INTRODUCTION

Hook Sentence - First sentence in your paper

Ideas: An amazing fact - Lake Baikal holds one sixth of the world’s fresh water.
A thought-provoking question - Adolf Hitler is a famous bad guy, but was he all bad?
An interesting statistic - Only one per cent of the population of the USA identifies as
transgender.
Background Information - information that your reader needs before you continue.
It should naturally flow into your thesis. Two or three sentences is enough.
Thesis Statement - main topic plus each of the main subtopics that you will address in your
body.(see thesis statement formula in packet part one).

BODY PARAGRAPHS
HELP WITH WRITING
* Support each argument with specific evidence (statistics, examples, studies, etc.)
* Explain how each supports the topic and subtopic

NO-NOs:
● No numerals below 13
● No “You” in any form
● No “filler” words or phrases (deadwood)

Transitional Phrases and words to help you:

◦ Of concession – it is said / assumed / widely believed that / nevertheless, etc.

◦ Of contradiction – in reality / truly / although / in fact / however / on the other hand / on the
contrary, etc.
◦ A series: first, to begin with, next, last

◦ Chronology: first, earlier, a few hours later, the next day

◦ Contrasting ideas: however, on the other hand, but, otherwise, yet, still, even though

◦ Comparing ideas: in the same way, likewise, like, similarly, as, also

◦ Degree of certainty: certainly, doubtless, perhaps

◦ Result: consequently, therefore, as a result, finally, all in all

◦ Physical proximity: above, across, among, along, beyond, below, inside, in the distance, etc.

◦ Emphasize a point: for this reason, to emphasize, again, to repeat, in fact

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 ◦ Clarify: in other words, for instance, that is, put another way, beyond, below, inside, in the
distance, etc.

BODY PARAGRAPH TIPS

While all your body paragraphs should support your thesis, each should focus on a separate part of your
overall argument.

Your body paragraphs should not summarize your topics, mock the opposition, or just paraphrase the
research articles. They are the place to provide your original interpretation of the logic and points made
by the experts whose articles you have read. Remember: 1/3 (at the most) of your body paragraphs
should be quotes; 2/3 of your body paragraphs should be clear and detailed analysis. Analysis means
explaining not just what the quote means, but also why it is important, how it relates to the broader topic
you are discussing, and most importantly, how it directly supports the thesis of your paper.

Common Body Paragraph Errors

● Avoid back-to-back quotes. When you include one quote, and without discussing it,
jump to another quote, it is called back-to-back quoting. This clearly signals that you are
not following directions. Remember, each quote must be appropriately introduced and
discussed.

● Appropriately introduce each quote. This does not mean that each time you pull from
an article you need to say, “Brown writes. . .” or “In “Title IX Blunders”, Brown
describes. . .”. These things are implied; there is no need to reuse the author’s name or
remention the story title. (However, if you are including statistics, be sure to provide
some background information on where, when, and how the study was conducted.
Depending on the variables of the study, it may or may not be reliable- and this could
help/hurt your argument).

Example: According to a 2018 survey of Protestant churchgoers in the US, over 51% had never “heard
of the Great Commission” (Barna).

● Provide necessary context. Regardless of where your quotes are pulled from, it is
important to clue your reader in as to where this information came from. (If the quote was
pulled from an interview, consider: What is the topic of conversation? Who is speaking?
Why does he/she feel this way? OR If the quote was pulled from a critical article,
consider: What is the main point of the article? What about the issue does this expert
focus on?)

Example: Southern Baptist University President George Hasselbach agrees: “We need to be more
intentional about teaching people these important doctrinal points” (University Press, April 2010).

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 ● Use active verbs. Instead of always saying, “This article is about a men’s swimming
team who lost funding due to Title IX”, use something a bit more spicy! “Brown details
the intense struggle of fifteen committed student-athletes who had their scholarships
ripped away due a rather questionable interpretation of Title IX requirements”.

Integrating Quotes into Research Papers

● Identify the source by his or her full name first and then by last name only.
● For practical and stylistic purposes, you should use a variety of approaches when
integrating quotes:

Jones argues that “teenagers need nine hours of sleep a night.”

Jones suggests that people would be more productive “if they were allowed to take a nap at work.”

These are partial quotes. They are not complete sentences within the original
source. They have become part of the structure of these sentences. Some
teachers may ask you to use an ellipsis (…) to clarify this point: “… if they
were allowed to take a nap at work.”

According to Smith, “Sleep deprivation can affect your physical and mental health.”

The lead-in could be Smith argues, or Smith asserts, etc.

Also, this sentence is taken directly from the article; therefore, it retains
its capital letter.

It is difficult for teenagers to get enough sleep: “School, athletic practices, a job, and homework seem to
take up all twenty-four hours of the day.”
This is a complete sentence lead-in to the
quote. The colon links it to the quote.

Sleep deprivation can actually be dangerous: “[M]any traffic accidents are the result of drowsy drivers.”
The brackets indicate a change. In this case, the letter was
originally a lower case m because it is a partial quote. If the
word drivers were not the end of the original sentence, you
should use an ellipsis (…) and the final period.

CONCLUSION
● Restate Your Thesis - but don’t just repeat your thesis verbatim. Reword it.
● Summarize HOW the evidence supports your thesis

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 ● Draw to a close - Consider the larger implications of your topic - or update your reader -
is there any recent news regarding your topic?

WORKS CITED PAGE (EXAMPLE ON NEXT PAGE - The entries with “Accessed on...”
are the ones for websites.) SHOULD BE INCLUDED WITH YOUR ROUGH AND FINAL
DRAFT. USE THIS ORDER FOR THE ENTRIES (Skipping over the parts that aren’t available):

First Author (Last name first, comma, first name), Other Author(s) (First Name First), Article or
Page Title, Website Title (if different), Sponsor or publisher (if different), Date of Publication,
URL, Date of Access.

Works Cited

Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." The New York Times, 22 May
2007, www.nytimes.com/2007/05/22/science/earth/22ander.html?_r=0. Accessed 29 May
2019.

Ebert, Roger. Review of An Inconvenient Truth, directed by Davis Guggenheim. Ebert Digita/
LLC, 1 June 2006, www.rogerebert.com/reviews/an-inconvenient-truth-2006. Accessed 15
June 2019.

Gowdy, John. "Avoiding Self-organized Extinction: Toward a Co-evolutionary Economics of

Sustainability." International Journal of Sustainable Development and World Ecology, vol. 14
, no. 1, 2007, pp. 27-36.

Harris, Rob, and Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.” The New York Times, 17
May 2007, www.nytimes.com/video/world/americas/1194817109438/clinton-on-climate-
change.html. Accessed 29 July 2016.

An Inconvenient Truth. Directed by Davis Guggenheim, Paramount, 2006.

Leroux, Marcel. Global Warming: Myth or Reality?: The Erring Ways of Climatology. Springer,
2005.

Milken, Michael, et al. "On Global Warming and Financial Imbalances." New Perspectives
Quarterly, vol. 23, no. 4, 2006, p. 63.

Nordhaus, William D. "After Kyoto: Alternative Mechanisms to Control Global

Warming." American Economic Review, vol. 96, no. 2, 2006, pp. 31-34.

Regas, Diane. “Three Key Energy Policies That Can Help Us Turn the Corner on
Climate.” Environmental Defense Fund, 1 June 2016, www.edf.org/blog/2016/06/01/3-key-
energy-policies-can-help-us-turn-corner-climate. Accessed 19 July 2016.

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Revkin, Andrew C. “Clinton on Climate Change.” The New York Times, 17 May 2007,
www.nytimes.com/video/world/americas/1194817109438/clinton-on-climate-change.html.
Accessed 29 July 2016.

Shulte, Bret. "Putting a Price on Pollution." US News & World Report, vol. 142, no. 17, 14 May
2007, p. 37. Ebsco, Access no: 24984616.

Uzawa, Hirofumi. Economic Theory and Global Warming. Cambridge UP, 2003.

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 PROOFREADING/EDITING/REVISING

1. USE THE SIX TRAITS.

2. ASK YOURSELF:

● Does paper meet the requirements of the assignment?

● Have I thought about my purpose as a writer and my relationship to the audience?

● Have I identified the question, issue, or problem to which my paper responds?

✔ Do I have a precise and fully developed thesis?

● Does the introduction establish the subject, purpose and give a general sense paper’s development?

● Do I have a counterclaim?

● Are my ideas developed through a series of clearly and logically related points?

● Are all major points fully reasoned and supported with evidence?

● Does conclusion relates naturally to paper and give an effective sense of ending or “closure”?

● Does text “flow”? Is there anything to distract readers in the crafting of sentences or choice of words?

1. Is paper proofread carefully for problems of grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation?

● Is paper properly formatted, including cover sheet and documentation (if necessary)?

● Does my paper have an appropriate, creative and effective title?

3.ASK YOURSELF: DID I REMEMBER THE RULES FOR A RESEARCH PAPER?

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 ● No back-to-back citations. You must have a clarifying sentence of your own between citations.

● Look at your parenthetical (in-text) citations. If you notice that you a large majority of your information
coming from one source, you need to revisit your research. Good writers use information from a variety of
sources. If you are using only one source in your paper, you are merely putting the source in your own
words.
● All parenthetical citations must match a source listed on the Works Cited page. All sources listed in the
Works Cited page should be cited somewhere in your paper.
● Quotes are used sparingly and only to add extra oomph. You should use at least one quote but in most
cases not more than three.
● Topic and clincher sentences must be your own words.

Rubric for Research Paper, Final Presentation

COVER PAGE _______/_______

RESEARCH PAPER _______/_______

● Six traits – 2 points each with the exceptions noted below
1. Ideas – length, good coverage of topic

2. Organization – paragraphs corresponding to Outline, logical order of presentation

3. Voice – formal usage – 1 point

4. Word Choice – action verbs, correct English usage – 3 points

5. Sentence Fluency – variety of sentence lengths, no run-on or rambling sentences

6. Conventions – grammar, spelling, and punctuation – 3 points

● Documentation – citations – 2 points

WORKS CITED _______/_______

REVISIONS _______/_______
You should show at least one correction for each trait (well-marked), plus other corrections as
needed.

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