WRITING
PAPERS
IN DR. GORDON WILSON'S CLASSES
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A major research paper is both a scientific and an artistic work. As a scientific enterprise, it presents information and analyses that are the result of critical thinking and reflection. As an artistic endeavor, it is the result of careful writing, proofreading, correcting, revising and redacting. The final product reflects a major commitment of time and effort. In brief, it entails work.
A research paper in philosophy should be composed in the manner which you have been taught in your English composition courses here at
UNCA. Here is a brief summary of what is expected of research papers in philosophy.
1. THE TOPIC
First, you must select a topic. In some philosophy classes, the topic of the research paper is assigned. In other classes, you may be able to select a topic relevant to the course content. If you are unsure of what you would like for your topic, you should go to the library and page through some books and articles in philosophy. One index,
The Philosopher's
Index, will be particularly helpful in selecting a topic. You can also consult with your professor.
2. THE THESIS AND SOURCES
Second, you must determine a thesis for your paper. This step will definitely require a visit to the library. Once in the library, you should, at this preliminary stage, consult at least five academic sources in philosophy. An academic source is a book or article in a professional journal written by an academic philosopher--dictionaries, general encyclopedias, and even the Bible are not written by academic philosophers. The following are examples of what are
not academic sources: Newsweek, The Watchtower, Bride magazine, your church bulletin. If you are unsure of whether a particular journal or book is an academic source, consult your professor or reference librarian. Please make sure that the secondary sources and the editions/translations of primary sources which you consult are not outdated.
Once you have a preliminary list of five books or articles related to your topic, you should read each article carefully. Try to answer the following questions. What is the author's position or thesis? What arguments did the author make to prove this thesis? Did you agree with the author's thesis? Why or why not? Did you find that the author's arguments were convincing? Why or why not? Were there any particular passages that struck you and that you would like to cite in your paper?
Once you have consulted your sources in the library, you should formulate your thesis. A thesis is a statement of what you plan to demonstrate or argue in your paper. The thesis then is different from the topic of your paper. For example, the topic of your paper may be the ontological argument for God's existence, but the thesis should be the statement of the point which you intend to make about the ontological argument, e.g.
"Descartes' formulation of the ontological argument is unconvincing" or "Kant's objection to Descartes' formulation of the ontological argument is not persuasive."
WARNING! A common error that students have made in philosophy is to have no clearly stated thesis in their papers. A paper without a clearly stated thesis is unacceptable. A clear statement of the main point that you are trying to make in your paper will help you avoid mistakes like: "In my paper I will examine the pros and cons of the ontological argument. In the end, each person must decide for himself or herself whether God exists" and "So you see this is a very complex issue. I will make some points so that the reader can decide for himself or herself." A clear thesis means that you yourself have taken a position on the topic. You should not proceed to any of the next steps unless you have informed your professor of your thesis.
3. THE OUTLINE
Third, an organizational outline should be established based upon the arguments you will use to prove or defend your thesis. A research paper usually is organized into three or four sections. For example, if you have selected "the ontological argument" as your topic and your thesis is that the argument as formulated by Descartes is fatally flawed, your paper might have the following structure:
"The Weaknesses of Descartes' Ontological Argument"
1. Descartes' formulation of the ontological argument
2. Kant's critique of the ontological argument
3. B. Russell's critique of the ontological argument
(Note that this preliminary organizational outline can easily be elaborated, e.g. section 1 can be subdivided into a discussion of the original formulation of the ontological argument by Anselm and a treatment of Descartes' specific form of the argument. However, at this preliminary point, it is only necessary to determine the overall structure of your paper).
CAUTION! A common error which students have made in the past has been a lack of clarity concerning the overall structure of their papers. The structure or organization of your paper is not a simple compilation of the topics of each paragraph. An example of an unorganized paper would be an outline like:
"The Weaknesses of Descartes' Ontological Argument"
1. The different arguments for God's existence
2. Statistics concerning theism in Brazil
3. An interview with three pastors concerning belief in God
4. Atheism as a right protected by the Bill of Rights
5. The origin of the ontological argument.
6. Thomas Aquinas's arguments for God's existence
7. Methodological skepticism in Descartes
8. Kant on science and his rejection of the ontological argument
Please note how the above is terribly disorganized. It is no more than a compilation of unrelated topics. The task of the author of a research paper in philosophy is to relate topics into an organized structure.
4. THE PRELIMINARY DRAFT OF THE PAPER
Fourth, you should now begin to write a preliminary draft of your paper. A research paper must have the following structure: 1) an introduction in which the thesis and the overall plan of your paper is clearly presented; 2) the body of your paper; 3) a concluding summary paragraph; and 4) a bibliography. Papers which do not have this order are unacceptable. They will be returned with a grade of "0". The student will have to re-do the paper in the above form for it to be accepted.
The introductory paragraphs should contain the thesis and the plan of your paper, for example "Even though there have been many attempts to formulate an ontological argument to prove the existence of God, Descartes' particular formulation of such an argument is ultimately unsuccessful. After presenting Descartes' argument for God's existence in his Meditations, analyses of both Kant's critique and B. Russell's position will indicate the weaknesses of Descartes' formulation." You must remember that although you are very familiar with your paper (the topic, thesis, structure and argument), your reader is not. You probably will not want to be as explicit as: "The thesis of my paper is ..... In order to demonstrate this thesis, this paper will 1)....2).... and 3)...", but the thesis and the overall plan of your paper need to be clearly presented to the reader.
Once you have informed your reader of the overall structure of your paper, the body of your paper naturally follows this structure. If, for example, you state in your introductory paragraphs that you will present Descartes' ontological argument, then analyze Kant's criticism, and finally treat Russell's view; then the body of your paper should present these topics (and it should present the topics in the order which you presented in your introductory paragraph). To begin the body of your paper with a discussion of atheism in China, after you have stated that you will begin with a presentation of Descartes, is most inappropriate. If you say that you will do x, y, and z; you should present x, then y, and then z.
The concluding paragraph is a summary of the major points of your paper. In it you remind the reader of your thesis and the arguments that you have used to demonstrate your thesis, for example: "In conclusion, Descartes' formulation of the ontological argument is not convincing. Kant's criticism, namely ..., and Russell's point, in particular ..., both lead to the conclusion that Descartes was fundamentally mistaken on this issue." NOTE: The conclusion of a research paper is not to present new information. Avoid mistakes like: "In my paper I have discussed Descartes' ontological argument. In conclusion I would like to say how I feel about it." This is a weak conclusion. Note that the reader is reminded of the topic, but not the thesis. And note that new information, namely how the author feels about the ontological argument, is introduced. Remember, the conclusion is a summary of the previous points.
The Bibliography is a list of all of the works which you have consulted in preparing your paper. Please make sure that the date of publication is included.
Finally, when you cite another author's work, you must give the original author credit. For you to take someone else's thought and present it as your own is a form of cheating, plagiarism. PLAGIARIZED PAPERS WILL BE DISMISSED WITH A GRADE OF "0" WITH NO MAKE-UP OPPORTUNITY. In your paper, you should make references to at least five academic sources other than your textbook. These references can be either footnoted, embedded, or
endnoted.
5. THE FINAL COPY
Finally, papers should be proofread. All grammatical, spelling and typographical errors should be corrected by the author. The author, and not the typist, bears the ultimate responsibility for the final state of the paper. Ink corrections are appropriate.
You are to place the original of your paper and one copy in the hand of your professor.
6. THE PROCESS
In order to ensure that your final paper is a quality piece of work, it should be done in stages. The first stage is to select a topic and identify five sources (in addition to your textbooks) from which you can gather current and accurate information. On your main syllabus, there is a date on which the topic and bibliography are due. The second stage is to read and analyze the material on your bibliography. On your main syllabus there is a date on which this is due. The third stage is to formulate your thesis statement and to conceive the overall plan or outline of your paper. On your main syllabus, there is a date on which this is due. The fourth stage is to present your introductory paragraph, and on your syllabus there is a date when this is due. Finally, there is the stage in which your entire paper is submitted. There is a date given for this in your syllabus.
Because your paper is done in stages, you should have a folder: at each stage you should submit all the prior materials, e.g. when you submit your thesis and overall plan, you should also submit the prior paper with your topic and bibliography as well as the papers in which you have presented your analyses of the items on your bibliography.
Your paper is worth 20% of your final grade. The quality of a paper is judged, in part, by the following criteria: to what extent was it successful in demonstrating the major thesis, to what extent were the arguments persuasive, to what extent was the author aware of and critical of positions contrary to his or her own, to what extent were ideas clearly expressed, to what extent was the information presented accurate, to what extent did the paper indicate the author's knowledge of primary sources, to what extent were the directions for the paper followed, to what extent were the sentences grammatically correct, to what extent was the paper carefully proofread, etc.
A paper done in stages will indeed reflect the time, thought and effort of the writer. The final product will be scientifically sound and artistically beautiful.
NOTE: IF YOU MISPLACE THIS INFORMATION DURING THE SEMESTER, ASK YOUR PROFESSOR FOR ANOTHER COPY.
PHILOSOPHY PAPER CHECK LIST/COVER SHEET
(TO BE SUBMITTED WITH FINAL PAPER)
____ The thesis of my paper has been indicated by parentheses `( )'.
____ The overall plan of my paper has been indicated by square brackets `[ ]'.
____ In my paper, (by either footnotes, embedded footnotes, or endnotes) I make reference to five academic sources other than my textbooks.
____ I have checked my paper for spelling.
____ I have checked my paper for grammar.
____ I have checked my paper for typing.
I understand that the paper I have submitted is my best and final work, and a definitive grade can be given to it.
_________________________
name
_________________________
course
_________________________
date
TERM PAPER CHECKLIST
MECHANICS
Spelling
Grammar
Punctuation
FORMAT
Reference sources/citations
Bibliography
PAPER ORGANIZATION
Introduction is well-written
Introduction contains a "transition" which
provides an overview of the overall plan of
the paper
Conclusion briefly summarizes the main points
Conclusion brings closure to the paper topic
WRITING STYLE
Academic tone (absence of contractions, colloquial
language)
Objectively written (no "I" or author's opinion)
Maintains reader's interest
OUTLINE ORGANIZATION
Logical and well-organized
SUBSTANCE
Thesis is defended by solid arguments
Positions contrary to the thesis are known and effectively argued against
Highly informative
Sufficient number of sources cited
Factually accurate
LOGIC
All sentences clearly written
SUPPORT
The thesis statement well-supported by factual
and detailed information
The term paper thesis statement supported by few quotes
(or did the author overuse quotes?)
Primary sources were used
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