Research

Assignment:

The purpose of this assignment is to demonstrate that you know how to find sources for a research‐based essay, then construct a persuasive argument that uses material from those sources for support. The thesis will be the overall judgment you make of this issue, its causes, and potential outcomes. The thesis must be able to be supported and appropriate to the task.

I. A proposal for research, which includes a topic, what you want to learn (which is different than what you want to find)

Sources:

For the purposes of this assignment, you must find useful material from journals, other periodicals, and specialized web sites (use your library databases). You must cite sources from each of the following categories:

A) Articles published in scholarly journals. This means essays or articles you find in a journal devoted specifically to science or a related field.

B) Articles published in substantial periodicals (Economist)

C) Web sites

Evaluation

Grades will be based on the following criteria:

· Content:

- Includes attention grabber, background information, and an explicit and strong argument (thesis statement) in the introduction which will guide the reader through the evidence.

- Includes a thorough discussion of the evidence for the argument.

- Includes some discussion of the counterargument

- Includes a conclusion which focuses on the why the argument should be made (the implications).

- Includes a unique title which clearly indicates what the essay is about.

- Meets minimum length of 2500 words not including title and reference information.

· Format:

- The essay is typed, double-spaced,12 point font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins all around

- The paper is formatted, cited and documented in APA Style (in-text citation, reference list)

- Abstract (Abstracts must be short, one paragraph (APA Manual: 150 words)

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1. Your paper should meet all specified requirements, such as topic, organization, and length, and reflects your awareness of audience and purpose.

2. The paper presents a central idea supported by relevant material (facts, figures, examples, quotations, or other details). It has a focus. The writer has unified the entire essay in support of the central idea, or thesis.

3. The writer promotes coherence through the logical order of paragraphs and the use of some or all of the following devices: thesis statement, topic sentences, opening and closing paragraphs, and transitions.

4. The arguments are supported with adequate evidence; and the paper makes appropriate use of specific, concrete, and relevant information. Other points of view (counterarguments) are acknowledged and responded to as appropriate.

5. Sources of information are accurately presented and fully attributed.