The Research Paper Prompt

The Research Paper English 201-01 Winter 2007 Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to give you a solid foundation in the skill and art of crafting a comprehensive, logical paper based on research and credible sources. My objectives for you are to, at the completion of this paper, be able to research and find sources; evaluate the reliability of those sources; construct a paper in a widely-accepted academic format; formulate a research question, thesis, and series of logical ideas connected to those thing; support, develop and maintain those ideas; and, finally, present a paper to an instructor that you are proud of. Assignment: You will need to write a paper that either attempts to persuade your readers that your perspective is valid and fair, or a paper that explores a topic carefully, logically, and completely. You will be expected to smoothly incorporate valid, credible sources. Your paper needs to be 8 to 10 pages in length, excluding the Works Cited page, and must utilize at least 8 different sources from at least 3 different types (newspapers, scholarly journals, books, etc) found in your Annotated Bibliography. You must have at least six “hard copy” sources that cannot come from the internet. You are free to use more than six hard copy sources, but at least six of your sources must come from a library and be represented in your Annotated Bibliography. In addition, your sources must represent a balance of research, covering several sides of your chosen topic and research question. This paper needs to conform to MLA or APA conventions throughout. Mechanics, organization, development and a clear, concise focus will all be essential in this paper, so don’t forget them. You will need a Works Cited or References page at the end, which should include each and every source you used in your paper. You will be evaluated on the following criteria: 1. Remember that you are using your sources to support your ideas and claims, not the other way around.

2. Keep in mind that original thought and insightful analysis are required for a 4.0, 3.5, or 3.0 paper; 2.5 and below evaluations tend not to present original ideas. 3. Take special care to address your audience in an appropriate manner. Make sure you establish your credibility on the subject (use ETHOS!) and that you provide sufficient information to make your thesis convincing (USE LOGOS!). 4. Organize your paper logically: A. State your thesis clearly and make sure that it reflects the focus of your essay. B. Make sure your main points are clearly stated (use topic sentences), and connect each point to your thesis as explicitly as possible. C. Divide paragraphs logically. D. Provide appropriate transitions both within and between paragraphs. 6. Develop each main idea thoroughly. Use RENNS! Use specific examples and source materials appropriately as support. Be sure to integrate source materials smoothly into your own writing using attribution phrases and transitions. Also be sure to avoid unnecessary repetition (repetition is often an organization problem). 7. Select words precisely. When in doubt, use a dictionary! 8. Make sure sentences are clear and unambiguous. Avoid passive voice. Double-check to see that sentences are adequately varied in length and style, and that there are no fragments or run-ons. Also proofread carefully to correct any other sentence errors. 9. Proofread carefully to identify and correct mechanical errors, such as errors in plurals or possessives, subject-verb agreement, shifts in verb tense or person ("you"), comma errors, spelling errors, and so on. 10. Quadruple check your MLA or APA documentation. Are your parenthetical citations correct? Is your Works Cited list correct according to MLA or APA style, and does it include all sources cited in your essay? 11. Be sure to give your essay a descriptive and attention-getting title (NOT "Research Paper," because that is just silly, and not in the good way!!!). 12. Make sure your essay is formatted correctly

DUE DATES: 03/12/07:

A formal, detailed outline is due, at the beginning of class.

03/13/07:

First draft due. Bring 2 copies to class, please.

03/14/07:

First draft returned to you, with instructor comments. Bring a clean copy of your draft to class.

03/15/07:

Second draft due, with revisions based on the “revision

checklist.” 03/19/07:

Final draft due at the beginning of class.

03/20/07:

Pick of Final draft in Ari’s office or on her door so you can

revise! 03/22/07: by noon!

Final Final draft due, in the Research Portfolio, in Ari’s office