Research Paper

Here are the guidelines for the Research Paper.

1. Your essay may be written by yourself or with one other partner. Make sure everybody’s name is on your paper!
2. The Research Paper must be on a topic that you come up with yourself (or you and your partner) – although I am happy to give you help in this department.
3. You need to adopt a thesis that is on the spectrum between explanatory and argumentative. Remember that a specific and focused thesis is the prerequisite for a good paper.
4. If you are writing your paper on your own, your paper must be no shorter than 2250 words and no longer than 3000 words. You should try for a length of 2500 words.

In you are writing your paper with a partner, your paper must be no shorter than 3000 words and no longer than 4000 words. You should try for a length of 3500 words.

4. If you are writing your paper on your own, you must include a minimum of 5 sources in your essay, a minimum of 3 of which must be academic, peer reviewed sources.

If you are writing your paper with a partner, you must include a minimum of 7 sources in your essay, a minimum of 5 of which must be academic, peer reviewed sources

Important: any paper which has fewer than the minimum of properly documented sources – which means both proper in-text citations and proper Reference Page entries – will fail. Any paper with serious plagiarism issues will receive a mark of zero. If you are working with a partner, you will both suffer the penalties for plagiarism – regardless of who is actually at fault! It is highly recommended that you submit your essay early to detect any plagiarism problem before the due date – after which, it will be too late!

	Below Academic Standard	Meets Academic Standard	Above Academic Standard	Mark
Introduction	– Introduction does not attempt to gain reader’s interest. -Thesis is not clear; position cannot be understood or identified.	-Introduction somewhat successfully hooks reader’s interest. -Thesis is general;  main points not clearly outlined.	– Introduction successfully hooks reader’s interest. -Thesis is clearly stated, main points clearly outlined.	/20
Main Body	-Topic is not coherent, not an appropriate topic for a college research essay -No clear distinction between paragraphs or main points. -General statements abound, seriously interfering with concreteness of evidence. -Main points off-topic, cannot be tied to thesis. -Evidence inadequate. -Fewer than five pieces of evidence are used or properly documented (Automatic fail).	-Topic is overly broad, or lacking in complexity. -Some unwarranted overlap between main points, confusion between paragraphs. -Main points rely on general statements more than is necessary. -Main points drift into areas not directly related to thesis. -Evidence is only barely sufficient to prove claim being made. -Minor problems with documentation of sources.	-Topic is limited in scope, but complex enough to create an academic research paper -Main points are distinct and tied to paragraph development. -Main points are specific. General statements are avoided where possible. -Main points are relevant, contain claims that will prove the thesis. – Main points contain evidence that is diverse, specific, and sufficient to prove the claim being made. -At least five separate pieces of evidence are properly documented.	/50
Conclusion	-Conclusion absent, includes new information, not related to paper.	-Conclusion gives adequate summary of paper.	-Conclusion gives concise, adequate summary of paper, leaves reader with something to think about without adding new information.	/10
Grammar and Style	-More than four major errors.	-Between two and four major errors.	-One major error.	/20