Adult Development

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Guidelines for Writing the Research Paper To write a research paper, you must choose a topic and develop a thesis. Your thesis statement forms the basis of your argument and guides your argument to a logical conclusion. In the body of the paper, you will examine issues relevant to your thesis and use research to support your assertions about those issues. Note: Research is an analytical process, so you are expected to discuss viewpoints that are different from your own and to present research results in an unbiased manner. I. Research Topics

You may select your topic from one of the subject areas below. It is important that you select a topic that interests you, as you will spend the next five weeks researching and writing about that topic. 1. Arts, Media, Philosophy

1. Should organized religious groups be political advocates or tend the spiritual needs of

people? Is possible to strike a balance?

2. What is a hero? Is the true meaning of the word being diluted in today's media?

3. What values do “reality television” shows appeal to? How have they changed television

viewing habits?

4. In an age of information, are Americans any more or less literate than they used to be? Why

is this the case? And what are the consequences of this trend?

5. While we say we value originality in American culture, do we? Is an original really more

valuable than a copy, and, if so, why?

2. Science, Health, and Environmental Issues

1. With so many problems on planet Earth, should the United States continue to fund space

exploration?

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2. What is the impact of disposable products and packaging in the marketplace and on the

environment? Are there better ways to do business? Should new government regulations be

developed? Are the environmental hazards overstated?

3. Should U.S. environmental policy focus on developing more oil resources or on developing

renewable energy sources? Or, is there another, better way to frame the discussion?

4. Should developing nations be held to the same levels of pollution control as more advanced

nations? Why or why not?

5. Most developed nations have universal health coverage. Why doesn’t the United States have

universal health coverage?

3. The Social Sciences

1. American prisons have a disparity of minority inmate population. Is this trend due to a

higher rate of minority crimes or the manner in which the judicial system operates?

2. Mixed racial and cultural groups are growing in the United States. Should each group expect

to be treated as a separate entity, or should residents of the United States be considered

Americans without the hyphen?

3. What motivates terrorists and assassins, and how do their actions affect society?

4. What is the democratic benefit of the Internet's unlimited choices if citizens narrowly limit

the information they receive, creating ever-smaller niches and fragmenting the shared

public conversation of which democracy depends?

5. Is privacy in the 21st century possible?

4. Business and Business Ethics

1. Large corporations, such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot, have been criticized for driving

mom-and-pop shops out of business. Is this a valid criticism? Does the American public have

some role to play?

2. Are corporations people? The US Supreme Court has made its decision. How does this

decision affect American democracy?

3. Should websites that allow the free download of “bootlegged” movies be shut down? Do

production companies have the right to shut down websites that allow the free download of

sound or video clips from their media?

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4. Should “sin taxes” on alcohol and tobacco be increased to help pay for the increasing costs

of medical care?

5. Should product placement in movies, film, and other media be controlled?

II. General Guidelines In order to help you understand what will be expected in your research paper, review the sample research paper(s) found in the Ashford Writing Center and Chapter 6 – Writing the Research Paper in your textbook, Writing College Research Papers. 1. Week 1: Developing a Research Topic You will begin drafting parts of your paper as early as Week 1. At the end of Week 1, you will complete and submit the following tasks related to your research paper: Assignment 1: Paper Proposal Prepare one double-spaced page in which you propose the paper you intend to write. You proposal should include the following information:

1. Topic Selection – State the topic you selected from the list provided in Guidelines for Writing the Research Paper (located in the Ancillary Materials directory of Doc Sharing).

2. Initial Research – Based on your research and reading thus far, explain how you have narrowed or limited your topic.

3. Proposed Thesis – Describe (in no more than two or three sentences) what you will argue in your research paper. Use information in this course, your textbooks, and in the Ashford Writing Center to help you develop your thesis. Remember: A thesis statement is an argument (not an observation); it tells your readers how you will interpret the topic(s) you plan to cover in your paper.

Please include a reference page for any cited resources and be sure that all in-line citations follow the APA style. For information regarding APA samples and tutorials, visit the Ashford Writing Center within the Learning Resources tab in ENG 122. Word Range: 200-250 words Estimated Time on Task: 2-3 hours Assignment 2: Title Page Develop a title for your paper that encapsulate your selected topic and thesis. Do your best to make the title compelling for prospective readers. The best titles are generally clear, insightful, and original. Finally, make sure that your title page is formatted according to APA style, as shown in the Sample APA Title Page provided by the Ashford Writing Center.

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Word Range: N/A (assignment should be 1 page) Estimated Time on Task: 1-2 hours Submission Information: Complete the tasks above as MS Word or compatible DOC or DOCX files and submit them via the corresponding assignment links. Please use a naming convention for your assignment files that includes your last name, the week number, and the assignment number. So, your Paper Proposal assignment should bear a file name that looks like this: smith_w1_a1.doc while your Title Page assignment should look like: smith_w1_a2.doc. 2. Week 2: Planning and Research At the end of Week 2, you will complete and submit the following tasks related to your research paper: Assignment 1: Annotated Bibliography An annotated bibliography compels preliminary research. The document should constitute a list of resources that will support your research paper. Each of the resources should be cited in the APA format and should include a brief paragraph-length summary and evaluation of the resource contents. To fulfill the research component of this assignment, you should:

• conduct at least two Internet searches using any of the databases in the Ashford Library

(revisit Database Tutorials)

• locate at least five sources that will help you support the topics and arguments you plan to

present in your research paper.

• make certain the sources you select are appropriate for an academic research paper (revisit

Section 5.6 Evaluating Information and Evidence in your textbook and the Evaluating

Internet Sources screencast).

• Take care to arrange your resources in alphabetical order by authors’ last names and format

the citations in APA style (revisit: Sample Annotated Bibliography).

Word Range: 500-700 words Estimated Time on Task: 3-5 hours Assignment 2: Paper Outline Draft a formal outline for the research paper you intend to write. Please complete most of your preliminary research on your topic before you draft your outline. Develop a full-sentence, alpha- numeric outline in the APA style. Be sure to leverage any useful feedback you received on your Paper Project Plan (in Discussion 2). You may also find the Writing Center’s Thesis Generator and Preliminary Outline Form helpful in the completion of this assignment.

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Word Range: 200-500 words Estimated Time on Task: 3-5 hours Submission Information: Complete the tasks above as MS Word or compatible DOC or DOCX files and submit them via the corresponding assignment links. Please use a naming convention for your assignment files that includes your last name, the week number, and the assignment number. So, your Annotated Bibliography assignment should bear a file name that looks like this: smith_w2_a1.doc while your Paper Outline assignment should look like: smith_w2_a2.doc. Note: Your instructor or teaching assistant will return these submissions to you with helpful feedback. You will have the opportunity to revise the contents of the assignment upon submission of the research paper in Week 5. After you complete the planning and research segment of your research paper assignment, you may make modifications to the content of the paper. However, you may not make changes to the paper topic without the prior approval of your instructor. Therefore, make sure you have conducted sufficient preliminary research on your topic to ensure that materials are available! 3. Week 3: Drafting the Paper At the end of Week 3, you will complete and submit the following task related to your research paper: Assignment 1: Partial Draft Create and submit a partial draft of your research paper. Your partial draft must contain at least five pages of content, featuring:

• a title page and a reference page (based upon your annotated bibliography)

• an introduction of at least one or two paragraphs featuring a thesis statement that is clearly

articulated and appropriately argumentative and/or analytical

• at least three pages of double-spaced text demonstrating at least one fully fleshed-out and

research-supported argument (note: your text should feature in-line citations that leverage

at least two different sources cited in your reference page)

• carefully written work with relatively few errors in grammar, mechanics, and style

• properly documented citations and formatting according to the APA style.

The purpose of the partial draft is to make sure you are making satisfactory progress on your research paper. If you find that you are struggling to complete the draft, make sure that you have read and reviewed this week’s required activities. Additionally, consider contacting your instructor or teaching assistance for additional one-on-one guidance.

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Word Range: 750-900 words Estimated Time on Task: 6-10 hours Submission Information: Complete the task above as an MS Word or compatible DOC or DOCX file and submit it via the corresponding assignment link. Please use a naming convention for your assignment file that includes your last name, the week number, and the assignment number. So, your Partial Draft assignment should bear a file name that looks like: smith_w3_a1.doc. In addition to submitting your Partial Draft as an assignment, upload a copy of your Partial Draft to the Partial Drafts directory in Doc Sharing. This will enable the Partial Draft Evaluations in Week 4. 4. Week 4. Leveraging Editorial Techniques At the end of Week 4, you will evaluate two Partial Drafts. The assignments require that you download and complete the Partial Draft Evaluation Form (located in the Ancillary Materials directory of Doc Sharing). Once you have acquired the form, make two copies of it—one for a self- evaluation and one for a peer evaluation. Please complete the self-evaluation first; then complete the peer evaluation. Assignment 1: Partial Draft Evaluation (Self) Evaluate the Partial Draft you submitted in Week 3 using the Partial Draft Evaluation Form. Word Range: N/A (assignment is a 4-page form) Estimated Time on Task: 1 hour Assignment 2: Partial Draft Evaluation (Peer) Check this week’s announcements to determine whose Partial Draft you will evaluate. Then download your classmate’s Partial Draft from the Partial Drafts directory located in Doc Sharing. Read your classmate’s partial draft, then complete the Partial Draft Evaluation Form. Word Range: N/A (assignment is a 4-page form) Estimated Time on Task: 1-2 hours Submission Information: Complete the tasks above as MS Word or compatible DOC or DOCX files and submit them via the corresponding assignment links. Please use a naming convention for your assignment files that includes your last name, the week number, and the assignment number. So, your Partial Draft Self-Evaluation assignment should bear a file name that looks like this: smith_w4_a1.doc while your Partial Draft Peer Evaluation should look like: smith_w4_a2.doc. In addition to submitting your Partial Draft Peer Evaluation as an assignment, upload a copy of it to the Peer Evaluations directory in Doc Sharing. It is very important that you rename the file to indicate the first and last name of the person reviewed; it should look something like this: tom_jones.doc. By this mechanism you will provide useful feedback to your classmates—and

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receive feedback that will assist you with your final edits before you submit your paper’s final draft in Week 5. 5. Week 5: Preparing the Final Draft At the end of Week 5, you will complete and submit the final draft of your research paper. Assignment 1: Research Paper (Final Draft) Before you submit the final draft of your research paper, make sure that you have:

• incorporated feedback or suggestions into your revisions

• proofread your final draft for errors in grammar, mechanics, and style.

• written a paper of the appropriate length with the appropriate formatting. The paper

should be approximately ten pages in length, including a title page, a reference page, and

eight pages of text. The paper should be formatted according to APA style.

Word Range: 2000-2500 words Estimated Time on Task: 12-20 hours Submission Information: Complete the task above as an MS Word or compatible DOC or DOCX file and submit it via the corresponding assignment link. Please use a naming convention for your assignment file that includes your last name, the week number, and the assignment number. So, your Research Paper assignment should bear a file name that looks like: smith_w5_a1.doc.