Thoughts on Writing Research Papers

One should tell the truth, not speak at length – Democritus

It takes two to speak the truth–one to speak, another to hear. – Henry David Thoreau

It is now necessary to warn the writer that his concern for the reader must be pure: he must sympathize with the reader’s plight (most readers are in trouble about half the time). – William Strunk, Jr.

The immediate problem we face writing an essay is the same difficulty we encounter in any form of communication. It is the mystery of translating an idea as precisely and powerfully as possible from one person to another. The prerequisite, of course, is the idea, the thought, the feeling. But no matter how this state–process, condition– of ‘having, being, and doing’ an idea is described, the relationship of the idea to the communicating of it are seldom distinct. Translating a thought or feeling from writer to reader actually clarifies the concept and sharpens your message. George Orwell suggested some difficulties:

A scrupulous writer in every sentence that he writes will ask himself . . . What am I trying to say? What words will express it? . . . And he probably asks himself .. Could I put it more shortly? But you are not obliged to go to all this trouble. You can shirk it by simply throwing open your mind and letting the ready-made phrases come crowding in. They will construct your sentences for you–even think your thoughts for you to a certain extent–and at need they will perform the important service of partially concealing your meaning even from yourself.

Lewis Carroll’s Red Queen repeated the point with perplexing clarity:

‘Always speak the truth–think before you speak–and write it down afterwards.’ ‘I’m sure I didn’t mean . . .”, Alice was beginning, but the Red Queen interrupted her impatiently: “That’s just what I complain of! You should have meant! What do you suppose is the use of a child without any meaning?”

Brilliant as our brain-children or pet ideas may seem, introducing them to others through the common family of stock phrases is certain to slight, baffle, or bore our reader. Ideas introduced to others should be well-mannered and properly presented:

Essentially style resembles good manners. It comes of endeavouring to understand others, of thinking of them rather than yourself–of thinking, that is, with the heart as well as the head. [Quiller-Couch, The Art of Writing]

Be considerate. Have your intellectual offspring on a leash; cling to the belief that even the wildest idea can be handled and admired without domesticating it. But be considerate, concise. As the great stylist wrote:

A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell. [William Strunk, Jr.]

Remember, concision is the handmaiden of clarity and judgment, and words are primary tools in constructing meaning. Good writers are nothing more or less than thoughtful craftsmen. Be mindful of your tools and instruments:

The craftsman is proud and careful of his tools: the surgeon does not operate with an old razor blade; the sportsman fusses happily and long over the choice of a rod, gun, club or racquet. But the man who is working in words, unless he is a professional writer (and not always then), is singularly neglectful of his instruments. [Ivor Brown]

But words are not the only tools we abuse; we often jumble them together with little regard for structure or form. Poor organization can only erect barriers to communication. Recall the King’s advice to the White Rabbit:

‘Begin at the beginning, and go till you come to the end: then stop.’

Aristotle suggested good writing has a beginning, middle, and end. If you have not decided where you are going, you will surely arrive somewhere–but quite by chance:

‘Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?’ [asked Alice]. ‘That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,’ said the Cat.

Your research essay must begin with a central idea, a thesis, a purpose, even if it is as simple as posing a question, attempting an answer, identifying alternative interpretations, and summarizing your conclusions. Such simplicity works wonders in exploring the hinterlands of the History of Science–though it requires rather more effort than ravishing old dictionaries and shiny-covered books. Your paper should be a self-imposed challenge. It will demand sustained and mature effort; pursued to its end, writing helps us establish our identity in the universe–it sets us apart from rocks and rhododendra. But if writing is an expression of self, style is the soul of expression. Predictably, style comes at a cost; it must be earned, and most readers recognize when the proper price has been paid:

Young writers often suppose that style is garnish for the meat of prose, a sauce by which a dull dish is made palatable. Style has no such separate entity; it is non-detachable, unfilterable. The beginner should approach style warily, realizing that it is himself he is approaching, no other; and he should begin by turning resolutely away from all devices that are popularly believed to indicate style–all mannerisms, tricks, adornments. The approach to style is by way of plainness, simplicity, orderliness, sincerity. [Wm. Strunk, Jr. and E.B.White, The Elements of Style]

Seizing upon an interesting yet manageable topic is difficult for even the most seasoned writer. Choose a topic early enough to compose an essay you could comfortably read to the class or to your Mom. Such a prospect requires writing the essay far enough in advance in order to lay it aside and return to it cold–to read it critically, as if someone else had written it. Now the struggle begins. Hereafter, your essay should go through several drafts; you will tire, your vision will blur, you will experience blind spots. But good writing is rewritten writing. At its best, writing is nothing less than a ritual for thinking, an exercise in clarity of thought and power and subtlety of expression. To be sure, such labors inevitably invite frustration and self-doubt, but such are the companions of creativity, confidence, and self understanding. Keep encouraged. Remember that perfect expression is impossible, improvement becoming, growth certain.

Recommended Sources on Style & Usage

Fowler, H.W. A Dictionary of Modern English Usage. 2nd ed. revised by Ernest Gowers. Oxford, 1965. Classic for essentials and subtleties of English usage.

A Manual of Style. 12th ed., Revised. Chicago and London, 1969. Recommended as an authoritative guide to bibliographic style, publishing, and printing. The best single source for serious students.

MLA Style Sheet. Compiled by William Riley Parker. Rev. ed. New York, 1951. Brief guide to bibliographic style employed by many publishers and journals.

Perrin, Porter G. Writer’s Guide and Index to English. 4th ed. Glenview, IL, 1968. Textbook for college writing; emphasizes mechanics of sentence and paragraph construction with hints for writing various types of college papers.

Strunk, William, Jr., and E.B. White. The Elements of Style. New York, 1959. Brief but brilliant classic on–and of–style.

Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary. Springfield, MA, 1963. Recommended to students (or anyone) as the best dictionary under eight pounds.

–My thanks to Margo Waring and Jon Moline, writers, teachers, and thinkers both.