Assignment:
Choose a current controversial/debatable topic or complex problem that you are interested or involved in and have agreed on. Research the background of this issue or problem. Synthesize the information you have gathered to present your position (proposal) on the issue or to present the causes or solutions to the problem. You must have a focused thesis statement that presents your clear, unequivocal position on the topic.
You will need to locate appropriate sources, read extensively for a particular purpose, evaluate arguments, evaluate your sources, present logical causal relationships, and synthesize information in presenting your own logical argument. You will also need to be able to accurately document sources and avoid plagiarism.
You should cite a minimum of six sources (but you will probably end up citing and reading even more sources).
At least 2 sources must be magazine, newspaper, or scholarly journal articles or books published within the last 5 years (in-person library search or library database search)
A maximum of 2 sources may be websites (This does not include web versions of print media).
Your research paper should:
• Be centered around a focused thesis statement (your clear position)
• Be logically organized
• Be developed with appropriate, effective, and adequate support (including facts, statistics, expert opinions, anecdotes, etc.) from a variety of academic sources
• Clearly, logically, and completely present your own analysis of the issue or problem (this is not a report where you just summarize information that you have found on a particular topic).
• Thoroughly present the most important issues on all sides of the debate
• Convincingly refute, counterargue, or concede opposing views
• Demonstrate your ability to do scholarly (library research), not google/web searches
• Effectively document and cite sources using MLA style both in the text and in a Works Cited page
• Be 4 to 6 double-spaced pages (including References)
• Use APA documentation style in formatting and citing your sources (both in-text citations & References).