Research Paper
Guidelines and Topics
Instructions
From the list below select one research question.
This question will serve as the topic that you will explore and center on
throughout your research. Then, develop an argument paper that focuses on
some aspect of the issue. Remember—you must take a position(for or
against) on this issue and you MUST include a clear claim that centers on your position. Place theclaimasthe
last sentence of the introductory paragraph and underline it.
Remember that your claim statement must include one of the following
qualifiers (should, must, or ought).
Select from the Topics below:
1) Should
adopted children have access to birth records?
2) Should
juvenile offenders who commit violent or heinous crimes be tried as adults?
3) Should
domestic violence against men receive the same attention as domestic violence
against women?
4) Should libraries and other public institutions be
able to regulate Internet access?
5) Should physicians be legally permitted to assist in
a person’s suicide when a terminal diagnosis has been made?
6) Should prior sex offenders have the right to live
wherever they wish?
7) Should schools adopt a zero tolerance policy
regarding bullying incidents?
8)
Should the United
States provide healthcare for all citizens who cannot afford it?
9)
Should animals be
protected by the same laws that protect humans?
10) Should the use of torture by a government for
acquiring information be allowed?
11) Should beauty pageants for underage girls be
discontinued because they are exploitive?
12)
Should owners of a company or corporation have the legal right to release
an employee who has a health risk under a controllable condition (i.e. smoking,
obesity)
Requirements and Guidelines:
- Your
research project essay must be between six (full) to eight pages in length. The works cited page
is not considered as part of
the minimum length requirement.
- Read
and carefully follow all of the guidelines for ‘Documenting Sources’
presented in “Chapter 12: The Research Guide” pages 395-428. Use
only MLA style (2009), NOT APA style. Pages
395-410 deal directly with integrating sources into your paper; the
remaining pages will cover proper documentation.
- You
will need to incorporate six
toeight outside sources into the essay. These will form your points of evidence
and will appear in the form of in-text citations (use paraphrase and/or
direct quotations). No more than two block quotes can be used for the research
paper. Please reference the
following resource for help with block quotes:https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/03/
- You
will include a works cited page that lists the outside sources. This constitutes the last page of your
paper and is numbered. However, it
is NOT considered part of the
length requirement.
- Follow
these style specifics:
-
- Write
in third person only (one, a
person, an individual, he, she, him, her, he, they, their, them, etc.)
- Refrain
from the use of contractions (spell out)
- Follow
all MLA guidelines—see Inventing Arguments
- Using
some (but not all) online resources is acceptable. However,
Internet resources need to be from .edu. .org, or .gov sites only.
Do not use .com sources or information from Wikipedia. Consult the
instructor for .com sites before attempting to use.
- Late papers will NOT be accepted
- You must submit your paper to SafeAssign; I
will not grade it otherwise.
The Process:
- Select
a topic from those provided above that you will enjoy researching and
writing about.
- Read
and explore this topic carefully—what are the positions already expressed
about this issue?
- Select
aspecific position that you
will assert in your claim. This will be a working claim that can
evolve with your research and growing understanding of your topic.
- Begin
prewriting activities (i.e., brainstorming to find out everything you
already know about this topic, asking questions, further researching this
topic)
Research extensively:
include citations or paraphrases from the sources in your essay.Vary your
resources. Do not depend solely on Internet resources—points will be
deducted for not using other
resources, such asbooks,
newspapers, journals, and magazines.
·
Present at least three reasons to show the
logic of your position. Develop each reason thoroughly.
·
Include a counterargument that acknowledges the
merits of the opposing viewpoint
·
Don’t forget the Works
Cited—this is part of the document and should
appear as the last page of the paper. Document the six to eight outside sources
and place in alphabetical order and follow all other MLA rules for the entries.
·
There will be no
rewrites. Therefore, please see me immediately if you are having
trouble with this assignment.
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