A Scary Warning: Please do not lose this packet since I am not making any
extras…if you lose it, you will need to photocopy one of your classmate’s packets!!!
WRITER’S WORKSHOP RESEARCH PROJECT GUIDELINES
During the course of this semester you will be doing in-depth class work and
group work on various social issues. Outside of class and during class research time, you
will choose a problem in our society as a focus for your research. You will write a 3 to
4 page research paper and follow up with an action plan for community service related to
your topic.
The Assignment:
 You will write a 3 to 4 page research paper on a 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 on note cards, writing a detailed outline, and a final paper.
 You will cite your sources properly (at least 5 sources).
 All papers and outline must be typed and double-spaced.
 You will follow up your research paper with an action plan of community
service related to your issue.
 In your sophomore year, you will use the action plan you created as a guide
for how to complete your community service hours.
COMPLETING THE NOTECARDS, ROUGH DRAFTS AND OTHER STEPS TO
A FINISHED PRODUCT, AND WRITING THE FINAL DRAFT, WILL
COMPRISE 50% OF YOUR GRADE FOR THIS SEMESTER. 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.
Supplies:
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Pen/pencil/paper
3” X 5” Note cards (at least 40)
Rubber bands to keep note cards in separate piles
A 9” X 12” envelope to keep all your notes and note cards in
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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.”
Francis Scott Key’s actions and reactions during the War of 1812
Qualify him as a real American hero.
Good Thesis:
Overall Topic:
George Bush as a superb President
Poor Thesis:
Good Thesis:
George Bush is a heck of a guy.
(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:
Good Thesis:
John Steinbeck sure did write a log of good stuff.
(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:
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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!
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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:
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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:

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

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
.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)
Plagiarism carries severe penalties, ranging from failure in a course to expulsion
from school.
HOW TO WRITE THE OUTLINE
After you have completed your research you should have at least 30 note cards.
The next step is to use your note cards to help organize your ideas. Place the note cards
into different stacks according to their specific subject (the information in the upper right
hand corner). Think about the different areas you have researched and how the ideas
relate to each other. Organize your ideas so that you introduce the topic and the general
issues; discuss opposing viewpoints; specifically develop important points on your topic;
and have a conclusion.
Sample Student Outline:
Stem Cell Research – Outline
1.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Introduction
Part of life is the birth of an individual. Sadly, the other part of life is death.
Possibility of Stem Cells
How could it be used? For who?
Thesis: With the modern advances in science and world technology, we could
harness and use the aspect of the stem cells positively to the world’s advantage.
2.
A.
B.
C.
Basics of Stem Cells.
Three general properties
Specialized vs. unspecialized
What stem cells could be used on
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3.
A.
B.
C.
D.
Opposing Views
Factors concerning religion and abortion
Immoral belief
Concern deciding if it is a human
Costly (instruments and procedure)
4.
A.
B.
C.
Potential using the cells
Benefits (availability, immortal, etc.)
How to use the cells
Known capabilities regarding stem cells
5.
A.
B.
C.
Dangers of stem cells
Malfunction in transplantation
Cause of tumors
Non-reactive stem cells
6.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
Conclusion
So what or now what?
What is larger significance?
Compare embryo to the living
Moral or immoral?
How we should act or use stem cells.
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE INTRODUCTION
Goal: The goal of your introductory paragraph is to grab your reader’s attention and
convince your reader of the importance of your thesis statement (and consequentially the
rest of your paper!)
Your first sentence:
1. Begin with a shocking fact or statistic that show the importance of your topic.
e.g.: Everyday ten people in the United States get killed with a handgun.
e.g.: In 1999, Americans spent 200 million hours sitting in front of their
television sets.
2. Begin by asking a rhetorical question, an honest question, or a statement of the
problem designed to attract the reader’s concern.
Rhetorical question:
e.g.: Would you like your children to have to wear gas masks outside and carry
special inhalers to help them get the oxygen they need? (The obvious answer is
“No!”)
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Honest question:
e.g.: Clean air is important to all of us, but how many of us are willing to change
our lifestyles to prevent air pollution?
Statement about problem:
e.g.: We all want to live our lives in a clean environment in which we can safely
breathe the air, but this basic human need is being threatened by the greed of a
few big corporations.
3. Next, tell a story/describe a scene.
Dramatize the topic you are writing about. We all like a good story and a brief
one can be an excellent way to hook your reader’s interest in your topic.
If your topic relates to the environment, describe a current scene of destruction or
describe the future of the planet as you see it.
e.g.: Imagine a world where the only birds children knew about were pigeons
from the zoo and computer-generated birds in video games.
If your topic is about humans, tell an actual case study to dramatize the problem
you are writing about.
e.g.: There are some people who don’t believe that poverty is a problem in the
United States, but they have not heard about Francine Smith, a ten year old girl
living in project housing in Oakland, California.
If your topic is highly controversial such as abortion, address the opposing view
and lure them into a story.
e.g.: Life is an amazing gift that should not be thrown away, and yet there are
times when women are faced with impossible decisions that are best resolved by
having an abortion. Consider Kathy McFreit’s story. She…
4. The last sentence in your introduction is your thesis statement. Try to lead your
reader there logically.
e.g. Kathy McFreit is not alone. Many women everyday face heart-wrenching
decisions. We need to support these women and give them the opportunity to
help themselves…THESIS STATEMENT GOES HERE!
CITING SOURCES IN THE TEXT
In MLA style, references to sources are placed in the text of the paper in order to
briefly identify sources for readers and enable them to easily locate the source of the cited
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information in the Works Cited list. These parenthetical references should be kept as
brief and as clear as possible.

Give only the information needed to identify a source. Usually the
author’s last name and a page number are all that is needed.

If your are citing a source where there is no author, use the full title if it is
brief or a shortened version of the title if it is lengthy.

Place the parenthetical reference as near as possible to the material being
documented, and where a pause would naturally occur, preferably at the
end of a sentence.

Parenthetical material should complement, not repeat, information that is
given in your text. If you include an author’s name in a sentence, you do
not need to repeat it in your parenthetical statement.

The parenthetical reference should precede the punctuation mark that
concludes the sentence, clause, or phrase that contains the cited material.

Online sources are cited just like print resources in references cited in the
text. If an online source lacks numbering, omit numbers from the
parenthetical references. If a source includes fixed page numbers or
section numbering, such as numbering of paragraphs (pars.), cite the
relevant numbers.
Examples:
Author’s name in text
Dover has expressed this concern (118-21).
Author’s name in reference
This concern has been expressed (Dover
118-21).
Works with multiple authors
This hypothesis (Bradley and Rogers 7)
suggested this theory (Sumner, Reichl, and
Waugh 23)
Works with no author
School safety seemed compromised by
corrupt local officials (“Eathquake Safety”
29).
On-line source with numbered
paragraphs
(Fox pars. 4-5)
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Referring to more than one
part of the source
Williams alludes to this premise (136-39,
145).
Two works cited
(Burns 54, Thomas 327)
GUIDELINES FOR WRITING THE CONCLUSION
TO YOUR RESEARCH PAPER
The conclusion should do more than just sum up your ideas. It should end with a
“now what” or “so what.” In other words, “now what” means a call to action of what
steps should be taken to make the problem or issue better. “So what” means an
explanation of why the issue or problem is an important one.
CREATING A WORKS CITED PAGE
MLA FORMAT
1. List of works used and cited appears at the end of the paper. The title – Works
Cited – is centered. Do not bold, change font, or underline it – simply type it and
center it.
2. Double space between the title and the first entry.
3. BEGIN EACH ENTRY flush with the left margin. If an entry runs more than one
line, INDENT THE SUBSEQUENT LINE OR LINES 5 spaces from the left
margin. (You can set your word program to “hanging indentation” – see format,
paragraph, select hanging – and this will happen automatically.) When you hit
return, the program will read that as a new entry and bring the next line flush out
to the left.
4. DOUBLE SPACE THE ENTIRE LIST, both between and within entries.
(AGAIN, select double space when setting up your document and the computer
will do this for you.)
5. ENTRIES ARE ARRANGED IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. Whatever comes
first in the entry is what is used to alphabetize it. (Usually author’s last name, but
if there is no author, then the title of the article or website is what comes next.)
Ignore words like A, An, The and go to the next word to determine the order. If
the title begins with a number, then alphabetize as if the number were written out
(e.g., “9 Causes of Death” would be ordered with the word “nine”).
6. Entries must have specific information in specific order. Depending on whether
you use PRINT media (actual newspapers, books, or magazines) or whether you
use these sources ONLINE will determine what information you need to include.
If any of the information is missing, SKIP MISSING INFORMATION AND
MOVE TO THE NEXT ITEM. Follow the formats below:
PRINT MEDIA: actual article from a magazine or newspaper
1. Author’s name
2. Title of the article (in quotation marks)
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3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Name of the periodical (italicized)
Series name or number (if available)
Volume number (for a scholarly journal)
Issue number (if available, for a scholarly journal)
Date of publication (year; or day, month, year if available)
Inclusive page numbers.
Medium of publication consulted. (Print).
ARTICLES FROM NEWSPAPERS, MAGAZINES, JOURNALS THAT ARE
ONLINE IN A DATABASE (Proquest and others) use the PRINT MEDIA order
above, BUT drop #9 (Print) and add 1-3 below.
1. Title of the database (italicized)
2. Medium of publication consulted (Web)
3. Date of access (day, month, year) (Example: 20 Feb. 2010)
INTERNET SOURCES. An entry for a non-periodical publication on the Web
usually contains most of the following components, in sequence. (If information is
missing, skip it and go to the next entry.)
1. Name of the author, compiler, director, editor, narrator, performer, or translator
of the work.
2. Title of the work (italicized if the work is independent; in quotation marks—with
first letter of words capitalized—if the work is part of a larger work)
3. Title of the overall Web site (italicized), if distinct from item 2.
4. Version or edition used.
5. Publisher or sponsor of the site; if not available, use N.p.
6. Date of publication (day, month, and year, as available); if nothing is available,
use n.d.
7. Medium of publication (Web
8. Date of access (day, month, and year)
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Name: ___________________________________________
Period: _______
FRESHMAN SEMINAR RESEARCH PAPER
CHECK LIST AND DUE DATES
Assignment
Evaluation
Due Date
1. Thesis statement written on note card
_____ / 5
____________
2. Two source & 10 notecards
(Note cards need: Source and par./page #
Subtopic and Q/P/S
_____ / 20
____________
3. Three additional source cards (5 total) and
20 additional note cards (30 total)
Have ALL cards with you to show
_____ / 20
____________
4. Outline of Report
Including: All cards divided into sections that
represent each par. Intro/Body par/Conclusion +
possible solution/help for your issue
_____ / 25
____________
5. Introduction paragraph
Including: Interest creating device; transition
To topic sentence, topic sentence
_____ / 15
____________
6. Conclusion paragraph
_____ / 15
____________
7. First Draft
Including: Title page
Works Cited page
Parenthetical citations
3-4 pages of text
_____ / 50
____________
8. Second/Final Draft
_____ / 25
Including: All of the above
All note cards in order of how they appear in your paper
Separately, all source cards in order of works cited page
____________
TOTAL:
_____ / 200
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FRESHMAN SEMINAR RESEARCH PAPER RUBRIC
Name: ___________________________________________
Period: _______
10 points: Introduction is satisfying, engages the reader, and has a clear thesis statement
to guide the paper. Conclusion does not simply repeat the introduction, and concludes
with a “now what” or “so what.”
10 = Yes
9 = Almost
8 = Okay, but some problems
7 = Not great (e.g., missing thesis; conclusion simply restates intro.)
POINTS _____ (10)
10 points: Information: Are there facts and information to support the thesis. Is the
information complete, accurate and sufficient? Is the information presented in a clear and
logical manner? Are there few (or no) grammatical mistakes or misspellings?
10 = Yes
9 = Amost
8 = Okay, but problems such as personal pronouns or contractions or problems
with some of the information
7 = Not great (too short, too general, no enough information)
POINTS _____ (10)
10 points: Argument: Is it clear what the author is arguing throughout the entire paper?
10 = Yes
9 = Almost
8 = Okay, but some problems such as one or two paragraphs simply seem to be
reporting or restating facts without making a clear point
7 = Not great
POINTS _____ (10)
10 points: Works Cited Page
10 = At least 4 sources done perfectly
9 = At least 4 done almost perfectly
8 = less than the required number of sources, but done perfectly
7 = done incorrectly
6 = majorly incorrect
POINTS _____ (10)
10 points: Format of citing in body paragraphs.
10 = has at least 5 and formatted perfectly
9 = has at least 5 and minor errors
8 = formatted perfectly, but not all in Works Cited page
7 = fewer than the required number of sources
6 = not enough, or done entirely wrong; or more than two are not in Works Cited
POINTS _____ (10)
TOTAL POINTS _____ (50)
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