Outside of class and during class research time, you will choose an American social issue as a focus for your research. You will write a 2 to 3 page research paper.
The Assignment:
· You will write a 2 to 3 page research paper on an American social issues topic that is of interest to you.
· You will write a thesis statement (a main argument) for your paper.
· You will follow a specific process to gather information for your topic including gathering information from a variety of sources, recording the information as notes, writing a detailed outline, and a final paper.
· You will cite your sources properly (at least 3 sources).
· All papers and outline must be typed and double-spaced.
COMPLETING THE NOTES, ROUGH DRAFT AND OTHER STEPS TO A FINISHED PRODUCT WILL COUNT AS A TEXST GRADE—AS WELL AS THE FINAL PAPER. PLEASE PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO DEADLINES AND DO NOT TURN IN ANY PART OF THIS PROJECT LATE.
Many students have taken this course before you…they have written the research paper…they have done well and survived…breathe.
CREATING THE WORKING THESIS STATEMENT
The first step in making sense of all this information you have compiled is to create an opinion about our particular topic. In other words, it is time to develop a thesis statement. Remember that a thesis statement involves more than a statement of mere fact; rather, it must express an opinion. Your paper has to prove a point, back up the thesis, and convince the reader of the value of our opinion.
You should always be able to put the phrase “I will prove that…” before your thesis statement (but do not actually write that as part of your thesis!). Try to go beyond obvious conclusions and try to make the statement an interesting and possibly controversial one.
Examples of Thesis Statements:
Overall Topic: Francis Scott Key as a patriot
Poor Thesis: Francis Scott Key is the author of the famous “Star Spangled
Banner.”
Good Thesis: Francis Scott Key’s actions and reactions during the War of 1812
Qualify him as a real American hero.
Overall Topic: George Bush as a superb President
Poor Thesis: George Bush is a heck of a guy.
Good Thesis: (I will prove that…) Because of his strong foreign policy, his
moral stand against drugs, and his support for the common man,
George Bush is one of the greatest twentieth century Presidents.
Overall Topic: Steinbeck’s skill and talent as an author.
Poor Thesis: John Steinbeck sure did write a log of good stuff.
Good Thesis: (I will prove that…) John Steinbeck is a talented and memorable
American author because of his considerable skill at presenting a
vivid description of scenes and characters, his accurate use of
realistic dialogue, and his sensitive expression of emotional
themes.
LEGITIMATE WEBSITES
In researching your paper, be sure that you use legitimate websites that give you credible information (remember the “Male Pregnancy” and “Stolen Kidney” exercise that reminded us that you need to be careful about what you research on the web.
Here are some suggestions for legitimate research sites:
SCHOOL BASED DATABASES:
To access these you need to go to the school website, select “Academics”, select “Library” and “Resources for Students”. Then scroll down to select one of the following options.
1. SIRS (social issues research series) This is a database with topics relating to social issues so a lot of health related material is here.
Username: smmusds
Password: library
AND THEN SELECT MY PRODUCTS. A list of all the products offered comes up. Scroll down and select SIRS KNOWLEDGE SOURE.
There are two ways to use this source:
First you can type in your subject and the database will give you all the articles relevant to your search. NOTE you may want to specify your search so you don’t get too many articles (instead of diabetes, try: type 2 diabetes, or diabetes in children)
Second, you can select browse from the menu bar and then there will appear general subject areas that you can browse for ideas.
2. PROQUEST - This is a database of newspapers, magazines and journals
Username: smmusds
Password: library
AND THEN SELECT MY PRODUCTS PAGE. . A list of all the products offered comes up. Scroll down and select PROQUEST PLATINUM.. Type in your subject and you will be directed to a list of relevant sources.
3. OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS This site includes an online encyclopedia as well as articles relating to controversial issues.
Password: Malibu
Then type in your topic and again relevant sources will appear
WIKIPEDIA IS NOT A LEGITIMATE SITE FOR RESEARCH!
WORKS CITED: SOURCE AND NOTE CARDS
You will be making two different kinds of cards: source cards and note cards.
Source Cards:
Source cards are used to keep track of your sources. Anytime you find information that you may want to use in your paper, make a works cited card of the source. Even is you are not sure that you really want to use the information, make a card anyway. It is very easy to toss a useless works cited card, and very difficult to remember where you found that darn article three weeks ago. When in doubt, make a card!
The following is a checklist of information that you need for a print source or a web source. If information is missing from web sources, just put down the information that is available. For example, if there is no author, just leave that part blank.
Source Cards for a PRINT SOURCE should contain the following information:
· Author’s (or Authors’) Name(s) – (last name, first name)
· Title of the Book, Publication or Article- (italicized for long works; quotation marks for short works)
· Page Numbers of the parts you read
· City of Publication
· Name of the Publisher.
· Date of Publication—sometimes all you can find is a year, but write down day and month when they are available.
· Medium of publication (Print.)
Example of a Source Card for a PRINT SOURCE:
Frank, Deborah & Field, Edward
The Changing of the Guards: California and the School Safety Issue.
Chapter 3: Building Safety, pp. 100-105
San Francisco Beat Publisher 1999
Print.
Source Cards for a WEB SOURCE should contain the following information:
· Author’s (or Authors’) Name(s) – (last name, first name)
· Title of the Work - (italicized for long works; quotation marks for short works)
· Title of the overall Web site (italicized)
· Publisher or sponsor of the site
· Date of Publication—sometimes all you can find is a year, but write down day and month when they are available.
· Medium of publication (Web.)
· Date of access to the website
Example of a Source Card for a WEB SOURCE:
“Earthquake Safety Shaky”
The Times Educational Supplement
16 Jan. 2009.
Par. 2 to 5.
Platinum Periodicals, Proquest.
London. 10 Jan. 2010 Web.
Note Cards:
Note cards are for keeping track of your actual research. Every time you find something you think you may use, write up a note card for it. Again, when in doubt, make a card. If it is the first time you are using this source, be sure to make a works cited card first. The cards should help you organize your information, so you must create organized cards. Here are some guidelines:
· Use only ONE idea per card.
· For PRINT sources: write the author’s last name and the page number in the upper left corner.
· For WEB sources: write the author’s last name and the page number in the upper left corner if these are available. IF THERE IS NOT AN AUTHOR’S NAME OR A PAGE NUMBER: Write the first few words of the title and the paragraph number in the upper left corner.
· In the upper right corner, write the specific subject that it relates to within your broader or overall topic.
Make a note of how your recorded the information. This information will be very useful to you when you go back to actually write your paper and you want to make sure you are not accidentally plagiarizing. Use a Q for direct quote; when you write your paper you will need to be sure to put quotation marks around the quote. Use an S for summary and a P for a paraphrase of information.
A quote should be chosen to give your presentation power and authority. Quotes should be used only when the author’s wording contributes significantly to your paper.
A paraphrase is not just substituting a few words here and there; it is thinking through the author’s statement and comprehending it thoroughly enough to restate it clearly in terms and phrases that are more familiar to you.
A summary involves seeing what is central to an idea and explaining it more succinctly (in fewer words).
Example of a Note Card from a PRINT SOURCE:
Frank, Deborah Page 27-28 Earthquake regulations
Every school in California was designed to withstand a moderate earthquake (about a 7.0) but only those built after 1972.
S
Example of a Note Card from a WEB SOURCE:
Eathquake Safety Shaky Par. 5 Earthquake regulations
“Any teachers frustrated by needless local authority bureaucracy or secrecy should spare a thought for their colleagues in Japan. In the land of the rising sun, obstruction from local administrators can amount to more than just an annoying hindrance--it can be a matter of life and death.”
Q
QUOTING, PARAPHRASING, AND SUMMARIZING
When you use the information from your research to write your paper, you will need to quote, paraphrase and summarize. Your choice of whether to quote, paraphrase, or summarize depends on what works best for the point you are making in that part of the paper.
1. Quoting. Quotations should be chosen when they add special emphasis or are the perfect way to say something. They should be used only when the author’s wording contributes significantly to your presentation. Do NOT substitute quotes in place of your own writing and commentary. Put a Q on your note card next to information you plan to quote.
2. Paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is restating an author’s ideas in your own words. Merely substituting a few words here and there is not paraphrasing. Paraphrasing requires thinking through the author’s statement to comprehend it thoroughly and restating it clearly using terms and phrases that are more familiar to you. Put a P on your note card next to the information you plan to paraphrase.
3. Summarizing. You will need to summarize some of the information you have in your notes or your paper will be too long. Summarizing involves seeing what is central to an idea and presenting it more succinctly. Put an S on your note card next to the information your plan to summarize.
All of these methods must be cited in your paper!!! If you do not cite them, it is considered plagiarism.
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism is the act of using another person’s ideas or expressions in your writing without acknowledging the source. Alexander Lindley defines it as “the false assumption of authorship: the wrongful act of taking the product of another person’s mind and presenting it as one’s own” (Plagiarism and Originality. New York: Harper, 1952, p. 2). In short, to plagiarize is to give the impression that you have written or thought something that you have in fact borrowed from someone else.
Plagiarism in student writing is often unintentional, as when an elementary school pupil, assigned to do a report on a certain topic, goes home and copies down, word for word, everything on the subject from an encyclopedia. Unfortunately some students continue to use such “research methods” in high school and even college without realizing that these practices constitute plagiarism. You may certainly use other persons’ words and thoughts in your research paper, but you must acknowledge the authors.
Another problem with plagiarism comes when students are attempting to paraphrase, but accidentally plagiarize.
How to summarize and paraphrase without being guilty of PLAGIARISM!
Main Ideas of how to avoid plagiarism:
1. You must reword the passage by changing words AND how the sentence is phrased. If you only change a few words and use the same sentence pattern, it will still be plagiarism EVEN IF you cite the source.
2. In addition to rewording the passage, you must cite the source.
Here is an example of how to avoid plagiarism:
Original:
Other genres---mystery, thriller, horror, sci-fi---attract no cultural stigma, but those categories also appeal heavily to male readers. Romances do not, and therein, some of the genre’s champions argue, lies the problem. (from Gray and Sach’s “Passion on the Pages”)
Plagiarism:
According to Gray and Sachs, other types of books---horror, mystery, sci-fi---experience no cultural stigma, but these types of books are those that appeal mainly to male readers. Romances, by contrast, do not, and that, some of its champions argue, is the problem (76).
Acceptable Paraphrase:
According to Gray and Sachs, popular books that attract mostly male readers, such as science fiction and thriller novels, do not suffer the same public condemnation as romance novels. Some fans of romance fiction believe that this is no coincidence and that condemnation of it is due to the fact that most of its readers are female. (76)