How to do Research for the Persuasive Essay:
When beginning your library research, start with the online card catalog. Your best bet may be to find a few general books on the subject, and then study the bibliographies in the back of the books. Oftentimes, the very best sources are found this way. You may note, as you read, that one person may be quoted repeatedly in several articles. This should tell you that this person may be an authority. (See if their name is in the catalogue.) If you run across the mention of an article while reading another article or book, go find it. Use encyclopedias, reference books, newspapers, databases, the librarians, and the World Wide Web. Research is a back-and-forth, in-and-out process, rather like the strategy of a good card game.
As you scan possible sources, make a list of sources you won't use, sources you might use, and sources you will definitely use. Make bibliography cards for the latter two right away. Photocopy all material that you might or will use--even pamphlets and personal books. This will save you time later, should you need to return to the library. If you conduct a good deal of research, the first list will help you keep up with sources you've already checked (unless you enjoy checking them three and four times).
Reasearch Tips:
1. A good tip for beginning research is to have a basic understanding of your concept first.
Try doing some inital researching to get a basic understanding or definition of your topic.
Try using an
online encylopedias or a
book or encyclopedia from our library.
Hint: While searching for a basic definition of your topic, keep a list of similar terms or related words that you may use later in your research.
Make sure you know your audience. Stick to a certain tone, whether it's formal, informal, funny, pleading, etc.
Be aware of the possible counter-arguments that would go against what you are trying to say. Only address these points in your essay if you have good ways to respond to them.
Avoid the use of personal pronouns such as "I" or "you". This takes away from your writing's professional touch.
Use synonyms. Having the same word over and over will place a toll on the reader's nerves. Mix it up a bit.
When restating, do not duplicate any sentence. Your audience will not skip over any part, so there isn't a need for stressing the same point over and over.
Make each sentence count. Adding extra sentences will not drive your point home. Keep the essay clear by keeping it concise.
2. Keep a research log. This will help you keep track of where you found your information and make it easier when you cite your sources. The OHS Library has more samples of research logs if you would like to try a different one.
Working with your topic:
How to narrow or broaden your topic: Learn More: Click Here!
How to Search:
How to avoid Plagiarism:
A guide to paraphrasing and using quotes.
How to organize your persuasive essay:
Introduction
Your introduction should hook your reader's attention and provide background information on your topic or controversy.
The paragraph should end with a clear statement of your main idea or point of view.
Body paragraphs
Your body paragraphs should present the points in support of your main idea.
Each body paragraph should focus on one point.
Be sure to provide evidence or examples for each point.
Opposing view
Conclusion
Structure and organization are integral components of an effective persuasive essay. No matter how intelligent the ideas, a paper lacking a strong introduction, well-organized body paragraphs, and an insightful conclusion is not an effective paper.
Essentials of Effective Persuasive Essays
The Introduction
Simply enough, the introductory paragraph introduces the argument of your paper. A well-constructed introductory paragraph immediately captures the interest of your reader and gives appropriate background information about the paper's topic. Such a paragraph might include a brief summary of the ideas to be discussed in your paper's body as well as other information relevant to your paper's argument. The most important function of your paper's introductory paragraph, however, is to present a clear statement of your paper's argument. This sentence is your paper's thesis. Without a thesis, it is impossible for you to present an effective argument. The thesis sentence should reflect both the position that you will argue and the organizational pattern with which you will present and support your argument. A useful way to think about the construction of a thesis sentence is to view it in terms of stating both the "what" and the "how" of the paper's argument. The "what" is simply the basic argument in your paper: what exactly are you arguing? The "how" is the strategy you will use to present this argument. The following are helpful questions for you to consider when formulating a thesis sentence:
What is the argument that I am trying to convince the reader to accept?
How exactly do I expect to convince the reader that this argument is sound?
Once you have answered these questions, the next step is to synthesize these answers into a single thesis sentence, or, if necessary, two thesis sentences.
For example: You want to convince your reader that the forces of industry did not shape American foreign policy from the late 19th century through 1914, and you plan to do this by showing that there were other factors which were much more influential in shaping American foreign policy. Both of these elements can be synthesized into a thesis sentence:
Fear of foreign influence in the Western hemisphere, national pride, and contemporary popular ideas concerning both expansion and foreign peoples had significantly more influence on American foreign policy than did the voices of industrialists.
This sentence shows the position you will argue and also sets up the organizational pattern of your paper's body.
The Body
The body of your paper contains the actual development of your paper's argument. Each body paragraph presents a single idea or set of related ideas that provides support for your paper's argument. Each body paragraph addresses one key aspect of your paper's thesis and brings the reader closer to accepting the validity of your paper's argument. Because each body paragraph should be a step in your argument, you should be mindful of the overall organization of your body paragraphs.
The first step in writing an effective body paragraph is the construction of the first sentence of this paragraph, the topic sentence. Just as the thesis sentence holds together your essay, the topic sentence is the glue binding each individual body paragraph. A body paragraph's topic sentence serves two main purposes: introducing the content of the paragraph and introducing the next step of your argument. It is important to keep in mind that the goal of the topic sentence is to advance your paper's argument, not just to describe the content of the paragraph.
The first part in your thesis on page two states that fear of foreign influence in the Western Hemisphere had more influence on American foreign policy than did industry. Thus, you need to elaborate on this point in your body paragraphs.
An effective topic sentence for one of these paragraphs could be:
American fear of foreign influence was a key factor in the United States' actions in the Spanish-American War. Subsequent body paragraphs might offer further evidence for the idea presented in this body paragraph.
A good way to test the strength of both your topic sentences and your argument as a whole is to construct an outline of your paper using only your paper's thesis statement and topic sentences. This outline should be a logical overview of your paper's argument; all of your paper's topic sentences should work together to support your thesis statement.
The Conclusion
A basic purpose of your paper's concluding paragraph is both to restate the paper's argument and to restate how you have supported this argument in the body of the paper. However, your conclusion should not simply be a copy of your introduction. The conclusion draws together the threads of the paper's argument and shows where the argument of your paper has gone. An effective conclusion gives the reader reasons for bothering to read your paper. One of the most important functions of this paragraph is to bring in fresh insight. Some possible questions to consider when writing your conclusion are:
What are some real world applications of this paper's argument?
Why is what I am writing about important?
What are some of the questions that this paper's argument raises?
What are the implications of this paper's argument?
While the organization and structure described in this handout are necessary components of an effective persuasive essay, keep in mind that writing itself is a fluid process. There are no steadfast rules that you need to adhere to as you write. Simply because the introduction is the first paragraph in your essay does not mean that you must write this paragraph before any other. Think of the act of writing as an exploration of ideas, and let this sense of exploration guide you as you write your essay.
When writing a persuasive essay, your purpose is to convince your audience to embrace your idea or point of view. Keeping this purpose in mind is the key to writing an effective persuasion.
The Persuasive Research Paper 
