SYLLABUS Writing a Research Paper ENG 1000 AA01 LEARNING CENTER

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1 SYLLABUS Writing a Research Paper ENG 1000 AA01 LEARNING CENTER CELL PHONES, TEXT MESSAGING DEVICES, PAGERS and ALL OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES MUST BE TURNED OFF Read syllabus carefully as you are responsible for understanding its content See any Learning Center Instructor if you need clarification. Laura Long Helbig, Director of the Learning Center Office hours: 8:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m. or by appointment ENG 1000 AA01: Writing a Research Paper, One Credit Hour This course may be taken by any student for elective credit toward an Associates of Arts Degree. It is transferable. INSTRUCTOR: Writing Lab Instructors COURSE DESCRIPTION: This is an individualized instruction program and is designed to teach the student the procedures and mechanics of writing a research paper. PREREQUISITE: None. OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to: 1) Utilize various sources to gather data for a research paper; 2) Organize ideas, write annotated bibliographies, and thesis statements; 3) Understand how to develop outlines for research papers; 4) Complete a rough draft of a research paper by correcting punctuation, mechanics, and spelling; 5) Compile a final form of the research paper with a works cited page. TEXT: Research Matters, Rebecca Moore Howard and Amy Rupiper Taggart, McGraw Hill, COURSE OUTLINE: 1) Owning your Research 2) Reading your Sources 3) Exploring and Sharpening your Topic 4) Writing a Research Proposal 5) Gathering Information Page 1 of 11

2 6) Meeting the Challenges of Online Research 7) Evaluating Information 8) Taking Notes and Keeping Records 9) Citing Your Sources and Avoiding Plagiarism 10)Writing and Annotated Bibliography 11)Developing New Information 12)Writing and Refining Your Thesis 13)Organizing Your Project 14)Drafting your Project 15)Entering Conversations and Supporting Your Claims 16)Revising, Editing, and Proofreading 17)Designing and Presenting Your Project 18)Conducting Research in the Disciplines 19)Documenting Sources: MLA IMPORTANT NOTES: In addition to the completing the tasks listed below and earning the points assigned for each assignment listed below, you are required to meet at least once a week with a Writing Lab Instructor to review your progress. Your final grade will be assessed a 10% penalty for missed appointments. See a Writing Lab instructor if you need assistance. See a Writing Lab instructor if you need assistance selecting a topic to write about in your essays. There are seven topics which you may not write about: abortion, tobacco and smoking (pro or con), gun control, hunting, fishing, politics, or religion. This paper will be written and documented according to the Modern Language Association (MLA) style guidelines. Pay particular attention to Pages 272 through 276 for formatting. The total points available for this course are Ten percent will be deducted for late assignments and missed appointments. WEEKLY ASSIGNMENTS: Week 1 Read pages vi through xi and Chapters One through Five (Pages one through 49). Begin thinking about your research paper topic. You need to decide this quickly as next week you begin writing a Research Proposal. If you begin collecting information on your topic, remember to make copies of your readings. You ll need this information later. See a Writing Lab instructor if you need assistance in this area. Week 2 Read Chapters 5 through 8 (pages 50 through 99). Begin writing Research Proposal. This is worth 100 points. See the attached instructional pages in this syllabus beginning on page 6 Page 2 of 11

3 regarding setting up your proposal. This document will help you determine how you are going to approach this paper, and it will act as a map (along with your outline) as you write it. Week 3 Submit Research Proposal by Friday of Week 3. This is worth 100 points; 10 percent will be deducted if this is submitted late. Important note: your proposal must be approved by a Writing Lab instructor Read Chapters 9 through 11 (pages 106 through 128) This is important reading. You don t want to find yourself accused of plagiarism. Week 4 Read Chapters 12 and 13 (pages 141 through 148) Begin writing an annotated bibliography, worth 100 points with a 10 percent penalty if it is submitted late. See the attached sample for the format to follow. Week 5 Annotated bibliography is due by Friday of Week 5 Read Chapters 12 and 13 (pages 141 through 148) Begin drafting your thesis and organizing your project into an outline. An example of how to set up your outline is attached on pages 9 and 10. The thesis and outline are worth 100 points each; a 10 percent penalty will be assessed if submitted late. Week 6 Read Chapters 14 and 15 (pages 161 through 186) Thesis AND outline are due by Friday of Week 6. Begin drafting your paper. Week 7 Continue doing research and working on the first draft of this paper Week 8 Read Chapters 16 and 17 (pages 191 through 217) Continue doing research and working on the first draft of this paper. Week 9 Your research phase should be concluded by now. Continue working on the draft as necessary. Begin revising, editing, and proofreading your draft. You want this to be as polished as possible before submitting it to the Writing Lab instructors for its first critique. Week 10 Submit first draft of research paper by Friday of Week 10 This draft is worth 100 points; a 10 percent penalty will be assessed if submitted late. You need to make sure that this is the best work you can do at this point. Check your word usage, title, grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. Have a friend or another instructor look at your draft as points will be deducted for errors you missed and that the Writing Lab instructors believe you should have caught. Watch for errors like there, they re, and their, were and where, and punctuation. Read Chapter 18 (pages 222 through 226) Page 3 of 11

4 Week 11 Pick up your critiqued paper and begin editing and incorporating suggestions from the Writing Lab instructors Week 12 Read Chapter 19 (pages 230 through 278) Begin formatting your paper in MLA style. Begin writing the Works Cited page following MLA guidelines. Week 13 Week 14 Continue polishing your final draft making sure it is the best work you can do. See pages 272 through 276 for formatting style. Check work usage, title, grammar, spelling, and sentence structure. Also, make sure you have documented your sources correctly both in the text and on the Works Cited page. Points will be deducted for errors that the Writing Lab instructors feel you should have caught. Submit Works Cited page and final draft of your research paper by Friday of Week 14. The works cited page is worth 100 points; 10 percent will be deducted if submitted late. The final draft is worth 400 points. Ten percent will be deducted for a late paper. LEARNING EXPERIENCES: 1. Utilizing a library for research 2. Textbook readings 3. Instructor guidance 4. Research proposal 5. Annotated bibliography 6. Thesis statement 7. Outline 8. Rough draft 9. Works cited page 10.Final draft COURSE EXPECTATIONS: You are expected to read this syllabus in its entirety and adhere to the weekly schedule as outlined above. One of the requirements is to meet with a Writing Lab instructor once a week until the research paper is completed. EVALUATION PROCEDURE: Each assignment is graded and a numerical grade is assigned. The FINAL form of the research paper carries the most points. (This is a test to see if you have actually read this syllabus: At your next appointment with a Writing Lab instructor, define hematite.) The points are totaled and penalties deducted (if any); this number is then divided by the total number possible to determine the final grade. Remember! There is a 10 percent penalty for every component of this course that is received after its deadline, including missed appointments to discuss your progress. CELL PHONES, TEXT MESSAGING DEVICES, AND PAGERS MUST BE TURNED OFF Page 4 of 11

5 GRADING SCALE: 90 to 100% A 80 to 89% B 79 to 79% C 69 to 69% D ATTENDANCE POLICY: Turn OFF electronic devices INCLUDING cell phones. Students enrolled in Writing a Research Paper, ENG 1000 AA01, meet with a Writing Lab instructor once a week. Ten percent will be deducted for missed appointments. Students must work in the Learning Center a minimum of one (1) hour per week for each one hour Learning Center course. The time spent in the Learning Center is comparable to class time spent in a traditional classroom setting. Students are strongly encouraged to spend a minimum of three hours doing homework for each credit hour they are taking. Students who miss nine (9) hours of classroom time in the Learning Center will be dropped for excessive absences. MAC PLAGIARISM POLICY (READ CAREFULLY AND UNDERSTAND THIS): Students who engage in dishonest acts such as plagiarism or other forms of cheating in meeting the requirements of this course will be notified by the instructor that they are receiving an F for that assignment. Your actions may also cause you to receive an F in this class. Students who wish to appeal the decision of the instructor on a matter of dishonesty may do so under the Procedural Policy for Disciplinary Action. Under that policy, the student is subject to suspension from college for acts of dishonesty. COMPLIANCE WITH THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: Mineral Area College complies with guidelines set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act of If you have special needs as addressed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and need assistance with this or any portion of the registration/education process, notify the Learning Center Director or the director of the Access Office. 2010/5 Page 5 of 11

6 Research Proposal (Example) (Note: This is single spaced to save paper; yours should be double spaced) Remember to meet with a Writing Lab instructor every week for guidance and suggestions to improve your research and your paper To: Professor Helbig From: Jane Doe Date: 01/01/10 Subject: Research proposal Proposed Research Topic: provide a brief description or a descriptive title or a research question Purposes: Expand on the topic/question by describing what you hope to accomplish, and the desired outcomes (especially the practical or theoretical benefits to be gained) Background: Describe the context of the proposed research, making it clear how this context will allow you to accomplish your stated purposes Method: (suggested methods develop your own to suit your research topic) Describe in detail the steps you will take in attempting to answer your research question. For example: 1. Utilize your own knowledge of the subject 2. Conduct a literature review 3. Interviews 4. Write a research report that combines your understanding of the relevant theories and previous research with the results of your own research. Timetable: (complete this section based on that in the syllabus) Prepare proposal by Complete literature review by Complete annotated bibliography by Complete thesis statement by Complete outline by Submit first draft by Submit works cited by Submit full document by Limitations: Explain your narrowed topic. Remember, time constraints of the semester mean you may devote less time to this research paper than may be ideal for true research which, depending upon their complexity, can take years to complete. Therefore, be sure that you have narrowed your topic down to a single area that can be fully researched and written about in one semester. Delimitations: Describe the boundaries of the study that you determine what you will not or do not have time/space to include Page 6 of 11

7 References: List the books, articles, web sites, interviews, etc. that you expect to include in your paper. You may find that you don t use all of them; you may find others that you wish to include. The final list of references will be on your works sited page. You may not use Wikipedia or similar sites sources. Page 7 of 11

8 MAKING AN OUTLINE What is it? An outline is a general plan of the material that is to be presented a paper. The outline shows: 1. The order of the various topics 2. The relative importance of each 3. The relationship between the various parts. Order of the Outline There are many ways to arrange the different parts of a subject. A chronological arrangement works well but it may be written in emphatic order (placing your points in a logical order). The most common order in outlines is to go from introduce general material and then progress to more specific material. This means you begin with a general idea and then support it with specific examples. Thesis Statement All outlines should begin with a thesis statement. The thesis sentence presents them main idea of the paper. It must always be a complete, grammatical sentence, specific and brief, which expresses the point of view you are taking towards the subject. A thesis is a limited topic that expresses the author s attitude towards the limited topic. Example: Reckless driving could be avoided if drivers would stop trying to multitasking while on the road. Reckless driving would be the limited topic. The author s attitude is dangerous driving should be avoided or stopped (focusing especially on multitasking talking on the phone, texting, makeup, eating, etc.) Types of Outlines The two main types of outlines are the topic outline and the sentence outline. In the topic outline, the headings are given in single words or brief phrases. In the sentence outline, all the headings are expressed in complete sentences. Rules for Outlining Subdivide topics by a system of numbers and letters. Example: Thesis Statement: I. Introduction II. First Body Paragraph/First Point A. Supporting Detail B. Supporting Detail C. Supporting Detail III. Second Body Paragraph/Second Point Each paragraph should have a point with relating support. Each paragraph should relate to your thesis statement to ensure your paper is coherent and unified. Be consistent. Do not mix up the two types of outlines. Use either whole sentences or brief phrases, but not both. Sources E learning Lab SEMO ( OWLS writing Lab ( Page 8 of 11

9 Outlining a Paper Sample Thesis Statement: (describes the essay s main theme and your purpose in writing the paper. It sometimes gives your reader clues to your organizational pattern.) I First main idea A B Detail 1 Support 2 Support Detail 1 Support 2 Support If you have an A, you must also have a B. If you have a 1, you must have a 2. II Second main idea A B Detail 1 Support 2 Support Detail You have both an A and a B, but only A has two support points. III Third main idea III does not have any extra points to make so there is no A Conclusion The conclusion wraps up your paper. Prepared by Professor Laura J. Helbig Director, The Learning Center Mineral Area College Page 9 of 11

10 Research Proposal Turn OFF electronic devices INCLUDING cell phones. USE THIS FORM TO TRACK YOUR GRADES ENG 1000 AA01 Writing a Research Paper Note: Due dates are Based on Your Enrollment Date Assignment Schedule Test Date Score Notes Annotated Bibliography Thesis Statement Outline First Draft Works Cited Page Week 3 Week 5 Week 6 Week 6 Week 10 Week 14 Missed Appointments Final Draft Week 14 10% /400 FINAL GRADE (minus any penalties) 0 ENG 1000 AA01 WRITING A RESEARCH PAPER Page 10 of 11

11 Research Proposal Writing Lab Instructor Approval Turn OFF electronic devices INCLUDING cell phones. Approved by Date Writing Lab Instructor Not Approved by Date Writing Lab Instructor Comments Page 11 of 11