Homework
Guidelines for Research Paper Project (Gen Ed Task)
Your individual Research Paper will provide a coherent analysis of an issue and offer an argumentative and persuasive approach.
Include secondary research including at least 5 credible sources from the UIU Library or scholarly websites.
Use the APA 7th ed. format for your layout including headers, standard fonts and margins, in text citations, and a reference page.
Provide enough explanation to include roughly 1200 words or about 6 to 8 pages. You may go over the word count.
Parts of the project are due each week as follows:
Week 2: Topic Choice (post ideas to the discussion)
Week 3: Finalized Topic Choice (post to the assignment link)
Week 4: Library Research (post to the discussion)
Week 5: Research Paper Thesis and Outline (post to the assignment link)
Week 6: Summarize and Explain 3 Sources (post to the discussion)
Week 7: Research Paper Draft (post to the discussion)
Week 7: Research Paper Source List in APA Format (post to the assignment link)
Week 8: Research Paper Final (post to the assignment link)
Argumentative/Persuasive Research Paper Project:
Analyze a problem in your community or region and show the connection between the problem and the solution and how that can be seen supported in your research material. Draw conclusions about how exploring the topic helps us to understand our world and our future.
Here are some example topics below:
· Food deserts, why they are a problem, and how to improve food insecurity in communities
· Pollution, what the future may hold, and how to improve air and/or water quality
· Fake news, why it is so rampant, and how to find the truth
· Censorship, how it is becoming more powerful, and what needs to be done to preserve freedom
· Toxic culture, how culture gets corrupted, and how to strengthen moral values as a society
· Genetic screening, what happens if it is abused, and how to ensure it is used responsibly
· Intelligence tests, how they may be biased, and how to ensure fair access to education for all groups
· Immigration, how the system is broken, and what policies need to be in place to fix it
· Social media, negative impacts on youth, and how to protect against dangers
· DNA testing, uncovering family secrets, and how to protect privacy rights
· Opiod epidemic, why it is a problem, and what needs to be done to protect people and our society
· Child labor overseas, why it happens, and how to improve ethical labor practices
· Fake goods sold online, how violations of patents and intellectual property takes place, and how to protect consumers, patents, copyrights, and intellectual property
· Drug patents, how they limit production and distribution of medicines to underdeveloped areas, and what needs to be done for fair access to lifesaving treatments
How are you going to organize your approach? Here are some ideas to help your focus:
· Explore categories of solutions with the issue such as education, society/culture, and laws.
· Explore specific events happening now with the issue or topic and use reasonable analysis to suggest the long term impact. This includes your solution or recommendation for how the solutions offered now are important for the future of the issue.
· Analyze opposite points of view about an important topic (or different social or cultural perspectives) including what these opposites represent, how these opposites convey or impact the situation, and why they are important in our social environment.
· Explore technology and how it impacts the problem and solution with the issue.
· Assess current solutions to the problem already in place, why they are not working, and how can the long term solution be improved.
All topics require approval from your instructor via the Week 2 Discussion Board. All essays will be submitted to Turnitin.com.
Introduction Your introduction section for your paper should be 1-2 paragraphs and should:
· Give history and context for the issue or problem. This is where you introduce the reader to the idea or topic you're analyzing and get them interested in investing their time in reading the rest of it. Offering a catchy opening with a quote or description of a situation may be appropriate here.
· State your thesis or main point followed by an overview of how you plan to support that point or what topics you plan to cover in support of the thesis. This should highlight the key ideas for all your body sections. Keep this brief since it is only meant to highlight the points you’ll be making in the body of your paper.
Please do not summarize or retell the research or what most people might commonly know other than to offer brief references to elements related to the analytical points you’re making. Assume your reader is already very familiar with the issue. Keep the focus on the topic and solutions you're analyzing for at least 80% of the paper, and give numerous specifics, examples, and quotes from the sources that you're analyzing.
Research Paper
· Includes 1200-1800 words with reference page offering at least 5 outside (secondary) sources.
· Demonstrates a strong, well-supported analysis without excessive retelling the situation.
· Offers thorough, specific, detailed development (paragraphs of at least 8-10 sentences each) and use of source material (generally at least 1-2 citations per section) and transitions between sections.
· Put all lists or bullet statements into sentence and paragraph form and discuss.
· Draw conclusions at the end of each section as well as for the whole report.
· Check all spelling, grammar, punctuation, and use of language for professionalism and correctness. (Formal, third person voice is used.)
· Ensure report conforms to APA format for sources and citations as well as layout. (See the report template posted below.)
· Submit to Turnitin for plagiarism check using the assignment submission link in Week 7.
Review the APA information in your textbook. Also, here is a helpful resource for using APA format:
Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions!