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RESEARCH PAPERS

2014

THE BASICS

1) You must make an ARGUMENT / TAKE A STANCE about a controversial issue/problem… This is not an informative paper!

2) 5-7 pages + Bibliography

3) MLA format - reference experts and facts to prove your point

• Use MLA to avoid plagiarism !

4) Meet ALL deadlines

!

• No extensions for simply missing one

• Absent? Do it on your own time!

5) POINTS: Process pts. = Final Paper pts

.

(200 pts.)

Final

Paper

Due

W 3/5!

PHASE I: RESEARCHING

• 1 Introduction Day in Library (Tuesday)

• 4 In-Class Research Days

• 5 Sources with Notes

• Round 1: 2 Notesheets due

• Round 2: 5 Notesheets due (3 new/2 old fixed)

PHASE II: ORGANIZING

• Bibliography

• Thesis Statements

• Preliminary Outlines

• Organizing Notes

• Final Outlines

PHASE III: WRITING

• Outlines to Paragraphs

• Making an Argument/Analyzing Facts

• Rough Drafts

• Final Drafts

RESEARCH PROCESS

 FIND TIME!

 FIND A SOURCE : SKIM &/OR READ THE ABSTRACTS

 WRITE YOUR SOURCE’S MLA CITATION AT THE TOP OF A

NEW NOTESHEET

 READ & TAKE NOTES ON YOUR NOTESHEET (not cards)!

 HIT THE SAVE BUTTON & RELAX!

Packet

Pg. 4

RESEARCH INFO REVIEW

YOU NEED 5 SOURCES :

 Check for accuracy, validity, biases, current date

 Research: Books, Magazines, News, Documentaries,

Databases, Google Scholar

 BOOK SERIES (on-line catalog): Taking Sides,

Pro/Con, Opposing Viewpoints

 DATABASE: opposing view points.

*All of the these have the source citation done for you already!

(Pg. 11-12)

 You can only use 2 websites (databases don’t count)

Nothing before 2007

Exceptions made at my discretion to both of those

“Creating Notesheets”

Pages 6-7 in packet

If the source citation is not done for you, there is a generic formula handout in your packet on pages 9-10

“MLA CITATIONS” & FINAL PAPER

Paper Excerpt

…. Americans need to consider that “In 2009, the average four-year college graduate owed $24,000 in studentloan debt” (Bass).

That's sustainable if a student leaves school with a degree in a high-demand field like nursing or engineering since they pay decent salaries right from the start. However, liberal arts majors tend to have a harder time finding jobs and often spend the first year, if not more, of post-college life waiting tables.

These minimum wage jobs do not provide enough income to begin paying off student loans.

Bibliography

Bass, David N. "The Millennial Generation Lacks a Strong Work Ethic." The

Millennial Generation. Ed. David Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit:

Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Diapers for

26-Year-Olds." American Spectator (11 Oct. 2011). Gale Opposing

Viewpoints In Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.

 BOOKS

STEP 2: FIND A SOURCE!

“Where do I look?”

 DATABASES

Info on page 11-12 of packet!

Parkland pays for these because we know they are great, valid sources

 INTERNET / GOOGLING

Use Scholar Google: http://scholar.google.com/

NOTE : Only 2 of your 5 sources may be from websites in your paper! Wikipedia is NEVER acceptable as a source.

Once you’ve found one, decide if it’s worth using.

STEP 2: FIND A SOURCE

“Should I use it?”

Date

: NEW IS IN!!! (no research before 2007 )

Originality

: Primary vs. Secondary Sources

Biases

: Is this a reliable source of information? What is the agenda of the author, meaning are they bias ?

Level of Scholarship

: Britanica vs. Star Magazine

Packet

Pg. 5

1.

SO, WHAT DO I DO AGAIN?

Look for sources in academic places : books, databases, and Google Scholar.

Only 2 of your 5 sources can be from websites

Wikipedia-anything may NOT be used.

2.

You want to be the best muckraker you can be, so make sure that your information is valid, accurate, and current (none before 2007) !

WAIT… WHY?

ACADEMIC MAGAZINE

PURPOSE

 To distribute highly specific knowledge to experts and students;

 Publishing in order to establish or improve their professional reputation

AUTHORS

 mostly university professors (paid by their universities to write about their own original achievements in the lab, library, or classroom)

 To make money by supplying a platform to advertisers who want to reach a particular audience… articles only exist in order to trick you into looking at the advertisements

 Reporters (paid by the magazine, to write about what somebody else is doing

-- NOT about their own original achievements)

CONTENT

 Academic articles, book reviews, and letters to the editor

 Occasional interviews with an important figure, but no "man on the street" interviews; no sit-down chats with celebrities; no advice columns or humor

 May include humor, fiction, product reviews, a sports section, movie reviews, celebrity interviews, book reviews, current events, international news, etc.

 Possibly a "suggested reading" list, but no formal bibliography, and no footnotes

 Footnotes and detailed bibliography , including the page numbers for direct quotes or paraphrasings.

WHAT IF I ’ M NOT SURE? Double check your facts with other websites!

MUCKRAKING

~ A Guide to Undercover Researching ~

“You may recall the description of the Man with the Muck-rake, the man who could look no way but downward with the muck rake in his hands…”

Literally…

WHAT IS IT?

MUCK + RAKE

WHAT IS IT?

• MUCKRAKING :

a reporter or writer who investigates and publishes truthful reports involving a host of social, legal, and ethical issues to make the public aware of a problem or scandal ( INVESTIGATIVE

REPORTING )

Topics range from crime, corruption in business and politics, fraud, waste, public health and safety, graft, illegal financial practices.

ORIGINAL MUCKRAKERS

• Begin in the Progressive Era (late 1800s to early 1900s) to expose corruption and problems to the public.

• Theodore Roosevelt encouraged the term to help raise public awareness, while warning about the possibility of false reporting

• Original Muckrakers:

• Upton Sinclair - meat packing industry regulations

• Edwin Markum - child labor laws

• Nelly Bly - Abuse in insane asylums

• Frances Keller - high unemployment rates

• Jacob Rillis - problems in the slums

• Helen Hunt Jackson - unfair treatment of American Indians

• Ida Tarbell - Corruption in the oil industry

MODERN MUCKRAKERS

• Julian Assange - Wikileaks

• John Howard Griffin - white journalist who disguised himself as a black man to highlight social injustice in the south.

• Michael Moore - “Bowling for Columbine”, “Fahrenheit 9/11”,

“Capitalism: A Love Story”

• Eric Schlosser - “Fast Food Nation”

• Barbara Ehrenreich - “Nickel & Dimed”

• Carl Bernstein - Helped uncover the

Watergate Scandal

• Ralph Nader - “Unsafe At Any Speed”

• Malcolm Johnson - exposed organized crime

“ SUPER SIZE ME ”

- Morgan Spurlock

“ INCONVENIENT TRUTH”

- Al Gore

ARGUMENT FREE-WRITE

( 5 pts. )

❖ Use this time as a free-write to discuss your ARGUMENT . Include what you will argue, why you chose this side of the argument, etc.

 THINGS TO INCLUDE :

 List more specific ideas/aspects of your topic that you may potentially want to research or look into.

Create a PRO/CON list

WHY you feel the way you do

 Questions you have for Mrs. Spence so far?

RESEARCH INFO REVIEW

FOR THE PAPER, YOU NEED 5 SOURCES :

 Check for accuracy, validity, biases, current date

 Research: Books, Magazines, News, Documentaries,

Databases, Google Scholar

 BOOK SERIES (on-line catalog): Taking Sides,

Pro/Con, Opposing Viewpoints

 DATABASE: opposing view points.

*All of the these have the source citation already done for you!

(Pg. 11-12)

 You can only use 2 websites (databases don’t count)

Nothing before 2007

Exceptions made at my discretion to both of those

LIBRARY REMINDERS

GOOD BOOKS

Pro/Con series

Taking Sides

Opposing Viewpoints

DATABASES

Opposing Viewpoints

*Positives:

All of these have multiple sources within the book,

The source citations are done for you!

*Positives:

All relevant, valid information

The sources are done for you!

Has website suggestions!

*Negatives: Check the dates!

There are websites too!

“Creating Notesheets”

Pages 6-7 in packet

You will need 5 sources total for your paper, so that means you will have 5 notesheets total.

CREATING NOTESHEETS

STEP 1: “MLA CITATIONS”

Decide if you want to use this source or not. If you do, start to create a notesheet!

 MLA citation is the fancy name for how we give the source information

 Shows where we borrowed information from.

 Goes in the bibliography

 Page 9-10 show generic formats for MLA citation

 BONUS: Databases and book series have them done for you in correct format!

“MLA CITATIONS” & FINAL PAPER

Paper Excerpt

…. Americans need to consider that “In 2009, the average four-year college graduate owed $24,000 in studentloan debt” (Bass).

That's sustainable if a student leaves school with a degree in a high-demand field like nursing or engineering since they pay decent salaries right from the start. However, liberal arts majors tend to have a harder time finding jobs and often spend the first year, if not more, of post-college life waiting tables.

These minimum wage jobs do not provide enough income to begin paying off student loans.

Bibliography

Bass, David N. "The Millennial Generation Lacks a Strong Work Ethic." The

Millennial Generation. Ed. David Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit:

Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Diapers for

26-Year-Olds." American Spectator (11 Oct. 2011). Gale Opposing

Viewpoints In Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.

BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE

An alphabetical, indented list of all the sources in

MLA citation format that you used in your paper

PAGE 8 IN PACKET

CREATING NOTESHEETS

STEP 2: “Taking Notes ”

TWO TYPES OF NOTES:

 QUOTE : taking something verbatim (word for word) from an article

Include quotation marks and page number .

Keep notes brief (56 lines max!)… don’t copy/paste chunks!

 PARAPHRASE : rephrasing a chunk of ideas into a shorter summarized version in YOUR OWN WORDS .

To cite… or not to Cite?

DON ’T:

You do NOT need to cite common facts or generic observations.

 A circle has 360 degrees.

 Eight-tracks and vinyl records are out of date.

 Smoking has negative health effects.

DO:

You would need to cite specific claims. Anything the average person wouldn’t know should be cited.

When in doubt, cite!

CREATING NOTESHEETS

STEP 2: “Taking Notes ”

1) Know what kind of ideas you’re looking for to prove your argument

2) Quote or paraphrase specific claims from the article

• Statistics/Numbers

• Expert Opinions

• Specific regulations, definitions, incidences, people, or effects (avoid general statements like “many” or “a few”)

3) AVOID writing too much detail!. FOCUS on significant facts .

EXAMPLES

1.

“Many people across the country support gay marriage.”

2.

According to Dr. Faust, “Medical marijuana has many positive benefits for cancer patients.”

3.

“Roughly 74% of students graduated from high school in 2007.”

4.

“The NRA refuses to discuss gun tragedies, such as Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook, or

Aurora, all of which could’ve been avoided if stricter laws were enforced.”

“Creating Notesheets”

(Pages 6-7 in packet)

SOURCE CITATION

Source’s information in MLA format (Bibliography)

NOTES

Important quotes or paraphrases taken from the source

IN-TEXT CITATION

First word/words in source entry found in the bibliography

“Creating Notesheets”

(Pages 6-7 in packet)

“MLA CITATIONS” & FINAL PAPER

Paper Excerpt

…. Americans need to consider that “In

2009, the average four-year college graduate owed $24,000 in studentloan debt” (Bass).

That's sustainable if a student leaves school with a degree in a high-demand field like nursing or engineering since they pay decent salaries right from the start. However, liberal arts majors tend to have a harder time finding jobs and often spend the first year, if not more, of post-college life waiting tables (Bass). These minimum wage jobs do not provide enough income to begin paying off student loans.

Bibliography

Bass, David N. "The Millennial Generation

Lacks a Strong Work Ethic." The

Millennial Generation. Ed. David

Haugen and Susan Musser. Detroit:

Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing

Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Diapers for 26-

Year-Olds." American Spectator (11

Oct. 2011). Gale Opposing Viewpoints

In Context. Web. 6 Feb. 2013.

MLA REQUIRES:

Source Citation in the bibliography

In-Text citations that refer to the source citation.

BIBLIOGRAPHY PAGE

A separate page at the end of a text that lists all of the sources used for research in an alphabetical, indented list using MLA format.

(PG. 8-10 IN PACKET)

NOTE: The first word for each source should be either:

author’s last name or the

Title of the work if there is no author.

CREATING NOTESHEETS

1) Find a source you think you will use

2) Get a piece of paper or scroll to a new page in your word document. Make sure you put your name on it!

3) Write the source information in MLA format

4) Take IMPORTANT, RELEVANT notes from the article (Quote or paraphrase )

• Statistics/Numbers

• Expert Opinions

• Specific regulations, definitions, incidences, people, or effects (avoid general statements like “many” or “a few”)

5) Try to limit yourself to 4-5 important facts from each source and avoid taking huge chunks of information.

NOTESHEET PRACTICE

SAMPLE USING THE ARTICLE “AMERICAN TEENAGE

PREGNANCIES RISE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 15 YEARS.”

CURRENT GOALS

Make sure you’re interested in your topic. You CANNOT change after Tuesday, January 21 st

 TODAY: Make a notesheet!

That’s next Friday!

 LIBRARY RESEARCH DAYS: 1/16, 1/24, 1/30, 2/3

 3 notesheets due on Monday, January 27

 5 notesheets total due on Tuesday, February 4

 STUCK?

Make a list of synonyms or phrases for your topic

List more specific ideas/aspects of your topic that you may potentially want to research or look into.

NOTESHEET PRACTICE

Using the article entitled “American Teen Pregnancies

Rise for the First Time in 15 Years, ” create a sample notesheet.

1.

Write down the accurate citation:

*This was done for you!

You’re welcome 

2.

Take GOOD notes… no more than 5!

1.

Remember, you will need to use 5 sources total in your paper, so you don’t want to overwhelm yourself with notes.

ARGUMENT FREE-WRITE

( 5 pts. )

❖ Use this time as a free-write to discuss your ARGUMENT . Include what you will argue, why you chose this side of the argument, etc.

 THINGS TO INCLUDE :

 List more specific ideas/aspects of your topic that you may potentially want to research or look into.

Create a PRO/CON list

WHY you feel the way you do

 Questions you have for MS. MCQ so far?

UP-COMING SCHEDULE

❖ THIS WEEK :

 Bibliographies

 Preliminary Outlines (Due: Wed.)

 Thesis Statements (Due: Wed.)

 Vocab 6 Quiz moved to Tues 2/19

 UP-COMING DUE DATES:

 5 notesheets (3 edited + 2 new) & Bibliography are due Thurs 2/21

*You will have 2 more research days in class

Jeffrey Fagan . "Deterrence Studies Are Inconsistent and Unscientific." Current Controversies: Capital Punishment. Ed.

Paul Connors. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Parkland Senior High School

Library. 9 Feb. 2010 <http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do.com>

 “ Costs of obtaining convictions and executions in capital cases range from $2.5 to $5 million dollars per case

(in current dollars), compared to less than $1 million for each killer sentenced to life without parole

2) The death penalty does not deter any future crimes.

 ver the past 5 years, both death sentences and executions have declined as the murder rates have also declined.

The use of the death penalty does not stop criminals from committing crimes.

4) “ In those countries of the world where capital punishment is still in operation, the crime rate is distinctively low

5) “ Between 1965-1980, where few executions took place, the number of annual murders in the U.S. increased by

131 percent.

6) “ From 1976, when executions were resumed, until 2002-JUL-1, there have been 784 executions in the US.

About 30 to 60 prisoners are currently killed annually, most by lethal injection. About two out of three executions

(65.6%) are conducted in five states: Texas, Virginia, Missouri, Florida and Oklahoma. Texas leads the other states in number of killings (256 killings; 34% of the national total). There were about 3,690 prisoners sentenced to death in 37 state death rows, and 31 being held by the U.S. government and military.

3

About 1.5% are women. Recent laws have expanded the number of crimes for which capital punishment can be applied. Other legislation has reduced some of the appeal mechanisms available to those on death row.

NOTESHEETS

EDITING FOR QUALITY

Fagan, Jeffrey . "Deterrence Studies Are Inconsistent and Unscientific." Current Controversies:

Capital Punishment. Ed. Paul Connors. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints

Resource Center. Gale. Parkland Senior High School Library. 9 Feb. 2010

<http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do.com>

 “ Costs of obtaining convictions and executions in capital cases range from $2.5 to $5 million dollars per case (in current dollars), compared to less than $1 million for each killer sentenced to life without parole ” (Fagan).

2) “ Between 1965-1980, where few executions took place, the number of annual murders in the U.S. increased by 131 percent ” (Fagan).

*REMEMBER: If there is NO AUTHOR , put the title as the in-text citation.

Ex. “ Between 1965-1980 it increased by 131 percent ” ( “ Deterrence Studies Are… ” ).

Notesheet Check List:

1) Source Citation in MLA format at the top

- Author ’s last name, first name

(pg. 6-7)

2) In-Text Citation at the end of each note (quotes & paraphrases).

3) Each note has quotation marks where necessary

(*SOURCE WITH NO AUTHOR)

(*SOURCE WITH AUTHOR)

Feuer , Alan. "IN BRIEF; Newark Crime

Statistics Suggest 30-Year Lows." The New

York Times . (3 Nov 1997): NA. Opposing

Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Parkland

Senior High School Library. 29 Jan. 2008 .

"Crime Drops In Newark, But Murders

Keep On Rising ." The New York Times.

(2 April 2007): B1. Opposing Viewpoints

Resource Center. Gale. Parkland Senior High

School Library. 29 Jan. 2008.

Note 1 : “ Over the last two years, serious crime has fallen by 27 percent in Newark, with murders down by half and burglaries and robberies down by a fifth this year alone ”

( Feurer ).

Note 1 : Shootings in Newark -

IN 2006 -- 99; IN 2007 -- 57 ( “ Crime in

Newark...

” )

Note 2: “ Arrest totals have increased by 40 percent over the same period in 1996, based largely on targeting drug offenders, the police said ” ( Feurer ).

Note 2 : Burglaries in Newark -

IN 2006 -- 296; IN 2007 -- 155 ( “ Crime in

Newark...

” )

Note 3 : Arrests in Newark -

IN 2006 -- 5,890; IN 2007 -- 7,170

( “ Crime in Newark...

” )

NOTESHEETS

1) Source Citations: Author ’s last name FIRST

(pg. 6-7)

2) Put InText Citation after ALL notes… punctuation after

*Should match first words of bibliography!

3) Use quotation marks if taken verbatim

NOTESHEETS:

Common Mistakes

SOURCE CITATIONS

:

MLA format is a must… See pgs. 9-10

LAST NAME of author goes first!

If you see “N.P.” you must add the missing info or delete it.

Capitalize Important/Major Title Words

Ex. “Wasting Away Towards a Natural Gas Substitute.”

IN-TEXT CITAITONS:

Use whatever comes first in the source citation

1 Author – (Spence).

2 Authors – (Spence and Doe).

3+ Authors – (Spence et al).

 Titles -

Quotation marks around titles that aren’t books! Books are

Italicized or underlined…NOT both

Be consistent Ex. (“Cyberbullying is on…”)

Period goes AFTER citation Ex. “blah blah blah” (Spence).

NOTES

:

NOTESHEETS:

Good Notes

Take specific facts/examples

Highlights benefits, negatives, or solution

“I” - mention who is saying it to give credibility

SAMPLES OF VAGUE:

:

 “Civil unions are not fully equivalent

 to marriage and deprive same-sex couples of equal rights.”

“Using gasoline takes a toll on everything – economy, environment, national security.”

GOOD ARGUMENTS HAVE…

Ethos – CREDIBILITY

Logos – LOGIC

 Facts, laws, statistics, expert opinions,

Pathos – EMOTIONAL

APPEAL

 Stories, shock value

SAMPLES OF GOOD:

 “In 1996, a Defense of Marriage Act

 was passed this act was deemed unconstitutional in 2012.”

“According to the US Society of

Neuroscience, evidence shows that

‘cannabinoids directly interfere with pain signaling in the nervous system”

RESEARCH: ROUND 2

We will have two last research days – Today & Monday to finalize our research and conference if necessary.

NEXT DUE DATE: Wed 2/5

1. 5 Notesheets minimum

- 2 original edited + 3 new

2. Bibliography (TYPED)

(*Both will be graded on completion, accuracy of format, quality of notes. )

BIBLIOGRAPHY

(pg. 8-10)

 Begin your bibliography list on a SEPARATE page from the text of the essay.

(This page is NOT included in the 5-7 requirement.).

Label and center the word Bibliography at the top of the page.

*DO NOT underline it or put it in quotation marks.

Double space all entries.

Do NOT skip spaces between entries.

Indent all additional lines (except the first) 1 inch for each source.

Alphabetize: Sources should be listed alphabetically by author (or title if there is no author listed)

BIBLIOGRAPHY HELP

1. PACKET:

pgs. 8-10

2. NOODLE TOOLS:

http://noodletools.com/login.php

1.

Parkland pays for it… password on pg. 12

3. EASY BIB:

http://www.easybib.com/

1. You may have to pay or sign-up?

MLA FORMAT IS A MUST!!

Fagan, Jeffrey . "Deterrence Studies Are Inconsistent and Unscientific." Current Controversies:

Capital Punishment. Ed. Paul Connors. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2008. Opposing Viewpoints

Resource Center. Gale. Parkland Senior High School Library. 9 Feb. 2010

<http://find.galegroup.com/ovrc/infomark.do.com>

 “ Costs of obtaining convictions and executions in capital cases range from $2.5 to $5 million dollars per case (in current dollars), compared to less than $1 million for each killer sentenced to life without parole ” (Fagan).

2) “ Between 1965-1980, where few executions took place, the number of annual murders in the U.S. increased by 131 percent ” (Fagan).

*REMEMBER: If there is NO AUTHOR , put the title as the in-text citation.

Ex. “ Between 1965-1980… increased by 131 percent ” ( “ Deterrence Studies Are… ” ).

Notesheet Check List:

1) Source Citation in MLA format at the top

- Author ’s last name, first name

2) In-Text Citation at the end of each note (quotes & paraphrases).

3) Each note has quotation marks where necessary

BIBLIOGRAPHY CHECK LIST:

Label and center the word Bibliography at the top of the page.

Double space all entries

Do NOT skip spaces between entries.

Indent all additional lines (after the first) 1 inch for each source.

ALPHABETIZE: Sources should be listed alphabetically by whatever comes first - author or title if there is no author listed

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