Guidelines for research paper:
Length: 1200-1500 words (exclusive of cover and Works Cited page). Neither more nor less than this range.
No. of sources: Minimum of five, including at least one non-electronic source
Your thesis should be one that has an arguably valid flip side. Use your research to prove YOUR position.
• Whether New Jersey should root for the Yankees or Phillies
In researching a topic, consider using other resources besides the web, for example:
1. the on-line catalog;
2. a general periodical index;
3. the New York Times index;
4. general or subject-specific encyclopedias and dictionaries;
5. abstracts;
6. yearbooks and almanacs, e.g., on baseball, the weather, etc.
7. books of quotations.
In your papers, give attribution where and when it is due. There are several specific formats for documenting your sources. The one we will use is the MLA (Modern Language Association) format in your grammar book. Make sure that in addition to text references, your paper contains a "Works Cited" page. Both in-text citations and the "Works Cited" page must be substantially in the MLA format. Your grade is reduced by a full grade for failure to do so.
Do not restrict yourself to a report that merely stitches together quotations and summaries into a patchwork quilt. Interpret the information you collect and develop a thesis. Explain, justify, and defend that thesis in your essay.
You may use both primary and secondary sources. A primary source is the evidence or raw data itself, e.g., diaries, journals, letters, committee reports. A secondary source is an analysis of the data by a scholar or expert or the like.
Follow the rules for using quotations. Use marks correctly; use block quotes where appropriate; vary your use of direct and indirect quotations without mixing the two in the same sentence. Use standard idiomatic English.
Remember: Papers will be graded for both substance and form. Sloppy research or form will seriously detract from your grade, but the paper must also be thoughtful and well-written. Finally, remember that when you are quoting a source indirectly or using someone else's conclusions, you are using that source's ideas but your style of expression.
Tentative topics and theses MUST be submitted to be no less than three weeks before the due date. Failure to do may result in a lower grade for the research assignment.