unconventional/not-very-well-known cure, treatment, or solution for a sickness, ailment, or disease of some sort.

Video Going Over Research Paper Assignment in Detail (Links to an external site.)

Assignment:

Write a research paper on a debatable topic that warrants academic research. You must choose from ONE of the two prompts listed below. The topic you choose must have a significant amount of research available for it. Remember, this is an argumentative essay. As such, a strong thesis statement is critical to your paper’s success.

Note:

The English 101 curriculum requires that all students complete an 8+ page research project at some point in the course. I have altered the assignment slightly so that you are still writing 8 pages, but not all of it has to be a research paper.

Everyone needs to submit at least 8 full pages of writing, total. If an 8 page research paper is too much, you may submit a 6 page research paper (with a Works Cited page that has at least 4 sources), and a 2 page reflection (all in MLA format). The 2 page reflection should be submitted as a separate document here, and can be titled “Research Paper Reflection”. This reflection can be in first person point of view and should highlight what topic you are writing about, why you chose this topic, how you conducted your research for this topic, and what kind of research you found. Even if your reflection is more than 2 pages, your research paper will still need to be at least 6 complete pages.

Prompts:

Write a 6 to 8 page research paper about an unconventional/not-very-well-known cure, treatment, or solution for a sickness, ailment, or disease of some sort. You may not write about COVID-19 or anything related to the Coronavirus for this prompt. Your paper should highlight why this cure/treatment is effective and should implement appropriate academic research to support your claim. Remember, all of your research must come from scholarly sources and most of it should come from research databases and/or the MSJC library website. Remember, you are not writing your paper about a sickness or disease; your paper is about a lesser-known treatment or cure for that sickness/disease.

Write a 6 to 8 page research paper about a new (or relatively new) technological advancement that benefits the educational field. Make sure to focus your paper; does this technology impact colleges? Elementary schools? Teacher training? Your paper should highlight how this technology is revolutionary and how it benefits education. Remember, all of your research must come from scholarly sources and most of it should come from research databases and/or the MSJC library website.

Requirements:

Your final draft must be 8 full pages, and no longer than 10 pages. The Works Cited page does not count toward your overall page length.
Again, you can instead opt to write a 6 page paper (plus works cited page) with a 2 page reflection (MLA format).

If you choose the 8 page option, and your paper is shorter than 8 full pages (reaching the bottom of the 8th page, not including the REQUIRED Works Cited page), your paper will lose points accordingly (anywhere from 10 – 100 points, depending on how much shorter your paper is).

If you choose the 6 page option with a 2 page reflection, and your paper is shorter than 6 full pages (reaching the bottom of the 6th page, not including the REQUIRED Works Cited page) and/or your reflection is shorter than 2 full pages (reaching the bottom of the 2nd page), your paper will lose points accordingly (anywhere from 10 – 100 points, depending on how much shorter your paper is).
You must have a minimum of 6 academic sources, all of which must be mentioned in your paper (minimum of 4 sources if you are choosing the 6 page paper + 2 page reflection option).
The entire research paper must be in proper MLA format. Incorrect format will result in a significant reduction to your grade.

Research Help/Additional Resources

Ultimately, this assignment is a culmination of everything we have discussed, covered, and worked on throughout the entire semester. As such, make sure to revisit any and all of our class Modules for assistance with research, MLA format, and all of my video lectures. Additionally, it may help to revisit our Class Notes folder in Canvas for a refresher on any important topics we have covered.

For research, a great place to start is the MSJC Library website (Links to an external site.), and you are always welcome to email me or schedule a Zoom meeting with me if there is anything you need help on or would like to discuss!