Inquiry-Based Research

In this paper, form a hypothesis about the causes/effects of some CONTROVERSIAL or debatable social issue that there is no definitive answer for; then, do research to find the strengths and weaknesses of your hypothesis to determine its validity. All subjects must be approved by your teacher, and all students must have a different topic.

Be sure your research question and hypothesis are updated on the google doc from Oct. 31.

Research

Research information to help you prove or disprove your hypothesis. You must use electronic sources, no printed ones. The options are any library database, newspaper, .ORG (other than wikipedia), .GOV, or .EDU site. If you think you may need additional resources—like a blog—consult with the teacher first before using them. The aim of the research is to find credible information to examine the strengths and the weaknesses of your hypothesis and then explain if it was accurate and the importance of that finding for the future.

Format

The paper should have 6 sections: an introduction, 3-5 pros (factors arguing for your hypothesis), 3-5 cons (factors arguing against your hypothesis), results (final assessment if the hypothesis is correct), implications (for future), and references.

Turn In

Paper

• Title page

• 8- page essay

1 paragraph --introduction

3-5 paragraph --pro’s

3-5 paragraph --con’s

2 paragraph --results

1 paragraph --future implications (conclusion)

• 4-5 Citations per body paragraph ) – (Smith, 2010, para. 3)

· References (10 sources)

· Include Appendix

• Use Sectional Headings

Notes

Turn in a complete draft only: title page, outline, essay, references, and appendix. After your topic is approved, follow and turn in the writing steps listed on the reverse of this page. See page 3 for due dates.

Essay 3 Writing Steps

Forming research questions, an hypothesis, & finding sources

1. Choose a topic related to the course subject you chose earlier in the semester. It should be one with no easy answer and that you want to spend time exploring. Search wikipedia.org or other Internet sites to get a quick overview of your topic and its related issues. Form questions (essential and supporting) to guide you.

2. Choose a topic area

• Topic: Video games

3. Write 1 (essential) research question that you can use to start and guide your research.

• Research Question: Are video games bad for pre-school children?

4. Brainstorm 5-20 supporting questions about subtopics you can research to understand your topic better.

5. Use the questions to form an hypothesis to guide your paper. The hypothesis is what you plan to test in your paper. It should result from your questions and answers to them that you have researched. Be as specific as possible, limiting your topic to a workable level of detail. Make the hypothesis one sentence only and include the social group and a specific technology that you are writing about.

6. After the working hypothesis, you can begin finding sources that will inform your exploration of the topic.

A. Find sources on all sides of the issue—for, against, and undecided—and sources about related issues.

B. Gather twice the amount of sources officially needed. You can/should use the sources you have already written about in the first two papers.

C. Read and whittle the sources down to the 10 best ones.

D. Take notes and organize the information from good sources into an outline (like the synthesis paper).

E. Refine your hypothesis along the way, if needed.

F. Gather quotations you can use.

G. Draft the paper.

H.