St. Martin's Handbook (access the e-handbook here)
Use your main ideas as keywords.
Connect keywords with AND.
Experiment with different combinations of words when you search.
For example --
Thesis
Spanking does more harm than good.
Keywords
spanking, corporal punishment, children, discipline, behavior, benefits, results, effects, etc.
Possible Searches
spanking AND behavior
corporal punishment AND children
Library Catalog (find anything located in our library)
EBSCO FT (search for articles in more than 5,000 journals)
CQ Researcher (find reports on a broad array of topics)
See also:
Contemporary Women's Issues (find information related specifically to women)
ERIC (find articles on any education related topic)
Social Sciences Index (find articles on a variety of social issues)
Sociological Collection (find articles on a variety of social issues)
For our research paper topics this semester we will be choosing a social problem, identifying why it is a problem, and finding one solution for the problem and discussing it. You should write as much of the paper as you can from your own research and the knowledge gained from it, not copying from others’ work. However, all your content must be backed up with documented sources and whatever statistics are available.
Format of paper:
Introduction – Identify the problem and discuss it
Body – identify one solution and discuss it
Conclusion – summarize your work in logical form
In-text documentation must be used. It may be attribution or parenthetical or both but must be done properly and accurately.
The paper will follow certain steps and each step must be completed and approved before you can move on to the next step or you may not complete the final paper. Acceptable research papers are required to pass the class.
Steps:
1. Choose a topic
2. Complete an annotated bibliography
3. Take notes
4. Do the introduction
5. Do the body
6. Complete a rough draft for peer evaluation
7. Revise for my grading along with a completed folder
List of possible topics:
| Elder Abuse | Social security/retirement issues |
| Deadbeat dads/unpaid child support | Human trafficking |
| Child abuse | Poverty |
| Hate crimes | Teen pregnancy |
| Drinking and driving | Gay rights |
| High school drop outs/access to education/etc. | Illegal immigrants |
| Censorship | Drug addiction |
| Living wage/uninsured/etc. | Gangs/violence/crime/prison reform/etc. |
| Pollution/global warming/etc. | Homelessness |
| Unemployment | Literacy |
| Racism | Date Rape |
The paper should be two to three pages not counting the works cited page.
