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Research Writing Assignment
The research essay will be an informative report on the following topic.
- Propose your own set of terms and topics related to how information technology changes the profession or academic discipline you are exploring as a college student.
The Essay: Write an informative essay of four to five typed pages of text (not including the Works Cited Page). Use MLA format for font (Times New Roman at 12 cpi) and margins (one inch all around) and MLA-style documentation. No cover page is required. Use the MLA first page heading you have used for your other essays this semester.
Specifications for Sources
Sources: Use sources to support your ideas and to provide authority or additional information and insights to your ideas.
Number of Sources: At least five+ sources from which you
quote, summarize or paraphrase. This is the minimum; you
may use more sources if you need them.
Dates of Sources: Most sources must be dated 2010 or newer.
You may include older sources to provide background
information, but balance these with newer sources.
Types of Sources:
Scholarly Databases: Use the library’s catalogues and subscription databases to conduct a part of your research. Include at least one source from the library in your essay.
Dictionaries and Encyclopedias: You may use specialized dictionaries and encyclopedias. You should not cite to general reference works like Webster’s, Britannica, Encarta, or Wikipedia. Note: you might need these types of sources for preliminary research, but they are generally not appropriate for use as sources on a college research paper.
Integration of Sources into the essay: Paraphrase, summarize, and quote using correct parenthetical and textual citations. Use no more than two (2) lengthy quotations (4+ lines). No lengthy quotation should exceed eight (8) lines. If you need more information from a lengthy passage, paraphrase or summarize.
Annotated Bibliography: Create a note for three sources you plan to use in your report. Write two paragraphs of text for each source, describing and evaluating each source.
- In the first paragraph, identify the author or organization responsible for the information. Look at the author or organization’s reputation and professional qualifications to evaluate whether he or she or they have the qualifications to write on this topic in a credible, reliable, and accurate way. In addition, identify the kind of source you are working with (website, article from a scholarly journal, article from a general circulation magazine, book in a series, blogpost, etc.)
- In the second paragraph, summarize the source itself and evaluate its content for bias, timeliness, and accuracy. Reflect on how you will use this source in your essay. Does it provide data or statistics, relevant examples, expert opinion or research?
