Project #4 – Contentious Research Paper                            English 105 – Fall 2016

This project combines all the sources and work you’ve been doing on a specific issue within the topic of your major in Unit 3. You will need to demonstrate your ability to carry out a scholarly investigation and critically analyze an issue within your major and use sources to support your observations and position for an argument concerning the specific issue you’ve identified. This project requires the use and appropriate MLA citation of at least six (6), but no more than eight (8), scholarly/professional sources. Your paper will be 5 to 6 pages, double spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, on letter size (8 ½ inches x 11 inches) paper.

You will be developing your paper using writing workshops, creating a proposal, conferencing with your instructor, developing three drafts, and utilizing the specific MLA citation instructions provided below:

Research Proposal — In class on Monday, November 7, you will begin to develop a research proposal that will include:
In several sentences discuss the purpose of your research and the specific issue(s) you will focus on in your paper. Why have you chosen this topic and issue and how does it relate to your major?
Provide three or four questions beginning with “wh-” words (who, what, where, when, why, how) that focus on the details of the specific research topic issue you have chosen to make an argument about in your fourth paper.
In several sentences, what are some of the arguments people might make about the questions you’re asking?
In ONE SENTENCE, state the claim (what you want people to believe) about the specific issue you will focus on in your paper. Remember, you are making an argument, so your sentence must state something about your specific issue that lots of people will agree with you about, but people will ALSO DISAGREE with you about. If you say, driverless cars are expensive, no one will disagree, so be sure you create a thesis statement that people will want to argue with you about. REMEMBER – THIS IDEA MUST BE PUT IN ONLY ONE SENTENCE.
In several sentences, explain the claim to your argument (what you want people to believe) and why you believe the issue is important to you and others in your major.
What is your plan for investigating your paper’s issue; how do you plan to carry out your research, where do you expect to find answers to your questions, what kinds of primary (the research others have conducted and published; usually found in scholarly/academic journals) and secondary sources (second hand observations of others’ experiences – a journalist writes a story on the experience of passengers on a flight that crashed) do you plan to use;
Provide a schedule for the activities you need to do and the deadlines you have to meet for the development of your fourth writing project (please provide specific dates and amounts of time you expect to need for carrying out each step for investigating and writing your paper).

Your Research Proposal is due on the Unit 4 Discussion Board before class on Wednesday, November 9th – Save your proposal as “Research Proposal Your First and Last Names” and then upload your research proposal on the Unit 4 Discussion Board.  I will read your proposal and confirm your thesis will work for your Unit 4 paper. Your research proposal must be approved by your instructor before you begin writing your paper.

Conferences — You will meet with the instructor to discuss your research proposal and ideas for your paper in a 15-20-minute conference on either Thursday, November 17; Friday, November 18; Monday, November 28; or Tuesday, November 29.

Sources and MLA Citations — Your paper must use the following types of sources.
Three to four Scholarly/Academic, peer reviewed journal articles from the WSU Library’s journal databases (these are typically primary research articles since they detail the research a person has done to better understand a phenomenon). You will find Academic Search Complete (EBSCO) will likely help you find the most sources on your topic and issue.
Three to four professional sources from reputable, unbiased sources such as professional/trade journals, opinion journals, newspapers, or another approved source of digital media, such as a video from SearchIt on the library website (libraries.wsu.edu, after you search, use the left side menu and limit your search to only “video”); a video from The Filmmaker’s Library Online or a TED Talk video (http://www.ted.com/)

Your paper must appropriately introduce and reintroduce sources using MLA style

The first time you mention a source, you must use a signal phrase to introduce the source (MLA requires the authors’ first and last names, the full publication date of the source [year for a book or the month, day, and year for articles; the title of the source: book titles in italics, article titles in quotation marks and journal/periodical titles in italics).
Use an attributive tag to reintroduce the author when you discuss other sources and then return to a source previously introduced with a signal phrase (i.e., author’s last name and a verb to describe what they are doing – Glasser argues, Glasser contends, for Glasser, the problem is, etc.)
You research paper will also include an alphabetized Works Cited page.

III.       1st Peer Review Draft — before class on Wednesday, November 30th, save your file as “WP 4 Draft 1 Your First and Last Names”; then upload your file on the Project 4 Discussion Board. Remember, your first draft MUST be a complete paper, follow required paper formatting and style. Your peer will expect that you have appropriately introduced and cited sources, included a works cited list, as well as reviewed your paper for spelling, grammar, and style issues and fixed these problems. To participate in the peer review, you must have your paper uploaded before class begins and arrive within the first 10 minutes of the class start time in order to be paired with a peer for review.

2nd Draft for Instructor Review — before class on Monday, December 5th make revisions based on your peer’s review and the peer review instructions, then save your file as “WP 4 Draft 2 Your First and Last Names” and upload your file onto the Project 4 Discussion as a reply to the thread where you posted your first draft.
Rewrites — You will receive your instructor feedback by the end of Friday, December 9th, and you will have until Monday, December 12th, the day your final portfolio is due, to rewrite your paper for a grade.