Research Paper

Research paper
FOR MY TOPIC I CHOSE ABORTION.
Though the research paper is not due until the Monday of finals week (May 18), you have access to the prompt throughout the entire semester. This will give you plenty of time to brainstorm, conduct the necessary research, outline, write drafts, and come to office hours for help (or for feedback, or for ideas about how to get started, or for research strategies with the library databases, or for help with citations, or even just for some reassurance that you’re on the right track!).

The research paper is worth 25 percent of your grade, so plan to start early!
To provide an extra incentive for getting started, you can also use your research paper topic as the basis for an extra credit video! If this sounds enticing to you, please check out the extra credit page for details and then let’s talk about your idea!

Two Important Notes
Before reading through the other materials in this page, please read the following two important (and necessary, though a little unpleasant) notes:

Before you start gathering materials and writing your research paper, please go back and reread the policy on academic integrity. To avoid any issues, make sure that you fully understand the policy and, if you have any questions at all, let me know. In addition to the actions listed as cheating in that policy, I will also consider uploading a corrupted file through the “turnitin” app as cheating.

Please do not wait until the last minute to turn in your research paper. Invariably, this is when students encounter submission/technical problems.
If you have technical problems and you contact me 24 hours before the paper is due, I can help you resolve the issue.
If you contact me about technical problems less than 24 hours before the paper is due, there is nothing I can do to help and I will not accept your paper late.

The goals
This assignment has three major objectives:

to increase your undertanding of the arguments surrounding a current, important public policy issue
to gain practice at locating relevant sources of information, such as academic journals, data sources, and government documents
to help you improve a crucial, transferable skill: articulating a clear argument in writing and supporting it with reliable evidence

The prompt
In this research paper, you will examine a current policy area of your choice (either at the federal level or in California), recommend a specific public policy (this will be your thesis statement), and then argue for the adoption of that policy.

The paper should be 6-8 double-spaced pages (excluding the title page and the bibliography).

Not sure where to start? Check out this list of research paper topic ideas!

What you need to include in your paper
The paper prompt is intentionally broad, as it is designed to have you research a policy topic that (1) you find interesting and (2) is current.

The paper should include a minimum of seven sources beyond sources assigned in this class (i.e., you are welcome to use any materials from the class–and this includes articles or podcasts located in the recommended materials–but on top of these materials, you must find seven of your own sources).
You will need to look at more than seven sources to craft your argument. This minimum refers to the number of citations that you actually end up using in the paper.
The seven sources must be scholarly and reputable.
These can be scholarly articles or books, government documents, or data sources.
Depending on the topic, these may be newspaper articles, documentaries, or podcasts.
However, your goal is to present the most convincing evidence possible, so relying exclusively on these sources is not a good idea. You should aim to use a majority of scholarly sources.
These sources cannot be dictionaries, encyclopedias, or blogs.

Format
Your essay needs to:

include a title page that lists your name, your paper title, and the following statement:
“I acknowledge that before submitting this research paper I reread Dr. Michel’s “policy on academic integrity,” which is located in the “start here” module. If I found anything unclear regarding cheating, I emailed Dr. Michel for clarification. In submitting this essay, I am confident that I fully understand what constitutes cheating. In particular, I understand that (1) using a translator (to convert my native language to English) is cheating, (2) working with other students is cheating, and (3) not using proper citations is cheating. On top of these class-wide policies, I acknowledge that for the research paper Professor Michel will consider uploading a corrupted file as cheating. If I cheat, I understand that I will earn a failing grade on this research paper and Dr. Michel will send my name to the Ohlone College Administration for additional sanctions.”
If you do not include this statement, I will not grade your research paper.
have a length of 6-8 double-spaced pages (excluding the title page and bibliography)
use 12 pt. font
have 1 inch margins
include page numbers
include parenthetical (in-text) citations for both quoted and paraphrased materials
include a bibliography with the following properties:
the bibliography is on its own page at the end of the document
the word “Bibliography” or “References” or “Sources” or “Works Cited” is centered at the top
the sources are alphabetized by the author’s last name
the citation style is consistent
Note: If you are using an automatic citation generator (e.g., EasyBib (Links to an external site.), BibMe (Links to an external site.)), double-check your citations! While these are convenient tools, they provide computer-generated citations that often have mistakes. It is your responsibility to correct these errors according to the citation style you’re using for the research paper (see links to the library guides below).

Content
Your paper should…

…in the introduction:
draw the reader in (e.g., introduce a puzzle or provide an illustrative anecdote–this is necessary to answer the “Why?” questions, such as “Why is this topic important?” or “Why is this paper necessary?” or “Why should the reader care?”)
develop a clear, concise, and easily identifiable thesis statement (i.e., your policy recommendation)
provide a “roadmap” that explains how you are going to demonstrate what you claim in your thesis statement (think of this as a mini-outline for your paper–it can take the form of “First, I will…Second, I will…Third, I will…”)

…in the body paragraphs:
logically build evidence in favor of your thesis statement
this will require presenting an overview of the current policy, considering opposing arguments (and/or actors) in the debate, and taking into account public opinion on the topic
this will also require you to present data to back up your proposal (i.e., to explain what about the current policy you want to change and why this change would be beneficial)

…in the conclusion:
re-emphasize the main points of your argument

Quoting
Using quotations in your writing is one way to provide evidence for your argument.
To use quotations effectively, you must introduce them.
That is, you need to introduce who is speaking or where the quotation comes from. You should never just “drop-in” a sentence that is all in a quotation.
Here’s an example with a quotation properly introduced: In response to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana Governor Kathleen Blanco stated, “…” (Lee 2006).
To use quotations effectively, you must also analyze them.
That is, you must discuss why you included the quotation and explain how it relates to your thesis/argument.
This means that you should only use quotations as evidence that helps to prove your thesis/argument.
You should not include a quotation that simply states the information you want to include. In this case, you should paraphrase the information in your own words and cite it appropriately.
You should not take quotations directly from the textbook, unless the quotation comes from primary source material (like a speech or the founding documents). Again, this is material that you should paraphrase in your own words (and then cite appropriately).

Citing
The most important thing to remember with citations is the following: You must cite all of your sources, even if you’ve paraphrased (and remember, paraphrasing means restating all of the information in your own words–not only changing a word here or there)! When in doubt, cite!

Which citation style should you use? You are welcome to use MLA, APA, or Chicago Style for your citations. The only thing I ask is that you are consistent with your citation style throughout the paper. The library website has pages on each of these styles, which you can find here:

MLA (Links to an external site.)
APA (Links to an external site.)
Chicago (Links to an external site.)
There is also additional information at the main library guides (Links to an external site.) page.

No matter which style, you must cite all of your sources in both the body of your paper and at the end of your paper in a separate bibliography. In the body of your paper, use in-text (parenthetical) citations, which appear within parentheses in the sentence in which you have used material.

When using the same source multiple times, the source should only appear once in the bibliography.

For example, if you use several different sections from the textbook, you will provide one complete citation in the bibliography for the Bianco and Canon textbook, then reference the specific page numbers when you use them in your parenthetical citations.

Writing style
The advisory for this course is the completion of English 101A. This means that I expect you to know how to write successfully at the college level, which includes using proper spelling and grammar. If you do not turn in college level writing, you will not do well on the assignment. If you need help with your writing, please visit the writing center in Hyman Hall. There is absolutely no shame in seeking out writing and editing assistance! Writing well is a learned skill that requires practice and it’s important to remember that even seasoned writers often need help–an extra set of editing eyes is always a good thing!

I expect polished and proof-read papers. At a minimum, you must:

express only one idea per paragraph (i.e., the paragraph should have one topic sentence and all following sentences should provide evidence that support the topic sentence)
This means that paragraphs should never be super long! If you are expressing more than one idea in a paragraph, break it in to two paragraphs (or three…or however many ideas you’re expressing)!
provide transitions between paragraphs
If one paragraph discusses the Declaration of Independence and the next jumps to a discussion of political parties, I will have no idea how you’re moving from thought #1 to thought #2. Include a transition that connects the two ideas–this way, I can easily follow your train of thought!
write in complete sentences
use active voice
Example of active voice: “Delegates signed the Declaration of Independence…”
Example of passive voice: “The Declaration of Independence was signed by delegates…”
Always use active voice. It makes your writing more direct and impactful.
edit the work thoroughly to ensure there are no grammatical problems or typos
I highly suggest reading your paper out loud during one of your editing sessions. This is a great way to catch errors.

For writing help, please revisit the tutoring, writing help, and library services page.

Grading Rubric
The paper is worth 250 points.

Here is the rubric: research paper grading rubricPreview the document
If a paper contains plagiarism or is missing a bibliography and parenthetical citations, it will earn a score of 0.

What is a “roadmap”?
The following video provides an overview of how you should craft a “roadmap” for the introduction to your paper:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NV8zN6ZVMfQ&feature=youtu.be (Links to an external site.)

SOURCES THAT I HAVE CITED SO FAR

Works-Cited
Williams, T. (2019, December 4). New Abortion Bills Are So Tough That Some Conservatives Have Qualms. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/04/us/abortion-bills-ohio-ectopic-pregnancy.html
Cha, A. E. (2020, January 13). Five years after an abortion, most women say they made the right decision. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/01/12/five-years-after-an-abortion-most-women-say-they-made-right-decision/
Ariana Eunjung Cha, E. G. (2020, January 22). Most Americans want abortion to remain legal, but back some state restrictions. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/01/22/most-americans-want-abortion-remain-legal-back-some-state-restrictions/
Seger, L. (2011, May 25). How Liberals Think… About Abortion. Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-liberals-think-about-_b_58036
Conservative vs. Liberal Beliefs. (n.d.). Retrieved April 8, 2020, from https://www.studentnewsdaily.com/conservative-vs-liberal-beliefs/
Smith, J. (2020, April 8). Texas Puts Millions at Risk but Blames Abortion for Spreading the Coronavirus. Retrieved from https://theintercept.com/2020/04/08/texas-abortion-coronavirus/
Smith-Spark, L. (2020, April 9). Abortion access thrown into jeopardy by coronavirus pandemic. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/27/health/coronavirus-abortion-access-intl/index.html

Kambhampaty, Anna Purna. “No Test, Minimal Contact: How One Abortion Clinic Is Adapting to Coronavirus Concerns.” Time, Time, 6 Apr. 2020, time.com/5814028/abortion-clinics-during-coronavirus/.
Perano, Ursula. “Federal Court Temporarily Blocks Coronavirus Order against Some Abortions.” Axios, 7 Apr. 2020, www.axios.com/texas-abortion-ban-coronavirus-appeal-a72f9fcf-76e7-4d64-bfdc-657ded9d9b17.html.