One of the larger papers you will be asked to write in school is a research paper. It is designed to take a deeper look into an area of sociology. You will develop a research question and conduct research until you have been able to answer it. When you know how to structure your paper, it is a lot easier to write because you can concentrate on each section instead of worrying about the whole thing. Here is how to structure your research paper.
The first paragraph that you will need to write is one that gives the background information that is needed to understand the rest of the paper. It should set the stage for the rest of the paper. You can define important terms as well. The definitions will help your reader understand the topic. You can also write an introduction paragraph that focuses on describing the topic that you are writing your paper on specifically.
The main idea of your paper is called the thesis. It is a statement one to two sentences in length that explain what the entire paper will be about. It should state your main claim and the reasons behind it.
This is the part of the paper that you will prove your thesis. You need to include direct quotes from your resources to support the claims that you make to prove your thesis. This is the bulk of your paper. Shoot for three body paragraphs or more that each describe a different reason to support the thesis statement. You should make sure that you only talk about one supporting fact per paragraph.
You will want to use transitional phrases to link one concept to the next and to show your reader that you are moving between topics. It is the best way to make sure that your paper flows nicely.
This is where you will wrap your paper up and also where you will restate your thesis statement and main ideas. It is your last chance to get you point across to your reader. You will want to make sure that you take your time and write an effective conclusion so that you can make sure that your audience fully understands your thesis which is the whole reason why you wrote it anyways.