Research Project

This will be your final culminating project for this class. You will either prepare a research paper on a critical issue in modern workplace (e.g. ethics, diversity, English, globalization, cross-cultural communication, multilingualism, the environment and business imperative, privacy in the workplace, etc.). Chances are that you have identified an issue from your blogging experience that you want to further explore and develop a real expertise in it.

This Project has three parts:

A) Annotated Bibliography  

An annotated bibliography is basically a Works Cited or References page (depending on whether you use APA or MLA style) that includes a summary or annotation of each article. You should annotate five credible sources for this project three of which must be scholarly.

Step 1: Format the citations as you would a Works Cited or References page. Remember that Works Cited/References pages should:

1. Be organized in alphabetical order, by author’s last name

2. Be double spaced (rough drafts may be single-spaced to save paper)

3. Use hanging indentation

4. You can use the library citation cite: http://library.csun.edu/Guides/ResearchStrategies/CitationStyleGuides or www.easybib.com  , www.citationmachine.net  for help formatting the citations so they match MLA/APA style.

Step 2: Write a 4-6 sentence summary of each source (article or credible website). The summary should appear directly beneath the citation and provide the most important pieces of information that the source includes. Summaries should be objective; in other words, do not include your opinions, emotions, or biases in the summary. Merely tell the reader what the source was about. Remember that the reader (most likely) will not have read the article or website before. Finally, include a sentence or two discussing how the source will help you develop your project or connect ideas for further development and their relevance/appropriateness.

Sample annotated entry in MLA style:

McKone-Sweet, Kathleen K. “Lessons from a Coffee Supply Chain.” Supply Chain Management Review. Oct. 2004: 52. Print.

McKone-Sweet’s article discusses the effects of specialty coffee in our society today. Farmers benefit from the Fair Trade system and are paid almost double what they were paid before. Importers must purchase coffee from certified fair trade suppliers and there is a price floor to make things fair. These rules are enforced and people are at an advantage if they are certified through this Fair Trade system. They will receive more business and the quality of coffee will rise.

This article relates to/will allow me to . . . .
Sample annotated entry in APA style:

McKone-Sweet, K. K. (2004). Lessons from a coffee supply chain. Supply Chain Management Review. 52.

McKone-Sweet’s article discusses the effects of specialty coffee in our society today. Farmers benefit from the Fair Trade system and are paid almost double what they were paid before. Importers must purchase coffee from certified fair trade suppliers and there is a price floor to make things fair. These rules are enforced and people are at an advantage if they are certified through this Fair Trade system. They will receive more business and the quality of coffee will rise.

 This article relates to/will allow me to . . . .

B. Research Paper 

Using your experience with team research, blogging, and annotated bibliography for this project, you will write an 8-9 page research-based paper on a specific issue within a broad area of interest (again, within the broad area of business/communication). Your paper should be well researched, clearly thought out, well argued, and supported with details. You should use appropriate/polished language and document sources appropriately.