Due date for final draft packet: February 26 when
class begins
Length:
1400-2000 words (4-6 typed double-spaced pages)
Weight in course grade: The
entire research paper counts as 30% of your final grade, with 20 points of your
grade will be earned with deadline assignments outlined below and 80 points for
the final, completed packet.
The
Research Paper must present an analytical
or persuasive thesis developed from one of the topics I provide. The
research used in your paper, in the form of direct quotations and paraphrases,
should support your attitudes and observations— not be the paper itself.
Research/Source
Requirements – The
final draft of the paper must utilize and cite 5 to 10 research sources, though
the tentative bibliography may have far more than 10. The final paper’s sources
must include some combination of source types, and all electronic sources must
be located within either GIL or GALILEO. No
book reviews or article abstracts will count as valid sources. Only one general
reference book (general encyclopedia, dictionary, etc. )
may be included.
Schedule
of Due Dates - Points earned for each deadline assignment
apply toward the final grade of the research paper. As each deadline draws
near, we will discuss the components due.
The
only way to complete the entire
project successfully is to keep up with this schedule:
--
January 17: tentative topic selected, 2 points
--
January 24: tentative bibliography in correct form, 4 points
–
January 29: final, limited topic and outline with thesis statement, 3 points
–
February 5: completed notes and a rough introduction to paper (keep copies to
begin work on rough draft), 5 points
–
February 12: complete rough draft with proper MLA parenthetical citations and
works cited page – must be submitted to www.turnitin.com
- (keep copy to begin work on final draft), 6 points
–
February 26: final draft - must be submitted to www.turnitin.com - with complete packet, 80
points
TOTAL
POINTS AVAILABLE = 100 (counts at 30% of course grade)
The Final Draft
Packet -
The final draft and all that is to be turned in with it should be placed inside
a large manila envelope and must include:
1
- Final, revised complete paper with a body of 4-6 pages, word processed and
double-spaced with pages numbered
The
paper should have one-inch margins all around and use 12-point font. The entire
paper should follow MLA format outlined in Harbrace, thus it must include
appropriate headers, running heads, parenthetical citations and a works cited
list. The works cited page should be the final separate page of the paper,
which is not counted as one of the 4-6 required length pages, but is numbered.
2
- Previously graded tentative bibliography, outline notes, and rough draft.
3
- Photocopies of cited source material as whole copied pages. These copies should be marked to correspond
with each citation, preferably by page number and paragraph, and sections
utilized either in direct quotations or in paraphrasing must be highlighted. Each copied page should have the original
author’s name and page number clearly marked.
The copies should be sorted in the order that they are used in the
research paper.
Grading
is based upon:
-organization and development of essay
-selection and use of research materials
-citation mechanics
-grammar, punctuation, style.
Evidence
of plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment.
Where to go for help outside of class?
Ø
Harbrace for MLA style and
mechanics of writing a research paper
Ø
The Sundance Reader (1101 text) analytical
and persuasive writing chapters.
Ø
Online
MLA citation examples linked here for citing
GIL e-books and select GALILEO-based documents
Ø
The Tutorial Center, located in the Floyd Campus library
and open Mondays through Thursdays 9am-2pm, and Tuesdays & Wednesdays 4-7pm
Ø
The
GHC Library staff and website
Ø
Appointments
with the instructor
Topics
Choices:
- England’s Stonehenge or Peru’s Nasca
Lines (a scientific, cultural analysis, not a pseudo-scientific,
supernatural focus)
- Impacts of labor practices/environments in
lesser-developed countries
-
The effectiveness of anti-drug, anti-alcohol or anti-smoking campaigns
- Effects of participation in extra-curricular events
(sports, band, etc) upon students' academic performances
-
Effects of Title 9 upon female athletic participation and/or achievement
-
“Typical” images of men or women portrayed in entertainment media, and
the effects of these images
-
Effects of Federal financial aid programs upon higher education in the U.S.
-
Reasons behind some college students’ violations of academic integrity
policies, and strategies to combat such violations
-
Issues involved in college and/or high school media being covered under First
Amendment rights
-
Effects/impact of social media upon national elections
-
Impact of trade imbalance or national debt upon the U.S.
-
Impacts of exponential population increase during the past century
- Causes of various
protest movements (U.S. Suffragists, U.S. organized labor movements, U.S. Civil
Rights, 2011 Egyptian uprisings, 2012 “Occupy Wall Street,” women’s rights in
Afghanistan, etc. or see me for other ideas)
- Cyclical nature of
the popularity of body art or a historical/cultural analysis of body art
- Influence of the American South and its culture on the
writings of either William Faulkner or Tennessee Williams
- Depiction of African American experiences within the
writings of Maya Angelou, Richard Wright or Langston Hughes
- Feminist issues explored within the writings of either
Kate Chopin or Charlotte Perkins Gillman
-
Why giant tortoises live so long
- How cockroach species have survived for
millennia