Finnan

Introduction

One of the exit criteria for ELI 150 Reading and Writing (and 20% of your ELI150 final grade calculation) is the demonstrated ability to produce a satisfactory research paper which is at least 3 double-spaced, word-processed pages long and which draws upon at least 3 sources. In order to do this, you must be able to:

1. find information in books and periodicals using electronic resources (for example, the OASIS

on-line catalog and the CD-ROM indexes in the Kerr Library, the World Wide Web), and

2. read, understand and take notes from the sources, summarizing and paraphrasing to insure a

uniform style in your paper, avoiding plagiarism, and

3. cite references and use quotations appropriately to avoid plagiarism, and

4. present an informed point of view in the paper, well-supported by evidence from the sources.

To assist you in accomplishing this, I have prepared support materials which should help you at every step in the process. In addition, I plan to give you ample time to complete the assignment, as writing a research paper is a time-consuming endeavor. Most of the research paper-related activities will be done outside of class, but we will spend some time on related activities in class, especially summary writing. Also, I include an assignment timeline for you, referenced to page numbers in the support hand-outs to keep you on track. As you can see, there are a number of internal deadlines to break this large task into small, achievable steps, which I hope will reduce your stress level and increase the quality of the final product, the research paper.

I offer three pieces of advice: Start early. Keep up. Ask for help when you need it. (In other words, see me in my office and get assistance from our excellent Learning Center writing assistants.)

As a result of completing the research paper process, I hope that your English and academic skills will be improved, that you will be better prepared for university work, and that you will be a better informed person with a sense of accomplishment and pride in your work.

Materials

I suggest you purchase a separate notebook or folder for exclusive use for your research paper. In addition, you should purchase 3X5 index cards for your bibliography cards and 4x6 index cards for your note cards.

Format

1. Title page

2. Page with thesis statement and outline

3. Research paper - minimum 3 double-spaced pages, 12 point font, with at least 3

sources. One-inch margins top and bottom, left and right. Indent each new paragraph five

spaces from the left margin. Do not leave an extra double-space between paragraphs.

Number each page, beginning with the first page. Place page numbers in the upper right-

hand corner, one-half inch from the top and flush with the right -hand margin (right justified).

4. "Works Cited" (MLA style) or "References" (APA style) page

5. Stapled, upper left corner

Hand in two copies of the entire research paper (cover page, thesis statement/outline page, paper, "Works Cited/"References" page).