{"id":676,"date":"2022-04-03T00:35:27","date_gmt":"2022-04-03T00:35:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-oswego-businesscommunicationmgrs2\/?post_type=chapter&p=676"},"modified":"2023-04-10T15:33:18","modified_gmt":"2023-04-10T15:33:18","slug":"4-4-narrowing-the-topic","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/courses.lumenlearning.com\/suny-oswego-businesscommunicationmgrs2\/chapter\/4-4-narrowing-the-topic\/","title":{"raw":"4.4 Narrowing the Topic","rendered":"4.4 Narrowing the Topic"},"content":{"raw":"
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LEARNING OBJECTIVES<\/h3>\r\n
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  • Describe strategies for narrowing a topic for a research paper<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n

    Types of Research Papers<\/h2>\r\nMost research assignments ask you to engage in one of two approaches:\r\n
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    1. Explore and evaluate (present an analysis)<\/li>\r\n \t
    2. Persuade (present an argument)<\/li>\r\n<\/ol>\r\nThe sections below will give you more information about each approach. Your professor may allow you to choose between these strategies or may ask you to use only one. If you\u2019re not sure which type you should use, be sure to ask!\r\n

      Analytic Papers<\/h3>\r\nIn a paper that explores and evaluates, you may present a specific analysis of a literary text, examine how a historical figure came to his or her beliefs, or analyze how changes in a particular animal\u2019s habitat have affected its breeding patterns.\r\n\r\nYour purpose isn\u2019t to rebut another critic\u2019s reading of that text, challenge another writer\u2019s analysis of that historical figure\u2019s growth, or disprove another experimenter\u2019s theorem. Instead, your focus is on researching and presenting your own analysis of a set of materials or experiments.\r\n

      Examples of Analytical Questions<\/h4>\r\n
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      • In what way is Coleridge\u2019s poem, \u201cRime of the Ancient Mariner,\u201d an extended metaphor of colonial exploration?<\/li>\r\n \t
      • Why was Martin Luther King, Jr.\u2019s stance against the Vietnam War late in his life so controversial in the civil rights movement?<\/li>\r\n \t
      • What methods are available to governments and zoos to ensure the preservation of endangered tigers?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n

        Argumentative Papers<\/h3>\r\nAn argumentative paper takes a position on a debatable question. Here, you review the various arguments surrounding that question and present material arguing for a particular answer.\r\n\r\nA good argument paper not only fairly and clearly presents the views of those with whom you disagree, but also points out where and how you believe those arguments are flawed.\r\n\r\nIn this paper, you need to show why your argument presents a stronger response to the question than the responses of others who might disagree with your position.\r\n

        Examples of Argumentative Questions<\/h4>\r\n
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        • Should employers be allowed to monitor the content of their employees\u2019 email and internet browsing?<\/li>\r\n \t
        • Should the U.S. government subsidize the development of ethanol-based biofuels?<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n
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          PLANNING<\/h3>\r\nPatience is critical to constructing and finishing a solid research paper. Give yourself time. In some cases, when you have a class project, a college research paper requires ten to fourteen weeks of work, but you may take a course requiring a research paper in a shorter time frame.\r\n\r\nClick below to view the timeline for research papers over the course of eight weeks. Please note that some research papers are written in an even shorter time frame. If that\u2019s the case for you, you\u2019ll want to adjust your schedule accordingly.\r\n\r\nRemember, even if you have a shorter time frame, you should not leave out the steps of a good process!\r\n\r\n