Research Papers
APA (American Psychological Association) Format
Step 1 – Explanation of Assignment
Step 2 – Presentation of Topics / Topic Selection (15
Points) – Students
will be given a list of topics (see end of packet) from which they are to select a topic for the completion of this project. Be sure to read through the entire list of topics before making a selection because
topics are not organized in any order. No more than two students total may have
the same topic. If more than two students wish to do the same topic, a lottery
will be held for the two spots; all other students will be required to select a separate topic. To receive credit for this component, you must submit in writing (following proper assignment guidelines)
the topic that you would like to select. This must be done by Monday, January 11, 2010.
Step 3 – Discussion of Plagiarism – (15 Points) – Students will view a video on
plagiarism and will hear a presentation on the importance of academic integrity. Then
students will be given a letter on plagiarism that must be signed and returned by student and parent. To receive credit for this component, letters must be signed and returned by Tuesday January 12, 2010.
Step 4 – Source Cards (100 Points – Source cards are note cards that
contain on one side the proper APA citation for the source, and on the other side, the notes that you have taken for the source. This assignment may be completed in pen or pencil. Due February 4
Minimum source cards to be turned in (minimum of 15)
5
source cards from books
5
source cards from magazines / newspapers (online or print)
5
source cards from quality websites
Step 5 – Thesis Statement (25 Points) – This is a one sentence assignment
that should not be completed until you have done enough research to come up with a good point that you would like to prove. This is the most important component, it is the foundation of the rest of your paper. This may be done in pen or pencil. Due February 5
Step 6 – Sentence Outline (150 Points) – Your sentence outline will be
handwritten, and must be written in complete sentences. You will be graded on
your ability to create a proper outline, as well as your ability to write in complete sentences. This may be done in pen or pencil. Due February 11
Step 7 – Rough Draft (100 Points) – Rough drafts should be typed to
make creating the final draft easier. To receive full points for this component,
you must also proofread another student’s paper. Due February 25
Step 8 – Final Draft (500 Points) – Final draft must be typed and
free from all forms of errors. Final draft must be 7-10 pages (not including
cover page or works cited page) with one inch margins, double spaced, 12 point font, and Times New Roman style. Paper must also have a cover page and a works cited page. Remember
that paper is to be completed following APA guidelines. Due March 3
Step 9 – Oral Presentation of Paper – (100 Points) - Once final drafts have been turned in,
students will present their research findings in the form of a 4-6 minute oral presentation.
Students will present on a volunteer basis. Once all volunteers have presented
students will be selected randomly. Students who are not ready to present when
their name is called, will lose 10 percent on the presentation grade. Due March 8-12
Participation – (10 points per day)
You are required to work on this assignment each day in class – no excuses!
I do not want to hear “I will do it at home.” This part of
your grade is simple – if you work on your paper you get 10 points, if I must tell you to get to work, I take away points,
if you do nothing all hour you will get a zero for the day. This is an easy way
to boost your grade. Also,
I will be meeting with each of you at least once a week to see how you are progressing with your project. Failure to demonstrate knowledge of what you are learning will affect your participation grade.
Research Paper Topics 2010
1.
Abstinence programs
– do they work?
2.
Should certain
types of ads be banned in the interest of morality, health, or annoyance?
3.
Is it a good
idea to allow airline pilots to carry weapons?
4.
Should it be
illegal to use animals for sports and entertainment?
5.
Should companies
be able to give free items to high school athletes?
6.
Do beauty contests
serve any purpose in society?
7.
How have cell
phones impacted society from a social perspective?
8. U.S. companies
that move factories to undeveloped nations barely pay employees enough to live on. Is it unethical to pay cheap wages or are
companies doing those workers a favor? Should U.S. companies be allowed to move
jobs overseas?
9.
Is breaking
a law for a cause justifiable?
10. Should
athletes on college scholarships be required to graduate as one stipulation to their scholarship?
11. Why
are so many Americans suffering from credit card debt?
12. Is
fast food to blame for obesity, or are we hastily placing the blame?
13. Should
teens in the U.S. adopt the British custom of taking a “gap year” between high school and college?
14. Are
we safer since the creation of the Department of Homeland Security?
15. Was
race a factor in the response to “Hurricane Katrina”? What was to
blame for the slow response?
16. In some states, it is illegal to cheat on a spouse. Should we prosecute cheaters? Is a law
that’s not enforced really a law?
17. Should criminals serving lengthy sentences be given the opportunity for parole?
18. Charges for luggage, should airlines change for baggage?
19. Are
children smarter and more socialized because of the internet?
20. Is
America winning or losing the war in Iraq?
21. Should
journalists be required to reveal your sources?
22. Should
juvenile offenders be tried as adults?
23. Are
arranged marriages unethical?
24. Should
there be a minimum weight limit for models?
25. How
much noise is too much noise and what can be done to fix the problem?
26. How have professional sporting events been
negatively influenced by entertainment, including Jumbotrons, music, and crowd-pleasing activities?
27. Should
average weight people be required to pay the health care expenses of those who are overweight and have no insurance?
28. What
limits, if any, should be applied to the paparazzi?
29. Should
parents be held responsible if their child(ren) break the law?
30. What values are expressed by a certain
television program?
31. Does
censorship increase curiosity?
32. Should
the government be allowed to wire tap without permission?
33. Does
the public have a right to know about the private lives of public figures?
34. Should college athletes be exempt from
taking classes?
35. Should
the government control what is served in the school cafeterias?
36. Are
laws regarding where sex offenders can live and work unfair?
37. Should steroids be legalized?
38. Is attending a professional sporting event
too expensive? What can be done about it?
39. Has Title IX helped women’s sports? Did it hurt men’s sports?
40. Does
parental “tough love” really work?
41. There
is a minimum wage. Should there be a maximum wage?
42. Do Americans work too hard? Does working more actually reduce productivity? Is a 40-hour work
week too much? Should there be a mandatory cap on the number of hours a person can work? Should there be changes in employment
laws to give Americans more relaxation time?
43. Should computer classes be a required part
of a school curriculum?
44. Should
mandatory military service be required of all American men and women?
45. What
is the more powerful country on Earth?
46. Which
is better, home-school or a public education?
47. Do cable companies represent a monopoly?
48. Is
the process of checks and balances an important part of the American government?
49. What
kinds of rights should criminals have?
50. Should
communities bear all, part, or none of the burden of financing new sports arenas for professional teams?
51. Should consumers be able to purchase viewing
rights to TV channels in an a la carte fashion (for example, paying $40 a month for 40 channels individually chosen
by the consumer)?
52. How
has ESPN and other media sources influenced (positively or negatively) professional sports in the last twenty years?
53. Should
performance enhancing drugs be allowed in certain sports?
54. Because celebrities are so often in the
public spotlight, do they have ethical responsibilities to set good examples for young people?
55. Should
women be allowed to compete on men’s professional sports teams when there is no women’s equivalent?
56. Is the Internet a positive development
for news reporting? Does it represent a more democratic medium of information?
57. Should cable/satellite programming be offered
in an a la carte option?
58. Should high school students be required
to take a class on environmental issues?
59. Should
recycling be required?
60. Do
local power / utility companies operate as a monopoly?
61. Should
product advertising be allowed in public schools?
62. In
what ways does gender play a difference in student success and teacher attention in the classroom?
63. Should human cloning be allowed?
64. Should
animals be used in product testing?
65. Should
the punishment fit the crime?
66. What
is the main cause of global warming? How can it be stopped?
67. What
negative (or positive? affect does divorce have on children?
68. Is
our dependence on computers a good thing or a bad thing?
69. Should
using cell phones while driving be prohibited?
70. Should
rainforest destruction be prohibited?
71. Is
advertising informative, or a form of manipulation?
72. The
importance of getting a college education
73. Changes
to Medicare / Medicaid
74. Should
America drill for oil here, or continue to import from other countries?
75. Ways
to improve the health care system
76. Do
athletes / celebrities make good role models?
77. Should
capital punishment be allowed?
78. Death
penalty – fine, or inhumane?
79. Is affirmative action still a problem in
the U.S.
80. Are hate crimes a major problems in the
U.S. and how can they be stopped?
81. Identity theft, how can it be stopped?
82. Swine Flu – a pandemic, or is it
blown out of proportion? How does it compare to other pandemics?
83. Plagiarism
– is it a real problem, how can it be stopped?
84. Is
torturing prisoners appropriate?
85. Eating
disorders, what to do about it?
86. School
choice – should children get to go to the K-12 school of their choice?
87. Welfare
reform
88. Ways
to reduce gang activity and juvenile crime?
89. Television rating – why do some networks
get away with anything, while others cannot?
90. Stimulus money – is it helping?
Sources
Midway College - http://eagles.midway.edu/library/topics.htm
University Writing Center - http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~uwc/Writing%20Resources/Handouts/research_topics.htm
Basic APA Formatting
Below, you will find the basics for a bibliography using APA format.
For more detailed information, use one of the style guides that I have in the classroom, or the many sites that I have
linked to my webpage. Remember that the more information you provide, the easier
it is for people to check and locate your resources which makes further researching easier.
With APA style, you DO NOT indent the first line, but use a hanging indent of one-half inch on all subsequent lines
of the citation.
Books
Author Last Name, First Name. (Date of Publication). Title of Book. First and Last
Name of Editor (Ed.), City of Publication, Place of Publication: Publishing Company.
Magazines
Author Last Name, First Name. (Year, Month of Publication). Name of the Article. Name of the Magazine in Italics. Volume Number (Issue Number), page #.
Journals
Author Last Name, First Name. (Year of Publication). Name of the Article.
Name of the Journal in Italics. Volume
(Issue Number), Page numbers of article. Digital Object Identifier doi:
(If there is not a doi number, place the web address right after
the page numbers. If you are looking at a hard copy of the journal, there may
not be a doi number.)
Newspaper Article
Author Last Name, First Name. (Year, Month and Day of Publication). Title of the Article. Name of the Newspaper in Italics. Page numbers of the article
written as pp. #, #-#.
Newspaper Article - Online
Author Last Name, First Name. (Year, Month and Day of Publication). Title of the Article. Name of the Newspaper in
Italics. Retrieved from Web Address of Newspaper
Websites
Author Last Name, First Name if there is no author, use the corporate author. (year, month and day the article was written). Title of the Website Page. Retrieved Month and Day, Year
that you accessed the information, from publisher website: URL
Wikipedia
Title of the article. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved Month
and Day, Year, from URL
Please keep in mind that these are just the basics. For example, citing videos from the internet has a different form than websites and citing the chapter
of a book is different than citing a book. If you are doing something beyond
the basics, first consult one of the APA style guides. If you still need help,
see me.
In Text Citations
When citing a source in your paper, you use the author’s last name and the year of publication in
parenthesis. There are many ways to do this.
Sentence in which you are quoting or paraphrasing (Last Name, Year).
According to Last Name, “Quote” or paraphrase (Year).
In Year, Last name wrote, “Quote” or paraphrase.
