RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES
RESEARCH PAPER GUIDELINES
Scroll Down the page for Specific Guidelines including paper length, format, etc.
If you are in the 16-week course, your paper is due during Week 14. (Found under the detailed outline)
If you are in the 8-week section, your paper is due during Week 7 (Found under the detailed outline)
KASKASKIA COLLEGE LIBRARY RESOURCES
Kaskaskia College provides a variety of library resources. Material including citing sources, APA, and MLA style can
be found by clicking on the following link.
Final Research Paper (20% of final grade)
The primary topic must be associated with material found in the textbook. Topics to research can include virtually anything taken from your text that appeals to you. You MUST document your sources as you would any research paper. There are numerous opportunities to choose a topic that will hold your interest as you write your paper.
Just get your topic approved first to make sure it is acceptable. Please choose a topic of interest to you since you will have to spend a considerable amount of time doing the paper. Please remember the topic must be about music in America. Papers about Beethoven, Mozart, etc. will not be accepted. Remember, this is a research paper, and you will need plenty of material available to you to be successful.
The following topics WILL NOT be allowed for this paper:
RAP MUSIC - Because this is a relatively young genre, RAP MUSIC isn't currently acceptable as a topic for this research paper. The sites and sources for this topic generally "borrow" from one another which severely limits the availability of credible information. It may be referenced as part of a larger paper, but it will not be accepted as a stand-alone topic. If you would like to do a paper about Rap music, you may send me a proposal stating your position.
NEW ARTISTS - Regardless of genre, any individual artist who has emerged on the scene in the past ten years will not be accepted.
OPINION PAPERS - Please remember...this is a research paper. While you can use your opinions in the paper, you must back up your statements with FACTS collected from your various sources.
Is it a good topic?
Although Elvis Presely has had a profound influence on popular music in America, just submitting the topic "Elvis Presely" for your paper would result in a rejected topic and a request to re-submit your topic. You must ask yourself "What about Elvis?" and "What detail will be provided in the paper?".
The following link contains a PDF from American University, Academic Support Center, Writing Lab, updated 2009.
The following link will provide you assistance on your topic and during the writing process.
TEN STEPS FOR WRITING RESEARCH PAPERS
Additional Help
The following links provide more detail about how to write a research paper including how to develop a proper topic. Click on the link to find information about effectively writing a research paper.
SELECTING AND DEVELOPING A RESEARCH PAPER TOPIC
DEVELOPING AN EFFECTIVE SEARCH STRATEGY
ONE WAY TO WRITE A THESIS STATEMENT
Sources
Please make sure that you have credible sources in your paper. http://www.wikipedia.org IS NOT allowed as a source for any work in this class. No part of your paper should reference that site in any way. If you find it on Wikipedia, it has a source. Just follow that source for a more reliable reference. Please make sure that you double check your facts before you put them into a paper.
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Specific Guidelines
1) The paper must be a minimum of 2000 words. (If you only turn in 1000 words, you have only done 50% of the assignment. The maximum score you can receive is a 50% for the overall paper)
2) The paper must be written in either MLA or APA style
3) The paper must be typed and double spaced with the font being no larger than 12pt.
4) The paper must use one-inch margins
5) The paper must contain a bibliography page with no fewer than six sources. THREE OUT OF THE SIX SOURCES MUST BE BOOKS. NO MORE THAN THREE OF YOUR SOURCES CAN BE INTERNET SOURCES. ANY ELECTRONIC SOURCE IS NOT CONSIDERED A BOOK FOR PURPOSES OF THIS PAPER.
6) The paper must contain In-Text Citations. If you are unfamiliar with this concept, please contact the college library. There are people there to help guide you through the process. Also, you can type in MLA, In-text citations at www.google.com and you will find many examples.
7) The paper must be in your own words. Quotes are acceptable, but use them sparingly and give proper credit to the author
8) The paper must be sent as an electronic attachment as a Microsoft WORD file (.doc), WORDPERFECT file (.wpd), or a Rich Text Format File (.rtf). NO OTHER FILE TYPES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
9)Do not use yourself as a source for the paper
10) The paper must be submitted on or before the listed date at midnight. NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. Please plan ahead.
11) When you submit your research paper, it must be one complete document. DO NOT send the paper separate from the works cited page. Your paper must be whole. I will not assemble it for you, and you will lose points for an incomplete assignment.
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PLAGIARISM/CHEATING POLICY
The dictionary defines plagiarism as:
1: A piece of writing that has been copied from someone else and is presented as being your work.
2: The act of plagiarizing; taking someone s words or ideas as if they were your own.
ANY ACT OF PLAGIARISM OR CHEATING OF ANY KIND WILL RESULT IN A LETTER GRADE OF F BEING ISSUED FOR THIS COURSE AND THE STUDENT WILL BE SUBJECT TO WHATEVER DISCIPLINARY ACTIONS THE INSTRUCTOR AND THE COLLEGE DEEM NECESSARY.
Your expected conduct guidelines are stated in the Kaskaskia College student handbook. Please do YOUR work. It is better to turn in a "C" paper that you wrote yourself than to try to pass off an "A" paper and take the chance of being caught.
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RESEARCH PAPER ASSISTANCE
For those students in need of additional assistance, Kaskaskia College offers help in the Student Success Center on the Main Campus. For those who are not familiar with the previously mentioned writing styles, you may click on the link listed through the Kaskaskia College Library Website. (www.kaskaskia.edu) then click on "Library."
The following information and more is found at
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Research_Paper_Format.html
Plagiarism: This is what you want to avoid. Plagiarism means using someone else's work and claiming it as your own. In reality, it is a crime. Plagiarism can occur on purpose as well as by accident, either way, it is wrong and must be avoided. If you plagiarize by accident, the same penalties apply. The way we avoid plagiarism is by citing sources. After the paper is written and the sources have been cited then we must create a work cited page. If the proper format for citing sources, and the work cited page is followed, then plagiarism can be avoided.
Citing Sources: Most schools use the MLA (Modern Language Association) format. Sources in these formats use the in-line citation format. What this means is that anytime you cite a source, whether it be a direct quote or a paraphrase you must then insert an in-line citation into the text of the paper. Typically the in-line citation would consist of the authors last name followed by the page number with the entire citation in brackets.
Here is an example: (Winthrop 24) The sentence period comes after the citation. More is to follow on proper in-line citation format after this introduction.
Paraphrase: A paraphrase is an integral part of writing a paper. Just put the original text into your own words before you use it in the paper. It is also considered paraphrasing when you use statistics and research from another source; this is the most common citation in a paper. Proper paraphrasing is an art. This does not mean changing a few words around. It means taking the authors ideas, summarizing them into your own words and then using them. Of course, you must cite every paraphrase with an in-line citation. Paraphrases are mostly used to summarize paragraphs and central themes. Paraphrases are also used to cite statistics and other information. YOU DO NOT USE QUOTATION MARKS WHEN PARAPHRASING. More is to follow on citing the paraphrase.
Direct Quote: A direct quote is when you use another person's words directly in your paper. Knowing when to use a direct quote is important. Do not quote everything you want to say. Most things should be paraphrased. Use a direct quote when you want the reader to read an important historical line or it is something someone said that is important. Use direct quotes sparingly, there should only be a few in the paper and they better be good ones. The key difference in citing a direct quote is that you must put quotation marks around the sentence and then cite at the end. IF YOU FAIL TO USE QUOTATION MARKS AROUND A DIRECT QUOTE YOU ARE SAYING YOU WROTE THE SENTENCE. THIS IS PLAGIARISM!!! More information on direct quotes and direct quotes over four lines to follow.
Works Cited Page: This is the last page of your paper where you list, using the format shown below, all the books, articles, websites, SIRS articles, magazines articles, etc. you have used. This must be done in the proper format. The proper format will be outlined in the following pages.
The following sites might help:
http://www.ipl.org/teen/aplus/
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/
http://www.grammarnow.com/