The final paper should demonstrate the ideas and the skills you have been developing in this course. The steps for completing this project are listed at the bottom of this page.
The final paper is the next step that develops from the reading and research you’ve started throughout this course. The topic may develop directly out of one of the shorter assignments you’ve read or written for this class, or you may start a new topic that ties in with our class theme.
This must be a thesis-driven discussion of your own perspective on an issue .
Your research must supplement, not overrun, your own voice.
Your topic should be narrowly focused in order to ensure a deeper dive into the material.
You’re encouraged to include a documented community-based learning element in this paper; cite sources of interviews on the Works Cited page or provide an appendix with survey questions, etc.
Do not write a “report” or a “review.”
Any portions of your prior writing can be re-used in the final paper. While you would not cite your own unpublished writing as a source, any published sources cited in the earlier papers would be cited again here and included on the Works Cited page.
Students who are unsure of the assignment should contact me early in the process to make a plan.
BASICS:
* 6-7 pages: (minimum 6 full pages) use standard MLA format & provide an excellent works cited page
* the works cited page does not count in the 6-page minimum for the paper
* 8-12 sources: include a combination of primary & secondary, traditional & nontraditional, electronic & print sources; effectively handle quotation, paraphrase, & summary.
* You must include at least one source located and cited from the college’s databases (see the video posted in this module)
* Personal interview sources may account for only 2 of the minimum number of sources (you may have more than 2 interviews, but you’d still need at least 6 other sources in addition to any interviews).
WRITING PROCESS:
* Remember that you can use the college’s reference librarians in person or online, as well as the writing tutors, at any stage of the process. It is not possible for me to provide all the help that might be needed for 80+ final papers, but the college has lots of resources for you.
