Empoword

Part Three: Research and Argumentation 320 guide, redirecting you to the texts you found most valuable; more abstractly, it will support you in perceiving a complex and nuanced conversation on your topic. Research Methods: Drawing from Sources and Synthesizing Finding Your Position, Posture, and Perspective As you begin drafting your research essay, remember the conversation analogy: by using other voices, you are entering into a discussion that is much bigger than just you, even bigger than the authors you cite. However, what you have to say is important, so you are bringing together your ideas with others’ ideas from a unique interpretive standpoint. Although it may take you a while to find it, you should be searching for your unique position in a complex network of discourse. Here are a few questions to ask yourself as you consider this: • How would I introduce this topic to someone who is completely unfamiliar? • What are the major viewpoints on this topic? Remember that very few issues have only two sides. • With which viewpoints do I align? With which viewpoints do I disagree? Consider agreement (“Yes”), disagreement (“No”), and qualification (“Yes, but…”). • What did I know about this issue before I began researching? What have I learned so far? • What is my rhetorical purpose with this project? If your purpose is to argue a position, be sure that you feel comfortable with the terms and ideas discussed in the previous section on argumentation. Articulating Your Claim Once you’ve started to catch the rhythm of the ongoing conversation, it’s time to find a way to put your perspective into words. Bear in mind that your thesis statement should evolve as you “Research is to see what everybody else has seen, and to think what nobody else has thought.” - Albert Szent-Györgyi