How to Write a Research Paper on the Great Crash

Understanding the Topic

The first piece of instruction that appears in the manual is the research topic. In some cases, the professor can ask students to choose a topic of interest and write about it. In other cases, the professor offers a list for the student to choose from. The topic may come as a single word or a sentence. The student must then design the research question from the word or use the sentence as the question. The latter case, however, depends on the nature of the sentence. For the aforementioned topic, the instructor can as students to write about the Great Crash or clarify the specific issue about the Crash to explore. For instance, the student may be asked to discuss the political factors that escalated the Great Crash into the Great Depression. In all cases, the student must understand what the topic is and design a method of approaching it.

Other Instructions

The professor is usually very specific about the sources to use for the paper. As an academic paper, the student is expected to look for information from reputable sources to avoid delivering false data. Therefore, articles in peer-reviewed journals are a great place to look for information. Being a research paper, the student is required to explore sources of various nature. Besides journals, the professor recommends reliable websites, textbooks, and encyclopedias. The idea here is to have information that reliably builds on the topic. In addition to the sources, the student should take note of the paper length, the number of sources, writing format (MLA, APA, Harvard, etc.), and pagination.

Writing a paper on the Great Crash

The Great Crash refers to the tremendous loss that stockbrokers, individuals, and banks made in October 1929. On one particular day, termed Black Tuesday, stock investors lost close to $14 billion after trading over 16 million shares. This loss was the hallmark of the stock market crash that would create panic across the social and economic spheres. After the crash, banks that had invested their money in the stock market collapsed or faced a severe economic downturn. Americans who had saved their money in these banks withdrew them and hid them in various places, including the bookshelves. The Great Crash would then become one of the most significant contributors to the Great Depression. Although only a small percentage of Americans had invested in the stock market, the massive unemployment that resulted from institutional failure ended in unsurmountable economic turmoil for the citizens. Arguably, the onset of the Great Depression was avoidable, but the economic strategies that President Herbert Hoover adopted hampered the restoration of the economic strength of the country.

In this paper, the student is required to discuss the political factors that prevented the resumption of American economic power after the Great Crash of 1929. At the center of this crash was President Herbert Hoover who had just ascended into power through a Republican ticket. Therefore, this paper asks the student to consider the policies that Hoover’s administration made in addressing the aftermath of the Great Crash, and how these policies were unsuccessful in this purpose. According to historical sources, Hoover held a personal stance on self-making. He was born into poverty but made his way up to the highest political seat in the United States. Throughout his life and political career, Hoover exemplified resilience and great resolve. He believed in the power of an individual in emancipating self and community from poverty. In all his endeavors, he embodied a great spirit of hard work and believed in the abilities of a person.

While addressing this research question, it is mandatory to connect Hoover's personality and his political standing. The student must demonstrate that the policies designed for economic reconstruction stemmed from his philosophy of “cooperative individualism” and “independent internationalism.” In other words, the student should consult a variety of sources to find this connection and make a case that responds to the research topic. The sources, in this case, are book chapters, scholarly journals, and websites that address this topic. Through conducting research, noting down important points, and making an outline and rough draft, the student combines all the information into a flowing paper that attracts a high grade from the marker. 

Conclusion

Research is pivotal in expanding knowledge. Research papers, therefore, seek to increase the student’s grasp of a specific topic through explorative reading. Selecting the topic is the first step in writing a quality research paper. It is imperative to select a topic that a student will comfortably handle. The Great Crash is an interesting topic whose information is available in many historical sources. While writing about a topic like this, the student should design a research question that will help them conduct a focused reading. If the question is about the political forces that deteriorated the economy after the Great Crash, President Herbert Hoover and his policies are central to this discussion. The role of the student here is to gather information from a variety of sources to respond to this prompt.