Write a research paper on a current Texas public policy issue or concern that is not related to the past. Develop your Internet and library research skills. Evaluate your topic from the perspective of different cultures and viewpoints as well as your own. Improve your writing and critical thinking skills. Topic Selection You are to choose a topic that involves Texas governmental policy. Refer to chapters 11-14 of the textbook for ideas. The topic must exam some aspect of government that highlights your responsibilities a citizen in a democratic society. If you have doubts about the topic you selected, please contact the instructor. Writing the Bibliography Sheet (Work Cited page) Use the Internet or library to find the sources on your topic from newspapers, journals, or books. On a full sheet of paper, type your name, Government 2306, the day & time of your class, and your topic. Cite at least four (4) sources using MLA (Modern Language Association) guidelines. Additional sources may be added later. You may use the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers at the checkout desk of the library or any similar publication to help you write your citations in the correct format. There are many on-line resources on MLA format that are helpful. Guidelines for Writing the Paper Correct typographical errors by proofreading your final paper. Use words correctly & eliminate spelling errors by looking up definitions & spellings of words in the dictionary. Try to eliminate grammatical errors & awkward sentence structures. Use a variety of sentence patterns & lengths. Reduce wordiness by not using redundant or irrelevant words in the same sentence, e.g., if you can write a twelve & twenty word sentence expressing the same idea, use the former. Pay attention to paragraphing & organization by possibly outlining your ideas on paper before writing them in prose. Superior papers generally must be revised several times. Be sure to do your own work. Your personal effort is better than a polished paper written by someone else. Don’t rely too heavily on the words of the authors. This is an assignment of original work; do not use another person’s paper or your own paper from another class or school. FAILURE TO FOLLOW THIS POLICY IS CONSIDERED PLAGIARISM OR ACADEMIC DISHONESTY AND WILL RESULT IN A GRADE OF F FOR THE ASSIGNMENT. Cite all sources. When you borrow ideas, paraphrase, or quote from someone, acknowledges your sources with footnotes. (Webster’s New World Dictionary defines “paraphrase” as “a rewording of the meaning expressed in something spoken or written.”) Follow the MLA guidelines in citing your sources. Do not use quotations unless it adds significantly to the paper. Use of more than 5% of paper content as a quote will result in a grade F. To improve your grade, confer with me throughout the writing of the paper. Don’t wait until a few days before the writing assignment is due to discuss any problems about it. Grading Criteria Content—WAS THE TOPIC APPROPRIATE TO THE ASSIGNMENT. If you have focused on an issue, address the various sides of the issue and conclude in your paper which one or ones are best and why. If you are writing about a problem, explain the various solutions to the problem and write about which one or ones are best and why based on your research. Compare and contrast the different viewpoints of American and/or foreign sources on your topic. Paper length—a minimum of 1000 words of text, type-written double spaced. This excludes headings or any other non-text lines such as title page and work cited page. Everything else being equal, the longer your paper, the better. Organization—Organize your ideas by writing from an outline. Focus—Narrow your topic. A focused discussion is better than a broad presentation of a topic that does not cover anything very well. Writing style—with few or no typographical errors, misspelled words, and grammatical errors. Use proper paragraphing and improve your writing style by revising the paper as many times as necessary. Citations—anytime you borrow someone’s ideas, paraphrase or quote them, cite all sources using MLA guidelines. Sources— At least 4 sources will be used. DO NOT use sources such as the textbook, dictionaries and encyclopedias, Wikipedia, about.com ask.com or other general information sources are not appropriate sources for an academic paper. These will not be counted as one of your 4 sources. The more you cite and use, the better. You will not be given credit for using sources from your bibliography unless you actually use and cite them in the body of your paper. Components of the Completed Paper A typed cover page with your name; Government 2306; day & time of the course, e.g., MWF 8:30-9:20 or TTh 10:00-11:20 or on-line; & title of your topic. The main body of the paper explaining the significance of the issue, problem, or situation. MLA citations of sources. A bibliography or “work cited” page PLEASE NOTE: Papers that do not meet the minimum requirement for length, do not use four appropriate sources, do not use MLA format and citations, or uses inappropriate sources, is not submitted in both places under the Writing Assignment hyper-link, uses more than 5% of paper content as a quote, or fails to provide a work cited page will receive a grade of F. Submission The file must be in Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx) format. The paper must be submitted in Turn-it-in hyper-link.
