Instructions (read this many times throughout the semester)

Term Paper/Project/Presentation

The term paper is a very important assignment.  You will become an expert on your topic.  Try to say something significant.  Write on an information topic of interest to you (but not a biography).  The text (not including title page, end notes, bibliography, etc.) should be about 5–7 pages of 12 pt double-spaced type with 1” margins.

Here are some possible topics, but don't feel confined or bound to the list.

Sources: You should use at least four sources in addition to any encyclopedias.  At least one of your sources must be a traditional (or old-school) journal or book on paper!  Many of these traditional journals are now available on the web, but I would like you to browse the library stacks. 

Citations: Your sources must be cited properly in the text and properly attributed in the Bibliography (or Works Cited).  Use a standard citation and bibliography format for your major. http://www.aip.org/pubservs/style/4thed/toc.html Links to an external site.

Begin your paper with a title page (title, name, date, etc.) which includes a well written abstract.  Include reference citations to your sources within your paper.  Properly reference any data, information, or figure which comes from another work. Each bibliography entry should contain the author’s name(s), the title of the article, the name of the journal or book, the volume if it is a journal article, the page that the article starts on, and the year of publication.  See the style guide. http://www.aip.org/pubservs/style/4thed/toc.html Links to an external site.

Despite the fact that some citation styles and guides no longer recommend including the URL in a web citation, I still want the URL.

All drafts and submissions in this process should be typed, grammatically correct, spell-checked, and polished (i.e., the best you can do).  The target audience is your classmates and other interested lay people.

There are various stages in this overall process; you will be graded on each piece.  I’m available for consultation at each stage of the process.

1. The proposal.  Submit a proposal which first states the question you want to answer, second, says why you are interested in the topic and how it pertains to our class, and third, gives a brief outline of your paper.  The outline should be in the format demonstrated in Step 4 of http://www.aresearchguide.com/1steps.html Links to an external site..  This is due in class on Sept. 20.

2. Draft for peer review.  You will have someone in our class review and critique your paper.  This draft should be polished–the best you can do on your own.  This is due in class on Oct.19.

3. Peer review of another’s paper.  You will also be graded on your helpfulness to your classmate.  Submit a page with the title and author of the paper you critique, as well as your own name.  Address issues such as

• What you like about the paper,
• Clarity, grammar, punctuation, spelling,
• Is the topic too broad or too narrow, or too deep or too shallow?
• Organization and flow
• Is the information/content correct?
• Are references and citations done completely and correctly?
• Quality of the abstract, introduction, and conclusion

You may write directly on the draft of the paper as well (that is, mark it up).  Be as helpful as you can.  Turn your critique and the draft back to the author in class on Oct. 26.

4. Writing lab tutor’s critique.  Have a tutor from the Snow College Writing Lab read the next draft of your paper and give you further feedback.  Have them sign and date the draft they mark up by Nov. 4.

5. Final draft.  I will read and grade the final version.  It should be the best paper you have ever written.  Turn in the rough drafts that were critiqued by your classmate and the writing lab tutor as well (including the critique from your classmate).  Put them all in a folder.  The whole package is due in class on Nov. 13.

6. Reflect (in writing) on the process of doing your research project  This is due in Canvas on Nov. 18.

7. Class presentation. Do a short presentation on your topic to the class.  It will be graded on your mastery of the content, the quality of the presentation, and the motivation it gives fellow students.  Allow time for Q&A.