Finally. We have been moving to this assignment all semester. Every skill that you have learned and practiced will be applied to the research paper. You will paraphrase. You will quote; you will summarize. You will synthesize multiple sources, and you will document them on a Works Cited page, according to the MLA Style of documentation.
So far, you have used readings from our text. With the research paper, you will learn how to access Southwest Library’s database for scholarly sources. Because this is the largest paper you have done, you will submit portions of it in the Dropbox and Discussion for credit. This tactic is to keep you on schedule and correct for the final submission.
Objectives:
The students will
- read the Research chapter in LBH Chap 41 OR Chapter 7 in WRAC.
- register for and attend the Library Webinar on “Locating Scholarly Sources.”
- submit a Research Proposal.
- submit a Preliminary Thesis.
- submit Preliminary Bibliography (Works Cited) and Notes for one (1) source.
- submit Preliminary Thesis and Outline.
- read Documentation in LBH chapter 46.2.
- submit Rough Draft.
- turn in Final Draft to the Dropbox.
Research Paper Requirements:
Topic:
You may write on a topic that interests you, one that you would like to explore further. If you are writing about what you already know, you are not doing research. You must have sources within your paragraphs, similar to the Synthesis Essay. See handout for topic suggestions.
Topic Exclusions: a paper that you have submitted before in another class, also
abortion, alcohol/addiction, capital punishment, euthanasia, food prep, hair care, parenting styles, religion, sex education, smoking/tobacco, teen pregnancy, or any topic that I think will not lend itself to research or is not worth developing.
Requirements:
Length: 1300 words, excluding the Works Cited page (MLA documentation), heading and title
Purpose: to inform, persuade, or problem solve
Sources, authored (for example, Carolyn Mathas is an author): 5 minimum, 8 maximum from books, journals, newspaper articles, magazine essays, WRAC essays, government documents. Exclusions: Wikipedia, Bible, dictionary, official websites/pages, or any source that has no named author (for example, “Automation and Anxiety” has not author; you may use these, but they do not count as one of the 5-minimum requirement).
Points: Points are given so that I can check what you are doing and encourage you or stop you before you get too far along. When I see a very wrong finished product, I look back at the process to see if I missed anything or if you failed to turn in the required assignments. In order to get the points you must submit the required assignment by the due date.