english 102 research paper

Part 2: Situation and Analysis

Just as there are different types of essays, there are different outline structures appropriate to different fields and different types of essay assignments. You’ll want to consult with your instructor about any specific organizational requirements, but the following will provide you with some basic examples of outline structures for research papers in several different fields. Pre-draft and Post Draft outlines.

Pre-Draft Outlines

Traditional outlining.

In many of your courses, you’ll be asked to write a traditional, thesis-based research essay. In this structure, you provide a thesis, usually at the end of your introduction, body paragraphs that support your thesis with research, and a conclusion to emphasize the key points of your research paper. You’ll likely encounter this type of assignment in classes in the humanities, but you may also be asked to write a traditional research paper in business classes and some introductory courses in the sciences and social sciences.

In the sample on this page, you’ll see a basic structure that can be modified to fit the length of your assignment. It’s important to note, in shorter research essays, each point of your outline might correspond to a single paragraph, but in longer research papers, you might develop each supporting point over several paragraphs.

Traditional Outline

Traditional Outline Example

IMRAD Outlining

In many of your courses in the sciences and social sciences, such as sociology, psychology, and biology, you may be required to write a research paper using the IMRAD format.  IMRAD  stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. In this format, you present your research and discuss your methods for gathering research. Each section of the IMRAD structure can take several paragraphs to develop.

This structure is also sometimes referred to as the APA format, but be sure not to confuse this with the APA format for documentation of your research.

IMRAD Outline

• provide research question
• explain the significance
• review of background or known information on your topic
• describe your methods for gathering information
• explain your sources of information, both primary and secondary
• describe what you found out from your research.
• develop each point thoroughly, as this is the main section of your research paper
• explain the significance of your findings
• describe how they support your thesis
• discuss the limitations of your research

NOTE: APA does not recommend or require any particular outline for your papers. If you’ve seen sample papers following APA format, you may have seen the IMRAD format used, but this is not an official APA requirement. Your assignment  should always dictate outline structure, not a formatting style.

So you might have an assignment that requires APA format for the documentation but a very different organizational pattern. In fact, you may use the traditional outline for some projects written in APA format.

See It in Practice

In this videocast, you’ll see how our student writer has organized all of her research into a traditional outline.

Writing an Effective Outline

This checklist can help you write an effective outline for your assignment. It will also help you discover where you may need to do additional reading or prewriting.

• Do I have a controlling idea that guides the development of the entire piece of writing?
• Do I have three or more main points that I want to make in this piece of writing? Does each main point connect to my controlling idea?
• Is my outline in the best order—chronological order, spatial order, or order of importance—for me to present my main points? Will this order help me get my main point across?
• Do I have supporting details that will help me inform, explain, or prove my main points?
• Do I need to add more support? If so, where?
• Do I need to make any adjustments to my working thesis statement before I consider it the final version?

Key Takeaways

• Writers must put their ideas in order so the assignment makes sense. The most common orders are chronological order, spatial order, and order of importance.
• After gathering and evaluating the information you found for your essay, the next step is to write a working, or preliminary, thesis statement.
• The working thesis statement expresses the main idea that you want to develop in the entire piece of writing. It can be modified as you continue the writing process.
• Effective writers prepare a formal outline to organize their main ideas and supporting details in the order they will be presented.
• A topic outline uses words and phrases to express ideas.
• A sentence outline uses complete sentences to express ideas.
• The writer’s thesis statement begins the outline and the outline ends with suggestions for the concluding paragraph.

Outline Time?

When it is time for you to write your outline, if you are unsure about the structural requirements for your assignment, be sure to ask your professor.

In your outline, you should aim for a level of detail at least similar to what you see in the models, though more detail may be necessary, depending upon the length of your paper. A clear outline gives you a good plan for your paper and will help you determine whether you have a strong research focus before you begin drafting the paper.

It’s always a good idea to get feedback on your outline before heading into the drafting and integrating stage of your writing process. Share either a formal or informal

Post Draft Outline

A big huzzah–the rough drafts are done, which is a major hurdle.  I know there’s still a lot to do, but I think the hardest part’s out of the way.

Now, it’s time to turn away from the raw content creation of writing a draft and towards the fine-tuning, that transforms into polishing and shaping an effective essay.

Like a pre-draft outline, a post-draft outline is a useful tool for assessing the organization of your paper. After you’re done with a rough draft, creating a post-draft outline can help you see how your paper flows from beginning to end.

ATTRIBUTIONS

• Content Adapted from Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2020).  Excelsior College. Retrieved from https://owl.excelsior.edu/ licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-4.0 International License .
• Content Adapted from Composition II. Authored by : Alexis McMillan-Clifton.  Provided by : Tacoma Community College.  Located at :  http://www.tacomacc.edu . L icensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-4.0 International License .
• Reverse Outline is an unedited video from The Writing Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. This work is licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 4.0 License .  The video can be found on their page https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/reverse-outline/

Media Attributions

English 102: Journey Into Open Copyright © 2021 by Christine Jones is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

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How to skillfully ace an English 102 Research Paper

Many students find writing their first English 102 papers challenging, stressful, and scary. Among the five or six essays, you will write in English 102 is a research paper that must be turned in on time. The main aim of the course is to introduce you to and test you on the conventions of academic writing. This means that you will be taught and tested on how to write convincing, researched, organized, and developed essays. These essays predominantly synthesize, document, and respond to the various sources on a topic in question.

Without understanding how to write an English paper, you will not understand its structure, nor will you be able to write fast. Therefore, you are probably here because you want to know how to write an English 102 research paper or the essays assigned during the course.

It could be your first time doing this. But, not to worry because we will cover all relevant aspects, techniques, methods, and tools you need to employ as you finally write your English 102 research papers.

Following the tips and tricks we have outlined in this guide, you will realize that our English writing experts have insights on how best it can be done.

Our research paper help service is also available if all you want is to English 102 research paper help. Otherwise, read through this guide, do it yourself, and excel at it. These concepts apply to those taking English 101 and 107 classes as well.

What is an English 102 Research Paper?

An English 102 Research paper is a literary research paper assignment assigned to students to test their competence and grasp of academic writing conventions. It is meant to evaluate students' analytical, research, synthesis, creativity, and critical thinking skills. When writing the paper, a student must choose an appropriate topic, research and brainstorm ideas, develop coherent paragraphs that support the thesis, and write a befitting conclusion. While doing so, the student has to read widely to draw ideas from scholarly resources such as books, case studies, news articles, magazines, memos, periodicals, and scholarly journals. You are being tested on your ability to integrate multiple sources, conduct independent research, and then write a masterpiece.

It is a literary paper in the context that, unlike other English research papers focusing on poverty, euthanasia, school uniforms, or Climate change, it entails the interpretation, synthesis, or analysis of the meaning of literature. Moreover, it incorporates research from reputable secondary sources to support the main idea.

The ideal length of an English 102 literary research paper is at least eight pages with a minimum of 6-7 sources.

Qualities of a Good Research paper in English 102

Your research paper or essay will score an A if:

• It is insightful, persuasive, and focuses on the thesis statement developed after considering the topic
• It is coherent, logical, and organized in a manner that points flow from the start to the end
• It has well-developed paragraphs, an effective introduction , and a wholesome concluding paragraph
• Uses concrete and appropriate diction that demonstrates maturity
• Shows that you have skillfully applied formal academic writing discourse through the use of citations where you have quoted, summarized, or paraphrased ideas
• Demonstrates your excellent understanding of texts, critically analyzes the issues, and supports your main point of view through integrating examples and evidence from other sources
• Has little to no grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation errors.
• Has appropriate title that attracts the attention of the reader off the bat
• Has connected ideas from texts that support claims and generalizations
• Demonstrates your rhetorical skills.
• It is devoid of plagiarism.
• Submitted early before the deadline.

Tips to Write an English 102 Research Paper like a Pro

Any literary research paper, such as an English 102 research paper, has its main scope and focuses on your synthesis, interpretation, and literature presentation. You are being tested on your research skills, creativity and critical thinking, analytical and organization skills, which form the core of academic and professional writing.

Suppose you want to write a good English 102 research paper. In that case, you must come up with a relatable, interesting, and relevant topic, a refined thesis statement or controlling idea, a perfect introduction, organized body paragraphs supporting the thesis, and a strong conclusion that wraps up everything. In the research paper, you must have relevant topic sentences, supporting facts to your thesis, and concluding sentences that make strong paragraphs. Besides, your paper needs to have a good transition from a paragraph to the next. Finally, the conclusion should not just be a repetition of facts; it has to be your personal reflection of the topic, refined thesis, and call to action, if necessary.

When writing your English 102 research paper, you will utilize credible scholarly material. These should mostly be books, journals, periodicals, magazine and newspaper articles, website content, and governmental website content. In addition, you should read, internalize, analyze, and present the ideas in support of your thesis. This means that you will have to cite every idea you paraphrase, summarize, or quote from a source.

In most cases, a good English 102 paper has an ideal length of 6-8 pages. Therefore, utmost a minimum of 1500 words for an English 102 paper is not so bad. However, your instructions, research paper prompt, and/or email from your instructor or professor will specify the definite word count.

When writing the paper, you need to use academic citation formats such as APA, Chicago, or MLA. This is because the main aim of writing the research paper is to expound on ideas. You can only do so using credible sources, which must be cited.

In terms of sources, you can use a minimum of 5 to 6 sources. These sources should be scholarly, with peer-reviewed academic journals being top in the list. The sources are written on a separate last page titled " References " for APA and Harvard formatting and "Works Cited" for MLA formatting. You can see how to write such a paper by ordering an English 102 Research Paper example through our homepage. We will assign your paper to our top writers, who will research, write, and advise you on the way forward.

Writing Steps of an English 102 Research Paper

For ease of understanding, we will divide the research paper writing process into three stages: prewriting, writing, and post-writing.

Prewriting Stage

The prewriting stage comprises all the initial activities that a student does before writing the first draft.

Read the Assignment Prompt

During the prewriting stage, you begin by reading the assignment prompt. Your English 102 professor, teacher, or instructor will send you paper instructions via canvas, blackboard, or email. They can equally give the assignment during their lectures. It would help if you had to keenly look at the instructions to determine the scope of the paper, the topics provided, the possibility of selecting a topic by yourself, and the word count of the paper.

Determine/Define your Audience

Once you have read the instructions, it is prudent to understand the expectations, characteristics, attitudes, and knowledge of your audience as you anticipate the writing process. It helps you organize your thoughts well, provide enough evidence, and trim your scope. As you write an academic paper, you need to meet all the academic writing conventions because your professor, teacher, or lecturer is your major audience. The level of knowledge of your audience also matters as it defines the choice of words, delivery, clarity, and readability aspects of your paper.

Decide the authors to write about

You will know the author (s) of focus by reading the assignment prompt. In most cases, you will be allowed to choose from any of the authors that you have discussed in the course of the semester. However, you are also allowed to pick authors whom you have interacted with outside of the class or syllabus. This applies if you are writing a literary analysis research paper. By now, you should have already chosen the text of focus.

Choose and define a topic

Like a typical research paper, topic selection is critical in the prewriting stage of an English 102 research paper. Your instructions or the assignment prompt play a crucial role in selecting the topic. Your professor might be inclined to a given set of articles or reading materials. To choose a great topic, select one after preliminary research so that you can have a feel of the topic and connect with the ideas. Initial research also helps you develop an angle for your English research paper. The choice of the topic, although a challenging task, is guided by reading and getting knowledgeable about the text. As you read the text, the chances are that you will select an angle of analysis and thus a topic.

Read the text as you take notes

After choosing a topic, you have to research for insights from other scholars. You also need to read and reread your main text several times. Make sense of what the texts are and what scholars are saying about the topic. Check how the authors express ideas, organize thoughts, create particular effects, and assess your personal response. When you are comfortable with the topic and your research, you need to develop an angle of analysis . The angle of analysis is your preferred approach to organizing your research paper. You can decide to organize it by critical approach, themes, or literary elements.

Writing Stage: Writing the Research Paper

So now that you have everything in place, you need to get down to work. Real work begins when you begin to organize and write your first draft. Our advice is that you focus on writing first then editing later. Follow these steps:

Choose a thesis statement

With the angle of analysis already determined, it is easier to select a thesis statement for your English 102 research paper. The thesis is the main idea or the controlling idea of your research paper, usually relating to your title and topic. It is the idea that the body paragraphs of your research paper will support. A good thesis statement should be argumentative and must be supported by a detailed interpretation of texts. It must not be factual or speculative or one that states an opinion only.

Weigh the evidence at hand

With your tentative or preliminary thesis, you need to evaluate the importance of the pieces of evidence you had collected earlier. Then, you can further gather scholarly articles that support the central idea. Next, distinguish between general and specific ideas so that you can confirm the logical sequence of presentation that your audience can relate to and grasp. Finally, ensure that you select resources that fill the gap in research.

Develop an Outline

A research paper outline is a final product you should have after weighing the evidence you have gathered. A formal outline will outline the research paper structure, making it easier to scoop the top grades in English 102. When developing your formal outline, systematically draft what you want in the introduction, body, and conclusion. You must label the parts of an outline structure for ease of filling them when writing your first draft.

Draft your English 102 Paper

In the drafting step, you will be converting the one-sentence ideas in your outline to complete paragraphs and, eventually, your research paper. There is no single preferred or best method to do so; you can do it anyhow. However, from our experience, writing the body paragraphs first and the conclusion and introduction last ensures that your paper flows from top to the end. Start by writing straightforward paragraphs, sentences, or ideas. This means that you should free write and open your mind to new ideas. As you draft, convey meaning more than correct. You can leave perfection for the post-writing stage. As you write the draft, read your sources, reread them, refine ideas, and cite as you write. You can use online citation management tools for the same.

Post-writing Stage

Now that you have something concrete, it is time to ensure that everything is correct. It is best to take a break after the writing stage to develop an objective mind.

Revise the paper

You can revise the paper in two ways: individual and collaborative revision. As for the individual revision process, rethink, reorganize, and rewrite your English 102 research paper as you read it out loud to yourself. You will be reviewing the paper yourself from the perspective of an independent reader. Ensure that the diction is right and that the organization of paragraphs, supporting facts, examples, and general paper is right. Check for coherence, completeness, conciseness, and clarity of your paper.

As it pertains to collaborative revision, you will be seeking the insights of others. Instead of self-criticism during individual revision, you rely mostly on external criticism in joint revision. You can approach a professional editing and proofreading company, your friends, or a family member. This approach limits bias and ensures that your paper is fully polished. Peer review allows you to turn in a paper that meets the instructions from the perspective of an independent and unbiased reader.

Edit and proofread

In the editing stage, examine the styling, correctness, and clarity of your English research paper. You should review your paper and ascertain that it ticks the parts of the guidelines of formal research paper writing and the English language.

Check sentence fragments, spelling, subject-verb agreement, pronouns and nouns, punctuation, parallelism, run-on sentences, vague sentences, misplaced examples and ideas, and common grammatical errors. As well, check your referencing style, including titling, in-text citation, indentation, and alignment. Finally, ensure that the bibliographic information is well arranged alphabetically or otherwise.

Submit before the deadline

The final stage of the post-writing stage is hitting the submit button. In most cases, you can submit your complete English 102 paper through Canvas or Blackboard. Whatever channel it is, ensure that you have the right document named as preferred by your markers. Also, ensure that you have the right format: PDF, Word document, or Google Doc.

English Research Paper Outline or Template

If you have been assigned an English research paper and want to break down the components, here is a basic structure of what your 102 papers should look like. Check out examples of other detailed research paper outlines as well, which you can adapt and make work easier.

Introduction

• Background information
• Thesis statement
• Research paper outline: This paper discusses, then�

Body Paragraph 1

• Topic sentence
• Supporting facts
• Conclusion sentence

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3

Body Paragraph 4

• Refined thesis statement
• Summary of the entire research paper
• Call to action, if applicable

Parting Shot!

Professors assessing 102 are as strict as those of English 101 or 107/8. Therefore, you need to make no mistake as you write a research paper because any omission will definitely lead to a poor grade. With that in mind, if you divide your work into the three stages of writing an English 102 research paper as we have outlined, everything flows and becomes easier.

The steps above have been employed by top students and further tested by our English Literature writers. As a result, you can write a perfect essay or research paper for English 102 and overcome the fear that comes with the process.

If writing a great paper is not your cup of tea, you can choose to hire a versatile paper writer from our website. We guarantee you a learning opportunity because you will get a well-researched sample, written and polished. In addition, we can help solve all your writing woes in college. Our writers can handle complex tasks, which 102 is all about.

Gradecrest is a professional writing service that provides original model papers. We offer personalized services along with research materials for assistance purposes only. All the materials from our website should be used with proper references. See our Terms of Use Page for proper details.

ENG 102/105/108, First-Year Composition

• Videos & Tutorials

Finding Topics Tutorial

Tools for exploring topics.

• Thesis Statements
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• Finding Articles: Research Databases
• Research Databases by Discipline
• Citing Your Sources
• Instructor Materials
• ASU Online ENG 102: Local Issues and Solutions

Ask a Librarian Chat Widget

• Finding Topics Online Tutorial (2:40) Use the online tutorial to help you find and define a workable topic.

Having trouble deciding what to write about? Try looking at the links below to get some ideas:

Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center

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ENGL 102 - The Research Paper

English 102 is the second half of the two-course sequence in English composition. Students continue to improve their academic reading and writing skills and critically examine issues raised by course texts. Course materials and the topics of study may vary in subject matter from one instructor to another. Course activities facilitate independent library and Web-based research. Students' work culminates in a final research paper. 

Prerequisite

ENGL 101 with a grade of "C" or better

Course Offered Online: Yes

General Education Fulfillment: Writing, Research & Information Literacy

English 102 Composition II / Research: Topic Selection

• English 102
• Topic Selection
• Library Catalog
• Library Databases
• Website Evaluation
• Is My Source Credible?
• Primary or Secondary ?
• Scholarly or Popular ?
• Peer-Reviewed?
• Refining Your Ideas
• APA Citations
• MLA Citations

Getting Started

• Your instructor may provide a "prompt", give you a list of suggestions, or some other guidelines to get you started on a topic. 
• Selection of a topic might start with a question such as "Does race make a difference in getting into college?" or "What are the impacts of daily use of TikTok on young adults?".
•  At this point, it's a good idea to try doing some "pre-research" to see if there is information on the topic.  If there is too much information, you may need to narrow your topic.  If there is too little, you may need to broaden your topic.  You may also discover you might take a different direction with your topic or change it altogether.

Explore Topics with SVC Databases

Login with your MYSVC/Canvas username and password

• Facts On File: Issues and Controversies Topic List List of Topics for Research
• ProCon: List of Topics ProCon is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, public charity that researches and publishes pro and con perspectives on critical issues of the day.
• Credo Reference Database This link opens in a new window Online encyclopedia source, including Encyclopedia of the United States in the 19th Century. Good source for images and graphics. Log in from home using MYSVC login & password.
• Encyclopedia Britannica This link opens in a new window Academic Wikipedia. Log in with full SVC email address and password.

Where to find Topics on the Internet

Allsides : Topics & Issues in the news

Pew Research Center : Topics

Tutorial Videos About Topics

1 minute tutorials from Credo Database:

• How to Select a Topic
• Using Pre-Research to Understand Your Topic
• What to do When Your Topic is Too Broad
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ENG 102 / ENG 108: Research Papers, Literary Criticism & Annotated Bibliographies

• Topic Selection
• Scholarly vs. Popular Sources
• Search Tips
• Finding Books & eBooks
• Web Resources
• Streaming Videos
• Literary Criticism
• Annotated Bibliography Tutorial
• In Class Evaluation Activity
• Writing and Citing
• ENG102 - Professor Carl This link opens in a new window
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• ENG102 - Professor Herald
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Welcome to the English 102 Research Guide!

Critical Thinking combined with Information/Research Skills enables you to find, evaluate and use information in an academic and ethical way. These skills, when mastered, assist you in conducting research, finding great sources and organizing your information in a way that makes sense to your reader/audience while giving credit to the cycle of scholarly information.  This Research Process assists us in mastering our objectives:

• Determine an appropriate scope of investigation by limiting that scope and using various research methods to assist in your inquiry;
• Matching your information need to the scope of your investigation by using specific resources and the research process

This guide will help you:

• Develop a topic
• Identify and access library databases 
• Identify sources for literary criticism and analysis
• Create an annotated bibliography
• Develop effective search strategies for searching library databases
• Evaluate and identify the best resources for your research
• Understand the difference between popular and scholarly sources
• Identify sources for MLA and APA format help

Use the tabs to navigate through this guide.

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Eng 102 - The Argumentative Essay: Home

• CQ Researcher
• Issues and Controversies
• Harlem Renaissance

Introduction

The “ Argumentative Paper”

English 102  

Here’s what to consider—carefully!

1. Avoid Pre-formed conclusions about your issue .

• This is our emotional intelligence informing us what we should think about the issue.  While important, it is only a part of the picture/ your argument.

2. So, what to do?

• Examine the data, the facts, and the opposing viewpoints carefully .  With an iceberg, we only see the top— the smallest surface area.  Below lies the mass—the bigger picture. The same holds true for an issue. Below the surface of emotional intelligence is the truer perspective. The one you want to bring to your research. The one that gets you closer to a carefully reasoned conclusion.

3. So, what else to do?

• Set aside sweeping conclusions , be they political, historical, cultural, or social.
• Strive for an objective understanding of the pros and cons of an argument. As such, it is best to examine both sides fairly in your paper, for one cannot be 100% right or 100% wrong. 
• Look for a “middle ground” compromise. This is how you come about to a truly reasoned opinion that builds critical thinking and analytical skills.

This LibGuide embraces a number of helpful library databases, each with different strengths and weaknesses.

CQ Researcher and Issues and Controversies

The CQ Researcher and Issues and Controversies databases serve as an introduction to an issue.  Essentially these two databases are the Walmart of databases for they provide the skeleton essence for the issues they cover in 15 page articles.   

CQ Researcher and Issues and Controversies host only a select few articles related to your issue and the few articles are generally spread out by a number of years for you to witness the evolution in tackling the issue. Both these databases cover the Who, What, Where, When, How, Past, Present, Future, Pro/Con, Statistics and Quotes from Authorities in the Field and Political Figures. Both provide MLA citations for you to copy/paste.

EBSCO   &  JSTOR

Both EBSCO and JSTOR differ from CQ Researcher and Issues and Controversies in that hundreds, if not thousands of articles, will be retrieved by a search.  As such, combinations of keywords using AND to link these keywords will assist in narrowing your search. 

In addition, you may wish to further narrow your search by

• Date of publication,
• Source type (magazine, journal, book, report) or other variables.

An Advanced Search option is also available to assist you in narrowing your search results.

Most EBSCO and all JSTOR articles are available in PDF format.  PDF allows you to cite the exact page for your quotes, statistics, and other data you used from the source material.

• Important Note : As with CQ and Issues and Controversies, JSTOR and EBSCO provide MLA citations to copy/paste. 

Finally, just select your topic and begin to research it in the various databases:

• Take accurate notes
• Identify important “QUOTES”
• Look for telling analogies
• Note relevant examples
• Develop correct citations
• Build your Works Cited or References as a “separate” page
• Organize your paper around your central “for or against” position [thesis]
• Organize your paragraphs using individual paragraph topic ideas to support your thesis

All these databases can be found through the library catalog or the  Library Databases and Journals page .

• Access to the databases is your Canvas/MyTMCC login and password.

Here are 12 Research Paper subjects below.

NOTE: You can argue FOR or AGAINST  either side  of the issue; make sure you adjust the key word[s] accordingly ...

1. A Single Payer Health System is or is not  the best alternative for the United States.  [Key words--"best alternative"]

3. Term Limits for all Senators and Congressmen will or will not insure "real" democracy.  [Key Word--"insure"]

3. Drone Strikes are immoral actions.  [Key Word--"immoral"]

4. Alternative Health Care should be or should not be a vital part of mainstream medicine.  [Key Words--"vital part"]

5. If you study past history, you are studying future history.  Key Words--["past & future"]

6. A College Education is or is not necessary for Happiness.  [Key word--"necessary"]

7.   A Mission to Mars is or is not a waste of Money.  [Key word--"waste"]

8.   Nature must be preserved if we, as a species, expect to survive.  [Key word-- "preserved"]

9. The Internet will or will not create a better world.  [Key word--"Better"]

10. Overpopulation does or does not threaten the world's resources.  [Key word--"threaten"]

11. The Harlem Renaissance added important cultural diversity to America  [Key words--"important cultural diversity"]

12. The Mayan Civilization was less or more advanced than the Egyptian Civilization.  [Key words--"less or more advanced"—pick one] 

SUPER HELPFUL :

USE the  ESSAY OR RESEARCH PAPER "OUTLINE" FORM  located on your Home Page to help write your paper

English 102: Research Paper Assignment  

TYPE OF PAPER: AN ARGUMENT PAPER

Elements of an Argument paper are:

1. Facts, which represent about 75% of the argument

2. Persuasive appeals, which represent no more than 25% of the argument

Primary  “Modes of Paragraph Development” ( ways to illustrate, explain, prove, or argue):

a. Definitions

b. Examples

c. Narration [stories]

d. Descriptions

e. Comparison and Contrast

f. Facts, Statistics, Authority [experts] testimony

g. Persuasive appeals--“emotional-appealing” language

h. Also, discuss OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS for balanced arguments

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How to Write an English 102 Research Paper that Rocks

It is often intimidating when you are tasked with writing a paper for English. The intimidation is even extreme when you do not know how to write a good English 102 research paper, especially if you are writing it for the first time.

However, this should not overwhelm you because your professor only tests your ability to express your ideas in writing, use grammar correctly, observe proper spelling, and punctuate your work.

Below, I have provided you with the necessary techniques and tools for writing English 102 research papers. For those who would like expert papers, feel free to check our research paper help services for instant assistance. Read on to learn how to do it yourself.

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How to Write an English 102 Research Paper

An English 102 Research Paper is a literary research paper that focuses on how you analyze and interpret literature. This will require you to analyze and interpret the literature provided critically.

To write a good English 102 research paper, you must come up with a good topic, thesis statement, and introduction.

You will discuss several points that support that thesis and sum up with a good conclusion that reflects your research and personal take-home from the paper.

Since English 102 is a research paper, it implies that you are to utilize credible secondary material for your research paper.

When handling such a paper, you are required to analyze and interpret a piece of literature or several pieces and provide viable support to your analysis through research.

Ideally, your English 102 Research Paper should be no less than 6 pages. Depending on your professor’s instructions or guidelines, it is imperative to adhere to acceptable academic writing formats.

Some of these citation formats include MLA and APA. As aforementioned, this is a research paper, and there should be sources.

You are supposed to list a minimum of 6 sources of which the majority have to be peer-reviewed secondary sources. The sources are listed at the end of the paper on a separate page titled “References” or “Works Cited.”.

How to Structure A Research Paper?

Now that we have tackled what you will be learning in /English 102, you may wonder how to structure your research paper when presented with a task.

The most important thing to note is that your paper should be structured according to your main ideas. This means that your paper will represent individual ideas within individual paragraphs.

Your paper should begin with an introductory paragraph. From this paragraph, you introduce what your paper will be about. Your introduction should utilize a hook that captures the interest of your readers.

Then, state the issues (question) at hand and respond to those issues through a thesis (the point to be proved by your paper). Your thesis is central to your paper. All your arguments and sources should revolve around your thesis.

Body paragraphs then follow the introduction. Each paragraph focuses on an individual point that supports your thesis. Use topic sentences within each paragraph to connect them to the thesis statement.

For example, if your thesis statement is, “The destruction of the Amazon forest in Brazil is one of the factors that have contributed to global warming”, then each paragraph should provide a supporting point of how the destruction of Amazon is linked to global warming.

Finally provide a conclusion in which you restate your thesis and main points. Then provide a wider relevance of your arguments. Do not forget to cite all your sources. For a comprehensive writing guide on how to write research, format and present research papers

How to Organize an English Research Paper

It is very important to organize your English 102 Research Paper. As noted in the structure of your research paper, your paper depends on your thesis statement.

A thesis statement is determined after establishing the topic. Read how to write a good thesis statement in our paper writing guide.

Each idea that supports the thesis statement should be organized into individual paragraphs.

Creating an outline is The best way to organize your English 102 Research Paper.

The outline shows how your ideas will be organized within your paper. The main ideas are organized in accordance with the order in which you will write about them.

Subordinate ideas are written below the main ideas. For example, if your first main idea is “Destruction of the Amazon results to global warming because lesser trees mean lesser absorbers of carbon from the atmosphere” , the subordinate should be “photosynthesis process and carbon absorption” . It supports the main idea.

When writing your paper, ensure you cite all the secondary sources used. This is achieved through in-text citation and at the end of your paper on the “Works Cited” page. If you are challenged using these formats, seek our paper writing help for quicker solutions.

Your paper should present viable ideas and arguments that are effectively supported. When done with writing, always proofread to correct any mistakes done.

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What Do you Learn in English 102?

For those of us who have not yet participated in the English 102 course, you may be wondering what you will be taught.

To be worried about the English 102 Research Paper, you must have participated in English 101. You must have successfully completed the Eng 101 class and perfected your art of Writing English compositions.

Now that you have connected the two courses, let us delve into what you will learn in English 102.

The course is a continuation of practicing rhetorical skills that had been introduced in English 101. In this stage, you are required to analyze, interpret, and synthesize different literary works to form a well-supported and researched academic argument.

Here, you will learn the conventions of academic writing. This means that by the end of the course, you will learn how to write a well-developed, convincing, and well-organized paper.

On top of that, you will learn how to document, synthesize, and respond to a wide variety of sources on a particular topic. You will be expected to apply analytical college writing in this course.

Throughout the course, you will develop the capability of writing about problems from various perspectives, such as philosophical, historical, cross-cultural, and/or rhetorical, and interdisciplinary perspectives.

A Versatile paper writer

This will widen your versatility as an academic writer, enabling you to tackle various topics from various disciplines and contexts.

Students will also learn how to work to tackle certain tasks collectively. Here, students must form groups and engage in activities and discussions meant to develop a clear sense of audience, critical perspectives, and effective and fluent writing and delivery style.

Students learn that they can tackle more complex tasks easily with minimal time by combining their efforts to achieve a certain goal. This differs from writing English compositions as you did in the previous class.

While writing formal essays throughout the English 102 course, students learn how to utilize analysis, interpretation, and persuasion as strategies to present and support a valid position or perspective. While doing this, they continue developing critical attitudes toward media and culture.

This is basically what you will learn in the English 102 course. Regarding the sources used for information in the course, you are to evaluate the relevance, authority, and validity of the information they provide and cite the information using the proper means to avoid case of plagiarism.

Why is a College English Research Paper Assignment given?

An English Research Paper is a literary research paper that evaluates how students analyze and interpret literature.

To succeed in this assignment, students are required to critically analyze and interpret the literature that has been provided in the form of books, case studies, and other works.

What is a Literary Research Paper Assignment?

Ideally, there is no difference between English and literary research papers. Both mean the same thing, and the requirements are similar. In both, you are required to showcase your ability to critically analyze and interpret literature by using viable arguments and credible evidence.

Research paper organization templates

In addition to the guide above, it is good to have a look at the common examples of how a good English paper should be. While there are different common templates, this, English paper outline is what we recommend you follow. You can download the PDF version on that link.

Parting shot

Knowing how to write your English 102 research paper is a step towards getting that good grade. The paper tests your ability to research, express your ideas in writing, use correct grammar, observe proper spelling, and punctuate your work.

As long as you are able to follow the instructions, organize, and structure your work as I have shown, you should not be intimidated by the course. Also, remember to write a paper long enough to cover the assignment given.

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ENGL 102 - Research Papers

• Planning Your Research
• Library Database Search
• Primo Search
• Credible Web Sources
• Cite Your Sources

Chat with a Librarian

Have deeper questions book a research appointment, class handouts.

• ENGL 102 Class Handout
• Download/print a blank keyword table here.
• Diverse Perspectives Checklist (Example 1)
• Diverse Perspectives Checklist (Example 2)
• Diverse Perspectives Checklist (Fillable)

Research Tip: Know your requirements!

Read your instructor's assignment. Make a mental note of certain requirements, such as:

• Number of required sources
• Variety of sources (peer-reviewed, scholarly, popular, personal interview, etc.)
• Number of written pages
• Citation style

Research Tip: What should I research?

Choosing a research topic is often challenging!  Here are some ideas for picking a topic.

• Explore a topic from a personal experience.
• Watch a TED Talk video for cutting edge research ideas.
• Browse through the library's e-magazines on Flipster  for a story and topic that interest you.

Assistant Professor, Public Services Librarian

Picking your topic is research!

Choosing a topic is the first and most important step of any research paper. This video from North Carolina State University helps outline this process.

Concept Mapping: What are the Advantages?

• Allows flexibility and creativity
• Free flowing, visual representation of your ideas
• Can help narrow down your topic by focusing and developing a single branch from the broad topic
• Can be adapted and revised as you do more research

Concept Mapping: What Does It Look Like?

The video below was created by Penn State University Libraries to explain the process of concept mapping for a research paper.

Research Tip: Start with simple sources.

At times, it may be challenging to come up with keywords or avoid our own biases. Reading an overview article about the topic can help guide your research. Below are some Molstead Library subscription databases to help you find background information on your subject.

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ENG 102 - Poetry Research

English 102 - Poetry Research

This guide is designed to help you complete an English 102 research paper about a poem. Follow the steps below in order - each step builds on the one before it, guiding you through the research project. We offer research advice/tips, as well as recommended sources, citation help, etc.

• Next: 1. Getting Started >>
• 1. Getting Started
• 2. Explore Your Topic
• 3. Narrow Your Topic
• 4. Find Sources
• 5. Cite Your Sources
• 6. Evaluate Your Sources
• 7. Write Your Paper
• Literary Criticism Guide

Questions? Ask a Librarian

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English 102 (Roth)

• Finding Articles
• Outline & Thesis Statement
• Avoiding Plagiarism

What's the Point?

This unit is intended to refresh your memory of how to work through the research process and begin work on your paper.

• Start by clicking through the Prezi about how the research process works.
• Watch the video on how to use brainstorming to bring focus to your topic .
• An outline can be a useful tool in keeping your paper focused, and many instructors ask to see one before you begin writing. The tab explains how to set one up.
• Finally, thesis statements can be a struggle for many students. The overview presented provides pointers on how to structure a thesis for your paper (It looks like a lot of text! But we promise it only takes a few minutes to read through).

Research and Writing

• The Research and Writing Process
• Focusing Your Topic
• How to Create an Outline
• Thesis Statements

Creating an Outline

An outline helps you plan out how the main body paragraphs of your paper will be used to support your thesis.

Microsoft Office Word has easy to use tools to create outlines. I like to start my outline with an introduction section. I can add lines ot my outline by hitting enter for additional numbered lines and hitting tab to create supporting points.

I'll use the numbered lines to outline my body paragraphs. Each body paragraph focuses on one main point which is presented and then supported. There are many ways to arrange the body paragraphs of your paper to best support your argument and it's worth checking out guides for ideas on how to best construct yours.

Once the main body paragraphs have been outlined, I'm going to start adding supporting evidence points. I like adding the direct quotes I've discovered during my research because they remind me of the exact point I was hoping to emphasize and speed up my writing process.

By keeping everything aligned this way, I can clearly see what parts of my outline are main body paragraphs and what points, or evidence, I will use to support them. If I mess something up, I can either hit the backspace button or I can use the decrease/increase indent buttons.

Outlines are only a guide -- they should be flexible . If you see holes in your research or argument, you should do additional work to address those issues. If the flow of your paper isn't right, feel free to move around paragraphs or sections until it sounds right and your argument is fully supported. Finally, if something simply doesn't fit, you shouldn't be afraid to delete it from your outline/paper entirely.

Thesis Statments

You need a good thesis statement for your essay but are having trouble getting started. You may have heard that your thesis needs to be specific and arguable, but still wonder what this really means.

Let's look at some examples. Imagine you're writing about John Hughes's film Sixteen Candles (1984).

You take a first pass at writing a thesis:

       Sixteen Candles is a romantic comedy about high school cliques.

Is this a strong thesis statement? Not yet, but it's a good start. You've focused on a topic - high school cliques - which is a smart move because you've settled on one of many possible angles. But the claim is weak because it's not yet arguable. Intelligent people would generally agree with this statement - so there's no real "news" for your reader. You want your thesis to say something surprising and debatable. If your thesis doesn't go beyond summarizing your source, it's descriptive and not yet argumentative.

The key words in the thesis statement are "romantic comedy" and "high school cliques." One way to sharpen the claim is to start asking questions .

For example, how does the film represent high school cliques in a surprising or complex way? how does the film reinforce stereotypes about high school groups and how does it undermine them? Or why does teh flim challenge our expectations about romantic comedies by focusing on high school cliques? If you can answer one of those questions (or others of your own), you'll have a strong thesis.

Tip: Asking "how" or "why" questions will help you refine your thesis, making it more arguable and interesting to your readers.

Take 2. You revise the thesis. Is it strong now?

       Sixteen Candles is a romantic comedy criticizing the divisiveness created by high school cliques.

You're getting closer. You're starting to take a stance by arguing that the film identifies "divisiveness" as a problem and criticizes it, but your readers will want to know how this plays out and why it's important. Right now, the thesis still sounds bland - not risky enough to be genuinely contentious.

Tip:  Keep raising questions that test your ideas. And ask yourself the "so what" question. Why is your thesis interesting or important?

Take 3. Let's try again. How about this version? 

       Although the film  Sixteen Candles  appears to reinforce stereotypes about high school cliques, it undermines them in important          ways, questioning its viewers' assumptions about what's normal. 

Bingo! This thesis statement is pretty strong. It challenges an obvious interpretation of the movie (that it just reinforces stereotypes), offering a new and more complex reading in its place. We also have a sense of why this argument is important. The film's larger goal, we learn, is to question what we think we understand about normalcy. 

What's a Strong Thesis?

As we've just seen, a strong thesis statement crystallizes your paper's argument and, most importantly, it's  arguable . 

This means two things. It goes beyond merely summarizing or describing to stake out an interpretation or position that's not obvious, and others could challenge for good reasons. It's also arguable in the literal sense that it can be argued , or supported through a thoughtful analysis of your sources. If your argument lacks evidence, readers will think your thesis statement is an opinion or belief as opposed to an argument. 

Exercises for Drafting an Arguable Thesis  

A good thesis will be  focused  on your object of study (as opposed to making a big claim about the world) and will introduce the key words  guiding your analysis. To get started, you might experiment with some of these "mad libs." They're thinking exercises that will help propel you toward an arguable thesis. 

By examining ___________________[topic/approach], we can see ____________________[thesis- the claim that's surprising, which is important because _____________________.[1]

" By examining   Sixteen Candles  through the lens of Georg Simmel's writing on fashion, we can see that the protagonist's interest in fashion as an expression of her conflicted desire to be seen as both unique and accepted by the group. This is important because  the film offers its viewers a glimpse into the ambivalent yearnings of middle class youth in the 1980s. 

Although readers might assume __________ [the commonplace idea you're challenging], I argue that _____________[your surprising claim]. 

Example: 

Although viewers might assume the romantic comedy  Sixteen Candles  is merely entertaining, I believe its message is political. The film uses the romance between Samantha, a middle class sophomore and Jake, an affluent senior, to reinforce the fantasy that anyone can become wealthy and successful with enough cunning and persistence. 

Still Having Trouble? Let's Back Up... 

It helps to understand why readers value the arguable thesis. What larger purpose does it serve? Your readers will bring a set of expectations to your essay. The better you can anticipate the expectations of your readers, the better you'll be able to persuade them to entertain seeing things your way. 

Academic readers (and readers more generally) read to learn something new. They want to see the writer challenge commonplaces - either everyday assumptions about your object of study or truisms in the scholarly literature. In other words, academic readers want to be surprised so that their thinking shifts or at least becomes more complex by the time they finish reading your essay. Good essays problematize what we think we know and offer an alternative explanation in its place. They leave their reader with a fresh perspective on a problem. 

We all bring important past experiences and beliefs to our interpretations of texts, objects, and problems. You can harness these observational powers to engage critically with what you are studying. The key is to be alert to what strikes you as strange, problematic, paradoxical, or puzzling about your object of study. If you can articulate this and a claim in response, you're well on your way to formulating an arguable thesis in your introduction. 

How do I set up a "problem" and an arguable thesis in response? 

All good writing has a purpose or motive for existing. Your thesis is your surprising response to this problem or motive. This is why it seldom makes sense to start a writing project by articulating the thesis. The first step is to articulate the question or problem your paper addresses. 

Here are some possible ways to introduce a conceptual problem in your paper's introduction. 

1. Challenge a commonplace interpretation (or your own first impressions). 

How are readers likely to interpret this source or issue? What might intelligent readers think at first glance? (Or, if you've been given secondary sources or have been asked to conduct research to locate secondary sources, what do other writers or scholars assume is true or important about your primary source or issue?). 

What does this commonplace interpretation leave out, overlook, or under-emphasize? 

2. Help your reader see the complexity of your topic.

 Identify and describe for your reader a paradox, puzzle, or contradiction in your primary source(s). 

What larger questions does this paradox or contradiction raise for you and your readers? 

3. If your assignment asks you to do research, piggyback off another scholar's research. 

Summarize for your reader another scholar's argument about your topic, primary source, or case study and tell your reader why this claim is interesting. 

Now, explain how you will extend this scholar's argument to explore an issue or case study that the scholar doesn't address fully. 

4. If your assignment asks you to do research, identify a gap in another scholar's or a group of scholars' research. 

Summarize for your reader another scholar's argument about your topic, primary source, or case study and tell your reader why this claim is interesting. Or, summarize how scholars in the field tend to approach your topic. 

Next, explain what important aspect this scholarly representation misses or distorts. Introduce your particular approach to your topic and its value. 

5. If your assignment asks you to do research, bring in a new lens for investigating your case study or problem. 

Summarize for your reader how a scholar or group of scholars has approached your topic. 

Introduce a theoretical source (possibly from another discipline) and explain how it helps you address this issue from a new and productive angle. 

Testing Your Thesis 

You can test your thesis statement's arguability by asking the following questions:

          Does my thesis only or mostly summarize my source? 

                 If so, try some of the exercises above to articulate your paper's conceptual problem or question. 

          Is my thesis arguable - can it be supported by evidence in my source, and is it surprising and contentious? 

                If not, return to your sources and practice the exercises above. 

           Is my thesis about my primary source or case study, or is it about the world? 

                If it's about the world, revise it so that it focuses on your primary source or case study. Remember you need solid evidence to support your thesis. 

"Formulating a Thesis" was written by Andrea Scott, Princeton University . CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

[1] Adapted from Erik Simpson’s “Five Ways of Looking at a Thesis” at http://www.math.grinnell.edu/~simpsone/Teaching/fiveways.html

Attribution

Information Literacy Tutorial  by  Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System  is licensed under a   Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License . Based on a work at  guides.library.uwm.edu

• Last Updated: Dec 2, 2022 6:03 PM
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English 102/103 (Composition)

• Starting Your Research
• Discover Resources
• Publication and Source Types
• Annotated Bibliography and Citation Information
• Zotero online workshop
• Library Research Activity
• Zotero Online Workshop

Learn how to use the citation manager Zotero at your own pace. This tutorial can be used for the supplemental library workshop writing exercise.

Your Research Librarian

Composition research guide.

Welcome to the English Composition Research Guide! Use the navigation tabs on the left to find your way around.

Supplemental Library Workshop Opportunities

• Next: Starting Your Research >>
• Last Updated: Apr 1, 2024 8:30 PM
• URL: https://libguides.wvu.edu/english_comp

The Research Process

Choosing a Topic

“I write out of ignorance. I write about the things I don’t have any resolutions for, and when I’m finished, I think I know a little bit more about it. I don’t write out of what I know. It’s what I don’t know that stimulates me .” – Toni Morrison , author and Northeast Ohio native

Think of a research paper as an opportunity to deepen (or create!) knowledge about a topic that matters to you. Just as Toni Morrison states that she is stimulated by what she doesn’t  yet know, a research paper assignment can be interesting and meaningful if it allows you to explore what you don’t know.

Research, at its best, is an act of knowledge creation — and this knowledge creation is the essence of any great educational experience. Instead of being lectured at, you get to design the learning project that will ultimately result in you demonstrating your own intellectual growth.

As you choose your research topic, start with something that you do not not know, but that you want to know.

Choose a topic that you often hear about, but want to understand better. Or

Choose a topic that represents something you have lived through, but don’t fully understand. Or

Choose a topic that you have a strong opinion on, but are willing to try to understand others’ opinions and how those opinions are shaped. Or

Choose something that is relevant to you, personally or professionally.

And once you have chosen perhaps a few topics that feel interesting and meaningful, see how they hold up to the criteria for a good and manageable research topic that are laid out here:

English 102: Reading, Research, and Writing by Emilie Zickel is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License , except where otherwise noted.

21 English 102 Research Paper Topics: Examples and Outline

An English 102 research paper is an assignment that tasks students to study a certain subject linked to English, literature, or culture. College students often write it as a requirement for their English 102 class or related English coursework.

A typical English research paper will start with n introduction, then a thesis statement, and a clear research question that outlines the aim and parameters of the investigation. This is where a good topic comes into play.

In this blog, I will present to you 21 good topics to write for your English research paper. Read our guide if you want to learn more about the process and for guidance on the steps to write a good paper and the structure.

 21 Good Topics for English 102 Research Paper

• Obesity /Fast food 
• Effects of divorce
• Clean Energy
• Food insecurity 
• Poverty and homelessness 
• Child labor 
• Climate change 
• Guns violence and morality 
• Income inequity 
• Religion in public schools 
• Diet and moods
• Technology in education 
• Sleep deprivation. 
• Gaming and brain function. 
• Music and brain
• Animal rights 
• Child sexual abuse
• Food safety and regulation 
• Distance running
• Parenting styles

How to Write English 102 Essay Outline

One needs an outline because it acts as a plan for your academic paper. You must structure it by organizing the key points into the paragraphs to make it easy for the writer to capture the right details. 

It becomes hard for one to craft an essay without outlining it.   As an author, you should create it to organize your thoughts well.

Furthermore, the outline assists you to know the information how the information will flow and capture it accordingly. 

1. Figure out your Thesis In Advance 

Before you begin to craft a single word of your essay, it is great to know the type of thesis you will be handling.

Every statement within the research paper will be complimenting the thesis. 

2. Do a Great Research

It can be disappointing if you craft your essay paper and later discover that you skipped many facts due to a lack of enough research.

Even worse, if you write some points that can contradict what the reality could be. This calls for objectivity. This is the reason why in most cases, people avoid personal opinions in English papers and essays.

As such, it is better to perform extensive research before you start to write. After that, you can use the research in creating an outline of what you want the essay to cover. In this outline, you will highlight the key points that you will be writing about. 

You can follow the following formatting. 

1. introduction .

The thesis will carry the core idea of your essay. It will state what are trying to stand for or state the major focus of your paper.

Put the thesis statement within the introduction. This thesis statement is great as it helps you in giving the direction for your essay. Mention the main subtopics of the essay.  

You can indicate various subtopics that the thesis will be addressing. It will be sensible to number all subtopics. You can narrow down the topics that you want to address if the word count is large. 

Consider those subtopics that you can write concisely, critically, and convincingly to English 102 expectations. 

2. Topic and Sentence Outline

You will encounter two types of outlines. It is a topic and sentence outline. A topic outline will list phrases or words. A sentence outline will list full sentences. 

A topic outline will be arranging your ideas hierarchically. In other words, it will show the key and sub-points. Such a sequence helps you to know how to make it flow well. 

A sentence outline will indicate what you will be saying in each subtopic. Every sentence will be like a mini-thesis statement concerning that mini-topic. It expresses the full idea that will cover the overall thesis. 

Before writing the sentences outline, you should write the thesis statement on the top page. In addition, make a list of points that you want to prove in your thesis. 

 3. Body Paragraph

You can indicate the number of paragraphs that you would want to have. You can create an outline for the paragraph.

For every paragraph, begin with a topic sentence and place an argument that will relate to your thesis. Remember, we avoid second-person language and anything related to it. Use third-person.

In the paragraph, the writer will be placing facts, examples, and any other evidence that you will be using to prove the topic sentences. 

One example is as follows;

Paragraph one 

• Thesis statement where you will include your main idea. 
• The first idea
• The second idea

Include some cons or refutations if you are dealing with an argumentative essay. It could be an opinion where you will be disagreeing with others who had talked about the same issue. If you are refuting them convincingly, you must clarify them clearly. 

Lastly, you conclude the paragraph. Repeat the same issue style with the preceding paragraphs until you are through with the main body. 

Last but not least is to end your paper with a conclusion. It is where you will be wrapping up your essay. It is so easy. Here, you should restate the essay thesis and summarize the paper’s goal. 

The typical essay outline will look like this:

Introduction

• Introduce your topic
• Put your thesis

Body Paragraph One 

• Put your topic sentence which is the argument of your thesis  
• Support the argument with facts, data, and examples 
• Give details of how they relate to the thesis.

Body Paragraph Two

Body paragraph three.

• Summarize the main points 

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image: sharon olds   English 102: Literary Research Paper A literary research paper--unlike a research paper on abortion or euthanasia--focuses on critically analyzing/interpreting the meaning of literature. What's more, the term "research" implies that you will be incorporating research from reputable secondary sources into your paper. In short, you will be analyzing/interpreting a piece (or several pieces) of literature and supporting your analysis with "research." The research paper must be , and it must adhere to MLA standards and guidelines. Further, you must include a minimum of seven (7) sources in your paper, six (6) of which must be considered "secondary sources" (explained below), and it must include a "Works Cited" page. Your first step in writing the research paper is to decide which author (or authors) you would like to write about. You should feel free to choose from any of the authors we have discussed this semester, and you are more than welcome to find texts from your chosen author (or authors) that were not included on the syllabus. After you have decided which author (or authors) you are interested in writing about, you need to decide which texts to include in your discussion; this may change as the paper progresses, but you should begin with a clear idea of which texts you would like to include in your analysis. The next and most obvious step in the process is to read and then reread--several times--the text or texts you have chosen. In order to say something meaningful about a text, you need to know it backward and forward. As one critic relates, you need to "have a sure sense of what the work itself is like, how its parts function, what ideas it expresses, how it creates particular effects, and what your responses are." In short, read, reread, and then when you think you are done, read some more. After you are comfortable with your knowledge of the text (or texts), the next step is to develop an . In other words, you need to decide how you want to approach and organize your paper. There are several different ways to organize a literary research paper, but more likely than not you will want to adopt one of the following organizing principles: . Choosing a topic is a difficult task, but let yourself be guided by your knowledge of the text. There is a good chance that in reading the text (or texts) carefully and in choosing an angle of analysis, you will have already in a sense decided what it is you would like to write about/argue. An excellent way of making that decision more clear is to write out several possible titles for your paper. For example, a title that reads "Religion and Politics in James Joyce's " will likely adopt an "historical" approach to the text and discuss such issues as how the story both critiques and embodies the ideologies of late nineteenth and early twentieth-century Dublin. On the other hand, a title that reads "Symbols in the Short Works of Ernest Hemingway" will adopt a more "formalist" approach to interpretation and will likely be focused around an extremely careful discussion of the text. : As you surely know by now, a thesis statement is the main point you are trying to make about the literature you are discussing. All of the information in your paper should, in one way or another, work to support your thesis statement. A good thesis statement is ARGUMENTATIVE in nature and is supported with a detailed interpretation of the text (or texts). You DO NOT want a thesis statement that is FACTUAL (Raymond Carver is a man), or that is SPECULATIVE (What if Raymond Carver is really a woman?), or that states an OPINION (Not only is Raymond Carver a bad writer, he's also ugly). B. : The text, or texts, that you choose to write about are called your primary texts. They are the main material that your thesis is organized around. In other words, "primary quotations" will serve as your primary form of support (textual evidence). C. : The research you will do ABOUT the author(s), text(s), and/or critical approach(es) is considered your secondary or "outside" material. In other words, you will be gathering information from outside sources that are relevant to your thesis and which help support your main points. Your goal is to balance your paper with your own analysis, with direct quotes from the text(s), and with quotes from others (secondary sources) who have written about the author(s) and/or text(s) you are discussing. When conducting research on a piece of literature, you should attempt to confine your research to . In general, books and journals are considered reputable sources, while magazines and newspaper articles are considered non-reputable sources. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule, so if you find something that you would like to include in your paper as a secondary source, feel free to discuss the matter with me. As you may or may not know, Harper's library subscribes to several academic databases, many of which contain full-text reprints of scholarly articles from reputable journals. In general, you will want to conduct your research by using these resources. Here are a few tips for conducting research online through Harper's library: 1.) is an excellent resource for finding literary criticism. Here is how you access the database: , click on "Articles & More" . Also, keep in mind that it is often useful to combine search terms with an "AND" in order to refine your search results. So, for example, if you are conducting research on Sylvia Plath's "Daddy," the following search will yield the most relevant results: Plath AND daddy. 2.) , , , and the are also excellent databases. These databases can be accessed in the same manner as Academic Search Complete. 3.) Books are also good. If you conduct a search of the library's catalog, you will undoubtedly find a wealth of relevant material, including collections of essays on specific writers and histories of specific literary periods. The "Works Cited" page gives full publication information for all of the sources you use in your paper, both primary and secondary. It is the last page of your paper, begins on its own page, and should contain the title "Works Cited" listed at the top and center of the page. The sources are listed in alphabetical order by the author's (or authors') last name(s). Below is the format for a few common entries. Though not reflected in the formatting of the examples, be sure to note that a hanging indent should be used for all citations that run for more than one line. In other words, all lines other than the first for a single entry should be indented: Bhabha, Homi. . Routledge, 1994. Gray, Spalding. . Theatre Communciations Group, 1985. ---. "Spalding Gray." , Interview with Eleanor Wachtel, Knopf, 1993, pp. 33-48. Best, Steven, and Douglas Kellner. . Guilford Press, 1991. : Thion, Serge. "Genocide as a Political Commodity." , edited by Ben Kiernan, Yale University Southeast Asia Studies, 1993, pp. 200-215. Demastes, William W. "Spalding Gray's Swimming to Cambodia and the Evolution of an Ironic Presence." , vol. 41, 1989, pp. 75-94. Horvitz, Deborah. "Nameless Ghosts: Possession and Dispossession in ." , vol. 17, no. 2, 1989, pp. 157-67. . Federal Acquisition Regulation Full far download in various formats. FAC Number Effective Date HTML DITA PDF Word EPub Apple Books Kindle 2024-05 05/22/2024 Browse FAR Part/Subpart and Download in Various Formats Parts/Subparts HTML DITA Print                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Data Initiatives Regulations Smart Matrix Regulations Search Acquisition Regulation Comparator (ARC) Large Agencies Small Agencies CAOC History CAOC Charter Civilian Agency Acquisition Council (CAAC) Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council Interagency Suspension and Debarment Committee (ISDC) ACQUISITION.GOV An official website of the General Services Administration 500 IMAGES English 102: the Research Paper ENGL 102 ENGL 102 The Research Paper English 102 research paper topics by gran55trenca English 102 Research Essay English 102 Research Paper English 102 Sample Student Essays VIDEO KAMU HARUS TAU !! Alat mendeteksi Kerusakan Uang UGC NET Economics Revision English 102 Analysis Section for the research paper Long Research Paper ENGL 102 Online Jimmy's Life in The Industrial Revolution English 102 Satire Project COMMENTS Outlines IMRAD Outlining. In many of your courses in the sciences and social sciences, such as sociology, psychology, and biology, you may be required to write a research paper using the IMRAD format. IMRAD stands for Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion. In this format, you present your research and discuss your methods for gathering research. How to write a research paper for English 102 and get an A Learn the basics, tips, and steps of writing a literary research paper for English 102. Find out how to choose a topic, use sources, cite, and format your paper according to academic standards. Finding Topics Lots of topics to explore. Provides topic summaries and pro and con arguments. Pew Research Center. Very thorough and substantial research reports on all kinds of issues. The reports can also be used as sources in your papers. Very reputable and reliable. Look for the "Topics" link in the top toolbar. Brookings Institution. PDF English 102: Reading, Research, and Writing English 102: Reading, Research, and Writing. This document was created with Prince, a great way of getting web content onto paper. English 102: Reading, Research, and Writing ... persuasive writing, and it can include things like argument based research papers or critiques/evaluations Constructing an Outline Here is a strategy for creating an outline that should help your final essay maintain focus and coherence. Always write in full sentences when outlining so that you are sure that you know what you want to say. I. Put the thesis at the top of the page - full sentence, labeled THESIS. Underline your paper's core idea - what you are ... Basic Essay Structure Basic Essay Structure. Essays written for an academic audience follow a structure with which you are likely familiar: Intro, Body, Conclusion. Here is a general overview of what each of those sections "does" in the larger essay. Be aware, however, that certain assignments and certain professors may ask for additional content or require ... ENGL 102 ENGL 102 - The Research Paper. English 102 is the second half of the two-course sequence in English composition. Students continue to improve their academic reading and writing skills and critically examine issues raised by course texts. Course materials and the topics of study may vary in subject matter from one instructor to another. English 102 Composition II / Research: Topic Selection English 102 Composition II / Research: Topic Selection This Research Guide will assist students needing to explore topics before writing a research paper. English 102 Home Welcome to the English 102 Research Guide! Critical Thinking combined with Information/Research Skills enables you to find, evaluate and use information in an academic and ethical way. These skills, when mastered, assist you in conducting research, finding great sources and organizing your information in a way that makes sense to your reader ... LibGuides: Eng 102 English 102: Research Paper Assignment . TYPE OF PAPER: AN ARGUMENT PAPER. Elements of an Argument paper are: 1. Facts, which represent about 75% of the argument. 2. Persuasive appeals, which represent no more than 25% of the argument. Primary "Modes of Paragraph Development" (ways to illustrate, explain, prove, or argue): a. Definitions PDF ENG 102 Fall A 2021 Syllabus The goal for ENG 102 students is to learn about and conduct research, write about a particular issue, and call for action based upon their research. On the way to achieving the above goals, students will also learn about and acquire various sets of literacies by studying. argumentation, research technologies, and. website design. How to Write an English 102 Research Paper that Rocks Learn how to write a literary research paper that analyzes and interprets literature for English 102. Find out the structure, organization, format, and content of a good English 102 research paper. LibGuides: ENGL 102 Points of View is designed to assist researchers in understanding the full scope of controversial subjects. High school and undergraduate students can use Points of View as a guide to debating, developing arguments, writing position papers, and developing critical thinking skills. Each Points of View Essay includes a series of questions and ... Library: ENG 102 Research Topics: Research topics Integration of fur, paws, whiskers and hooves into your agency-enhancing patients' lives through pet therapy (FR414). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, Creating a therapeutic and healing environment with a pet therapy program. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, The benefits of pet therapy. ENG 102 Essay 3 English 102- Research Paper 4 February 2019 Word Count: 2615 How Infinitely was the True Downfall in "Death of a Salesman" The union of a man and wife coming together in marriage has been a major part of human history. Marriage has continuously changed throughout time, especially in the past few years, and is one of the oldest human ... SCC Research Guides: ENG 102 English 102 - Poetry Research. This guide is designed to help you complete an English 102 research paper about a poem. Follow the steps below in order - each step builds on the one before it, guiding you through the research project. We offer research advice/tips, as well as recommended sources, citation help, etc. Next: 1. LibGuides: English 102 (Roth): Outline & Thesis Statement This unit is intended to refresh your memory of how to work through the research process and begin work on your paper. Start by clicking through the Prezi about how the research process works.; Watch the video on how to use brainstorming to bring focus to your topic.; An outline can be a useful tool in keeping your paper focused, and many instructors ask to see one before you begin writing. Research Guides: English 102/103 (Composition): Home Home - English 102/103 (Composition) - Research Guides at West Virginia University. WVU Libraries. Choosing a Topic English 102: Reading, Research, and Writing . The Research Process. Choosing a Topic ... Just as Toni Morrison states that she is stimulated by what she doesn't yet know, a research paper assignment can be interesting and meaningful if it allows you to explore what you don't know. Research, at its best, is an act of knowledge creation ... Syllabus ENGLISH 102 SPRING 2022 straightforward. You will develop a research question that entails rigorous inquiry from multiple perspectives, and you will learn how to critically analyze and respond to your writings for the purposes of evaluation and revision. English 102 is conducted as part lab, part workshop, part lecture. This course establishes effective college-level 21 English 102 Research Paper Topics: Examples and Outline An English 102 research paper is an assignment that tasks students to study a certain subject linked to English, literature, or culture. College students often write it as a requirement for their English 102 class or related English coursework. A typical English research paper will start with n introduction, then a thesis statement, and a clear ... Research Paper Research Paper for ENGL 102. Analysis of "Oedipus" by Aristotle and written defending the character as an Aristotelean hero. oedipus: true aristotelian hero. ... English 102: Literature and Composition. Summer D 2019. Abigail Judson ID # 28571558. APA. Thesis Statement and Outline. English 102 Online: Research Paper English 102: Literary Research Paper. I. DEFINING THE RESEARCH PAPER. A literary research paper--unlike a research paper on abortion or euthanasia--focuses on critically analyzing/interpreting the meaning of literature. What's more, the term "research" implies that you will be incorporating research from reputable secondary sources into your paper. FAR FAC Number Effective Date HTML DITA PDF Word EPub Apple Books Kindle; 2024-05: 05/22/2024 assignment essay homework paper phd report resume review speech thesis