Approaching a Thesis: Research Methods

In my experience of writing research-heavy papers, the general key is just that-- research. However, that can be misleading, for the real trouble I find is not doing research as much as it is organizing the researched material. 

In the beginning of my undergraduate career, I would formulate a thesis in my mind and seek out only information that would validate my thesis. I was very uncompromising, and then I would just read my sources and write as read....a truly horrible way to write a paper. It led to a lot of stress, and it severely limited my research scope to only those things that would support a thesis that I developed largely independent of my research. The method is quite backwards, really.

My bad paper writing life

I have learned from those mistakes, and now I believe I have a more sound method for research. Simply stated, I now approach my subject with as unbiased a mind as I can muster, and I organize nearly all of my research before I write. This helps me formulate a smooth, well-written thesis.

One thing I do to be sure I approach research with a good mindset, is to clear my mind of any attachment to any conclusion. I find that in order to truly engage the information I am researching, I must read the documents with an open mind. This allows me to accept the complexity of the issue which not only applies to history but also to other fields as well.

Once I have my sources, I begin reading them, and as I read them I write down quotes from them and record where each quote comes from. By the end of my research, I'll have a multitude of pages of quotes. Then I begin to re-read the quotes, and I sort them into topics in my head. This abstraction process is lengthy, but it pays off in the end. 

After I let all this information stew in my mind for a while, I am ready to begin building a detailed outline, and I let my research in tandem with my mind lead me to a rough thesis. The quote pages allow me to reflect on my research efficiently, and they aid me in coming to a solid thesis. 

I move past the previously mentioned rough thesis to chart the remainder of my paper. I organize each quote under its appropriate heading, and soon enough, I have an outline that is approximately half the size of however long the research paper is.

Though the aforementioned rough thesis will need revision as I proceed to write my paper, it serves me well in forming the remainder of my paper.

The important thing for me to remember in the process, is that I must take the information as it comes, and I must afford plenty of time to create a well-written research paper. Like cooking any good stew, a good research paper requires a lot of simmering time. In these moments, I must be content to let information simmer in my mind. For me, research comes very naturally if I afford it time. 

Let the research stew! That way, you can create a hearty paper full of all kinds of intellectual greatness!