First, this assignment emphasizes that this is not simply an exploratory paper. Rather, you should focus on a specific question, and you should arrive at a clear conclusion. Your conclusion is your thesis--the "answer" that you'll be proving/defending/establishing in your paper. One way students have lost points in the past is by exploring an area in depth, but not coming to any conclusions. Let's avoid that by crafting a specific research question and answer. For example, rather than simply exploring "the ethics of capital punishment," how about: This paper will focus on capital punishment. The specific research question to be addressed is whether capital punishment is an ethical tool of sentencing in contemporary criminal justice systems. When applying leading normative ethical approaches, it becomes clear that capital punishment is [or is not] ethical in contemporary society. Do you see how there's a clear research question and a clear thesis? This really helps you focus your research and tailor your analysis. It also helps the reader follow along and understand your goals