English 1302

Research Paper

Different options for

your paper
Argumentative:

current
problems/issues that you are arguing
for/against a specific view.
Current problems/Issues: no
argument; exploration of multiple of
views and perspectives
Problem and Solution: Identification of
specific problem and a specific (real
or imagined but realistic) solution.

More options
Arguing for/against something:
Current bullying laws do not confront the real
issues of teen suicide.
Current issues:
Causes of teen suicide
Problem/Solution:
Teen suicide is preventable when young
adults are made aware of the signs of
depression.

Things you need to

know
This

paper will need 10 sources which need to come

from academic and legitimate sources. (There may be
exceptions to this but it will be on a case by case
basis.)
The first part of the paper, the research proposal, will
need to contain 3 sources; start locating those now.
All your research will need to be saved in a research
binder. That means the articles need to be printed or
photocopied. The binder may stay in the classroom.
Maintaining this binder will be part of your final grade
and will make it easier for you to complete your
assignment, especially the annotated bibliography.

Your topic
Throughout

the semester you have been reading

a young adult novel. Within your novel there are
several social issues.
You will choose ONE of those issues to guide the
research paper.
This is different from your analysis because you
are not analyzing the issue as it is presented in
the novel; you are analyzing the issue
(presented in the novel) in context to the real
world.
In other words- mention of the novel in this paper is

not necessary.

Social issues
The

definition of a social problem,

also called a social issue, is an
undesirable condition that people
believe should be corrected.
Homelessness
Teen suicide
Other examples?

Brainstorm Freewriting
I

am giving you some time to freewrite on

any or multiple ideas that you may have.
When you freewrite, you let your thoughts
flow as they will, putting pen to paper and
writing down whatever comes into your
mind. You dont judge the quality of what
you write and you dont worry about style
or any surface-level issues, like spelling,
grammar, or punctuation. If you cant think
of what to say, you write that downreally.

Freewriting options
Listing

and bulleting
Concept mapping
Similes: In this technique, complete the
following sentence:____________________
is/was/are/were like _____________________.
Most

importantly, do not stop writing, if

you feel like you have nothing to say. Do
not stop moving your pen/pencil on the
paper.