How to start a research paper on the death penalty

In writing a research paper, you should first come up with a topic. The topic should be relatable and informative. In choosing the topic, the author must consider the current events that are happening, the most talked about topic that the readers would be interested to read. The death penalty is one of the biggest issues that have been revolving in the news for a very long time. Below are the tips on how to start writing your own research paper about the death penalty.

Tips on how to start

1. Gather Information

A student should first read journals and articles that are related to the death penalty to be able to understand the topic well. An author should touch every aspect of the topic so when the writing starts not to state the false truth and make the research paper or thesis reliable and factual.

2. Familiarize with the topic

Familiarization will help an author see different sides of the topic death penalty. He or she can do this by watching videos of debates on the death penalty. This way a student will understand the topic better and will be able to write the research paper in an objective manner. It is important to be objective in this kind of topic because the readers will have the freedom to take a side based on truths and evidence and not just based on the subjective point of view of the author.

3. Incorporate laws in the research

The death penalty is a very sensitive topic and the information about it should be disseminated to the readers in a manner that is not derogatory to anyone. Reading law articles would be helpful in writing a research paper on this topic. This way the author will be informed of what laws are interconnected and related to the death penalty.

Making an outline

An outline will serve as a guide for a research paper to be written in an organized manner so that the readers will understand it. This will help you organize your thoughts and ideas before writing. It is important to make an outline first before making the research paper to avoid errors and mixed information.

The outline should consist of the following points:

• Thesis statement
• Supporting Arguments
• Body of the research paper of thesis
• Conclusion

Outline example

• Thesis Title – Abolish Death Penalty
• Thesis Statement – The death penalty should be abolished because there is no assurance that the justice system is foolproof. It will only make the risks higher for innocent people to be punished for crimes they did not do.
• Supporting Arguments
  a) Killing people is inhumane and immoral.
  b) Death penalty is against human rights and very barbaric.
  C) The prisoners on death row can possibly be innocent.
• Body of the Research Paper
  List of reasons why the death penalty never fit a crime and why it is not morally acceptable.
• Conclusion
  a) Supporting quote (relate back to intro): “The fear of death is the fear of life.”
  b) Restate thesis: The death penalty will not help people find justice; instead, it will only worsen the flaw in our justice system.

Above is a sample outline that will guide you and give you an idea of how to make your own research paper. In your actual research paper or thesis, the body of the paragraph should consist of more than four paragraphs while the conclusion can be one long paragraph.

Thesis statement examples

In order to help you with your research paper, here are some thesis statement examples that will give you an idea of writing your own. The thesis statement is the problem that will be discussed in the entire research paper so if the statement is good the whole paper will be good.

• The death penalty should be abolished because there is no assurance that the justice system is foolproof. It will only make the risks higher for innocent people to be punished for
  crimes they did not do.
• The approval of the death penalty will only bring back the medieval way of punishing people in the most inhumane way.
• The death penalty is just like giving politicians the right to murder anyone to settle political scores.

Example of a death penalty research paper introduction

In each given thesis statement examples above, there is a correspondent example introduction below to show you how to make an introduction. An introduction should always answer the questions why and how, why it should happen, and how it would be accomplished. This will also help you come up with your own introduction in your research paper.

• The abolition of the death penalty should be pushed through so no one will be put into jail and die because of injustice. It will only happen if the government justice system will listen to the people’s cry and if they will consider human acts of punishment.
• In medieval times, people were punished to death if they did something that is against the law. If we just continue this inhumane act of our ancestors, we will only prove that we have not evolved and stayed the same. In this present age, people are more open to change; if we continue the traditional punishment it only will show that there is no difference between the medieval people and us.
• A death penalty is an act that shows how the justice system will legalize a different kind of murder. The politicians who abuse their powers will be delighted to use the death penalty as their scapegoat in murdering innocent people that come their way.

How to write body paragraphs for a research paper on the death penalty

A body of the paper should contain supporting statements that will make the research paper convincing. Below are some tips on how to write the body of the paragraph.

Tips on writing the body of the research paper

• You should start by writing your main and supporting ideas.
• The main ideas should always be in the first paragraph and the supporting ideas should be in the next paragraphs so the readers will understand the main topic.
• Each idea has to be explained and elaborated well for the readers to understand it clearly. You can also provide examples to give clarification to the readers.
• You should cite legitimate sources in your research paper. In finding supporting statements, you should make sure that you cited from books and journals that are used by lawyers and professionals. This will make your research paper authentic and reliable.
• If you want, you can also state news and article reviews as evidence of your statements.
• Conclusion in every paragraph is optional but it can also help the readers summarize the whole research paper.

Below is an example of a short body of the paragraph to be your guide in writing your own research paper on the death penalty.

• Thesis statement: The death penalty should be abolished because of its injustice.

First paragraph example

There is a number of reasons why the death penalty never fits a crime. Even if a person did a crime, there is still no valid reason for anyone to sentence his death. The current justice system states that a person who committed the worst crime should be punished based on how worst his crime is. This seems to be completely illogical and contradictory. How can a person be accused of a crime that he did not do anything about? The answer is no one; therefore, the death penalty is not morally accepted.

Second paragraph example

In terms of morality, those people who receive the death penalty are usually not physically or mentally fit to receive the punishment. Some are suffering from mental disabilities that have caused them to commit such crimes. Twelve percent of people who are on death row are proven mentally retarded making them not fit the punishment of death.

Third paragraph example

The electric chair used for killing people who are on death row has reported failing and causes multiple attempts of execution before the prison actually dies. Even the lethal injection used in modern execution sometimes fails and makes the prisoner’s execution slower and painful. Things like this prove that there is a serious flaw in the justice system.

How to write a conclusion of a research paper on the death penalty

A conclusion serves as the summary of a research paper. It will also include your stand on the topic, whether you agree or disagree. It is important to include a conclusion in every research paper because it will be the closing paragraph and it indicates the end of the research paper.

Tips for writing a conclusion

• A conclusion should have a brief summary of a body of a research paper.
• You can use a quotation related to the death penalty to capture the attention of your readers until the end.
• Recall some important points in the body of the research so that the information will be refreshed in the mind of the readers.
• Compare your topic with others. In this way, you will show the readers that your research paper is broad and universal.
• Lastly, give recommendations. This will make your conclusion more professional.

To complete your guide in writing a research paper on the death penalty below is an example of a conclusion that you can use as to help you write your own conclusion.

Example of a conclusion

A wise man once said, “The fear of death is the fear of life.” The death penalty will not help people find justice; instead, it will only worsen the flaw in our justice system. The people who commit crimes should receive punishment but not in the form of death. Their lives should be valued no matter what mistake they have made. They should learn their lesson while in jail but they should never suffer death as a form of payment for their crimes.

Revision Tips

After submitting your final thesis or research paper your professor/instructor will give advice on how you can improve your research paper. Below are some tips on how you will revise your paper fast and efficiently.

• List down corrections – When your professor gives back your thesis or research paper for the revision you must first check what are the parts that need revision. Once you finish scanning the paper for all the revisions needed you can already start revising. The best technique to make revising fast is to go page by page. When you do this, you can make sure that there is no single word in the research paper that you have not seen.
• Consider feedback – Your professor aims to help you in your research paper so you should consider all his notes and advice in improving your research paper. Accept that your paper is not perfect and the advice that he or she gave you is important and will be so much help.
• Ask for help – When you are having a hard time correcting your own work it is okay to ask someone for help. It may be your classmate, brother, sister, or parents, as long as they are willing and knowledgeable you should always consider their help. Sometimes we cannot see our own mistakes, so having another person check your work and give comments about it will not only improve the research paper – it will also give you ideas on how to make it better the next time you make another research paper.