English 101 Research Paper        

English 101 Research Paper                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Learning Objectives:  

• Read and think critically about a variety of genres and texts.
• Develop and organize ideas to support a thesis.
• Compose in a variety of genres with a focus on expository, analytical, and persuasive writing and make deliberate rhetorical decisions based on audience and purpose.
• Integrate source material in an academic essay, making appropriate use of summary, paraphrase, and quotation and citing sources according to MLA documentation format.
• Revise to improve content and structure and edit to correct errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, and usage.

Topic:

You will support your  paperby citing with evidence from credible sources.  At least four sources are required.

Your topic is to identifya significant change related to your major field of study, identify the cause of the change, the effects of the change, and the implications for the future due to the change.  

Begin by asking research questions, and answer the questionsto form a reasoned thesis (see thesis and outline assignment)

Requirements:

1200-1400 words of actual text—not including graphs, or the references page

At least four sources are required.

All assignments must be typed, edited, cited in MLA or APA format, and in Standard English.

Paragraphing is required

Source material must be paraphrased or quoted

All ideas from sources must be cited in text and in a references page. 

Process:

Start with the outline as the framework of the paper.

Mark the margins of the references; highlight, and underline useful parts of sources, and mark your ideas in the margins of the sources

Arrange the references you have chosen as support in the most likely order of appearance.  You may tab the tops of sources with post it notes to indicate where the information will fit the text.

Open the file of the outline, and the marked version if you have it, and evaluate what is missing to form a complete argument.

• Are you missing support for some paragraphs or sections?
• Have you left out some of the sources you have already?
• Are there flaws in the argument that require you to adjust your thesis?
• Do you have clear and specific topic sentences for each paragraph?
• Do the topic sentences relate to the thesis clearly?
• Does the support in the argument relate to the topic sentence?
• Do you have evidence from a credible source to support the assertions and reasons in the paragraphs?

Add in the missing elements

Print and mark up the paper for errors, weaknesses, word choices

Make the corrections in the computer file version

Add in transitions and evaluations of the assertions in all paragraphs

Explain what the evidence you presented means relative to the thesis

You should have:

1. Introduction: an overview of the issue, including a brief history
   1. The thesis at the end of the introduction as part of the introduction paragraph
2. Section I: Part one of the three section thesis statement
   1. An overview of the part one sub-topic

Followed by 1-2 pages (4-5 paragraphs) on the sub topic

• Section II: Part 2 of the three section thesis

Followed by 1-2 pages (4-5 paragraphs) on the sub topic

1. Section III: Part 3 of the three section thesis

Followed by 1-2 pages (4-5 paragraphs) on the sub topic

1. Conclusion: solutions and recommendations for the issue, and/or implications for the future

And a references page attached to the paper on a separate page