Title: Unit 7: Assignment: Research Paper
Course: Advanced Composition for the Digital Age SP14 > Section: Unit 7: Problem/Solution

The Research Paper

It's time for the research paper. Use the following links and resources to write your research paper.

This will be quite a bit of work, so plan accordingly. Keep your resources current (last 5 years or newer). The formatting requirements can also be seen in the example for Proper Formatting.

Final Draft should include:

- Word Processing: Do not type your paper or copy/paste below. Submission should be linked to below through a Google Docs account.
- A proper heading (name, assignment, class, teacher, date) in upper left corner.
- Page numbers (do not include a page number on the first page as the heading and title should make that clear.) Page numbers should be in the upper right corner and should include author’s last name followed by a number. This should be the very last thing you add so you don't mess up the formatting of your paper.
- Size 12 font: Use your best judgment. Some fonts are larger/smaller than others so anything that's roughly the size of size 12 Times New Roman. (This is a formal paper so no Comic Sans or Flintstones or some other goofy font like that.)
- 1 inch margins: Top, Bottom, Left & Right (Yes, I know those games people play with 1.2" margins to make a paper look longer. Don't even try it!)
- Double spacing: This means one line between each line, not two spaces between each word. (I only mention this because it has actually happened.)
- Works Cited page in MLA style: Here's the lesson for that if you need a refresher from the Research Resources. A proper Works Cited page is worth one full letter grade on this assignment.
- Length requirement 4-7 pages

Those are mostly formatting issues. I will not accept any submissions that do not meet the above criteria. Remember that writing will be graded according to the 6 Traits as well as the items below. What I am most interested in is actually reading your papers for content. So because all of your papers will include the items to be submitted, here's what I'm looking for:

1. Is your problem clearly identified? (This should be done in just a few sentences.) Don't spend too much time in your paper explaining your issue. This is not a Report. The reader(s) likely are already somewhat familiar with the problem you've selected.
2. Have you identified for whom this is a problem? (Numbers 2-3 should be roughly half of your paper.)
3. Is your conclusion backed up by the research you've cited? Why is this a problem?
4. Are your potential solutions realistic? (Numbers 4-5 should be roughly half of your paper.)
5. Do you provide a plan for how they might be enacted?

At the end of your submission, skip a few lines and assign yourself a grade. Why do you think that you've earned that grade? Is there a part of your submission which could be improved?