Research Essay
Your assignment is to write a research paper. Why? Because learning about a topic you don’t
know much about and developing and explaining your take on the topic will be imperative to
college, your career, and your life as an informed citizen. This assignment is to help you practice
doing those things.
This is clearly a major project. This sheet is to give you an overview of the entire assignment, but
remember that we are not doing this all at once, but piece by piece, and a lot of the work will
be done in class. If you feel overwhelmed, please don’t give up—just ask me for help.
Topic Requirements
Your topic must include three major components:
1. Support an arguable thesis that makes a compelling connection between two people.
2. Be about people that can be researched using the databases, books, and periodicals in our
library, not only Google, Wikipedia, or random Internet searches.
3. Be about people you are interested in but that you do not know much about or have a
very solid opinion about.
Remember that you are not writing simply a report but an essay in which you support an
argument about your topic with research. For this reasons, your thesis must present an idea, not
simply a topic. For example:
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
Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington were both famous jazz musicians. This IS NOT a
thesis. It is a mere statement of fact.
Louis Armstrong was more influential than Duke Ellington because he used his
popularity as a jazz musician to comment on race relations in pre-civil-rights America.
This IS a thesis. It presents an idea about why Louis Armstrong was important or how
what he did mattered and how he is connected to Duke Ellington.
Your goal with this assignment is to develop your thesis through your research, not to use
your research to support a thesis that you already have. For this reason, it is very important
to choose a topic that interests you, but about which you don’t have strong opinions or a lot of
information.
Process Requirements and Due Dates
This is a major, long-term project, which involves many steps to complete. Completing each
requirement on time will help you stay on track with your project and develop the
strongest essay possible. You will also receive points for completing the process work on time.
Because the point of process work is to keep you on track with deadlines, you cannot make
up the points if you miss the deadlines. You will receive specific instructions for each process
requirement individually.
Complete preliminary research
Complete topic and research questions
Complete peer review 1
Complete at least 20 research notes with source list
Complete thesis and outline
Complete peer review 2
Complete last 30 research notes and source list
Complete first draft
Complete final draft with works cited page and internal citations
Turn in to turnitin.com.
Due March 2
Due March 5
Due March 10
Due March 13
Due March 19
Due March 20
Due March 23
Due March 30
Due April 3
We will be in the library or have computers for work time on March 2, 5, 12, 13, 18, 19, 23, 26,
and 27. You are expected to be prepared to work and use this time wisely.
Format and Research Requirements
Your paper must be:
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
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6-8 pages long, double-spaced in 12 point font
In correct MLA format, including a complete works cited page and correct internal citations
Include cited material from:
o at least 6 different sources total
o at least 1 print source (book or periodical)
o at least 3 sources from IHS library databases
o all websites must include full bibliographic information, including author and
institution (no unsubstantiated websites, including Wikipedia, are allowed)
Research Essay Rubric
Basic Minimum Requirements
Failure to meet all of the minimum requirements will result in 10% reduction in points.
________ Correct MLA format
________ Correct internal citations for all researched information
________ Accurate, properly formatted works cited page
________ 6-8 pages, or thorough, detailed essay
________ 6 proper sources
Grading Criteria
______ 10
Organization and fluency
Clear and logical structure throughout the essay
Effective intro and conclusion
Effective transitions
_______ 7
Prose and voice
Tone is formal and avoids first person, second person, slang, and clichés.
Word choice and sentence structure are precise, varied, and interesting.
Quotes are fluidly embedded.
_______ 5
Conventions
Paper is well-edited for spelling and grammar.
_______ 10
Research and Evidence
Specific, quality evidence supports thesis.
Choices of when to quote and when to paraphrase are strong and effective.
Multiple, appropriate sources are used.
_______ 8
Thesis
States a clear, focused, insightful, and original argument connecting two people.
_______ 10
Analysis
Clear, well-developed connection to thesis for each piece of evidence
________ 50 Total
**You must submit your essay to turnitin.com. Essays not submitted to turnitin.com will receive no
more than 60%.