ENG 103 APA Formatted Research Paper Assignment
Topic: Write a research paper on one side of an ARGUABLE TOPIC of interest to you.
The topic must be:
- One side of an issue you can argue (i.e. it has to have more than one side to it)
- For example, you cannot write on Smoking is harmful as it obviously no one who would really be able to argue against the statement.
- something you want to know more about
- Research is about learning. Do not choose a topic you know all about or have done a research paper on in the past: it is BORING for you, and kind of pointless.
- not an information only topic
- For example, you may not simply explain what a disease is or does.
- Narrowed enough for a short paper.
- Too broad: Caffeine’s has effects on physical exercise
Narrowed: Caffeine increases endurance in athletes
- Too broad: Fathers are important to raising children
Narrowed: Fathers should be given paternity leave
- Not an overdone topic
- g. abortion, gun control, death penalty, euthanasia,
General Requirements:
- 500 – 650 words (I am not counting words, really)
- APA format
- Title page
- Abstract (summary of the main points of your paper)
- Reference page
- Use APA LEVEL 1 headings (p. 62)
- Your main points. (Do NOT use Methods, Findings, Discussion, etc.)
- Formal academic writing:
- Must be in 3rd person (no I, me, etc. and NO YOU or YOUR)
- No contractions. Spell out. (don’t = do not, can’t = cannot)
- No colloquialism (examples: “off the top of my head,” “go nuts,” “pass the buck,” “kick the bucket”)
Required Sources:
- Paper requires the following 4 scholarly sources:
- 2 peer reviewed full text journal articles from Baptist College database sources
- 1 empirical research study on the topic from Baptist College database and
- 1 scholarly ONLINE source (not a newspaper, magazine, etc.)
- You may use other references as long as they are scholarly..
- Remember to cite all references you use in the reference page and in the paper.
Specific Requirements:
- USE 1 word for word direct quotation from each source
- USE summaries of each source for the remainder of the information
- Only use 1 direct word for word (exact words of author) quotation per source (4 total in paper).
- Use quotation marks, author, year, page #, for all exact words (or it is plagiarism)
- No long quotations (40 or more words).
- No back to back quotations
- Do not begin a paragraph with a quotation
- Tie your quotations in to your point
- Information you use from your articles must be SUMMARIZED in your own words and CITED as per APA. If summaries are not cited, it is plagiarism. (see bottom of p. 15 in APA Manual for example on how to cite long summaries of more than 1 sentence).
- Use “narrative” citations for some of your summaries and word for word quotations.
- Use “parenthetical” citations for some of your summaries and word for word quotations. (see APA Manual p. 171 and 177 on how to format both in text and parenthetical citations within a paper)
Note: See below for more information on turning in the paper and the late paper policy
DUE Dates:
- Turn your rough draft paper** in to Moodle by the date and time it is due (see below for late paper policy). A rough draft is a paper that is totally complete, including APA Title page, Abstract, paper with all information and all citations, and a complete reference page.
- Check the Originality Report within Moodle. Watch the video first on how to use the originality report.
- Failure to check the Originality Report may result in a 0 for plagiarism. Remember, the % is not what is necessarily important in the Originality Report.
- Your final paper is turned in to Moodle. (see important information below)
- You must have passed the Plagiarism Test and turned in your Certificate before you may turn in your rough draft.
- I will not accept the paper until the plagiarism test has been passed. The paper will be considered late. (see Late Paper Policy)
- You must have turned in a rough draft before you may turn in a final paper.
- You may NOT turn in a paper or part of a paper you have previously turned in (self plagiarism)
Late Paper Policy:
- If your rough draft is either 1) incomplete in any way or 2) late, 10% will be deducted from your final paper grade for every day (1 min – 24 hrs) it is late/incomplete. No exceptions (except under extreme emergencies as decided by the professor).
- For every 24 hours your final paper is late (after the due date on Moodle), 10% will be deducted from your final paper grade.
- For example, late papers from 1 minute up to 24 hours late will result in a -10 point deduction from the final paper grade, papers turned in from 24 hours and 1 minute up to 48 hours late will result in a -20 point deduction, and so forth.
Important Paper Policy:
- An overabundance of quotes may result in an “F” or a “0”, at the instructor’s discretion.
- I will not be grading or making comments on your rough draft. I am simply checking that it is complete.
- You will receive feedback from peers. For feedback on your paper to make sure it is correct, you should get input from the writing lab; however, YOU are ultimately responsible to make sure you do not plagiarize.
Final Paper Grade:
- READ the rubric on Moodle
- Any plagiarism will mean a failing grade for the course.
- To check your graded rubric. open the paper, click on Grade Mark tab, click on the icon in the lower right hand corner (looks like building blocks). Comments may also be found on the paper in Grade Mark.
