APA Research Paper
1. Select your topic.
You should choose a current, argumentative topic (within 5 years) to develop. You must take a stance, so choose a topic that you already have a little knowledge about. This will aide in the development of your ideas and the ability for you to support those ideas with outside research. Example topics: for/against a university education; for/against discipline in schools; for/against school uniforms; for/against registration fees; for/against capital punishment; for/against community service; for/against fraternities or sororities; for/against legalizing marijuana; for/against gambling; for/against sex education; for/against immigration laws; for/; against health care laws; for/against the Internet; for/against public vs private schools.
2. Once you have chosen a topic, you will then need to perform research. Use the library databases (EbscoHost, Eric, Acdemic Search Complete, CQ Researcher, Jstor) to find credible sources to support or refute your own ideas. You need to use at least 3 outside sources (1 source can be CQ researcher). This means that you will have at a minimum three quotations or paraphrases in your paper.
3. Type you paper using the guidelines for APA. APA documentation can be found in your handbook on pages 340-376. A sample paper begins on page 367. Review of signal phrases is on page 215. You can also review APA at the following website:
http://isites.harvard.edu/icb/icb.do?keyword=apa_exposed
4. Your research paper should follow the same format as your first paper. You should have an introduction, body paragraphs, an opposition paragraph, and a conclusion. The paper should be 3 to 4 pages in length once completed. This does not include the title page or the reference page.
5. You should have a title page, three to four pages of text, and the last page of your paper is a reference page.
6. Bring your paper to the revision/edit session or to the writing lab A51 for someone to...