Research Paper Drafting Notes: Format: Make sure your paper is set up in the proper MLA format. Refer to the sample on the Purdue OWL: stare and compare! You must use one-inch margins, 12 TNR font, double-spacing---no extra, proper heading, title, header with your last name and page number Using research: -To avoid plagiarizing, make sure you cite your research when you -quote a source word for word (and use quotation marks) -paraphrase a source, putting source information in your own sentence structure and wording -summarize a source (reducing a page to a paragraph, a paragraph to a sentence—your words and style) -The word(s) in the citation should be the first word(s) listed in the works cited page entry along with page numbers (print sources). Refer to the citation format sheet -Citing information adds credibility to your ideas. When in doubt, cite it! -Do not use unnecessarily long quotes just to take up space. *Remember you are required to include 12 citations and to represent at least 4 sources Style and tone: Follow the rules of formal writing. A note on "I": Of course you are including your opinions about and conclusions drawn from the research, but you can also include your personal experiences and observations. Keep in mind that it is not necessary to say "in my opinion" or "I think The introduction paragraph: 1-Grab attention: describe shocking statistics, an anecdote, a real or hypothetical scenario, opposing views (which you will quickly discredit), truly thought-provoking questions, an analogy or comparison. Try to come up with a hook that you could refer back to/sprinkle in/weave throughout your argument to enhance its cohesiveness. 2 -Introduce topic and define terms, conditions, parameters as needed. 3-Contextualize issue: What is its relevance today? Why is it something we do/should care about? NOTE: Depending on the topic, Steps 2 and 3 might be featured in separate paragraphs after the introduction. 4 -Provide a blueprint of your essay's main points. Do not go into much detail, simply preview the topics you will discuss (following the main sections in your outline). Do not say "In this essay I will talk about" or "this paper will discuss"; state the topics/subtopics in a mini summary. Ex: Many oppose the death penalty, comparing it to torture and to barbaric practices of our less civilized ancestors. Others who would like to see the practice abolished cite the immense expense of executing a criminal. The death penalty's efficacy in preventing heinous crimes is hotly debated and its fairness is questioned. You could even use questions to provide a blueprint. Ex: Is the death penalty truly a form of torture? Is it torture to punish someone with a previously established penalty for committing an offense that has been deemed unforgivable by society? Do its abilities to deter heinous crimes and keep communities safe from incorrigible violent criminals warrant its immense cost and even its corruptibility and seeming unfairness? 5-State your thesis--your position/opinion. Wording should be powerful and concise. Body Paragraphs: Use TIQCA if that helps. Use topic sentences to state paragraph’s focus. Each paragraph should focus on one specific concept or point. o Introduce and embed your research into your paragraph. Describe source credentials the first time the source is used (Joe McKee, an economics professor at Georgetown…) o CITE all research whether quoted or paraphrased. o Analyze and explain and draw conclusions from the research you include: What does it mean? What does it show? What does it suggest? This is where you earn an A. o Connect the information back to your position or opinion (thesis). o Use transitions to connect the body paragraphs together Sample Introductions: Recruiting Violations: A College Tradition Imagine yourself as a gifted high school athlete who is destined for the professional level, but must wait three or four years before you are able to earn money and provide for your family. A college recruiter calls you and tells you that he will pay you $50,000 to play for the university that he represents. $50,000 is not quite a professional contract, but it will definitely be a boost for your family as well as your college experience. Do you take the money or keep your integrity and play for the love of the game? This situation is what some high school athletes, most of whom play men’s basketball or football, face when being recruited by college athletic programs and university boosters. Boosters are wealthy alumni who donate to their alma maters and occasionally violate recruiting policy by paying student athletes. Teams are put on probation and lose both scholarships and playoff games if players are found guilty of accepting improper benefits (money). The current punishments are not slowing down the rate of violations; in fact, the rate of violations is increasing (Clark and Batista 20). An increase in college recruiting violations may not seem close to home, but the violations are much more relevant than they appear. Your favorite team could win a championship only to have it tarnished by recruiting violations. Even worse, your favorite team could lose to a team that commits recruiting violations. On another note, these teams are not black market businesses; they are parts of colleges, the most prestigious institutions in the country. Are universities losing their aura of integrity because some colleges have no class and pays athletes to play for its team? With the highs of billion-dollar broadcast deals and the lows of recruiting violations, is the NCAA the best or worst that it has ever been? Is the increase in violations really that significant or are there just more infractions being discovered? Are there even more recent violations that are being covered up by the splendor of broadcast and sponsorship revenue (Thamel)? Can these violations cease within a reasonable amount of time or is it too late to make the risks of violations greater than the rewards (Thamel)? Some of these questions are impossible to answer with certainty, but something must be done to try to stop the increase in violations. Universities found guilty of committing significant recruiting violations should be punished severely, regardless of what the punishment costs the school. The Cost of Energy At what point does energy become too expensive for what it's worth? $100 for a barrel of oil? $110? Fortunately, there is a new emerging way of acquiring energy. This process is cheaper, provides jobs in the U.S, and could supply America with energy for years. It is known as “Fracking” -- hydraulic fracturing done to harvest natural gas from shale buried in the earth's surface. The point of conflict surrounding fracking regards the cost involved, not only in dollars but in human life. The debate over the safety of fracking focuses on issues including pollution, specifically groundwater contamination and air quality, which can very easily deteriorate around a fracking well. There is also the issue of the government's involvement in the process and the question of how much fracking should be regulated. Fracking as currently practiced is too dangerous and risky to continue, but if the technology for it is improved and it is more highly regulated, the harvesting of natural gas could prove to be a successful endeavor for the United States. Agroforestry: Farming for the Future One of our countries most valuable natural resources is in jeopardy of ruin. The Olgalla Aquifer, our world’s largest and most valuable source of irrigation water, is currently being depleted and contaminated by inefficient farming practices. What this country needs is a long term solution to the contamination and depletion and there may be one on the horizon. This possible solution is a reliable method of farming in which trees and crops are combined. This system is agroforestry. Although labor intensive and demanding, agroforestry is extremely beneficial and should be used as widely as possible. There are numerous reasons for using agroforestry, ranging from increased profit to regenerating depleted ground. The environmental benefits obtained from the use of agroforestry will outweigh the extra work and specialization to any farmer who cares about the environment. These considerate farmers know that agriculture is damaging to the environment; due to the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Agroforestry can certainly reduce this pollution substantially. With its limited drawbacks, endless benefits, and countless variations, agroforestry can improve the environment and the life of the farmers that utilize it. A Family is a Family “In my nineteen years, not once have I been confronted by an individual who realized independently that I was raised by a gay couple” stated Zach Wahls the Iowa House of Representatives to oppose the House Joint Resolution Six which would end civil unions in Iowa. Those opposed to sex-same couples raising children, believe these children are negatively impacted by psychological, emotional, and physical issues due to their parent’s sexual orientation. Wahls continues with “The sexual orientation of my parents has had zero affect on the content of my character.” Children growing up in homes run by same-sex parents or by heterosexual parents are no different from one another in their looks, actions, and feelings. Children with same-sex parents do face obstacles and challenges. Those opposed to same-sex parents would argue that same-sex couples shouldn’t raise children because their children suffer. However, the suffering of these children is not caused by the sexual orientation of their parents, but from the negative forces outside of the home. Children raised by samesex parents are discriminated by some members of the community and by government. Children raised by same-sex parents and their parents often face criticism from other family members, peers, co-workers, and others they might encounter in their community. Same-sex couples are denied some basic rights that heterosexual married couples receive under the Defense of Marriage Act defining, “marriage as only a legal union between one man and one woman.” Those opposed to same-sex child rearing should take a step back and reflect is it the parents or is it the world? With a few simple changes, these negative attitudes toward same-sex relationships and parents can be minimized and hopefully, one day, ended.