Use the material of this class, and possibly from other courses, to generate some hypotheses that are potentially testable using available data. A good paper doesn't oversell itself. Interesting questions rarely have clear, one- dimensional answers supported by irrefutable empirical evidence. You must show prudent awareness of the complexity of most issues and the tentativeness of most statistics. A problem paper is often filled with hyperbolic statements, weak deductive arguments, and exaggerated claims based on scanty evidence.
Good writing is complementary with proper argument and proper use of evidence.
Verbosity is not a virtue. A good argument is destroyed by rambling paragraphs crammed with wordy, run-on sentences. After you finish a draft of the paper, put it aside for a day. Then reread it carefully. You can usually cull ten to fifteen percent of the paper during such a reread by tightening your sentence structure and eliminating redundancies.