How to Write a Bioethics Paper

Advances in medical, genetic and agricultural technology are beneficial to human life. Yet, they also raise complex questions of a moral and ethical nature. Bioethics is a field of study that deals with such topics. Writing a bioethics paper appears a tough task because of the sheer volume of information available. The key to a good paper presentation is choosing a topic with which you feel comfortable, restricting your information search to that area, and using examples and research findings to create an attractive paper.

Browse websites that provide information regarding bioethics. Use the links available on the Dartmouth Bioethical Libraries website and read the articles posted on the weekly newsletter BioEdge. The National Institutes of Health website also presents a wide spectrum of information on bioethics.

Read about the basics of bioethics and the several topics the subject covers such as physician-assisted suicide, abortion, stem cell research, genetic cloning and genetically modified foods.

Select a topic for your bioethics paper depending on your interest as well as your ability to understand the concept, and carry out further research on this. For example, if you have a science background, it may be easier to comprehend genetic cloning than if you are from a liberal arts background. The greater an understanding of the topic, the more convincingly you can present your viewpoint.

Find specific statistics, historical events, accounts of personal experiences and quotes by famous personalities on the topic of your paper. For example, if you are discussing the questionable benefits of genetically modified crops, you can quote research studies that found no significant differences in the nutrient levels of such crops in comparison to conventional crop varieties.

Begin the paper with an arresting bit of information. Against this background, introduce the title of your topic. State some pertinent facts in this introduction.

Move on to the body of the paper where you provide more data regarding the topic. Provide your analysis of the issue, and use expert comments, examples and logical arguments to build your case.

Conclude with a summary of the salient points in your essay. Re-state your position with a set of words that is not a repetition of what you have used in the previous paragraphs.