Instructions for The Synthesized Sources
This assignment is lengthy and will take quite some time to be done well. However, the next step is the Research Paper, and that will be very easy to compile if the synthesized sources are done correctly.
Before you begin this assignment, the following documents will help you understand the purpose of your Synthesized Sources
The Research Paper
* • Using the thesis statement and synthesized quotations (“excerpts”) you have already generated, write a well-supported, well documented research paper.
* • You do not need to use all of the quotes from your synthesized sources.
* • Best practice is to use portions of quotes and weave them into your own sentences; avoid long blocks of quoted material which readers tend to skip. Quotes of more than 4 lines are formatted differently (see Rule #3 below).
* • A good research paper should be mainly comprised of the analysis, synthesis, and evaluation of the quotations (which you must include) from outside sources that you researched. A good rule of thumb is limit quoted and paraphrased sections to no more than 15 – 20% of your total paper.
* • You may also use the application or paraphrase sections if appropriate. So, in this case, the work has basically already been done–you just need to copy and paste in order to put it together in paragraph form with some transitional phrases and sentences.
* • The final product should be about 1200 words, MLA format, plus Works Cited.
Read these instructions very carefully.
Everything you need to know to be successful is provided here, so you will be held accountable for doing this correctly. Attention to detail is essential!
Rule #1) Organize with an introduction, body (about 3 paragraphs), refutation, and conclusion. Your thesis statement must be clearly presented at the end of the introduction.
Rule #2) Introduce quotations smoothly into the body of the paper. Try not to drop the quoted passages in as stand-alone sentences. Lead into them with your own wording, possibly part of your paraphrase.
For example: One of the factors that leads to alcohol abuse is “the tendency to avoid problems or pain which seem to go away temporarily while drinking” (Smith 47).
Formatting in-text citations.
Rule #3) If your quotation is longer than four lines, you must use block format: no quotation marks, indent one inch from the left margin, double space, end with period and then parenthetical citation. Formatting long quotations.
Rule #4) Use transitional words and phrases between sentences and paragraphs as you build upon your thesis. Your body paragraphs should consist of the quotes followed by a parenthetical citation (Smith 46). Then follow with your application, and/or analysis, and/or synthesis of those quotations. Avoid repetitive paragraph organization: quotation + synthesis, quotation + synthesis. Mix it up a little!
Rule #5) You may have used “I think” or “I believe” or “in my opinion” in your “apply” and other sections when you synthesized your sources, but the use of personal pronouns (I, me, my, you, your) is too informal for a research paper. When stating your opinion in a research paper, it is to support your thesis statement, and using “I think” or “I believe” or “in my opinion” only weakens your argument. If you state your opinion as if it is a fact, you will make a stronger point. Also avoid slang or inappropriate language.
Before: “In my opinion, I don’t believe that parents should allow their kids to drink alcohol.”
After: “Parents should not allow their underage children to drink alcohol.”
Before: “I really believe that middle school is when kids start trying to act and dress cool.”
After: “Middle school aged children usually become aware of how they are perceived by their peers, and they begin to act and dress in such a way to be accepted and fit in.”
Rule #6) Your essay will read more fluidly when you occasionally introduce the author/source with your own words rather than just providing the citation.
For example:
The MADD.org website provides statistics that support raising the drinking age. An article by Robert Levine states, “The minimum 21 drinking age…”
Note:
No parenthetical citation would need to follow this quotation because you have already provided the information in your own words.
Rule #7) If you insert quotations in your paper but have not provided the source in your wording (as shown above), you must then follow the quotation with a parenthetical citation, referencing the source you have quoted from.
* • The information in the parenthetical should be minimal—it should correspond to the first word(s) on the Works Cited page entries and the page number(s), if provided. That’s all!
* • If the source has no author, the first word(s) of the title will go in the parenthetical. Do not include articles (a, an, the) and abbreviate to the first noun. Example: “A Long View of American Exceptionalism” would appear like this in the parenthetical citation: (“Long View”).
* • A parenthetical should never look like this: (wikipedia.org).
* • If your entries on the Works Cited page are correct, this should ensure that your parenthetical citations are correct. See link in Rule #2 above.
Rule #7) Complete a Works Cited page at the end of the paper. This will involve following the current MLA documentation guidelines for citing sources. Simply copying and pasting the citations from a citation maker will not suffice. Librarians at PHSC Libraries can help you with MLA citations. Assemble your sources on a Works Cited page in alphabetical order. The Works Cited page should be double spaced and use HANGING indentions. Sample Works Cited page.
Rule #9) No cover page for your research paper is required. See MLA format instructions on the Purdue OWL website for header, titles, etc. How to set up your paper.
ENC 1101 Research Paper Topic Options:
NOTE: the following topics may not be used for the Research Paper:
• Abortion/Pro Life/Pro Choice
• Gay marriage
• Death penalty
• Steroid abuse
• Gun Control
• Legalization of marijuana
• Prayer in school/God on the dollar bill
• Euthanasia or Physician Assisted Suicide
• Animal abuse
• Stem Cell Research/IVF/Human Cloning
• Current evolving situations
Please note: While the argument for or against Abortion or any of these other topics is no longer accepted for a research topic, you may be able to use one of these topics as a springboard to a more narrow, focused argument. For instance, I will not accept a paper arguing if abortion should be legal or illegal, but I would consider a paper that argues how abortion clinics are often located in the poorest communities and whether this has a positive or negative effect on these communities. I will not accept a paper on whether gay marriage should or should not be legal, but I would consider a paper that argues whether religious organizations should be required by law to provide adoption services to gay couples even though gay marriage is against the teaching of their church. Do you see how you could springboard off one of these topics to dig deeper into a more specific argument? There are many options for topics within the topics listed above; however, the basic argument of for or against is too large for each of the above topics to be argued fully in this size research paper.
Do your research first before you decide on a potential topic. You must use the Electronic Library Resources databases for your research. Within the ELR, there are two databases that are particularly helpful for finding topics: Opposing Viewpoints in Context and Issues & Controversies.
All Research Project topics and thesis statements must be approved by your professor. You may create your own topic for the MLA Research Paper, but here are some suggestions to consider:
• Abstinence-Only Education
o Is abstinence-only education effective?
• Balanced Budget/National Debt
o Should the United States government cut federal spending to reduce national debt?
o Should the United States government stop all foreign aid until a balanced budget is reached?
• Campaign Finance Reform
o Should all foreign donations be prohibited to United States elections?
o Should corporate donations to United States elections be limited? If so, in what way? If not, explain why.
• Campus Police
o Should armed police officers be employed on school campuses?
• Children in Beauty Pageants
• Civil Disobedience/First Amendment
o Should non-violent civil disobedience be protected by the First Amendment?
• Climate Change – be specific. Climate change as a topic is too broad, but you may focus on a specific argument within this topic.
• Criminal Justice Reform
o Is there a necessity to reform the United States’ criminal justice system? If so, what steps must be taken? If not, provide reasons why this is the case.
• DC or Puerto Rico Statehood
o Should US territories be made into states?
• Diversity
o Are diversity initiatives effective, or do they create division?
• Drinking Age/Military Service Age
o Should the drinking age be decreased to match the enrollment age, or should military service age be increased?
• Drug Advertising
o Should pharmaceutical companies be allowed to advertise drugs?
• Electoral College
o Should the United States abolish the electoral college?
• Electronic Voting
o Should the United States adopt an electronic voting system?
• Equity in Education
o Should parental income affect state or federal aid for students?
• $15 Federal Minimum Wage or Living Wage
• Funding for the Arts in Schools
• Green New Deal
o Is the Green New Deal good legislation? If so, argue the major benefits of the bill. If not, argue the major detriments.
• Healthcare Law
o Should the United States change its healthcare system? If so, which system would work best? If not, what are the benefits of the current system?
o Was the Affordable Care Act a positive or negative step for healthcare legislation?
• Homelessness
o What, if anything, should the United States do to combat homelessness?
• Immigration
• Justice Reform
o Are life sentences inhumane?
• LGBTQIA+ Issues and Legislation
• Medicare
o Should the United States lower the age for which people are eligible for Social Security or Medicare?
• Military Spending
o Should the United States increase or decrease military spending?
• Net Neutrality and the FTC
• Nuclear Power
o Should the United States increase or decrease its use of Nuclear Energy?
• Online vs Face to Face (F2F) Education
o Is online education a suitable alternative for face-to-face learning?
• Paid Paternity Leave
• Police Reform
• Public vs Private Education
o Is public education superior to private education? Why or why not?
o Is private education superior to public education? Why or why not?
• Religious Institutions and Tax-Exempt Status
• Sanctions/Embargos
o Should the United States enact sanctions or embargos on foreign countries?
• Sex Segregation in Sports
• Science/NASA Funding
o Should the United States increase or decrease NASA funding?
• Social Media Platforms (choose one or two) and Personal Data Collection
• Supreme Court
o Should changes be made to the Supreme Court?
• Tax Reform
o Should the United States change its current tax structure?
• Textbook Requirements in College versus Open Educational Resources
• Vegetarianism, Veganism, and Diet
• Voter ID Laws
o Should voters in the United States be required to show identification to vote?
• Welfare Reform
o Should the United States make changes to current welfare programs?
• Workplace Drug-testing
Communications
Rubric: ENC1101 Research Paper
Communications
Communications
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
001.1.2
Thesis statement
threshold: 5.0 pts 10 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
001.1.3
Support for thesis; organization and transitional flow of ideas; analysis, synthesis and evaluation of the topic.
threshold: 30.0 pts 40 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
001.1.1
Use of standard English conventions (grammar, punctuation and mechanics); use of syntax, style and diction
threshold: 15.0 pts 20 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome
001.1.4
Use of MLA format in citations and references.
threshold: 15.0 pts 30 pts
Total Points: 100
10 pts
Excellent: Thesis is clearly and eloquently stated, and the topic is effectively limited; thesis takes a clear stand on the issue. 9 pts
Good: Thesis is clear, and the topic is limited; a clearly two-sided issue is addressed. 6 pts
Acceptable: Thesis is clear but brief; the topic is partially limited; the argument is tentatively stated. 3 pts
Unacceptable: Thesis is unclear or too broad; thesis does not take a stand on the topic.
40 pts
Excellent: Well supported thesis; well organized flow of ideas; content superb in analysis, synthesis and evaluation of the topic. 30 pts
Good: Well supported thesis; paragraph organization is clear and logical; most main ideas are supported with concrete, specific details that analyze, synthesize and evaluate the thesis. 20 pts
Acceptable: Concrete, specific support for thesis; clear paragraph organization; most points are well supported; analysis/synthesis is superficial. 10 pts
Unacceptable: No discernible organization of ideas; weak support for thesis; sparse or missing analysis and synthesis.
20 pts
Excellent: Very few errors in grammar, punctuation, and mechanics; elegant style and elevated diction. Syntax is varied. 15 pts
Good: Some minor errors, but not enough to detract from meaning; logical and coherent sentences; appropriate diction. 10 pts
Acceptable: Several errors but not enough to detract from meaning; sentence construction is rudimentary but coherent. 0 pts
Unacceptable: Many and varied errors; difficult to understand meaning; word choices are inappropriate or confusing.
30 pts
Excellent: Sources are incorporated logically, insightfully and fluidly; sources are cited accurately in parenthetical citations. Works Cited page is complete and properly formatted. 24 pts
Good: Sources are incorporated logically and proficiently; sources are cited accurately. Some minor errors in parenthetical citations and/or Works Cited page. 15 pts
Acceptable: Sources are incorporated but at times incorrectly or unclearly; parenthetical citations are missing or inaccurate. Works Cited page is present but contains several errors. 7 pts
Unacceptable: Source material is not provided or it is incorporated inaccurately and unclearly; parenthetical citations are missing. Works Cited page is missing or riddled with errors.
You must use the Electronic Library Resources databases for your research and Synthesized Sources assignment. These are reliable academic resources. All college students must become competent in using their college/university databases. I highly recommend “Issues and Controversies” and “Opposing Viewpoints” databases for this assignment because you will find contemporary social problems with both sides presented for balanced research.
*The Synthesized Sources Assignment Directions
Note: For this assignment, you must use 3 sources from at least two different databases, and fully synthesize 2 quoted excerpts from each source (3 x 2 = 6 total) through six steps–please read detailed instructions carefully.
