A-manual-for-writers-of-research-papers-theses-and-dissertations

2. Rephrase your question as a lack of knowledge or gap in understanding. After yousketch that research, tell readers what part of it you will extend, modify, or correct. Do thatby restating your question as something that the research has gotten wrong, explainedpoorly, or failed to consider.Why is the Alamo story so important in our national mythology?Few historians have tried to explain why the Alamo story has become so important in our national mythology.Writers do this almost always and in many ways, so as you read, note how your sources do it.3. If you can, sketch an answer to So what if we don't find out? What larger issue will yourreaders not understand if you don't answer your research question?If we understood how such stories became national legends, we would better understand our national values,perhaps even what makes us distinct.At this point, you may find any larger significance hard to imagine. Add it if you can, butdon't spend a lot of time on it; we'll return to it (see 10.1.3).4. Revise and position your claim. You wrote your claim on the first page of yourstoryboard. Now decide if that's where you want to leave it. You have two choices forwhere to state it in your report:at the end of your introduction and again close to the beginning of your conclusiononly in your conclusion, as a kind of climax to your reasoningIf you've done few advanced projects, we urge you to state your claim at the end of yourintroduction and again near the beginning of your conclusion. When readers see a claim early,at the end of your introduction, they know where you're taking them and so can read whatfollows faster, understand it better, and remember it longer. When you put your claim first, italso helps keep you on track.Some new researchers fear that if they reveal their claim in their introduction, readers willbe bored and stop reading. Others worry about repeating themselves. Both fears are baseless.If you ask an interesting question, readers will want to see how well you can support itsanswer.If you leave your claim at the bottom of your introduction page, restate a version of it at thetop of a new conclusion page at the end of your storyboard. If you can, make this concludingclaim more specific than the one in the introduction.In some fields, writers conventionally state their claim only in a final section headedDiscussion or Conclusion. In those cases, many readers just skim the introduction, then jumpto the conclusion. So for that kind of reader, write your introduction in a way that introducesnot only the body of your paper, but your conclusion, as well.If you decide to announce your claim only in your conclusion, move it to the top of a newconclusion page. But if you do, you'll need another sentence to replace it at the end of yourwww.itpub.net