The research paper is intended to be an opportunity to learn about both a chosen topic and the nature of research itself.

1. Choosing a Topic

Your topic should be

a. something that occurred in American history before 1877.

b. researchable; information should be available from a variety of resources.

c. of interest to you.

State your topic as a question that you intend to investigate and answer.

Examples of questions:

Who was Benjamin Banneker?

What were the religious beliefs of the authors of the Constitution?

What rights did women have in the early 1800s?

What was Southern cooking like in colonial America?

What was medical treatment like during the Civil War?

What new species did Lewis and Clark discover on their expedition to the West Coast?

How did the lives ofCalifornioschange when California became part of the United States?

Were the Fox Sisters, who spurred American interest in spiritualism, genuine or frauds?

What are the origins of the Seminole Indians?

Contents of the paper

2. The Opening

Use a strong lead to draw your leaders in. Questions, quotations, or dramatic statements make effective leads.

State the question you started out to answer.

Describe what you already know about the topic before starting any research, and what you expect to find.

3. The Search

Explain the steps of your research process. What resources and materials did you start with? Did these lead you to other sources? Which were the best sources of information for you? As you get information, be sure to record all sources, including online sources.

Describe any further frustrations you encountered during your search. How did you overcome the obstacles? Did your questions or assumptions change during your research?

Good research is like detective work; tell a story about a breakthrough, a "Eureka!" moment you had. Did anyone help you along the way?

4. What I Discovered

State the basic information you found, and your analysis and conclusions. Support your argument (the answer to your question) with details, examples and quotations from your sources.

Compare your findings to what you knew, assumed or imagined when you started your research. How has your knowledge grown?

Feel free to editorialize, make a recommendation or prediction, or suggest directions for further research.

Answer rating: 100% (QA)

The American Civil War is the most significant event in American history from a social political and economic standpoint The war began when seven slaveholding states seceded from the Union and joined ... View the full answer