65 For Instructors: Academic Research Essay Genre
An academic research essay will need to:
- Conduct thorough research.
- Synthesize perspectives and points with valid research.
- Present valid and complex claims supported by research.
What is this genre about? Academic research essays are formal essays that engage with complex questions, research, and issues. They go beyond just talking about a topic to making informed claims about an issue and how it affects individuals or groups of individuals. They fall under the larger genre of research-based writing. Lumen Learning describes research writing as “the process of sharing the answer to your research question along with the evidence on which your answer is based, the sources you used, and your own reasoning and explanation” (“What is Research Writing”).
What are the expectations for this genre? Readers expect that academic research essays will have a strong argument, address a significant issue that’s been thoroughly researched, include insightful claims, and converse with other sources to illustrate and explain the implications of the issue addressed. Academic research writing comes in a variety of shapes and forms but is a bit different from other kinds of research writing projects in three significant ways:
- Thesis: Academic research projects are organized around a point or a “thesis” that members of the intended audience would not accept as “common sense.” What an audience accepts as “common sense” depends a great deal on the audience, which is one of the many reasons why what “counts” as academic research varies from field to field. But audiences want to learn something new either by being informed about an issue they knew nothing about before or by reading a unique interpretation of an issue and related evidence.
- Evidence: Academic research projects rely almost exclusively on evidence in order to support this point. Academic research writers use evidence in order to convince their audiences that the point they are making is the right one. Of course, all writing uses other means of persuasion—appeals to emotion, to logic, to the credibility of the author, and so forth. But the readers of academic research writing projects are likely to be more persuaded by good evidence more than anything else. Evidence, the information you use to support your point, includes readings you find in the library (journal and magazine articles, books, newspapers, and many other kinds of documents); materials from the internet (web pages, information from databases, other Internet-based forums); and information you might be able to gather in other ways (e.g., interviews, field research, data, or experiments).
- Citations: Academic researchers use a detailed citation process in order to demonstrate to their readers where the evidence that supports their point comes from. Unlike most types of “non-academic” research writing, academic research writers provide their readers with a great amount of detail, pointing out where they found the evidence they are using to support their point. This process is called citation, or citing of evidence. It can sometimes seem intimidating and confusing to writers new to the process of academic research writing, but it is really nothing more than explaining to your reader where your evidence came from.
Readers of an academic research essay seek out these three rhetorical moves and evaluate the effectiveness of the argument and overall paper based on these components. For example, say you heard from your friend that they were going to clear out a historical park to build new housing. You don’t think it’s right, so you decide to argue that the park should remain. First, you’ll have to develop a thesis statement that establishes your argument and perspective. Then, you’ll have to gather evidence about the situation and answer such questions as:
- “Are you sure that they’re actually going to do this, or was it just a suggestion?”
- “Why is the park important and is it important to multiple people?”
- “How can you exhibit this importance?”
Questions like these guide your inquiry into the research and provide evidence that supports the validity of your argument. Lastly, you’ll also need to credit whatever evidence you used. That’s where the citation component comes in. All in all, an academic research essay will clearly present a complex claim or argument about a subject, identify important information and other points of view, and cite the evidence provided for the reader.
Why does this genre matter? Composing a complex, thoroughly researched, and relevant academic research essay provides opportunities for you to develop skills of critical thinking, analysis, ethical research, personal responsibility. Research essays also enhance your voice and credibility as a writer and communicator. This genre also requires you to skillfully adapt the rhetorical situation to any project you’re working on or communication environment you’re in. Once you’re able to make logical points and connect small occurrences to a larger significance that affects multiple people and/or groups of people, then you are better equipped to understand the world around you and help others understand the world around them, too.