Paper, Order, or Assignment Requirements
Research Essay Guidelines Your essay should be between 2 and 4 pages long (1,500-2,000 words, Times New Roman 12, double spaced) and have the following structure: Introduction State the purpose of your essay (a thesis statement) Remember, your purpose depends on the type of your essay: argumentative, descriptive, or analytical Provide background on your topic (In your view, what does your reader need to know in order to make it easier for him/her to understand your topic? Include all relevant information) List all key terms you are going to use later in your essay (if any), but don’t define them in the introduction Provide a roadmap (a brief overview of your essay- its main components) The main body (discussion- this is where you answer your important question(s) Include as many paragraphs as needed to fully address your topic Remember: each paragraph should discuss a stand-alone idea Each paragraph has to have a topic sentence (controlling idea) which has to be developed in the rest of the paragraph Fully define all key terms related to your topic Ensure you have a source in APA style for each fact in your report and do not forget to properly format and refer to your visuals if you decide to use some A personal commentary (OPTIONAL) In one brief paragraph, reflect on your own experience with the phenomenon you have described in your essay. Have you experienced its effects? What is your own opinion about this topic? Do you agree/disagree with the authors/scholars/researchers you cited? What needs to be done to improve the current situation? To prevent possible harm/negative consequences etc.?