Research Writing Process (Book)

Other Notes:

• Stay true to yourself: Your research paper should be your own work—not somebody else’s. Any sort of plagiarism will result in failure—BHS has a zero-tolerance policy in regards to this action. There are no excuses--plagarism is stealing.

• Stay interested: Choose a topic that interests you and is one that you can understand. Writing the paper will be much more interesting for you (and possibly even enjoyable) if you choose a topic you like. All topics must be approved by me andplease keep in mind that there are a few I might say no to because of limited research or inappropriateness.

• Pay attention to details: Make sure you are following the directions for the assignment. Failure to pay attention to detail will result in your receiving a lower grade. Keep in mind, all outlines, rough drafts, and final drafts must be typed and double-spaced and in MLA formatting—if you have questions, come and see me.

• Your sources are the keys to a successful paper: A minimum of five sources are required for this paper. While they may be accessed all in the same method (through databases), they must be from at least two different types of source material (books, magazines, encyclopedia, newspaper, newswire, etc.) All sources must be current within the last 15 years.

• Realize it will take some effort and hard work: This isn’t an easy assignment and involves a lot of minute details. Be aware that your completion of the assignment will involve some homework, some effort, and some awareness to requirements. The finished product will be around three to four (3-4) pages (excluding your cover page and works cited page) and you will be proud of it by the time you are done.

• Writing a paper is a process: Please be sure to participate in all the steps leading up to the final product for your research paper. Writing a paper is a lengthy process and it is one that you will need to know how to complete—it is my pledge that I will guide you through the process and explain each step along the way. Every additional activity or assignment not listed in this breakdown is a part of your grade, so be sure to hand in all materials when they are due. You may also receive participation points for doing work in lab during class time. Failing to do so will result in a zero for participation that day. Finally, for each day a step is late, 25% will be deducted from your grade. I’m not trying to be hard on you, but once you fall behind in this process it is extremely difficult to get caught up. So please, PLEASE stay up-to-date on everything!