Require many reliable sources to back up your thesis/claim. Take up a position and support it with evidence. Usually about events (historical or current), textual arguments, or personal interests.

As a reminder, here is what the Graduate Handbook says about the Master's Research Paper: The Master's research paper must involve substantial research by the student and should be 25 to 40 pages long ...

Writing an abstract might not seem to be at the top of your list of priorities when writing your PhD dissertation, but it’s probably the first thing a reader will see when they encounter your research ...