Research and Writing

Research and Writing

This blog is assigned by Prakruti Ma’am. It is about research methodology and how to do research and writing. Here are the two questions related to it. 

Questions :

1. Explain the process of writing a research paper as described in Unit One of the MLA Handbook. Discuss selecting a topic, developing a thesis statement, preparing an outline, drafting, and maintaining clarity and style.

Answer:

Unit One of the MLA Handbook explains that a research paper is a form of communication. It should present ideas clearly and logically so that readers can easily understand the writer’s argument .

The first step in writing a research paper is selecting a topic. The topic should match the assignment requirements and should be interesting to the writer. The handbook suggests narrowing the topic so that it is not too broad or too general .

After selecting a topic, the next step is to develop a thesis statement. A thesis statement is a single sentence that expresses the main idea or argument of the paper. It answers the central question or problem that the research paper discusses . The thesis guides the entire paper and keeps the writing focused.

The handbook also explains the importance of preparing a working outline. An outline helps organize ideas in a logical order before writing the full draft. It shows the main points and supporting details. Later, the writer may prepare a final outline to match the completed paper .

Next comes drafting. The writer should write a first draft without worrying too much about perfection. After drafting, revising and editing are necessary to improve clarity, coherence, and correctness.

Finally, Unit One emphasizes clarity and style. Writing should be clear, readable, and direct. Sentences should not be confusing or overly complicated. The goal is to communicate ideas effectively to the reader .

Thus, Unit One describes research writing as a step-by-step process that includes selecting a topic, forming a thesis, organizing ideas, drafting, and revising for clarity and effectiveness.

What is a thesis statement according to the MLA Handbook?

Answer:

According to the MLA Handbook, a thesis statement is a clear and focused sentence that expresses the central idea of a research paper. It presents the writer’s main argument or viewpoint about the topic and answers the key question that the paper is trying to explore.

A thesis statement is usually placed in the introduction of the paper. It helps the reader understand what the paper will discuss and what position the writer will defend. It also guides the writer while organizing ideas, selecting evidence, and developing paragraphs. Every part of the research paper should support or explain the thesis statement. In this way, the thesis acts as the foundation and direction of the entire research work.

Reverse Outline: Language, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and 1989

Here are the article :Click here for Article

1. Hypothesis

The paper hypothesizes that the Orwellian prediction—that a state could successfully redefine language to control thought—failed in Central Europe because language is an interlinked social system rooted in everyday, "mundane" contexts. The authors argue that early childhood language acquisition in natural social settings provides a cognitive foundation that is resistant to top-down ideological manipulation.

2. Argumentative Steps

• The Orwellian Premise: The authors first outline Orwell’s concept of Newspeak and "doublethink," where the state attempts to eliminate the possibility of subversive thought by removing words or redefining them (e.g., "Freedom is Slavery").

• The Communist Reality: They describe how Communist regimes in Central Europe (specifically Poland) attempted a similar "Newspeak" by redefining traditional European terms like "freedom" and "democracy" to fit Marxist-Leninist reality.

• Cognitive Analysis: Utilizing Leon Festinger’s Cognitive Dissonance and Jean Piaget’s Cognitive Development theories, they explain how people reconciled the gap between official state language and their own experiences.

• Social Linguistics: They apply Ferdinand de Saussure’s idea of language as a social system to argue that meaning is not dictated by the state but emerges from social interaction.

3. Evidence Types

• Historical Case Studies: Analysis of the push for democracy in Central Europe (1989) and how protesters used "traditional" definitions of freedom rather than the state-imposed ones.

• Semantic Theory: David Kronenfeld’s "Extensionist Semantics" is used to show how core meanings of words remain stable despite official attempts to shift their "extensions" (applications).

• Developmental Psychology: Evidence from Piaget regarding how children learn language through practical interaction with their environment, creating a "natural" linguistic base that precedes political indoctrination.

4. Counter-arguments

• The Power of Propaganda: The authors acknowledge the argument that long-term, total control of media and education should theoretically be able to reshape the mind (as Orwell feared).

• The "Doublethink" Success: They address the observation that many people under Communist rule did use state language. However, they counter this by showing that such usage was often performative or compartmentalized ("doublethink"), rather than a fundamental change in cognitive structure.

5. Conclusion Strategy

The authors conclude by emphasizing the failure of linguistic engineering. They argue that the 1989 revolutions proved that the "natural" social meaning of language ultimately triumphed over state manipulation. Their final strategy is to shift the focus from political linguistics to social linguistics, asserting that as long as children learn to speak in families and small communities, "Newspeak" can never truly take root.

Reference :

• Buchowski, Michał, et al. “Language, Nineteen Eighty-Four, and 1989.” Language in Society, vol. 23, no. 4, 1994, pp. 555–78. JSTOR,  https://www.jstor.org/stable/4168556. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.

• Modern Language Association of America. MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing. Modern Language Association of America, 2008. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.