Students sometimes wonder why they are being forced into what seems an irrational and rigid framework called a “research paper.” In a sense, they are half correct. Most papers written for a class in high school or college are not the real thing, not actually based on original research. Rather, they are still bikes with training wheels: elaborate exercises that prepare students for the real thing, which usually happens in grad school.
So, what are research papers and why do we make the effort to master the complex steps necessary to write them? A research paper, first of all, is a respected way for people to hold conversations about ideas – even when they have conflicting points of view. Itʻs a discussion that is meant to go somewhere, to evolve, to have a history. In a conversation, one person makes a statement and then offers some reasons that statement is correct. Hearing it, another person might disagree and offer an opposing or slightly different statement, and include additional proof to back it up. A third person might offer yet another statement entirely, backed up by another set of facts. A research paper is like this, but in writing: a statement (thesis) backed up by a set of facts (evidence). It can involve people in different countries and even different decades.
A more complex research paper might summarize previous discussions about a topic (previous research), while offering a thesis that agrees with some points but disagrees about others. It summarizes opposing arguments in an honest way, but might offer a whole new set of facts or another interpretation that shifts the entire discussion. In other words, a research paper is a response built on a structure of previous thought. Its potential audience includes those who have written previously on the topic and who might have different opinions. So a research paper is a thesis backed up by evidence that also acknowledges other opinions, and supports them or perhaps argues against them. And even if those other opinions aren’t available, it is still possible to imagine them and to respond to them — to potential objections to a thesis — even before those objections are raised.
Evidence is so crucial to the whole process that ways exist to identify its source: footnotes, in-text citations and lists of works cited. It comes down to being polite and honest. When we cite a source, we are giving credit to the person who made the effort to dig up an unusual fact, or to come up with a new perspective. Otherwise, it appears that we are claiming more credit that we actually deserve. The same applies to words written by others; their source must be credited, even when we paraphrase them. Not to do this is a form of dishonesty, of theft.
A research paper, then, is a formal, structured way to hold an intelligent conversation with others even if we have never met them, to agree with their points, or to disagree with them and to advance ones own ideas. It is also an exercise in logical, structured thought. Our brains are so tied to language that we need to write down complex chains of reasoning and sets of evidence in order to build a coherent argument. Itʻs the process of writing down our thoughts that gives rise to additional thoughts. Writing a research paper helps us think about complex ideas.
A research paper, on the other hand, isn’t a way to express unsupported opinions. It doesn’t usually contain personal pronouns (I, me, you, etc.). It isn’t random; every paragraph is a small essay, with its own beginning, middle and conclusion. It never loses sight of where it started (its thesis) and where it’s heading (its conclusion). It makes a contribution to an ongoing conversation.