First Things First - Assignment RequirementsBefore you begin work on any research project, examine the assignment closely for any requirements. Some instructions are getting students to write an essay on this topic and some are getting to do a presentation. These mention some standard requirements, but your instructor may have different requirements. Always follow your instructor's guidelines.
Q. How long is the paper/presentation?
Your paper should be a minimum of 4 full pages, formatted according to MLA 9th ed. guidelines. (See Composition Basics and SCC library resources). The Works Cited page is a separate and last page (not included in the 4-page minimum). For classes doing a presentation, a 4–5-minute presentation but substantial enough to support research and analysis.
Q. What kind of sources?
This essay requires a minimum of four sources and three for presentations); your sources should be a mix of scholarly books/journals and other credible articles, websites, videos, etc. Your sources should be current (published within the last 10 years).
Q. How do you cite sources?
Most instructors will ask you to use MLA format for your citations, but double-check to make sure. You may want to remind yourself what information you need to create the MLA Works Cited page and in-text citations.
Q. What is due?
What do you have to turn in? Do you have to turn in a thesis and outline? A rough draft? Is it just a final paper? Is it just an oral presentation or do you need a visual presentation to go with it? Do have to turn in a speaker outline with your citations? Is there also an Annotated Bibliography due? Make sure you know all the other pieces like a rough draft, outline, summary, reading response, a tutorial, etc. Make note of all the parts of the assignment and create a checklist to make sure you don't leave anything out.
Q. When is it due?
How long do you have to work on this project? Is there one due date for everything or are there multiple due dates for different parts of the assignment? Plan out your time, so you don't get stuck doing all the work at the last minute. Plan extra time in case you have problems or get stuck.
The first thing you need to do before you begin a research paper is to select a topic that you're going to write about. Consider the following:
Q. Do you have a choice / what are you interested in?
Yes, you have to write about a topic related to your career, but you have a lot of freedom within that topic to write about an issue that's meaningful to you. In the next couple of sections on this guide - you'll have an opportunity to explore different aspects of your career and find something that really interests you.
Q. Are there enough sources?
Before you totally commit to a topic, you'll want to make sure that there are enough outside sources on the topic for your assignment. Not every topic is going to have information written about it. Newer topics or topics that aren't as well known may be harder to find sources for. Do some searching in the library's databases to make sure there are sources, and Ask-A-Librarian to double-check if you're not sure there are enough sources for a topic you're really interested in.
You should choose one specific aspect of your academic or professional pathway to explore in depth from the lists below. Your topic should be substantial enough to support research and analysis.
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