Format and Length Requirements: Use APA (all majors but history and English) or MLA (history and English majors).
EIGHT to TEN pages, excluding title page and abstract (APA) and reference/works cited page(s) (APA and MLA). Both APA and MLA require that the paper be double-spaced with 1-inch margins. Times New Roman font face and 12-point font size are standard.
(Note that 7.5 pages do not equal eight pages. Eight pages mean the text should extend to the last line of the page. Again, your paper must be no less than EIGHT pages, not including the title or references pages.)
General Requirements
The research paper for ENG 3430 is designed to help you learn how to choose and narrow a topic, research the topic effectively and efficiently, write to a specific audience, and document the sources you use accurately. This assignment is where you carry out the plan you presented in your proposal. This assignment aims to show that you are able to prepare a formal research paper for a specific, professional audience.
To receive credit for the paper, you must
- Get my approval for the topic. (Approval will come from your graded and approved proposal.)
- Use and incorporate scholarly sources into your paper. Use this assignment to become acquainted with research tools in your field and gain helpful knowledge on an issue that concerns your fellow professionals. Use a minimum of five authoritative, scholarly sources. If appropriate, you may use non-traditional sources (interviews with professionals or experts in the field). If you decide to interview a professional, you should include a written transcript as an appendix to your paper. You also may use one internet source if you show its authority. I expect a variety of sources. Write to me for permission to use more than one internet source.
- Please follow the appropriate APA or MLA guidelines for documentation and document sources effectively and without plagiarizing.
Final Note about Research Paper Topics: I must have approved your topic for the paper in the proposal assignment. You may slightly change the paper’s focus after turning in the proposal (often, what you find in researching the topic will dictate this change). You may only completely change your topic after writing a new proposal and receiving approval for that proposal.
Reminder from the syllabus: Plagiarism Policy
Plagiarism is stealing another’s words or ideas. Plagiarism includes failing to give credit to your sources and representing another’s work as your own. If I suspect your work is not authentically yours, the burden of proof is yours. Committing plagiarism will result in a failing grade for the paper and a failing grade for the course.
Evaluation Criteria
When I grade your research paper, I will pay close attention to how well you have organized and developed your paper to meet the needs of your audience. I will also pay close attention to documentation (how well you follow APA/MLA format) and incorporation of research (whether you use valid, authoritative sources and incorporate material from those sources effectively, meaning that you should paraphrase and summarize more than you directly quote). Additionally, I expect your paper to be free from grammatical and mechanical errors.
PAY ATTENTION: Unit 4: Introductions and Thesis Statements
- Never place yourself in a research paper (never use first or second pronouns). Research papers need to be as objective as possible, so putting yourself within the text damages the credibility of this objective stance.
- The thesis needs to call attention to itself: “This research will….” The thesis statement must address precisely what will be discussed and in what order. It can’t say, “some information about.” What information? Lastly, it has to answer the “so what” response. Okay, you are researching “this” and telling us all about “this,” but so what. What about it? This answers your purpose—why you took an interest in this topic in the first place and what you plan on revealing to the reader at the end, holding the reader at bay to continue reading your work to find out the purpose in all of this.
Your Unit 4 research paper weighs the most. You must do well on these papers. Formatting, thesis, topic sentences, development, flow, source material, etc., are all crucial.
Here are some issues everyone should investigate:
- Unclear antecedents: never say, “this will show a reader….” Say, “this SUBJECT/TOPIC/NOUN will show a reader.….”
- Never use the second or first-person plural pronouns: you, we, us. For example, “you will see that having a baby….” I know nothing about babies or having them, so I have no clue who this “you” is because it’s not me.
- Review comma rules for introductory phrases and when conjunctions combine two complete sentences.
- MLA or APA formatting: review your formatting guidelines for research papers. If you are an English or history major, your research paper will be written in MLA. Everyone else will use APA. Our research papers will be between eight to ten pages. If you are using APA, these pages DO NOT include the cover page or abstract, and the references page (APA) and works cited page (MLA) are not included in this page limit requirement either.
Final Note: Do not put these papers off until the last minute. Have these papers reviewed or tutored as many times as possible.
After you finish writing your composition, read it aloud and self-review your document. Then use the free online grammar checkers to spot other possible issues. Remember, these checkers are helpful but are not always accurate or correct. Use them cautiously and scrutinize their findings. Next, polish your work and submit it to the discussion board as a PDF for peer review