Writing Section 1
The first section of the research project will entice the reader and introduce your project.
Creatively introduce your project, transition into a discussion of what you want to know, how you mean to find the information, and what you think you will find out when your project is complete (your hypothesis).
This is the first section of your research project, the introduction to your project. Any time you are writing and introduction, you must grab the attention and the imagination of the reader. This is your opportunity to let the skills you have learned in “Show Don’t Tell” shine, and make an impact.
Requirements for Section 1
Length: Write 2-3 pages
Citations: Not required for this section
Must include: Amazing introduction, purpose of research, specific information about research sources, hypothesis.
Have some fun: Include illustrations, maps, animated GIFS, and videos (but I won’t count them in the page count, you still have to give me 2-3 pages of writing!)
Writing Section 2
The second section of the research project will require at least 5 sources.
The second section should start with a short introduction to your research, then jump right into what you are doing by quickly introducing your project and what you did to find out more information on your topic.
Discuss your research criteria (why did you use some information and not use other information).
Report what you found from each source you investigated by making a “QUOTE SANDWICH
Requirements for Section 2
Length: 2-3 pages
Citations: Every bit of information you could not have know by simply living your life must be cited. You can tell me the sky is blue, but if you tell me why the sky is blue, you must cite a source!!! Using information without giving credit is plagiarism. Every source must be done with a “Quote sandwich.”
Must include: a short introduction, introduction to each source, quotes/facts from sources, citations of sources (using parenthetical documentation), connections between sources and research topic, and a short conclusion.
Have some fun: Include illustrations, maps, animated GIFS, and videos (but I won’t count them in the page count, you still have to give me 2-3 pages of writing!). Yes, you can make this section longer than thee pages if you wish.
Writing Section 3
The third section will synthesize and analyze what you have learned.
The third section should start with a short introduction to your final section. Jump right into what you learned in your project and what you will do with this information.
Discuss what you found in your research (this is an overview of the general information).
Discuss what you thought about the information you found (will it help you prepare for this career?)
How will you use this information in your life?
Did you find what you thought you would find when your wrote your hypothesis? Why or why not?
Conclude the paper (Maybe you can finish your vision from the start?)
Requirements for Section 3
Length: 2-3 pages
Citations: Not required for this section
Must include: Short introduction, synthesis of information gathered in research, analysis of what information means to you, whether hypothesis was correct, amazing conclusion (probably connecting to the Section 1 Introduction), Works Cited on a separate page in MLA 8 style.
Have some fun: Include illustrations, maps, animated GIFS, and videos (but I won’t count them in the page count, you still have to give me 2-3 pages of writing!).
Final Paper Checklist
Paper is 6-9 pages (not including Works Cited).
Paper has parenthetical citations for each source used.
Paper uses at least five sources.
There is a Works Cited page at the end in MLA 8 style.
USE ZOTERO. I can’t emphasize this enough. I don’t think I have given one A for a student who didn’t use Zotero. If you didn’t want to learn Zotero yet, you need to take a deep breath, go back to Week 3, and make sure you know it. It is probably the most important thing I will teach you in this class.
The most important use of Zotero is through the Zotero Connector for Microsoft Word/Google Docs. Using the integration for Zotero, you can easily cite your sources and build a bibliography for your research paper using Zotero.
Once you have added all your citations using Zotero:
- Make a page break at the end of your paper (Works Cited is NEVER on the same page as the paper.)
- Put the words, “Works Cited” at the top. Do not italicize, do not put quotes around them.
- Hit the “enter” button twice to make a space, then click the “Add/Edit Bibliography” button in MS Word/Google Docs. The Works Cited source list should appear in a few seconds.
DO NOT PUT AN ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY INTO YOUR PAPER’S WORK CITED SECTION!!!!
ANNOTATIONS ARE ONLY FOR RESEARCH. THEY SHOULD NEVER BE PART OF YOUR PAPER.
