               The cost of the space mission hampered the
               development of the space program.
                OR
                The cost of the space mission put the lives
                of astronauts in danger

               Jane Austen's miserable home life is reflected in her
                characters
               Jane Austen's miserable home life drove her to write
                her great novels as a means of escape

            A thesis is:
               A proposition that you can defend
               A statement that you can either prove or disprove
               An assertion that has to be supported by evidence.

   Bad thesis statements have two problems:
   1) They're not specific enough, or
   2) They don't need to be supported because they're obvious.

BAD THESIS STATEMENTS:
   Jane Austen wrote great novels.
   Jane Austen's characters can't be open about their feelings.
   The space shuttle mission was expensive.
   Many pivotal Civil War battles took place in Virginia.

GOOD THESIS STATEMENTS:
   Jane Austen's novels are great because they highlight the
        triumph of character over circumstances.
   In Pride & Prejudice, Elizabeth pretends to conceal her
        feelings, but she actually reveals them to Mr. Darcy in
        many subtle ways.
   The expense of the space shuttle mission led to the Challenger
        explosion.
   Many pivotal Civil War battles took place in Virginia because
        it served as a frontier between the north and south.

 B. The Argument (dispositio)

      1. State your thesis.

      2. Make an outline covering the main points.  (Use Roman
            numerals.)

      3. Glance back over all the notes you've taken.  Write down
          information that will persuade the reader of these points.

EXAMPLE:
         Jane Austen's novels are great because they highlight the
         triumph of character over circumstances.

              I. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth's honesty and lack
                of arrogance lead to a good marriage.
              II. In Persuasion, Anne Elliot's faithful service to her
                family over ten years finally results in her marriage to
                Captain Wentworth
              III. Jane Austen's own circumstances were poor, so she
                felt the need to exalt character over circumstance.

  4. Make notecards and mark with the appropriate Roman
        numeral.

  5.  Make a more detailed outline using the information on the
        cards.

         I. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth's honesty and lack of
            arrogance lead to a good marriage.
              A. Elizabeth shows honesty with Mr. Darcy.
                   1.
                   2.
              B. Elizabeth shows lack of arrogance in contrast to her
                   sisters.
                   1.
                   2.
              C. This leads to her marriage with Mr. Darcy
                   1.
                   2.

 C. Writing (elocutio)
        1. Write one paragraph about each point
        2. Conclude with a summary paragraph that restates your
            thesis, and your main supporting points.
                Jane Austen's novels reveal the triumph of character
                over circumstance.  In Pride & Prejudice, Elizabeth
                makes a happy marriage due to the strength of her
                character, displayed in her dealings with Mr. Darcy
                and her sister.  In Persuasion, Anne Elliot makes a
                happy marriage because of her faithfulness to her
                family and her steadfast love for Captain Wentworth.
                Austen's life itself demonstrates the triumph of
                character over circumstance; she lived with a
                hypochondriac mother and brothers who refused to
                support her, but she became one of the great novelists
                of all time.

           3. Proper form.
                a. Each book consulted must be placed on a
                    bibliography page, in alphabetical order by author:

                    Austen, Jane.  Persuasion.  New York: Penguin
                    Books, 1985.

               b. Each direct quote must be documented with an
                   in-text citation.

                  "This affected her spirits exceedingly" (Austen 77).

                  "This affected her spirits exceedingly" (Austen,
                     Persuasion 77).

               c. Introduce direct quotes

                NOT:
                 Austen's heroines often showed unhappiness with
                their circumstances.  "This affected her spirits
                exceedingly" (Austen, Persuasion 77).
                RATHER:
                Austen's heroines often showed unhappiness with their
                circumstances.  When Anne returns to the letters
                Captain Wentworth wrote her, rereading them
                "affected her spirits exceedingly" (Austen, Persuasion
                77).

               d.  Give credit when you paraphrase someone's idea.

                 According to critic Harold Bloom, Anne Elliot
                 represents liberation from a corrupt set of social
                 conventions (Bloom 96).