Paper on Taoism: Advise and Sample Paper

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Dear Student,
Hi. I know it could get a little difficult sometimes when you have to write about a very broad topic, especially deciding where to begin. With a broad topic, the trick is to find an angle, a particular focus from which to explore the topic itself. I am not quite sure if you are familiar with Taoism but since you have picked it as a topic, I am going to assume that you have knowledge of it. If not, you can visit the following sites to get a general overview:

? http://www.sacred-texts.com/tao/index.htm
? http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/taoism/
? http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/taoism/
? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taoism

Now, with a topic so broad, what kind of research can you do it with? I think it is possible to focus on the topic of the history of Taoism; you can also focus on Taoism as it is practiced in the modern age or you can go micro and detail particular tenets of Taoism - its views on important debates or ideas, ethical or moral. Personally, I would go for this path as it would give you the chance to really explore the beliefs within the religion. As such I would go for the following research question: What is the Tao? How is it manifested in the lives of Taoist Practitioners?

Now, as you can see above, the main question is followed by a corollary. The main question is the main idea in your paper and the corollary is a support idea that enhances what you can explore in the paper regarding the main idea. Having decided on what you will write about. You must now lay out your paper. This will give you a structure and process on how to write, what to write and the purpose of your paper. May I suggest the following:

? Introduction - a short discussion of Taoism, why you are writing the paper, what is included in the paper. About 300 words.

? Body 1 - What is the Tao? Here you will answer this question. Make it concise, about 300 words.

? Body 2 - The Tao in practice - How do believers practice Taoism in their daily lives?, About 300 words.

? Conclusion - Based on the body of your paper, make a general conclusion in relation to what the Tao is and how it is practiced in the lives of those who believe in the religion. about 150 ...