Research Assignment
In this course, you’ve learned how to draft proposals, find reliable sources, and compose research papers. For this assignment, you will write a 1500-2000-word research paper based on one of the prompts below. (These are the same prompts you were given for the research proposal assignment. One of your research papers may respond to the same prompt you selected for Assignment 1. Prompts 1, 2, and 3 are in the previous lesson – College Composition II: Assignment 2 – Research Paper).
Formatting & Sources
Please write your paper in the MLA format. As part of your research, you may refer to the course material for supporting evidence, but you must also use at least four credible, outside sources and cite them using MLA format as well. Please include a mix of both primary and secondary sources, with at least one source from a scholarly peer-reviewed journal. If you use any Study.com lessons as sources, please also cite them in MLA (including the lesson title and instructor’s name).
- Primary sources are first-hand accounts such as interviews, advertisements, speeches, company documents, statements, and press releases published by the company in question.
- Secondary sources come from peer-reviewed scholarly journals, such as the Journal of Management. You may use like JSTOR, Google Scholar, and Social Science Research Network to find articles from these journals. Secondary sources may also come from reputable websites with .gov, .edu, or .org in the domain. (Wikipedia is not a reputable source, though the sources listed in Wikipedia articles may be acceptable.)
If you’re unsure about how to use MLA format for your paper and sources, please see the following lessons:
PROMPT 1
On August 6, 1965, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement, President Lyndon Johnson signed The Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination in voting. Although the Fifteenth Amendment had already given male African American citizens the right to vote, many Southern states had various forms of intimidation and violence, including literacy tests, to suppress those votes. The Voting Rights Act finally provided a means to fight voter restrictions and encourage more African Americans to get to the polls.
Since its passing, the Voting Rights Act has been viewed as one of the most important pieces of legislation in American history. Looking back at it now, did the Voting Rights Act meet the goals that it had set? Is voter suppression still a problem today? If so, what methods are now used to fight it? If not, how does the country now guarantee that all citizens can have an equal say in the government?
PROMPT 2
According to Gallup, an American research-based consulting company known for its public opinion polls, the worry of global warming is at an eight-year high. A recent poll shows about 70% of Americans believe that global warming is real and the effects of it have already begun.
However, even within these statistics, there is still a great divide between those who think that global warming is an important issue, what money should be invested into it, what effects it has, or even what exactly is causing it.
Looking closer at the issue of climate change, do you believe that it is an important problem in our country to address? Why or why not? What measures, if any, should be taken to help with global warming? What role should the United States take when it comes to climate change? Or has the U.S. invested too much time and money into climate change, ultimately costing jobs and development? Pick a side and present evidence regarding this issue.
PROMPT 6
Since the start of the 21st century, the increasing rate of technological advancement has led to new breakthroughs in computing and robotics, both creating a demand for new engineering jobs, but also replacing many existing jobs with automation. Consider the socio-economic ramifications of this technological revolution – how have new technologies affected the economy in the U.S. and globally? How does modern connectivity affect how people work?
The 21st century isn’t the first time technology has replaced and created new jobs. Analyze the historical precedence for this shift -when technology advanced and displaced workers in the past, how did they respond and adapt?
Grading Rubric
Your essays will be graded based on the following rubric:
| Category | Unacceptable (0-2) | Needs Improvement (3-6) | Good (7-9) | Excellent (9-10) | Total Possible Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Main points are nonexistent or irrelevant to overall purpose | Main points are difficult to identify or under-developed | Main points are clearly related to overall purpose | Main points are developed and well-supported, connecting clearly to overall purpose | 10 |
| Structure and Organization | Disorganized and illogical structure hinders understanding | Somewhat disorganized, but structure does not detract from understanding of main points | Structure is logical; main points are supported by organization; introduction and conclusion are included | Organization is logical; structure enhances clarity and delivery of main ideas; introduction and conclusion are connected well to supporting content | 10 |
| Clarity | Vague or unclear writing; reader is left with several unanswered questions | Writing is ambiguous in a few areas; overall content is either not fully explained, or is too wordy for the content included | Phrasing and word choice are mostly effective; explanations and descriptions are thorough without being wordy | Syntax is very clear and concise. All supporting explanations and descriptions are precise, thorough, and efficient | 10 |
| Mechanics | Incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and use of standard English grammar hinders understanding | Several instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar | Few instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar | No or very few instances of incorrect spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and usage of standard English grammar | 10 |
| Research | Fewer than three sources are cited, or all citations are from Study.com only | At least three citations are included, but are not from legitimate/objective sources of information (i.e. Wikipedia) | Citations are included from legitimate sources, but are not entirely appropriate and/or well-integrated with the overall content of the essay | Citations are included from legitimate sources that are both appropriate to the topic and well-integrated within the overall content of the essay | 10 |
