Professional Athletes and their role in society

English 110 Research Paper

Written tips on how to use the library databases are linked here, but the teaching video linked further down this page gives you much more information and modeling:

Library Database Instructions (Links to an external site.)

Research Paper
Date Assigned:
Thursday, November 12

Due Date:
Saturday, December 5 at 11:59 p.m.

No Late Work:
Because this paper is due so late into the semester, it is not possible to submit late work. Please note that it is due on a Saturday night, not Sunday night as the vast majority of your assignments have been.

Teaching Video:
In this video, (which is also a page in the week 12 module), I model how to use the SBCC Library databases.

Research Process:
You must use the SBCC library databases to come up with three additional sources beyond the article in the class reader about your topic. If you chose your own topic that I approved already, then you must come up with four sources from the databases. Google searches are not the same and will not be counted. You will be required to submit the links to your articles through your “Works Cited” at the end of your paper.

You will be graded on the quality and appropriateness of the readings that you choose as your resources, so be realistic. The guideline is something similar in length, scope, and difficulty to the essays in our reader. If you choose an academic journal from Harvard Law that is 50 pages long, for example, and would be a challenge for law students, you would be graded accordingly, meaning poorly. If you chose a 425 word article from USA Today, that is not parallel to the length, scope, and difficulty to the essays in our reader either, you would be graded accordingly, meaning poorly.

Recommended Research Notes worksheet:
You don’t have to do this Research Notes worksheet (Links to an external site.), but it is a handy way to pull out quotes from each source and think of them in terms of how your topic is significant, problematic, or both. You will be asked next week to share ideas in a group discussion in terms of a significant and problematic idea, so doing this worksheet can help you stay organized and keep track of ideas and articles.

Prompt:
Compile the ideas you have gathered from the sources (three database articles plus the one from the reader) into a 6-8 page research essay that demonstrates how this issue is problematic and significant. (Remember- you should have already submitted a research proposal. If you got a score of 10, it is approved. If your score is lower, make sure you read my comments. If you did not submit a proposal you need to do so asap. I won’t grade your paper without an approved proposal.) Make sure to argue your position on this issue. You must present at least one perspective that differs from your own. You have two purposes: one is to inform the reader- use evidence that will demonstrate how your topic is significant and problematic. Another purpose is to persuade us of your position by making a claim of solution: what are you recommending? What do you believe should happen? Use evidence to help persuade us that goes beyond your personal opinion by showing what others are doing.

Outline

You will be required to fill out a pre-writing outline which will be worth 5 points of the essay grade. Click on the link to find the Essay Structure outline (page 2) (Links to an external site.) from the SBCC Writing Center. (You should either print this out and fill it out, and then take a picture to submit on Canvas with your final draft by either submitting as a separate file, or copying and pasting to the end of your essay, or find a way to type up an outline which will be submitted with your final draft as the last page of your paper.) You should still use one of the introduction methods outlined in Week 5, and the summary/reflection conclusion from week 5. There is not a set number of paragraphs as there was in essay #1.

Writer’s Workshop:
Instead of peer review of the finished essay, this time we will be trying writer’s workshop during the composition process. I will determine the grouping later.

Assistance:
While tutorial assistance is not required, it is strongly encouraged. Contact the NC Writing Lab (see hours and Zoom link in Announcements); Contact The Writing Center for a virtual session by selecting the option on your menu bar in red; schedule a Conference with me; contact your class tutor (CRNs 41045 and 41877 have class tutors); work with NetTutor.

Format:
double-spaced, Times New Roman font, size 12, standard margins. Use standard MLA format and documentation, with in-text parenthetical citation and a Works Cited reference included at the end. Using Google Docs “Report” will automatically set you up with this format.

Works Cited:
You are responsible for correctly using in-text parenthetical citation and including a Works Cited reference at the end of your paper. You may consult your handbook for proper format.

Separate Works Cited page will not count towards paper length. Works cited references should be arranged alphabetically according to MLA format and include an active, working link to each source. (Make sure that your link works, and that I am not asked to sign in to EBSCHO Host, or sent to a blank, inaccessible page.)

This should come after your conclusion and before your Self-Evaluation.

Self-Evaluation:
Required; type answers at the end of your paper

What do you like most about your paper?
What do you like least about your paper?
Did you seek assistance? If yes, from whom? If not, why?
What grade would you give yourself and why?
How to submit your paper:
This will be turned in electronically in Canvas; AND
You will need to submit your paper to Turnitin.com. Papers not submitted to Turnitin.com will not be graded. Remember to submit to Canvas and Turnitin.com. I do the grading on Canvas; Turnitin is a website where I can check papers for academic integrity.