Name: _________________________________________________ Date: _______________________

Example Research Paper Scaffold

Research Question
=dlYdZhXdadgV[[ZXidcZhbddY4
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Hook
What is interesting about this question? Hook your readers with an interesting fact that might
make them curious about this topic.
8dadghhZZbh^beaZ!Wjii]ZnV[[ZXieZdeaZ#>[hdbZdcZ^hVc\gn!^iXdjaYWZWZXVjhZi]Zn
______________________________________________________________________________________
VgZhjggdjcYZYWndgadd`^c\Vii]ZXdadggZYEZdeaZhbddYhXVcX]Vc\ZYZeZcY^c\dcl]Vi
______________________________________________________________________________________
Xdadghi]ZnVgZadd`^c\Vi#DcZh^beaZXdadgXVcV[[ZXiVeZghdchl]daZbddY#
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

(continued)

Example Research Paper Scaffold

(continued)

Literature Review
Find five articles about your topic and list the relevant facts from each one.
1. According to (author/source) ?d]chdc
(date '%%, ) the main idea about this subject is
XdadgYdZhV[[ZXibddYWnegdYjX^c\X]Zb^XVahVcYhi^bjaVi^c\[ZZa^c\hhjX]Vh]jc\Zg
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .
List facts from the source that support this idea
WajZ"XVabWZXVjhZ^igZaZVhZhXVab^c\X]Zb^XVah
1. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
gZY"XVcbV`Zndj]jc\gnWZXVjhZ^ihVcVeeZi^iZhi^bjaVci
2. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
nZaadl"^gg^iViZYeZdeaZadhZiZbeZgbdgZ^cnZaadlgddbh
3. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
e^c`"igVcfj^a^o^c\!bV`ZhdcZ[ZZalZV`
4. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
5. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
(You can add more facts as you find them.)

 conclusion ______________________________
YZeZcY^c\dcXdadg!dcZhWdYnXVcYd
?d]chdc
In
says _____________________________________
i]^c\ha^`ZegdYjXZX]Zb^XVahidbV`Z^iVXiVXZgiV^clVn
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________ about the topic.

i]Vii]ZZ[[ZXiXdadg
2. Another
idea, by (author/source) Hb^i]
(date '%%, ) is ________________________
egdYjXZh^hWVhZYdcl]VidcZhWdYnYdZh^cgZhedchZ
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .
nZaadl"bZciVaanhi^bjaVi^c\!VXi^kViZhbZbdgn
1. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
gZY"^cXgZVhZhXdcYZcXZ
2. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
Wgdlc"bV`ZhdcZ[ZZadgYZganVcYhiVWaZ
3. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
YVg`WajZ"bV`ZhdcZ[ZZahVY
4. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
5. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
(You can add more facts as you find them.)
Hb^i]
In
says _____________________________________
 conclusion ______________________________
i]ViY^[[ZgZciXdadghYd^c[VXiX]Vc\Z
____________________________________________________________________________________
dcZhbddYVcYdjggZVXi^dcidXdadgV[[ZXihi]ZX]d^XZhlZbV`Z

LdaaVgY
XdadgXVc
3. A third writer, ______________________________
(date '%%% ) states that _______________
V[[ZXidcZhbddY!Wjii]ZZ[[ZXiXVcVahdYZeZcYdcXjaijgZVcYdcZheZghdcVagZZXi^dc
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .
hdbZdcZ[gdb?VeVcb^\]icdiVhhdX^ViZgZYl^i]Vc\Zg
1. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
^[hdbZdcZa^`Zhi]ZXdadgWgdlc!i]Znb^\]iVhhdX^ViZ^il^i]]Vee^cZhh
2. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
e^c`gZYjXZhV\\gZhh^dc!l]^X]^hl]n_V^aXZaahVgZe^c`^cHZViiaZ
3. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
WgdlcbV`ZhdcZ[ZZaXdb[dgiZY
4. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
5. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
(You can add more facts as you find them.)
(continued)

Example Research Paper Scaffold

(continued)

Literature Review (continued)

 third author concludes that ________________________________________________________

XdadghV[[ZXidcZhbddY!Wjii]ZgZVgZdi]Zg[VXidghi]Vi
The
XVcV[[ZXi^iidd
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .
:g^X!?d]c!VcYEVgVV\
4. A fourth source, ______________________________
(date '%%, ) states that _____________
i]ZbV^ced^ciVWdjiXdadgehnX]dad\n^hi]ViXdadg]VhWdi]Ve]nh^dad\^XVaVcYehnX]dad\^XVa
____________________________________________________________________________________
Z[[ZXi
___________________________________________________________________________________
.
\gZZcgZaVmZhWZXVjhZ^igZaVmZhbjhXaZhVcYbV`ZhdcZWgZVi]ZYZZeanVcYhadlan
1. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
WajZ"adlZghWaddYegZhhjgZ!l]^X]bV`ZhdcZXVab
2. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
3. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
4. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
5. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
(You can add more facts as you find them.)

XdadgV[[ZXihbddYWZXVjhZ^iV[[ZXihdcZhWdYn
This author concludes that _____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .
6^gZn
5. Yet another idea, from ______________________________
(date '%%+ ) is that ___________
Xdadg^hZcZg\nVcY^i]VhVe]nh^XVa!bZciVa!he^g^ijVa!VcYZbdi^dcVaV[[ZXidceZdeaZ
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .
WaVX`hde]^hi^XViZYVcYhZXjgZ!WjiVahdYZegZhhZY
1. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
WgdlcgZa^VWaZVcYhZg^djh
2. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
nZaadla^[ihdcZhhZa["ZhiZZb
3. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
4. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
5. fact ______________________________________________________________________________
(You can add more facts as you find them.)
Y^[[ZgZciXdadgh]VkZY^[[ZgZciV[[ZXihdceZdeaZ
This author concludes that _____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________ .

(continued)

Example Research Paper Scaffold

(continued)

Analysis
I found (how many)

main idea/s about (name your topic)

XdadgehnX]dad\n

 main idea/s ________________________________________________________________________

i]ViXdadgV[[ZXihdcZhbddY#I]ZnY^[[ZgWVhZYdcl]Vi[VXidgh^cjZcXZ
List
i]ZZ[[ZXihd[Xdadg!hjX]VhXjaijgZ!de^c^dc!VcYl]Vi\dZhdc^ch^YZdcZhWdYn
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Explain how the ideas are different or the same.
DcZd[i]Zi]gZZ^YZVhhVnhXdadgV[[ZXihdcZhbddYWVhZYdceZghdcVade^c^dc#;dgZmVbeaZ!
______________________________________________________________________________________
^[dcZY^ha^`Zhe^c`!^iXVcWZVhhdX^ViZYl^i]]ViZ#6cdi]Zg^YZVhVnhi]ViXdadgV[[ZXih
______________________________________________________________________________________
dcZhbddYWVhZYdcdcZhdlcXjaijgZ#6cZmVbeaZd[i]^h^hi]VihdbZdcZ[gdbi]ZJ#H#
______________________________________________________________________________________
bVnVhhdX^ViZ\gZZcl^i]Zckn!l]^aZeZdeaZ^c?VeVci]^c`d[nZaadll]ZciVa`^c\VWdjiZckn#
______________________________________________________________________________________
=dlZkZg!i]ZbV_dg^ind[i]ZhdjgXZhhVni]ViXdadgV[[ZXihbddYWnV[[ZXi^c\l]Vih\d^c\
______________________________________________________________________________________
dc^ch^YZdcZhWdYn#HZZ^c\WajZgZaZVhZhXVab^c\X]Zb^XVah!l]^X]bV`ZhdcZXVab#7ZXVjhZ
______________________________________________________________________________________
nZaadl^hi]Z]VgYZhiXdadg[dgi]ZZnZid[dXjhdc!eZdeaZbVnWZXdbZ^gg^iViZYl]Zcadd`^c\
______________________________________________________________________________________
VinZaadl#7VW^ZhXgnbdhi^cnZaadlcjghZg^Zh#
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

(continued)

Example Research Paper Scaffold

(continued)

Original Research
How would you test the idea you think makes the most sense?

XdadgehnX]dad\n
In order to test the ideas about (your topic)
this researcher will
(describe a suitable way to test your ideas: survey, experiment, model, interview, etc.) ____________
iZhih^minb^YYaZhX]ddahijYZcih(%\^gahVcY(%Wdnhdc]dli]ZXdadgh\gZZc!WajZ!
______________________________________________________________________________________
WaVX`!nZaadl!gZY!e^c`!VcYWgdlcbV`Zi]Zb[ZZa#Dci]ZhjgkZn[dgbegdk^YZYWni]^h
______________________________________________________________________________________
gZhZVgX]Zg!hijYZcihl^aabVg`i]Z[ZZa^c\i]ViZVX]XdadgbV`Zhi]Zb[ZZa#
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
Results: (What happened?)
List your results. You can attach a table, chart, or list of findings. ______________________________
Bdhi[ZbVaZb^YYaZhX]dda
hijYZcihi]dj\]ii]ViWajZbVYZi]Zb[ZZaXVab!WgdlcWdgZY!VcYnZaadl]Veen$X]ZZgn#Bdhi
______________________________________________________________________________________
bVaZb^YYaZhX]ddahijYZcihi]dj\]ii]ViWajZbVYZi]Zb[ZZagZaVmZY!WgdlcWdgZY!VcY
______________________________________________________________________________________
nZaadl$X]ZZgn#hZZX]Vgi^ci]Z:mVbeaZGZhZVgX]EVeZg
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

(continued)

Example Research Paper Scaffold

(continued)

Conclusion
What is your answer to the question? (Give the facts that support your point.)

 most likely explanation seems to be that ______________________________________________

XdadgYdZhV[[ZXidcZhbddY!Wjii]ZZ[[ZXih
The
VgZY^[[ZgZci[dg\^gahVcYWdnh#=dlZkZgi]ZgZVgZhdbZh^b^aVg^i^Zh#HdbZgZhjaih^ci]Zhij"
______________________________________________________________________________________
YZcihjgkZnlZgZY^[[ZgZci[gdbi]ZX^iZYgZhZVgX]#Cdl^i^hdWk^djhi]ViXdadgh]VkZV\gZVi
______________________________________________________________________________________
V[[ZXidcbddY#
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________

References
Author last name, first initial. (date). title of article. date retrieved (if online publication), pages (if
print publication) of the references cited.

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