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RESEARCH GUIDE

Effective research begins when you consider your interests or concerns. Sometimes you are plagued by a topic that you’d like to know more about. Often previous assignments – from this class or others – provide you with a concern that just won’t go away. more detail. These topics are possible avenues to extend your knowledge; in fact, these are ideal starting points for research. Consider, for example, the numbers of students that choose not to attend college. Maybe they are following in the footsteps of others that have suggested college is not the door opener that some believe it to be. Perhaps they have asked themselves whether college will really make a difference in their lives. There are those who want to attend college but question how they could possibly pay for it, especially since most have heard about the mounting college debt in this country. These concerns provide a starting point for research.

For the remainder of the semester, you will work on your approved research topics, following these steps until the research paper is complete.

1. Begin with a research question.

For an effective, purposeful essay, you must have a research question. Your research question informs the reader what you will explain or prove throughout the research paper. For example, for a conversation about education, your question might be, “Is college education worth the cost for all students?”

Your research question should already be submitted and approved. If not, please complete that step by submitting the Research Proposal. If you did not previously submit a proposal, you must upload it on eCampus and send a copy to my email. Use the heading RESEARCH PROPOSAL along with your course and section number.

2. Use DCCCD Library Database to find articles that relate to your topic and argument. Write an Annotated Bibliography.

Click HERE for Suggested Databases

You need six relevant articles. Review the articles carefully. Quality is important. Make sure the articles do not all contain the same information; otherwise, they will be of little use for building a strong argument. At least one of the articles should offer an argument that opposes the side you are taking.

Your annotated bibliography should:

· provide the basic information of a Works Cited entry

· contain at least 100 words for each entry

· include at least six entries (journals and articles from DCCCD Database)

· summarize the articles using signal phrases and academic language

· explain how the article will be used to support or argue against your side

An example of an Annotated Bibliography entry might look like this:

Hackman, Michelle. Vocational Training is Back as Firms Pair with High Schools, 2018. SIRS

Issues Researcher, http://dcccd.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://explore-proquest- com.dcccd.idm.oclc.org/sirsissuesresearcher/document/2258146049?accountid=4875.

In this article, the author notes that career education programs are moving away from the old idea that all students should get a liberal arts education as preparation for college. Schools are again deciding it is worth it to intervene in the lives of students, recognizing that not all students are prepared to compete academically or have the financial support to pursue a bachelor's degrees; however, they can be equipped for gainful employment. Hackman highlights the increasing numbers of students focusing on career education. He adds that CVS, Tesla, and other big companies are partnering with high schools to create skills-based programs that will lead to jobs after graduation. This article will be used to present an opposing view that argues the skills, occupations, and upward mobility that students seek can be obtained without attending college.

3. Write an introductory paragraph with an argumentative thesis statement.

Your introductory paragraph should contain some background information on the topic. It should also have a thesis statement that answers your research question.

Higher education in America started with the establishment of nine colleges--all formed by religious denominations--prior to 1776. The focus of these colleges was to train young men to be clergymen and public leaders. Oberlin College in Ohio was founded as the nation's first co-educational institution in 1833. Mount Holyoke, founded in 1937, was the nation's first college for women only. Before World War II, college was attended mostly by students from wealthy families. Following World War II, the GI Bill provided opportunities for all classes of students to attend college. The number of higher education institutions increased tremendously from 1950-1970. In the past couple decades, a college education has been promoted as a necessity for success in life. Approximately two-thirds of all high school graduates further their educations with at least some college classes--and for those that do graduate with a degree, the average student debt is over $25,000. Those who believe that a college education is worth the cost point to higher employment rates, bigger salaries, and more job benefits for college graduates. Others who think that a college degree is not always necessary say that the debt students incur is too high and delays them from saving for retirement, buying a house, or getting married. Although the costs of college cause some to consider bypassing higher education, college education is still worth the cost and effort because it allows students to expand their understanding of others, work in a cooperative atmosphere, and gain academic and interpersonal skills.

4. Organize your information and write an outline.

Use your articles, knowledge, and viewpoints to determine how you will present your argument and evidence for each point.

5. Create a Works Cited page.

Works Cited

Hackman, Michelle. "Vocational Training is Back as Firms Pair with High Schools." Wall

Street Journal Online, 13 Aug. 2018, pp. n/a. SIRS Issues Researcher, https://sks.sirs.com.

6. Write a rough draft.

Your draft should be as close as possible to the paper you plan to submit. As a writer, you should expect every draft to be a “working draft” as you will acquire new information and integrate feedback as needed.

7. Complete a self- evaluation of your research paper.

8. Submit your draft for Peer Review.

9. Step away from your draft for a day.

This step requires that you be a bit ahead of the final submission date. It’s a good idea to review your paper with fresh eyes. Research fatigue is common and will cause you to overlook simple errors because you are exhausted.

10. Make needed changes before submitting the Final Draft.

This document has been adapted using information from SIRS database.