Research Project Instructions

9th Grade Research Paper
(Counts as TWO Test Grades)
REQUIREMENTS:

1. Manila Envelope:
Purchase a 9 x 12 inch manila envelope to keep all parts of your research project together.

2. Topic:
This paper is a process paper that will explain the process of achieving the education, career, and home that you plan to have in the future.

BIG QUESTION: Where do I see myself in the future?

● How much money do I want to make? What kind of house do I want to live in?
● What city do I see myself living in? What is the cost of living there?
● What career can help me achieve those goals?
● What kind of education will I need?

In your research, you will explore all of these areas and figure out how to achieve your goals. You will need to research colleges, careers, and potential cities where you might live in this research. The finished product will be a how-to (process) paper that explains how to achieve your future plans.

Careers
You may research any one career that you are interested in pursuing. Your research will need to address the following areas regarding the job you have chosen to research:


Job Environment
■ Will this job require you to work inside or outside?
■ Will you travel, or will you work in one location?
■ Will you work with many people or by yourself?

Specific Tasks
■ How will you be spending your time in this job?
■ What percentage of time will you be spending on various tasks?

Working Hours and Conditions
■ Will you work a regular, 40-hour workweek?
■ Will you work days, nights, weekends?
■ Is there stress involved with this job? Are the working conditions safe, or are they hazardous?

Advantages or Rewards
■ What about this job could be stimulating or rewarding?
■ What would be the greatest advantages for you?

Typical Salary
■ What is the typical beginning salary in NC? in the US?
■ Does the salary increase with years of experience?

Physiological Requirements
■ Are there any special demands on your body for this career?

Personal Characteristics
■ Are there certain personal characteristics desirable, such as friendliness with new people or the ability to work unsupervised?

Disadvantages or Drawbacks
■ What could be the disadvantages to this career?
■ What might be a drawback for you?

Education
You should research schools and degree programs for the specific career you are interested in.

Education and Training
■ Does this career require a high school diploma, a college degree, or an advanced degree?
■ Is on-the-job training provided?
■ Does it require a certificate or a license? Do you have to pass any tests to attain that certificate or license?
■ Are you expected to continue your education and training once you enter into this career?

Special Skills and Abilities
■ Are there any special physical skills required to do this job? Any special talents or abilities?
■ Is the field so competitive that only a few people with specialized talents may enter it?

Cost of Living, Housing, Transportation
A good place to start is to look in the housing section of the local newspaper to find the costs of buying a home, or renting a home. Also, you can look online at prices in other area of the country if you are interested in living out of North Carolina.









3. Research/Content:
Once you have chosen a topic, you will need to research at least five (5) sources to obtain information that will substantiate your presentation. These sources should feature at least one book, one journal article, and one educational website. You must do the following with each source:
a. photocopy or print out copies of the sources used;
b. cite your sources using correct MLA format on your source information sheet; and
c. cite your sources using correct MLA format in a Works Cited page.

4. Criteria:
Research is an important process, and you will be required to meet several deadlines leading up to the presentation’s final due date. Furthermore, while you will be given some class time to work on your project, a majority of work will need to be done outside of class. Keep in mind, each of these items must also be resubmitted in your final packet.

2/28/2011 Research Proposal due

3/7/2011 Photocopies/print outs of 2 Sources with MLA citation info on Source Information Sheets due

3/17/2011 Photocopies/print outs of 3 Sources with MLA citation info on Source Information Sheets due

3/28/2011 Outline with thesis statement due

4/7/2011 **Rough Draft with parenthetical
documentation and works cited page due

4/15/2011 Final Packet: Manila Envelope with
Typed Final Draft and Works Cited page, Copies of Sources with Source Info Sheets attached, Rough Draft, Rubric/Grade Sheet


NO LATE PAPERS WILL BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS!

Research Project Steps

1. Purchase a manila envelope (9 x 12 inch preferred) to keep all research materials together.
2. Choose a topic.
3. Research your topic to find out what information is available using the computer catalog, CD-Rom, Internet, etc. Photocopy/print out copies of sources and copy down all MLA information needed when you have the actual source in your hands!!
4. Highlight information and/or take notes from the research, put all MLA citation information on source information page, and attach copies of the research to the back of the source information page.
5. Create a controlling idea (thesis statement).
6. Organize the material and prepare an outline that you will follow as you write your paper and a rough works cited page using MLA format.
7. Write a rough draft. Your rough draft must be typed.
● Check to be sure that you have used at least FIVE sources in your draft.
● Check to be sure that you have at least two (2) direct quotations and one (1) paraphrase or summary in each body paragraph.
● Be sure to use parenthetical/in-text documentation to cite the source of every piece of information and quotes used.
8. Revise and edit. Remember: to revise is to rewrite, use different and stronger words, and rearrange sentences, write your thoughts more clearly. To edit is to correct punctuation, spelling, and grammar.
9. Type your final draft (double check that all sources are used and correctly documented) and the final works cited page using MLA format.
10. Place all items in the manila envelope: Typed final draft and works cited, rough draft, copies of sources with source information sheets, rubric/grade sheet


Note Taking

The most practical way to prepare your research presentation is to photocopy or print out sources as you find them and highlight the information you wish to use. Jotting notes and all relevant MLA citation information on the Source Information Sheets will make it easy to organize your information later. You can also attach extra sheets if you need more pages to take notes.

All applicable information for the works cited page should be filled in at the top of the Source Information Sheets, and a photocopy/print out of the consulted pages of the source should be attached behind the Source Information Sheet.

Photocopies/Print Outs of relevant pages from all sources of information cited in the paper must be turned in with the paper. Quotations must be highlighted.




Works Cited

No research work can be complete without a listing of all the references consulted in the preparation of the project. The works cited list provides the information necessary for a reader to locate and be able to read any sources you cite. Each source you cite in the written presentation/speech must appear in your works-cited list; likewise, each entry in the works-cited list must be cited in your text.

A formal works cited page must be attached on the back of the rough and final copies of your written paper. There must be AT LEAST five (5) published sources listed – and there must be at least three (3) different types of sources used including a book, a journal article and an educational website.


Here are some guidelines for preparing your works cited list:

List Format
● Begin your works cited list on a separate page from the text of the essay under the label Works Cited (with no quotation marks, underlining, etc.), which should be centered at the top of the page.
● Make the first line of each entry in your list flush left with the margin. Subsequent lines in each entry should be indented one-half inch. This is known as a hanging indent.
● Double space all entries, with no skipped spaces between entries.
● Keep in mind that underlining and italics are equivalent; you should select one or the other to use throughout your essay.
● Alphabetize the list of works cited by the first word in each entry (usually the author's last name).


Basic Forms for Sources in Print

The MLA Style Manual provides extensive examples of print source citations in chapter six; The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers provides extensive examples covering a wide variety of potential sources in chapter six. If your particular case is not covered here consult the MLA Handbook or visit internet MLA sites listed on http://vcaenglish.blogspot.com/ or RENWEB.





Parenthetical (In-text) Documentation

Photocopies or print outs of relevant pages from all information cited in the paper must be turned in with the paper. Quotations must be highlighted.


Each time information is used in the body of the written paper it must be documented. This rule applies not just to directly quoted material, but material that is paraphrased as well. Failure to document sources in the body of the paper leads the reader to suspect plagiarism and question the writer’s credibility. Failure to cite information used will result in a FAILING GRADE!

The proper format of in-text documentation is to follow the researched material in the text of the paper with the author’s name and page that the material appeared in the original source. If you mention the author’s name in the sentence, you only need the page number. For example:
Indirect quotation:
Stacy Douglas, in his essays on the American West, pointed out that the plow was a key tool in settling that region (45).

Direct quotation:
Stacy Douglas wrote, “Plows were essential to the settlement of the West in the late 1800’s” (45).

Paraphrase:
Other tools were necessary to the settlers of the Old West, like the plow (Douglas 45).


Outline
More than two points of specific information SHOULD BE USED to support each main point, so numbering and lettering can and should be expanded and developed for your paper.

NOTE: This sample outline is ONE WAY to set up your paper. You may organize it differently if you want to.

I. Paragraph One (Introduction) This paragraph is the introduction. In this paragraph, you will introduce your career, schools you have researched, living arrangements, and explain why you chose these particular topics.
A. Attention Getting Device - anecdote or information to entice reader
1. Comment on anecdote/statistic/ information
2. Introduction to career field
3. Introduction to location of schools and final city for career
B. Thesis statement (Career you have chosen and three main points you are going to discuss)

II. Paragraph Two This should be a detailed description of your job. What does a person in this field do? What purpose does this job fulfill? Why was it created? What does the future of this career look like? What are the daily activities of this job?
A. First Main Point (Topic Sentence)
B. Specific Information Supporting/Developing First Main Point
C. Specific Information Supporting/Developing First Main Point
D. Specific Information Supporting/Developing First Main Point
E. Specific Information Supporting/Developing First Main Point
F. Concluding Sentence

III. Paragraph Three This should be a detailed analysis of the rewards and benefits that come with this profession. Why are you interested in a career in this field? What benefits are included in this job—financial, personal, community? Why would someone want to be a member of this profession?
A. First Main Point (Topic Sentence)
B. Specific Information Supporting/Developing First Main Point
C. Specific Information Supporting/Developing First Main Point
D. Specific Information Supporting/Developing First Main Point
E. Specific Information Supporting/Developing First Main Point
F. Concluding Sentence

IV. Paragraph Four This should be a detailed explanation of what you need to do to obtain and maintain a job in this field. Consider what education you might need. Do you need to go to college or technical school? What kind of college? Two-year, four-year, or more? What are the best colleges in your field? What other skills do you need to develop in order to succeed at obtaining a job in this field? Do you need any special training (internships, apprenticeships)? Discuss the skills (mental, physical, and other) that will ensure success in this profession. Describe these skills in detail.
A. Third main point (Topic Sentence)
B. Specific Information Supporting/Developing Third Main Point
C. Specific Information Supporting/Developing Third Main Point
D. Specific Information Supporting/Developing Third Main Point
E. Specific Information Supporting/Developing Third Main Point
F. Concluding Sentence

V. Paragraph Five (Conclusion) Begin with a restatement of the main ideas in your body paragraphs. Summarize the research you found on your career. Discuss potential benefits of the location of your career/home. Give your final statement about the career you’ve presented. Make a universal statement about this career.
1. Restatement of ideas in body paragraphs
2. Final judgment about career
3. Discussion of benefits of the location
4. Universal statement/Concluding Sentence


Typed Final Draft

Do not use contractions and make sure that the paper is not written in second person – including no direct address to the reader with written or implied “you” statements. Limit the use of 1st person to the introduction and conclusion paragraphs ONLY!

1. A 12-point Times New Roman font should be used for the final draft and works cited page.
2. All typed pages should be double-spaced. DO NOT SKIP EXTRA LINES BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS.
3. Double-space within works cited entries and double space between each entry.
4. Margins should be set at one inch on all four sides of the page for the presentation notes and works cited page.
5. Page numbers with last names should appear at the top right of each page (use the header function).
6. The words Works Cited should appear at the top of that page and it should be numbered with your typed speech.
7. The title should appear centered at the top of the first page of the written presentation/speech just below the MLA header that is aligned with the left margin.
8. Tab once at the beginning of each paragraph – that will create a ½ inch indent.

Grading

This project is worth 2 test grades. Please see the attached grade breakdown for specifics.


All pieces of this research project (except your notes) should be typed and in MLA format. No exceptions. Due the nature of the project, all process parts are due on the day stated. If you do not have that part on that day, you will receive a zero for that particular section. If you are absent on the day a particular part is due, it is due on the day you return. It is your responsibility to turn it in.

Finally, I WILL NOT ACCEPT LATE RESEARCH PAPERS. Please make sure you are in class on the day the final draft is due. If you are not going to be here, make arrangements for your paper to be here. Thanks! 

The following scenarios are considered cheating and can result in an automatic failing grade:

Plagiarism: Presenting someone else’s words or ideas as your own. Correct use of in-text documentation avoids this problem. Failing to document sources (i.e. no photocopies of sources, little or no in-text documentation of information, and/or not using proper format for direct quotations]or extensive paraphrasing without documentation is plagiarism and will result in a failing grade on this assignment.

Collaboration: Working with one or more people to produce a paper as a group project. This assignment is NOT a collaborative effort, so you should complete all of the work on the paper yourself.

Excessive Editing: Allowing other people to write or revise a paper or complete a project that is supposed to be your work alone. Parents or others that mean well can cross this line easily. Make sure that if you receive assistance, it NOT be any more than suggestions about where your paper needs improvement.


**ROUGH DRAFT PROCEDURES: I will be checking your work for completeness during class; however, you will need to schedule an individual conference with me for a later time. I am available on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 7:30-7:50, Monday through Friday from 3:00-3:30, and during 5th, 7th, and 8th periods, if you have a study hall during those times. You are not allowed to skip another class to meet with me.