How to write a research paper
Formal Aspects:
- Cover Sheet: Your paper should have a cover sheet including your name, Matrikelnummer, your semester and what subjects you are studying. It should also include the title of the seminar, the semester and, of course, the title of your paper.
- Content: The following page should be the content. Your first chapter is usually the
- Introduction (though you should give it a catchier title than that) and should be about 10% of your paper. The aim of the introduction is to give the reader a pretty good idea of what your paper addresses, what sources/literature you use and how you plan to work through your topic. It is important that you clearly present your research question and thesis in the introduction.
- The main part should likewise be organized in chapters and that organization reflects your main points and ideas. The headings of each chapter should give the reader an immediate idea of what you are going to do in that chapter.
- The very last part is the conclusion (also about 10%); it can also be an epilogue or an outlook, yet in any case should it sum up your key arguments and insights. Reiterate your research question, indicating how this was answered, and your thesis, including how your arguments supported this.
- The conclusion is followed by the “Works Cited” section, that alphabetically lists all the material you used, i.e. primary sources, secondary literature, websites, blogs, journal articles, etc. First, list all the of the primary sources consulted, then the secondary literature.
Citation Style: Historians usually adhere to the Chicago Manual of Style and use footnotes in their texts. However, if you have mainly worked with MLA (guidelines by the Modern Language Association) and you use in-text citation, that’s fine, too. Whatever style you chose, make sure that it is consistent throughout your paper.
Length: You all study according to different POs, so please check and see what the requirements are for you. For North American Studies your term paper should be 20-25 pages long (60.000-70.000 characters, 6.000-7.000 words). Essays should be 10 pages long (30.000 characters, 3.000 words).
Basic Guidelines:
- When you have a rough idea of your topic, think about if it is feasible and if you can address the issue on a couple of pages. Sometimes students start with very big ideas – that’s fine, but think about how you can narrow it down to a more specific question/topic that you can deal with in your paper.
- Then ask yourself:
- Do I have a thesis, a problem, a research question?
- Does my topic have a historical perspective, and does the paper provide a historical contextualization?
- Does the table of contents reflect the research question and my approach?
- What kind of sources do I have? Have you been successful in finding additional material, i.e. appropriate monographs, anthologies, articles etc. through your research?
- How are the sources connected/ related to my research question? Do they help me to address the question/ issue at hand?
- Your sources are not limited to texts; photographs, advertisements/ commercials, music/song lyrics, movies etc. can also be great sources! Textual sources can vary from court decisions/law suits to letters, cookbooks, newspaper articles, surveys etc.
- When you have finished a first draft, please proofread! Also, ask a friend to read your paper; are they convinced by the logic of your argument and by your selection of sources, literature, and other materials?
- Make sure to pay attention to the formal aspects noted above.