English Composition › Section L · Argumentative research › Topic L.2
Writing the research paper: balancing sources and voice
A research paper is your argument, built with other people's evidence. The skill lies in letting sources support, test and complicate your thesis without letting them take over, so the reader always hears your voice leading the way.
In this topic
- An argument, not a report
- From research question to thesis
- Outline paragraphs before drafting
- Summary versus synthesis
- Keeping your voice in charge
- Worked example: from summaries to synthesis
- Conflicting sources and the literature review
- Responding to counterarguments
- Worked example: answering a counterargument
- Openings, closings and structure
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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