Writing an analytical paper necessitates the performance of a range of tasks. They include thesis formulation, sources’ accumulation, their evaluation and use to back up the ideas, and meticulous documentation of the research work. Doing all this takes the considerable time that you can save by doing some simple things before starting to write. In this guide, those things are illustrated with example questions. What Is Analytical Research Paper? Before taking a dip into the complexities of writing it, first, you should exactly familiarize yourself with what an analytical essay actually constitutes. Probably you know just as much as an analytical paper is one that analyzes an issue - that’s a general understanding of the term. Let’s first take a look at an analytical paper: what it is and what it is not. An analytical paper is not a summary. It’s difficult to monitor this practically, even though theoretically it seems obvious. If your piece sounds more like a book report, chances are you have just summarized the characters or events. A potential way of guessing if you are summarizing rather than analyzing is by looking at your support. Article has been generated by Essay Freelance Writers!
Make sure you relate the drawn information to the main point instead of just copying the text as such or paraphrasing it. Now, let’s see what an analytical paper is. Its writing is more focused and narrowed down to a certain point. These papers tend to answer “how,” e.g. how a poem is written, or how themes reflect in a novel. Research questions are meant to make sense of the larger picture by focusing on smaller elements or parts of it. An example research question is; Analyze the theme of deception in Hamlet. To begin with, carefully read your question, and don’t hesitate to clarify any doubts concerning its understanding. Rather than second-guessing the teacher, directly get the queries addressed. Read the question statement carefully and note the phrases or words that seem to ask for a particular kind of thinking or writing activity. Example of such words includes “discuss,” “evaluate,” and “compare.” Also, pay attention to other phrases that define and constrain your research’s scope. Outcomes of the US intervention in Afghanistan spurred debate about whether or not the US should have had used military force in the region.
That debates continue till date since the military intervention could not defeat the Taliban while the war cost the US trillions of dollars. Do you think the US made an effective intervention in the region necessary for the best possible results? In a paper of 10 pages, discuss your response and back up your arguments with scholarly peer-reviewed sources. Avoid drawing information from newspaper editorials and magazines. Note how the first paragraph provides background and context for the establishment of the research question, whereas the task for you is elaborated in the second paragraph. Note the key phrases and words in it that limit and define the boundaries of your research and delineate the way you need to go for addressing the question’s requirements. Start the paper by making an outline first. It will help focus your thoughts and provide a skeleton for the paper. Divide the outline into introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction, write the hook, thesis statement, and a sentence about how the thesis statement will be defended. In the body, write topic sentences and mention points for relevant examples. In the conclusion, write the restatement of thesis.
The structure of an analytical research paper consists of an introduction, body, and conclusion. Until suggested otherwise, write three paragraphs in the body. Analytical papers typically present the stance of the author on an issue. While you elaborate your position relating them to the thesis statement in the first two paragraphs, reserve the last paragraph for counter-claim and its refutation with evidence. That’s it; your outline becomes your analytical research paper structure. Your introduction is nicely written if it motivates the reader to continue reading. It should have at least three main elements - a hook, thesis statement, and a little about how the thesis statement will be proven in the body. The hook is at the very start of the introduction. It’s called ‘hook’ because it hooks the readers. It needs to be a surprising or interesting statement. how to start a research paper thesis can be written with the use of a rhetorical question, a controversial or usual statement, or some relevant statistics. An example hook is, “Harry Potter series is accused of promoting witchcraft by religious groups.” The sentence indicates the point of controversy and hints upon what the essay has to discuss.
Now that the readers are hooked get them to the point with the thesis statement. Your thesis can be, “Witchcraft has conventionally been a recurring theme in children fiction with no threat to the religion in reality.” Now briefly discuss your methodology for defending your thesis statement. Let the readers know that the essay draws inferences from popular examples of children fiction based on witchcraft that has had no adverse influence on children’s understanding of religion. There are four main elements in the body of an analytical research paper; topic sentence, claim, evidence in support of the claim, tying up of the evidence to the topic sentence. The topic sentence of each paragraph covers a certain aspect of the thesis statement and is solely meant for its particular paragraph’s contents. The claim dives into a specific area of the topic sentence and gives your stance on it. Taking evidence from the relevant approved sources in support of your claim, you have to elaborate on your reasons for its selection. This is where you draw a connection between the support and the topic sentence. If this link is missing, the analytical essay risks becoming a summary.