Can a research paper have an intro, 2 main points, and a conclusion? Or does the paper need to have three main points along with an intro and conclusion?

Thanks.

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Ryan Barnhart - Pastor of OGBC
Husband to a beautiful wife, Father to two beautiful girls
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." I Corinthians 15:10

"I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms. And in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." - John Paton

Come on, some of you seminary students or recent college grads, you know this answer. Help me out, please.

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Ryan Barnhart - Pastor of OGBC
Husband to a beautiful wife, Father to two beautiful girls
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." I Corinthians 15:10

"I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms. And in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." - John Paton

If your two main points are sufficient to establish your thesis, and are well grounded with supporting arguments, then I don't see why not. Although, Dr. Clark will want to make certain that at least one section in that paper addresses arguments found in the secondary literature, and that preferably within the first two pages of your paper!

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Adam J. Myer
Now waiting on the November accessions board, because I'm still waiting on the West Coast recruiting staff!
Evergreen PCA
Salem, Oregon

Thanks, Adam. For some reason I was thinking that when I was in school you had to support your thesis with at least three main points. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

__________________
Ryan Barnhart - Pastor of OGBC
Husband to a beautiful wife, Father to two beautiful girls
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." I Corinthians 15:10

"I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms. And in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." - John Paton

Let's see... does a sermon need 3 main points, an intro, and a conclusion? The answer is the same - quality, not structure, is key.

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Todd K. Pedlar
member, First Congregational Church, (CCCC) Cresco, IA
http://semperubi.rtrc.net

"Many men, after a long conversion, see more of the workings of sin in their hearts than ever they did before or at their first conversion. Now, such men have not an increase of sin, but an increase of illumination and light" (Christopher Love)


Click to get: Board Rules -- Signature Requirements -- Suggestions?

I understand what you're saying, bro. Although there have been many times I have been preaching and I didn't make it past my intro and 1st point. I don't think that would fly with a research paper.

__________________
Ryan Barnhart - Pastor of OGBC
Husband to a beautiful wife, Father to two beautiful girls
"But by the grace of God I am what I am." I Corinthians 15:10

"I confess to you, that if I can but live and die serving the Lord Jesus, it will make no difference to me whether I am eaten by Cannibals or by worms. And in the Great Day my Resurrection body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer." - John Paton

Agreed. The structure of your argument must fit the contingencies of your rhetorical situation. I find, however, that it is sometimes helpful to begin with a formula. Here are two for your convenience. One is rather common, the other I take from Scott Crider's excellent guide to academic writing, Office of Assertion.

Formula #1: The Five Paragraph Essay

A. Introduction - Broad generalization narrowing into your thesis.
B. Proof 1
C. Proof 2
D. Proof 3
E. Conclusion - Restatement of thesis opening into broader conjectures.

Formula #2: Classical Oration Model

A. Introduction
B. Statement of Circumstance (Background information required for your readers to understand the argument)
C. Outline of Proofs (A "roadmap" to the proofs of your argument)
D. Proof #1
E. Proof #2
F. Proof #3, etc.
G. Conclusion

All the Best! - PW

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Paul Weinhold, Colleyville Presbyterian Church

Currently Reading: Critical Theory Since Plato, Poetry by John Donne, Solon of Athens, and Wallace Stevens

1 Corinthians 8:2-3 "If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God."

I hope you will not consider it pedantry for me to assert that structural quality is actually an important component of an argument's final quality.

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Paul Weinhold, Colleyville Presbyterian Church

Currently Reading: Critical Theory Since Plato, Poetry by John Donne, Solon of Athens, and Wallace Stevens

1 Corinthians 8:2-3 "If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, he is known by God."