Senior English Research Paper (Honors) (450 points)
A research paper is a written report that presents the results of a purposeful,
focused, in-depth study of a specific topic. Your responsibility is to choose a
topic, gather information about the topic from several different sources, and
then present the information in an organized way.
In most cases, the research paper provides an opportunity to learn or pursue
an area of knowledge that is both relevant and interesting to you. If you are
going to put in the time try and pick a topic that will hold your interest. Try
answering or resolving something you always wanted or intended to.
The paper itself will be between 9-10 pages and written in MLA format. (I have
handouts and information on this as a refresher for you) It must include in-text
citations, a “works cited” page and at least ten different sources. Eventually, as
you learn more about your topic, you will develop a thesis statement, which
will be the basis of your paper.
Important: Your research paper should not be anything that I can read in
an encyclopedia. It is not a history report, an informative essay, or a
biography. You need to narrow down a specific topic and pose a specific
question for your research. Your paper is an attempt to answer your
research question. Hint: your thesis sentence, then, attempts to answer
your question also.
Due Date:
See attached handout
What you will be graded on:
1. Topic Selection (Must be approved)
2. Sources (At least 4 sources; a total of 8 different sources are required on
the final draft)
3. Notes (We will have a lesson on this prior so you know what is expected)
4. Outline (I am not picky about the format of the outline, but, of course, it
must layout your plan in a readable, organized manner)
5. Rough Draft (Must be typed)
6. Final Draft (With Works Cited; Late papers will not be accepted)
The Research Process:
1. Selecting a topic
2. Doing preliminary research
3. Limiting your subject to a specific process
4. Using your research develop a thesis statement
5. Preparing a list of possible sources (A Working Bibliography)
6. Taking notes with relevant information about your topic
7. Organizing your notes to create a formal and final outline
8. Writing your first draft
9. Revising your draft
10 Writing the final draft with complete list of Works Cited
Some information to get you started
Choosing a topic:
Pose possible questions worth exploring. These questions may help you
generate some topical ideas.)
Which geological formations are the safest repositories for nuclear waste?
Will a ban on human cloning threaten important medical research?
What was Marcus Garvey’s contribution to the fight for racial equality?
How can governments and zoos help preserve China’s endangered panda?
Why was amateur archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann such a controversial
figure in his own time?
If your topic is too broad try narrowing it down.
Too Broad
What are the hazards of fad diets?
What causes homelessness?
Narrower
What are hazards of liquid diets?
How has deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill contributed to the problem
of homelessness?
Also, make sure your question is not too bland; make it challenging
Too Bland
What is obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Where is wind energy being used?
More Challenging
What treatments for obsessive-compulsive disorder have shown the most
promise?
Does investing in wind energy make economic sense?
Your topics have to be centered around “the arts” but I hope this gives you
an idea on how to narrow down a topic.
Information about some of the steps
Notes
Notes are to help you get some of your ideas down on paper. Sometimes it is
hard to remember all the ideas that pop in your head throughout the
research process. Write down everything and anything that you think you
may want to include in your paper. (Statistics, quotes, commentary) Be sure
to include the sources in your notes. This will help you with your
parenthetical references and your Works Cited.
Outline
As I mentioned above, I will not require the “traditional” outline. You know,
the one like this:
I. Main Topic
A Subtopic
1.Additional Point
2. Additional Comment
However, if this style suits you please feel free to use it. What I am looking
for is something that shows you have your thoughts and research organized
in a particular way.
Works Cited and Parenthetical Citation
Don’t worry; I will give you plenty of information about this over the next few
weeks. This can be a tedious process, but you will not be without the
appropriate information to do it correctly.
The Paper Itself
The Introduction
The introduction to a research paper should accomplish two purposes:
1. It should grab the reader’s attention.
2. It should present the papers thesis statement.
The introduction may also provide background information and define specific
terms. The introduction is usually no more than two paragraphs.
Thesis Statement
We will go over thesis statements soon. I will provide information and examples
between strong and weak thesis statements. In general, however, a thesis
statement takes a stand on your topic and guides the reader through the
contents of your paper. So, your paper will set out to back up your thesis. It
should also answer your main question in the paper. Again, I have good
material to help you with this.
The Body
The body of your paper will explore your thesis statement in more detail. Your
body paragraphs should include topic sentences, proper transitions and source
material to support your research. We will discuss techniques of writing strong
body paragraphs throughout the process. More on this to come.
The Conclusion
OK, here is where I might differ in my explanation of a traditional research
paper conclusion. One of the aims for a “traditional” conclusion is to
summarize what you have written. Please do not do this. Doing so only
suggests that I was not able to understand the previous 10 pages of your
paper. I am sure I will have gotten the point by then! Use your conclusion to
possibly explain the consequence of accepting the thesis, call the reader to
some type of action, give me an interesting anecdote, or something that might
stick in my mind long after I finish reading. If you have put all the work in to
get up to this point, do not cheat your conclusion.
Plagiarism
I suppose I should add this; don’t do it. This, of course, would be an automatic
failure. We will talk about avoiding plagiarism by properly citing sources.
I have plenty more to give you over the next month. I hope this can get us
started, however.