research articles

For example, if your topic were “Global Warming”, you could use information from sources such as the BBC (news organization), the Stanford Solar Center (research center), Greenpeace (organization), and the Encyclopedia Britannica.

You will need to have at least one source that disagrees with the viewpoint in your article. You also need to have at least one source you found in the library databases. It is suggested you find a second source that agrees with your article, and third and fourth sources with background information, and/or hard evidence (statistics, facts, interviews, etc.)

Suggestions of the type of information you may want to look for include:

· the author's background/motivation/inspiration

· events contemporary to when text was written/published (context)criticism (literary or other) of text/author, if available

· current perspective of the text, or events in the text, or of issues addressed in the text (if the article was written a while ago)

Advice from former student: "I suggest you to read your article several times. Becoming familiar with your article helps you remember important points you want to research and where in the article that point is. Now to pick what you want to research from your article. Looking at the main ideas in your article can give you at least 3 topics to research. If the main ideas in your article are not clear some other good topics to research are: statistics mentioned in the article and things you thought were unclear as you read your article. Write your three topics on separate sheets of paper. This way as you do your research you have plenty of room to write down what you found with your topic (if your research is messy you might confuse your data). "

5. Research Plan Worksheet Directions:

Name: ___________________________________________

You must complete this worksheet to get points for the Research Plan assignment. Check Blackboard for directions about how to submit the assignment.

Identify 3-4 points (from your main article) that you would like to do research on. Identify the type of info you plan to look for. Identify any sources you plan to use (including specific databases, books, journals, etc.) If you already have a source/sources, please include names of those sources. Remember, you need to find at least one source who disagrees, and one source who agrees, with the viewpoint in your main article.

point to research type of info to gather(please possible sources

circle all that apply)

example:

Fijian's attitude towards weight background MDC Library databases

before 1995 news

sociological studies

1) background

statistics

opinion

news articles

other(must describe)

2) background

statistics

opinion

news articles

other(must describe)

3) background

statistics

opinion

news articles

other(must describe)

4) background

statistics

opinion

news articles

other(must describe)

6. Directions for writing an annotated bibliography

Write an annotated bibliography for each source you plan to use for your research paper. Your annotated bibliography for each source will start with a full citation for that source in MLA format; this will be followed by your original description of the source in 3-7 sentences. Your description must describe the information in the source and tell how this source relates to your other research (for example, does this source contradict information from your main article?) Make sure you save your annotated bibliographies in an MLA format document, with your name in the upper left-hand corner of the document.

You will need to refer to section 52f in The Bedford Handbook (9th ed.) "Construct an Annotated Bibliography" for the format, directions, and Writing Guide on how to prepare your annotated bibliography.

The annotated bibliography is a record of your research-in-progress, so it should contain the sources you have found so far for your final research paper. This is one of the few assignments that does not involve writing part of the research paper itself. It is crucial to your research process, nonetheless, because it helps you (and your instructor) see how the research you have found so far all fits together, and makes it easier to see what other research may be useful for your paper.

Sample annotated bibliography entry:

Research Paper Packet ENC 1102 Noonan 19

Kate Noonan

ENC 1102

13 February 2013

Full citation for source in MLA format; this citation will become the works cited entry for this source later on your Works Cited page

Summary of this source - main argument, important points; give your evaluation of the source

Last 1-2 sentences describes how this source fits in with your other research

7. Quote Sandwich Directions:

Please note: the 'Quote Sandwich' is a model of how to set up the 'research comparison' section which will be part of the final research paper's Analysis section. (Please refer to the Research Paper Outline.)

Set-up a comparison of one point from your main article to a related point in your research. (You will have to do this for 3-4 points from your article, using at least 4 sources, but this example is meant to be a model for you to follow in your paper.) You will need: a) the passage you are quoting or paraphrasing from your article, b) the passage you are quoting or paraphrasing from one of your research sources. Here's what this comparison section should look like in the Analysis section of your research paper --

1) Introduce Point 1 from your article (give us some context- who is the author, and what is he/she discussing in this passage?)

2) Give Quote 1 or Paraphrase 1 from your main article and cite it in MLA format

3) Explain Quote/Paraphrase 1 - how does this fit into your paper?

4) Write a connecting sentence to connect this first sandwich (1-3) to the next sandwich (5-7) for a quote from one of your sources

5) Introduce to Point 1 from your source (give us some context- who is the author, and what is he/she discussing in this passage?)

6) Give Quote 1 or Paraphrase 1 from your source and cite it in MLA format

7) Explain Quote/Paraphrase 1 from the source- how does this fit into your paper?

8) Now explain how the Quote/Paraphrase from your source relates to the Quote/Paraphrase from your main article (does it make the argument in your article sound strong or weak? is it just giving some additional info?)

This combination of two quote sandwiches is the model for setting up each point of comparison between your main article and your other sources.

You are responsible for reading the Quote Sandwich explanation and examples found in They Say/I Say Chapter 3 "The Art of Quoting", which is posted in the Quote Sandwich folder in Blackboard. Please refer to the reading, especially the template patterns at the end of the chapter, for help writing your quote sandwiches. You are also responsible for reading the explanation and rules for MLA format in-text citations, found in section 56 in The Bedford Handbook (9th ed.). Also refer to section 55 on "Integrating Sources."

8. Works Cited Draft: Assignment directions

Your Works Cited draft is due (date TBD). This assignment is worth 2 points. You will need to list the main article you analyzed in your paper, and any sources from your research paper. Remember, all sources that you used for your paper must be cited (they must have an in-text citation, and they must be listed on your Works Cited page), and all sources listed on your Works Cited page must be cited somewhere in your paper. The Works Cited page for the Final Paper will be the last page of your research paper.

You must follow MLA format:

that is, if you have a book, follow the MLA format for the works cited entry for a book; if you have an article from a website, follow the MLA format for 'short work from a website'

1) Please see pp. 601-602 "General Guidelines for the Works Cited List" in the Bedford Handbook (9th edition) for the general format of the Works Cited page itself.

2) see section 56b for a directory of Works Cited models; this is based on the type of source you have, and is divided into: Listing Authors, rules for Books, rules for articles from Periodicals (newspapers, magazines, journals), rules for Online Sources (websites, databases), rules for Audio/Visual Sources (including podcasts, dvds), rules for Other Sources. You need to identify the type of source you used, then apply the corresponding formatting rule for that type of source.

Basic rules for the Works Cited page are: (see BH, section 56b)

a) alphabetize the list of sources by last name of author

or editor (if no author),

or if no author or editor, by first word of title (except A, An, The)

b) don't indent first line of each entry, but you must indent any additional lines by half an inch = 'hanging indent'

2)Also see the sample Works Cited page on p. 661 (at the end of the "Sample MLA research paper", section 57b of The Bedford Handbook (10th ed.).

I recommend using EasyBib, at www.easybib.com , to create your Works Cited page. If you give EasyBib the info for each source, it will format the Works Cited page and alphabetize the list of works for you. Just make sure you keep the 'hanging indent' format for the WC page.

9. Introduction section directions

Your introduction should give a general overview of the issue being debated in your paper, and should include "background information" on the issue (anything that is important for your reader to understand about the issue). For example, what is controversial about the issue discussed in the main article? What are some important aspects to consider about this issue? You must describe at least 2 different positions on the issue (ex: pro and con). You may want to describe some of the history of the debate about this topic. You should also describe why this issue should matter to your readers. To find background information on the issue you will address in your paper, you may want to try the 'topic overview' sections in the MDC Library databases (such as Opposing Viewpoints in Context).

Here is a sample from a student paper. The controversial issue being discussed is whether Plan B (a type of emergency contraception) should be available over the counter.

Introduction:

The United States' teen birth rate is higher than that of any other developed country, including the birth rates of Canada, Germany and France. The United States also leads all other developed countries in the rates of many STIs (sexually transmitted infections). Presently it is being debated whether emergency contraceptives should be available over the counter (without a prescription) to younger adolescents under the age of eighteen. Supporters state that emergency contraceptives should be easily available to anyone sexually active regardless of age, but those that are against it state that young adolescents lack the maturity and ability to make proper decisions and should not have easy access to emergency contraception. Given the staggering evidence that teenagers in the USA are having unprotected sex, this is a very relevant topic to us all. The common factor in this situation is that teens are having unprotected sex which is leading to unwanted pregnancies and a rise in STIs. Making emergency contraception, or as it is commonly called “Plan B,” available over the counter to teens may reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and abortions but it will have no effect on the rise of STI’s.

10. Ethos, Pathos, Logos example directions :

Please note -- this assignment will be the first paragraph in the Analysis section for the Final Research Paper (please refer to the Research Paper Outline).

Discuss at least one example of where the author of your main article uses ethos (the author's credibility or reputation), pathos (emotion), or logos (logic, reasoning, or hard evidence like statistics, facts, or data). This can be one or two sentences per example. You just need to demonstrate that you can recognize where your author used one of these approaches (ethos, pathos, or logos).

For example:

Eleanor Smith uses a logos approach when she gives statistics to back up her second point about the media influencing women's body image (324).

Here are two examples adapted from previous students' papers:

Ex. 1:

Solomon Katz uses a logos approach when it comes to his point on "global warming's influence on agricultural productivity" (795). He gives information about "carbon monoxide released into the atmosphere by the consumption of fossil fuels" (Katz 795), which is a fact to support his argument.

Ex. 2:

In the essay "Mother Tongue," the author uses pathos to get the reader's attention. For example, in the article Tan stated, "I am someone who has always loved language" and "I am fascinated by language in daily life" (763). Those two sentences at the beginning of the article make a person want to read further because Tan used emotion by expressing her enthusiasm for language.

11. Effectiveness discussion directions:

Please refer to the Research Paper Outline, Analysis section. For paragraph 6, discuss the effectiveness of the argument in your main article. Answer the following -- Was the argument in the Main Article effective ? Is the argument missing anything critical (like evidence/support) that would help make it stronger? Are there any flaws in the logic of the Main Article's argument? Do you have suggestions to improve this argument? Below are two examples from previous students' papers.

ex 1: (discussing an article by Solomon Katz)

When it comes to Katz’s information about climate change being an influence on agricultural productivity, his argument is effective to an extent: he does explain what causes climate change, such as the burning of fossil fuels, and he mentions that it adversely affects agriculture productivity, but he could have mentioned more to give a better example of how these changes occur, in a way similar to Walthall’s explanations. Katz’s could have mentioned the role of human beings in climate change, such as through “deforestation, overgrazing of livestock, fires, and urban development” (Walthall). Adding statistics about how climate change has affected agriculture, such as the amount of crops that are being lost due to drought, would also give greater support to his point.

ex. 2: (discussing "Mother Tongue" by Amy Tan)

The author's arguments are effective because anyone who speaks English as their second language, or even their first language, but who has immigrants parents, would agree with Tan on her view in “Mother Tongue”. The author used many examples to prove her point of view in the article. She did not leave out any important information; basically, I think she incorporated all she wanted to say in her article. For example, I think she succeeded because she gave the message that she wanted to give, which was how people looked at those who do not speak English perfectly. However, I think Tan could have made her argument a little stronger. Maybe she could have interviewed a couple of other people who were in the same situation as her because that would have given her more credibility and proved that what she was experiencing was not only her own experience, but other people's experience as well. Overall, a lot of people can relate to what Tan talked about in her article and she explained what she had to say thoroughly.

12. Conclusions section directions:

For the Conclusions section of your research paper, discuss whether you thought the argument in the main article was effective/not effective overall, and why you think that; you just gave detailed examples in the Analysis section, so here you can summarize what you said in the Analysis;

optional - you can also give your opinion about the issue, give suggestions for what you want readers to do about the issue, or give suggestions for areas of the topic that still need to be researched

13. Rough Draft directions:

For the Rough Draft, you will submit the work you have completed so far for the Final Research Paper, including previous assignments such as the Main Article Summary, Introduction, Quote Sandwich. Use the Rough Draft Checklist and the Research Paper Outline to help you prepare your Rough Draft.

The Rough Draft will be uploaded to the TurnItIn dropbox in Blackboard (in the Rough Draft folder - see Blackboard for more specifics and deadline). We will discuss how to use TurnItIn in class, but you are responsible for reading the information on "How TurnItIn Works" and additional info on TurnItIn, which can be found in the Quote Sandwich folder and the Rough Draft folder in Blackboard.

Please note: If you do not submit your Rough Draft by the deadline posted in Blackboard, I cannot guarantee that you will get feedback in time to revise for the Final Research Paper.

14. ROUGH DRAFT CHECKLIST

Directions: please check off the completed areas of your rough draft and submit this checklist with your rough draft

I. INTRODUCTION: (see Introduction assignment for directions)

__context: Does intro explain necessary background info on the topic (such as history, terminology, etc.)?

__ debate: Does intro explain at least two sides of the issue discussed in the paper?

II. SUMMARY: (See Summmary assignment for directions)

__ Does summary give title, author, main argument, and major details of main article analyzed in this paper?

III. ANALYSIS: Does the paper do the following?

__ discuss how ethos/pathos/logos are used in the main article? (See How to Write Up Ethos/Pathos/Logos Example assignment)

__ discuss at least 3 points from the main article in depth, comparing research to what the author claims? (see Quote Sandwich assignment)

(Note: see Effectiveness assignment for next 3 questions):

__ describe whether the main article's argument is effective or ineffective and why?

__ describe whether the author of the main article left out any important info or didn't answer critical questions about the topic?

__ give any suggestions to make the author's argument in the main article stronger?

IV. Other: __ are at least 4 sources (in addition to the main article) cited somewhere in this paper?

V. MLA: Does the paper follow MLA format? (see Bedford Handbook sections 56, 56a, 56b)

__ name/page # each page __ in-text citation __ Works Cited page

__ do the in-text citations match up to the Works Cited entries, and vice-versa?(if not, final paper will fail for plagiarism)

Extra Credit reminder for Final Paper: ** maximum of 5 pts extra credit **

early submission = 3 pts; 6th or 7th source = 1 pt each;

15a. Final Research Paper Deadlines:

**FINAL PAPERS ARE DUE (see Blackboard Calendar) BY END OF CLASS. YOU CAN RECEIVE 3 EXTRA CREDIT POINTS IF YOU TURN IN THE PAPER EARLY (see Blackboard Calendar for dates).

**RULES FOR SUBMITTING FINAL PAPER, EARLY OR REGULAR SUBMISSION:

1) RESEARCH PAPERS ARE DUE BY END OF CLASS ON ______________

2) PAPERS TURNED IN AFTER CLASS BUT BEFORE 11:59 P.M. ON THE DUE DATE WILL HAVE 5 POINTS DEDUCTED.

3) PAPERS TURNED IN AFTER 11:59 PM ON THE DUE DATE WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. ANY CHANGES TO THE DUE DATE/SYLLABUS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN CLASS.

4) FINAL RESEARCH PAPERS MAY ONLY BE SUBMITTED BY UPLOADING PAPER TO THE BLACKBOARD "FINAL PAPER" TURN-IT-IN DROPBOX. A HARDCOPY OF THE FINAL PAPER MUST ALSO BE SUBMITTED BY END OF CLASS ON DUE DATE - EITHER BRING THE HARD COPY TO CLASS, OR LEAVE IT AT MY MAIL FOLDER, OUTSIDE OFFICE 7320.

15b. Final Research Paper Directions (see Blackboard "Final Paper" folder for additional directions; subject to change; any changes will be announced in class)

Please note: The final research paper is 35% of your grade for this course.

For the Final Research Paper, you must submit your original documented research paper in which you provide your rhetorical analysis of a text of your own choice (previously approved by instructor).

The Final Research Paper must be in MLA format; it should be 5-8 pp double-spaced and must include the references (Works Cited) page; it must be in a regular 12 point font.

Plagiarism policy: plagiarizing any part of an assignment, including the final research paper, will earn you an ‘F’ for the course. Not including a Works Cited page is a form of plagiarism. You are responsible for familiarizing yourself with the rules for avoiding plagiarism and using MLA format for documenting research. These rules can be found in The Bedford Handbook's MLA section, especially sections 53-56, highlights of which were covered this semester in class.

Your paper must have the following sections -- (Please refer to the Research Paper Outline for more details, and to the separate assignments for the introduction, summary, ethos/pathos/logos section, quote sandwich directions, effectiveness discussion, works cited page, and conclusions)

1) Introduction (background of topic of text);

2) Summary of text (main article), including the author's argument (statement and proof offered to support that statement);

3) Analysis of the text (main article):

how did the author use ethos, logos, and/or pathos in his/her argument?;

did the author give adequate support for his/her claim?;

would you add anything to make his/her argument stronger?

did the author leave out any important information that contradicts his/her argument?

Analysis section must also include comparison of 3-4 points from your text to at least 4 research sources;

4) Conclusion - what was your overall evaluation of the author's argument? was it effective or ineffective, and why?; any final thoughts or comments you have on the text

5) Works Cited page - all sources used in your paper must have proper MLA in-text citations and must have full citations on your Works Cited page; all sources on your Works Cited page must be cited somewhere in your paper

Make sure you use Turn It In (as we discussed in class) to help you avoid plagiarism in your Final Paper. Please use the Final Paper checklist and the Turn It In rubric & other feedback on your Rough Draft (peer review, comments in Grade Report or Blackboard email from instructor) to help you write your Final Paper. Please check your Blackboard email daily until your Final Paper grade is posted, in case I need to contact you about your paper.

16. FINAL PAPER CHECKLIST

Directions: Check off the completed items and turn this checklist in with your Final Paper on ______________

Overall requirements for paper:

__ Do the in-text citations match up to the Works Cited entries, and vice-versa? (if not, paper will fail for plagiarism)

__ Are at least 4 sources (in addition to the main article) cited somewhere in this paper? (see Requirements for Research Paper Sources)

Final Paper by section:

The Final Paper is worth 35 points total. See point breakdown below.

___(2.5 pts) I. INTRODUCTION: Does intro explain necessary background info on the topic? Are at least two sides of the issue discussed in the paper explained here?

___(5 pts) II. SUMMARY: (See Summmary assignment for directions)

Does summary give title, author, main argument, and major details of main article analyzed in this paper?

___(20 pts) III. ANALYSIS: Does the paper do the following?:

__(3 pts) discuss how ethos/pathos/logos are used in the main article? (See How to Write Up Ethos/Pathos/Logos Example assignment)

__(12 pts) discuss at least 3 points from the main article in depth, comparing research to what the author claims? (see Quote Sandwich assignment)

(Note: see Effectiveness assignment for next 3 questions):

__(3 pts) describe whether the main article's argument is effective or ineffective and why?

__(1 pt) describe whether the author of the main article left out any important info or didn't answer critical questions about the topic?

__(1 pt) give any suggestions to make the author's argument in the main article stronger?

____(2.5 pts) IV. CONCLUSION: Does the draft include an overall evaluation of the argument in the main article?

____ (5 pts) V. MLA: Does the paper follow MLA format? (see Bedford Handbook sections 56, 56a, 56b) ** note: this section is for whether MLA format was used correctly, not whether paper is plagiarized or not **

__(1) name/page # each page __(2) in-text citation __(2) Works Cited page

Extra Credit: ** max of 5 pts extra credit ** early submission = 3 pts; 6th or 7th source = 1 pt each