4 Effective Approaches to Creating a Research Paper on Death Penalty

Every now and then you might find yourself tasked with having to complete a writing assignment on a difficult or controversial subject. One of the challenges is that it’s difficult to form ideas and thoughts in ways that don’t come off as too personal but instead remains purely academic. Writing a research paper on the death penalty is one of these subjects that can be hard to tackle. If you find yourself in this situation you may want to try these four effective approaches to creating a great research paper that stays strictly academic and earns you a top grade:

Research and Provide Both Sides of an Argument

Academic research papers should stick to the facts. Gather as much information for both sides of the argument (whichever side you choose doesn’t matter as much as the information you can present). Look for ways how each statement can be rebutted or how each piece of evidence can be used to support both sides of the argument. Be fair in your approach. The best academic writing will acknowledge the opposition and give credit when credit is due.

Create an Outline and Draft a Thesis Statement

Be extra careful when creating an outline on this kind of assignment. You might want to try a point counter-point approach where you provide your side of the argument then present the opposition immediately thereafter, followed by your rebuttal. This structure will keep your paper from getting too personal and improves your chances of getting your thesis statement or central argument ahead of the debate.

Write Your First Draft Quickly, Revise Carefully

In most assignments you want to write your first draft quickly and efficiently. The same is true with a controversial subject like the death penalty; however, you do want to make sure you don’t focus too much on your personal opinion. Make sure you consult your outline often. This will keep you from spending too much of your free-writing on your side of the argument.

Edit and Proofread Ensuring Academic Point of View

In this final stage of writing your research paper you want to make sure you remove any wording which points to this assignment as being a personal tirade for or against the death penalty. Keep your writing academic, presenting your argument using plain and simple English to get your point across succinctly. Don’t use hyperbole and be sure you remove all instances of the first person.