Documented Paper Guidelines (assigned in Module 10) Due date: Check the Document

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Documented Paper Guidelines (assigned in Module 10)
Due date: Check the Documented Paper Drop Box
(15% of overall grade)
Word count: 1,000 – 1,200 words
(Papers that do not meet the minimum word count will be reduced on letter grade.)
Purpose
Think of this assignment as a way to explore information about a topic, take a position on it, integrate ideas from secondary sources, and present what you discover. You are essentially synthesizing what you have learned so far and demonstrating mastery of the three General Education Learning Outcomes for this course: 
Critical Thinking: The student analyzes, evaluates, and, if necessary, challenges the validity of ideas, principles, or data in order to develop informed opinions, probable predictions, or defensible conclusions.
Communication: The student effectively communicates knowledge and ideas.
Information Literacy: The student effectively locates, evaluates, and applies information from a variety of sources.
You will be graded on the quality of your writing, depth of analysis, use of secondary sources, adherence to MLA format and documentation, grammar, and punctuation. 
Topic choices
Should college and university campuses completely ban the use of tobacco products?
Should vaping products require FDA approval?
Should single-use plastic bags and bottles be banned?
Is there still a need for affirmative action policies?
Are “abstinence only” programs effective at preventing teen pregnancy?
Should environmentally conscious consumers use online shopping or does online shopping contribute to greater abuse of the environment?
How could the high school experience be reformed to produce happier and better educated graduates?
Should your city change the way it handles recycling?
How to Begin
It’s usually best to choose a topic you are interested in or one that you might already know a little about. You also need to consider what types of sources you will need and where you will find them. Also, think about your audience. Who are they? What are their values? How can you tap into these values to persuade them of your claim?
Use a method of prewriting to generate ideas. You could brainstorm, list ideas, cluster, freewrite, discuss the issue with friends, and so on. If you need to learn more about the topic, find high-quality research. Read the research and allow it to guide your thesis statement. In other words, avoid forming an opinion before you read. Read with an open mind and form an opinion after you have read the best arguments from different perspectives on the issue.
As you read, jot down your ideas. Keep in mind that you will need reasons to support your position, but you will also need to address counterarguments, so make a note of those down as well.
Draft a claim. The claim is your point about the topic. It should be a complete sentence.
Create an outline. See page 213 in your book for an example.
Required Sources
You need a minimum of four (4) secondary sources – quote or paraphrase from them. You want to aim for at least one citation in each body paragraph, and at least three evocative/compelling/interesting direct quotations sprinkled throughout your paper. Why? Because without well-said expert opinion, your paper will start to sound monotonous and even downright boring.
These sources can be online or print sources, but they should have an author. Anonymous sources can be a red flag as far as credibility is concerned. You must list these four sources on your Works Cited page AND integrate all four sources at least once into the text of your paper. An in-text citation is needed whether you quote directly or whether you paraphrase (put the source into your own words).
The “PSC Library Basics” module shows you how to access the PSC library catalog and databases. The most helpful PSC databases are Academic One File (EBSCO), CQ Researcher, and General One File (Gale). You may also conduct a personal interview with someone knowledgeable about your topic, or you may find a video or DVD that is helpful, such as a documentary (for this source, you can check the PSC database Films on Demand).
Format Requirements
 Your paper must be typed in MLA style with parenthetical (in-text) citations and a works cited page. It should be double spaced with 12-point font. In the top left of the first page should be your name, my name, course number, and date you are submitting the paper. At the top right of every page should be your last name and the page number. 
Since your paper has a minimum word count of 1,000 words, it will be longer than the other papers you have been assigned this semester. Plan on having between 7-10 paragraphs.
 When you are ready to submit your assignment, follow these steps:
Make sure that your paper is saved as a DOC, DOCX, or PDF file. Do not attempt to upload an ODT, WPS, or TXT file because you will get an error message.
Go to the “Modules” page of our course.
Scroll down to the “Writing Assignment Drop Boxes” module.
Click on “Documented Paper Drop Box.”
Click on the blue “Submit Assignment” button.
Choose your file and then follow the directions.
Note: Turnitin will be used for this assignment, so give yourself enough time to submit a draft of your paper to the drop box so that you can view your Similarity Report before the due date.  I recommend that you take advantage of Turnitin for this assignment because you will integrate secondary sources into your paper, and you want to avoid plagiarism. Go back and review your Similarity Report. Keep in mind that just because a section of your paper is highlighted does not necessarily mean it is plagiarized. The highlighted section tells you that the material has been borrowed from an outside source. You should check each highlighted area to make sure you have cited the information correctly.

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