Anatomy of a Research Paper Body Paragraph

The purpose of this handout is to show the structure of a basic research paper body paragraph (for humanities, not the sciences). There are many ways to write a research paper, but in typical college classrooms, a general style is acceptable. (But always follow your professor’s instructions if provided.)

Research essays should begin with an introduction paragraph, will be followed by several body paragraphs, and will end with a conclusion paragraph.

The following is an acceptable outline of contents for a body paragraph, and you could follow the same structure for each body paragraph thereafter.

1. Topic sentence: your words and idea (don’t quote sources here)2. Explanation of your idea.3. Evidence from your readings to support your idea: specific examples, statistics,

and quotes.4. Explanation of your evidence (i.e., explain what the evidence proves or

demonstrates). 5. More evidence from your readings (such as paraphrasing or quotes).6. More explanation.7. Concluding sentence that gives closure to the paragraph and reinforces the idea

of the topic sentence.

Note: You will want to vary this pattern depending on the purpose of the paragraph and the information you are using. Be sure each paragraph uses research all through your essay. Aim for at least one quote or paraphrase (with citations) for each paragraph and use specific examples and statistics wherever appropriate.

A sample paragraph follows on the next page. I have color coded it for example purposes only.

1. Topic sentence: your words and idea—no quotes here!2. Explanation of your idea.3. Evidence to support your idea: specific examples, statistics, and quotes.4. Explanation of your evidence.5. More evidence.6. More explanation. 7. Concluding sentence that gives closure to the paragraph and reinforces the idea of the topic

sentence.

Sample Paragraph

Failure of healthcare providers to support family and patients can cause more grief, chaos and ultimately more medical needs for the family. Some of the needs for the patient and families may include counseling, mental health, support from other areas. A study of dying patients by James A. Tulsky (2005) was published in The Journal of Palliative Medicine and discussed how goals can help both family and health care providers. The research reveals the importance of communication and information given to patients and their family at the end of life. Tulsky states, “When patients express negative emotions, empathic opportunities emerge” (p. 115). This is important because healthcare workers can either encourage patients to express their fears or they can cut the conversation short, preventing the patient from gaining closure. Unfortunately, for many years there has been a problem of not enough medical staff to help grieving families in crisis.

Here is the same paragraph without color coding:

Failure of healthcare providers to support family and patients can cause more grief, chaos and ultimately more medical needs for the family. Some of the needs for the patient and families may include counseling, mental health, support from other areas. A study of dying patients by James A. Tulsky (2005) was published in The Journal of Palliative Medicine and discussed how goals can help both family and health care providers (p. 114). The research reveals the importance of communication and information given to patients and their family at the end of life (p. 115). Tulsky states, “When patients express negative emotions, empathic opportunities emerge” (p. 115). This is important because healthcare workers can either encourage patients to express emotions or they can cut the conversation short, preventing the patient or family member from gaining closure. Unfortunately, for many years there has been a problem of medical staff not having the training or the time to help grieving families in crisis.

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