USA response to economic crisis
Research Paper Instructions
The research paper should be 8 pages, double spaced. Most paragraphs should be 6-8 sentences long
and should begin with a topic sentence. It should include correct quotation format, APA in-text citation
and references page.
Note: Instructions for quotation, APA in-text citation and references are available in Blackboard.
Click on APA in the column menu.
Introduction
Begin the research paper with a 3-paragraph introduction, a brief overview of the paper for the reader.
The introduction is not the place to develop your content. Your important points go in the body of the essay,
not the introduction.
The research paper is based on a research question, not on a thesis. Do not give your conclusion in
advance. You ask a research question in your introduction, and in the body of the paper you keep an open
mind as you explore the background information and opinions on the topic. Do not write from a particular
point of view; write as someone who is sincerely seeking to answer their research question.
Only in the conclusion do you state your opinion, when you answer your research question.
The first paragraph of the introduction introduces the subject of the paper in an interesting way. The opener
can be based on an event and/or striking statistics. It should provide a lively beginning to the paper.
The second paragraph of the introduction should describe the problem or situation the paper will address
and indicate the range of opinion on the problem.
The third paragraph of the introduction is called the plan of the essay. The plan of the essay has two parts:
the research question and the list of subtopics.
Example:
My research question is “Should the United States adopt the Green New Deal?” To answer this question, I
will address the following subtopics:
1. Global warming and economic inequality
2. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Democratic Socialism and the Green New Deal
3. The Green New Deal and the shift to renewable energy
4. The economics of the Green New Deal
5. The critics of the Green New Deal
6. The United States should adopt the Green New Deal
The subtopics listed in the plan of the essay paragraph are used as subtitles to divide your paper into sections.
• Following the plan of the essay, begin the paper with the first subtopic. In the above example, you would hit
enter after the the last subtopic, center Global warming and Economic Inequality, hit enter again and begin
the section with an indented paragraph.
• All subtitles are centered on a line between the sections.
• Note that the subtopics are formatted with normal sentence style in the list of subtopics. When the
subtopics are used as subtitles, they are formatted in title style, i.e., all significant words begin with upper-
case letters.
• The sections should be longer than one paragraph.
• The last subtopic/section of the paper is where you answer your research question
• Use your answer to your research question as the subtopic/subtitle for the last section of the
paper, as in the above example.
Focus on the controversial aspects of your topic. The controversy is not one section of the paper.
The paper is about the controversy.
Answer your research question in the final section of the paper. Defend your answer to your
research question in 3 or 4 paragraphs. Each paragraph should begin with a topic sentence stating a
reason for your opinion. Refer to previously cited sources that you agree with or disagree with. Do
not use “I.”
