For your Research Paper you will research a topic of your choice, and based upon your research develop a thesis and argument on that topic.  For this paper you must use 6-10 secondary sources to develop and support your argument.  These sources should all be good (academic, peer-reviewed, verifiable) sources.  You may use books, periodical articles, or websites as secondary sources, provided they fit the good criteria.  These secondary sources should be related to your topic/argument as directly as possible, but dont be afraid to cross fields where appropriate.

Your paper must be 3500-4500 words in length, use 12 point font in Times New Roman, have 1 inch margins, have page numbers, should be double-spaced, and have an alphabetized Works Cited page.

Once you have submitted your paper, in the Comments area of the submission, ask one specific question that you have about your writing.

Grading Criteria:

Content – The submission appropriately responds to the paper prompt. Further, the argument presented in the submission is relevant to the topic and reflects college-level critical thinking.

Mechanics – Submission is correctly written and free from technical/grammatical errors. Further, the submission should correctly use MLA formatting and documentation including: in-text citation, use of block quote format, works cited page (where appropriate), heading, font, margins, and indentation.

Organization – The submission has effective, logical transitions between supporting paragraphs. The paragraphs are controlled by and support/develop the thesis statement. The paragraphs should be arranged with an effective logical strategy. The submission includes an effective introduction with a clear thesis and a concluding paragraph which clearly relates the authors ideas/content/argument and effectively wraps up the writers main point.

Evidence – The submission has salient details, credible facts, data from peer reviewed and scholarly research, and properly cited quotations from subject experts or otherwise reliable sources. There are clear connections between the writers evidence and claims. Each of the body paragraphs develop distinct points, each of which support meaningfully advances the authors argument. The submission has enough supportive evidence to answer reasonable and important questions from the reader.

Critical Perspective – The submission reflects college-level critical thinking and analysis. The submission goes beyond in-class discussion to provide further insight on the topic. The submission effectively integrates theory and critical material to provide depth of analysis.