In any given research paper, the body is the toughest part to write. It’s the part that contains all the conducted research, reasoning and argumentation that you have to present. The body of every paper must be coherent, well-structured and logically sound. So with that in mind, let’s delve into how to write a great body paragraph for your research paper.
Lay the foundation
The first step to writing a successful research paper is structuring it properly. Basic structure of any college paper is as follows: an introduction, a body, and a conclusion. Normally, both the introduction and the conclusion are one paragraph each, unless the paper you’re writing is very large. The body can stretch anywhere from three to seven paragraphs.
In order to write a killer body paragraph you need to write a proper thesis. It should express your opinion, be clear and direct. Try to also make it sound interesting and catchy, so that it stays with your reader throughout the essay. Work hard on polishing your thesis statement, since the purpose of every paragraph that follows is to support it.
Proper outline
If you’re one of those people who don’t outline their essays and research papers, you should consider starting. Being brash enough to think that you can plan it all out in your head, or worse – wing it – is a rookie mistake. Start creating your outline by jotting down some broad thoughts you have on the subject. What is it that you have to say on the subject? What are the relevant quotes or data that you’ve found that you think are important enough to be included in the research paper? Structure your arguments and paragraphs accordingly, and keep in mind that, ideally, every paragraph will revolve around one central idea.
Put your arguments in order of least important to most, so that your paper keeps building up until the end. If you want to go above and beyond, include a quote from someone who disagrees with your thesis and argue against them. This is better done in the beginning, or, if you have a particularly contested argument, the end.
Writing the body
Each paragraph in your research paper should itself be rigidly structured. This is not to inhibit your creativity, but to make your work more comprehensible. Every paragraph in the body of your work should have its own “thesis” of, otherwise known as the topic sentence. This is the point of the paragraph, what the rest opif it will be about.
Then comes evidence to support the topic sentence and its analysis. This is when you cite a book, an article or a study and provide an explanation of how this is relevant to what you’re writing about. You can also provide some of your own thoughts on the subject at hand, but be sure to back them up with a credible source.
Not all research papers call for topic sentences, and proficient writers know how to write around them without explicitly including them. But a beginner will do well by placing one at the beginning of each paragraph. Each paragraph in the body of your essay should contain a transitional sentence to usher the passage into the next paragraph.
The logic of your research paper
What will make your body even greater is reading up on logic theory. Since every paragraph, as discussed above, is an argument, you will benefit from learning about inductive and deductive reasoning. Be sure to also look up logical fallacies – errors in reasoning. I assure you, your professors know all of them and can smell one from a mile away. In college essays and research papers, the most common ones are:
- Post Hoc Ergo Propter Hoc – “After this, therefore because of this”. If situation a occurs and then directly afterwards b happens, this does not mean that a causes b. Assuming it does is a logical fallacy.
- Non sequitur – “Does not follow”. Essentially means that the conclusion you came to is not what follows from the presented evidence.
- The either/or fallacy – occurs when you present the reader with two solutions (one desirable and one undesirable) in a case where many solutions are possible.
These are pretty basic and common mistakes made by students. Be sure to read up on other common logical errors. There is a high possibility that yon can commit at least a few of them.