In this paper, you will explore a current issue and argue for one approach to the issue.

General Document Specifications: The research paper must:

• be at least 1,400 words long, including the works cited page
• properly document its use of sources to MLA specifications, including signal phrases, parenthetical/in-text citations, and a works cited page

The five-paragraph formula is not sufficient for research papers, so more thorough development and support of ideas is necessary

Note that it is up to you to focus your topic into an argumentative thesis, based on your own opinion/perspective on the topic (with the understanding that you must defend and promote your opinion/perspective using logic and evidence)

You can choose any current issue in this website https://go.gale.com/ps/dispBasicSearch.do?userGroupName=gtechclg&prodId=OVIC

However, when you select a topic, do not pick any of the following:

• conspiracy theories (9/11, flat earth, moon landing, school shootings, etc.)
• the current presidential administration
• the COVID-19 pandemic
• gun control
• abortion
• childhood vaccinations
• same-sex marriage
• capital punishment 
• marijuana legalization
• free college (Please note the above is a list of topics you may not use for your paper.)

Document your sources in body paragraphs, using signal phrases and parenthetical/in-text citations End the paper with a works cited page that lists all sources used, and which is numbered as the final page of the paper

Plagiarism: Furthermore, blatant plagiarism will not be tolerated and will result in a grade of zero for the final draft paper grade. Here is one good gauge for determining if there is plagiarism in your paper:

If your paper contains long phrases or whole sentences that:

• you did not write yourself and are not either in quotation marks or block quotes then those phrases or sentences are plagiarized, and your paper will not pass, and may receive a grade of zero. This is true even if you have clearly given credit to the source of the copied phrases or sentences.

Required Sources & Works Cited Page: The research paper must be supported by a minimum of four current sources (in most cases no more than five years old), at least three of which must be peer-reviewed journal articles found using GALILEO. The fourth source may be an additional journal article, but may also be a book, serious magazine article, government document, an interview you conduct yourself, or a reliable Internet source, among other types of sources. Please use this website https://www.galileo.usg.edu/gwt1  for three of the five sources.

(However, do not use Wikipedia or any other encyclopedia as a source, or a personal blog or Web site, except perhaps the blog or Web site of an acknowledged expert.) You may use more than four sources, just be sure not to use fewer than four. You are responsible for evaluating all sources for credibility. Sources like Wikipedia or About.com, or any other version of an encyclopedia, for example, are not acceptable for an academic research paper. All sources used in the paper must be acknowledged and documented in the body of the paper and must be listed on the final works cited page in correct MLA style.

Additional Requirements for the Paper:

• Use the third person point of view. That means no first or second person pronouns are allowed (I, me, we, you, etc.), except within quotations.
• Write in a formal tone, with no contractions. Spell out all words and short numbers unless a contraction or numeric character is part of a direct quotation. Avoid slang, conversational words and phrases, profanity, vulgarity, informal/inappropriate usages, and biases.
• Present a thesis statement in the introduction that indicates both the topic you are writing about and the claim you are making about the topic.
• Develop your own ideas and arguments in the paper in addition to presenting the ideas and arguments of experts; there must be at least a couple of paragraphs in the paper which present your own ideas (though not in first person), with no information attributed to outside sources.
• Present no more than one block quotation, and do not over-quote in the rest of the paper—the entire paper’s quotes should make up no more than twenty-five percent of the paper’s text.
• Cite at least one source in most body paragraphs, including throughout the paper a mix of summary, paraphrase, and direct quotation.

Please choose a topic of your choosing from this website  https://go.gale.com/ps/dispBasicSearch.do?userGroupName=gtechclg&prodId=OVIC

3 sources from  https://www.galileo.usg.edu/gwt1

I know this is a lot to ask. I’ve included a tip for encouragement and will tip again once completed. Thank you.