WR1 - The Research Process Lesson

Writers use evidence to support, or back up, the claims in their essays. The more support a writer has, the more strength their claims have, and the reader will be more likely to believe the writer's ideas. A well-supported and well-developed piece of writing will always include evidence from reliable sources. Reliable sources come from databases such as Gale and Galileo, but they can also come from websites ending in the following: .gov, .edu, .us, .org, and also .net (mostly reliable, but check with your instructor).

Finding Reliable Sources and Planning Paragraphs

Evidence is important to back up the claims in formal writing. But how does a writer find and incorporate this evidence? Take a look at the following steps:

1. Find Reliable Sources. Search for sources based on the topic and the general direction of the essay. Pay attention to the end of the url (website address) to examine for credibility. Remember that .com websites are generally not considered reliable, but be sure to check with the instructor if you have questions about a specific site. Also, Wikipedia should not serve as a reliable source.
2.  Find Evidence in the Reliable Sources. After finding a reliable source, look for proof that directly supports claims made in the development and topic sentences. Remember to create the source citations for the evidence—there are more details on source citations in this lesson.
3. Make Notes of the Supporting Evidence. Copy down the evidence word for word either in the brainstorm, notecards, notepaper, or in a chart (see example of a chart in the assignment for this lesson). 

Thesis: Serving the President of the United States of America has several benefits but contains aspects some people do not prefer in a career.

Body 1 Topic: The President of the United States has a great amount of power which appears beneficial in certain situations.

Develop: The president can go wherever he wants at any point in time by making a single phone call.

Evidence: “[t]he President of the United States must be ready to travel anywhere in the world on a moment’s notice. Fortunately, modern presidents have access to a variety of transportation options - including flying aboard Air Force One” (“Air Force Once”).

Transition: Furthermore, the President can veto a law if he does not want the law in the country.

Evidence: In the government, “[e]very bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approves he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it with his objections…” (US Const. amend. 1 sec. 7).

4. Analyze the Evidence. After finding evidence, complete the brainstorm with an analysis of the evidence, or begin on the Rough Draft and analyze the evidence within the Rough Draft. Remember that after using evidence, always indicate why the evidence functions well by pairing the evidence with supporting claims in the essay. Writers should never simply summarize or explain what the evidence means; the analysis of evidence answers the question: How or why does this piece of evidence prove the claims of the piece of writing?  

Thesis: Serving the President of the United States of America has several benefits but contains aspects some people do not prefer in a career.

Body 1 Topic: The President of the United States has a great amount of power which appears beneficial in certain situations.

Develop: The president can go wherever he wants at any point in time by making a single phone call.

Evidence: Today, “[t]he President of the United States must be ready to travel anywhere in the world on a moment’s notice. Fortunately, modern presidents have access to a variety of transportation options - including flying aboard Air Force One” (“Air Force Once”).

Analysis: The president has his own airplane that he can use, so he can travel around the world whenever he wants or needs. Having an airplane at one’s disposal reveals power that few people have.

Transition: Furthermore, the President can veto a law if he does not want the law in the country.

Evidence: In government, “[e]very bill which shall have passed the House of Representatives and the Senate shall, before it becomes a law, be presented to the President of the United States; if he approves he shall sign it, but if not he shall return it with his objections…” (US Const. amend. 1 sec. 7).

Analysis: The president does not have to allow a law that he thinks is not good for the country. The ability to choose what laws are helpful reveal the great amount of power the President holds.

5. Add Concluding Sentences to the Paragraph. Once the analysis of evidence is complete for all claims throughout each paragraph, add concluding sentences to the paragraphs. Then, write the introduction paragraph, conclusion paragraph, and double-check MLA formatting. After completing these steps, the Rough Draft is complete and ready for proofreading.