You will be required to write a 4 page research paper for this course please follow the format I have required for the response paper (TNR, 12pt font, black, double-spaced). You will need to formulate an original thesis statement for your paper. This is not simply a research paper over a person, place, or piece. This is a research paper where you create the topic based on the information learned from the text. Creating an original argument requires you to come up with a unique paper idea that has not been used before. Some examples have been provided below (please do not copy the examples).
You will turn in an outline/rough bibliography in advance of the paper due date see blackboard assignments. It will be worth 40 points of the total 160 points available. The paper is worth 120points. Without the bibliography, the highest grade you can make on the research paper assignment is a 75. I recommend using a sentence-style outline this will help you keep your information organized and also prevent you from waiting until the last minute. If I see an outline/idea that isnt an original argument, I will let you know.
Sources:
You must have at least 5 (five) sources to support your research in this assignment. 1 (one) source will be your textbook; only two (2) internet sources are allowed, the rest is up to you (journal, article, magazine, newspaper, book, etc). You can use MLA formatting OR APA formatting for this paper (whichever area you use more depending on your major). You can have more sources, but not less. If you have more than 2 internet sources, you still have to have a minimum of three other types of sources.
To avoid any plagiarism, you will be required to use in-text citations. If you do not know how to create in-text citations, you will need to research it (it is different for MLA than APA). IN-text citations let me know where and from whom you retrieved your information. Without them, it appears that all the information in the paper is yours and if I find that information elsewhere, it will be considered plagiarism and you will receive a zero on the assignment.
You will include an official works cited page (MLA or APA) at the end of your assignment. THIS DOES NOT COUNT AS ONE OF THE REQUIRED FOUR PAGES. All together, paper + work cited page, it will be five pages. If you are not sure what in text citation is or looks like, or what a work cited page is please visit www.dianahacker.com OR www.owl.english.purdue.edu
You can also visit www.sonofcitationmachine.net to assist you.
So what exactly is an original argument/thesis? I am looking for such thesis that show you are attempting to draw conclusions based on the research at hand. An original argument is an argument that is all yours, something you came up with. This is different than simply researching one thing and gathering all the information about that one thing. An original argument ties together information and creates a unique statement about the information.