The Research Paper
The most important outcome of a research paper is that you learn something. You should start
your research by asking a philosophical question you do not know the answer to but would like
to know. Your research will ideally help you answer the question you ask.
However, the path to answering research questions is rarely a straight line. It is possible that
you will start researching the answer to your question and on the way realize one of the
following:
(1) The question you asked is too easily answered to constitute a research paper (e.g.,
what are the four noble truths?)
(2) That to answer your original question, you need to answer a number of other
questions.
(3) That question you started with is not really the question you want an answer to
(e.g., you might start by asking what a Buddhist view of punishment is, and later
realize that what you want to know is how Buddhist think we should feel about
people who act wrongly).
You might find that modifying your original research question is beneficial, so do not feel bound
to the question, you start with.
The research question should materialize into a thesis statement by the end of the project. So,
you might ask whether the Buddhist view on not-self is compatible with free will. In your final
submission, you should have come up with some tentative claims to defend. Your thesis, based
on this question, may end up looking like this: “In this paper, I will defend the view that free will
is incompatible with the doctrine of not-self.”
How do I defend my thesis?
To defend your thesis, you should:
1. Draw from primary sources. Look at the works we have read in class together. Seek
out sources that interest you that we have not looked at in class. Find passages that
address your research question.
2. Look at secondary sources. Find out what people who have studied the question
have to say. If you cannot find anyone else who has thought about your research
question, then congratulations! This means you have found an area to contribute to.
Do not panic if others have thought through your question before. It is quite difficult
to find untouched ground at this stage.
3. Construct an argument. Your argument needs to take into consideration the primary
and secondary sources. The argument should be focused. I would rather you write
an argument that is little too narrow than too wide.
4. Consider objections. Your argument should consider alternative possibilities or
challenges, and address them.
