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Structuring Your Research Essay Now that you’ve completed your Annotated Bibliography assignment, you are going to start putting together your Essay #4– the Research Paper.
It can be daunting to figure out how you’re going to put together a longer paper and how you should structure it. This is a suggestion for how to organize your essay–please note that it is just a suggestion. You are welcome to do yours differently if you think another way will work better for you.
Suggested Organizational Structure for Researched Argument Essay
INTRODUCTION Paragraph: Hook- Suggested Options to Choose From:
Anecdote (story of your personal connection/interest in topic Myths (“Most people think that . . . ; but in fact . . .) Reference to a relevant current event (be sure to cite a source) Surprising fact or statistic.
Bridge- Quick background of issue; introductory explanation of why the issue is controversial, current, and worthy of your readers attention. Build common ground with skeptical readers; Build to your thesis. Thesis – YOUR position on the controversy
BODY PARAGRAPHS: (Each body paragraph should include a claim in the topic sentence, as well as specific evidence from sources that you cite, and your analysis. The evidence in each paragraph should come from researched sources that you cite in the Works Cited at the end of the assignment. See the grading guide for expectations).
1st Body Paragraph: Definitions and/or Background Information- contextual information necessary for your reader to understand the argument (e.g., for an essay on the Black Lives Matter movement,
2020/11/30 Structuring Your Research Essay: Fal20 ENGL 001A #74618 READING AND COMPOSITION-Online
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what is BLM, where and when did it start, how who is involved, etc.); not too much of this, just enough so that the reader has a clear understanding of the issue.
2nd Body Paragraph: (Optional) Historical and/or social context-this is also a good place to include any relevant historical or social context for the controversy, if youd like to include it.
3rd Body Paragraph: Acknowledgment of the Opposing Viewpoints- perspectives other than your position; balanced presentation of opposing positions. (This could take more than one paragraph, if need be.)
4th Body Paragraph: Supporting Reason #1: First Major Sub-Argument or Area of Evidence Supporting Your Position
5th Body Paragraph: Supporting Reason #2: Second Major Sub-Argument or Area of Evidence Supporting Your Position
6th Body Paragraph: Support Reason #3: Third Major Sub-Argument or Area of Evidence Supporting Your Position
CONCLUSION Paragraph: Make recommendations and conclusions based on your position on the issue Reinforce argument in light of material covered above. Show once and for all how the evidence leads to the conclusions Give a sense of closure- Suggested Options to Choose From:
Close the way that your introduction opens (i.e. return to the hook and now look to a better future) Look to the future Excellent final quote
NOTE: Remember that a point may need to be developed in multiple paragraphs. This means that, though I have suggested about 8 sections for your paper, you may need 9 or more paragraph to do those sections justice.
2020/11/30 Structuring Your Research Essay: Fal20 ENGL 001A #74618 READING AND COMPOSITION-Online
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