•Action: “we should do X” •Cause & Effect: “X causes/caused/is causing Y” •Compare & Contrast: “X is better than Y because…” •Definition: “Is X an/like an A a/like a B?” Research Requirements – 8 sources minimum •Four of the sources (regardless of where they come from—internet, database, scholarly source, etc.) may be the same as the ones from the annotated bib. All other sources must be printed out and marked for quotes •One must be a new scholarly source from the JSTOR or Academic Search Complete databases (note: all sources in JSTOR are scholarly – only some sources in ASC are scholarly, so be careful and check with me if you are unsure at ALL). •One can be either any scholarly source or a long-form journalism piece from any source. •Additional sources are fine as long as they are reliable sources. What kinds of sources are okay to use? Unacceptable internet sources include Wikipedia or any wiki; Ehow, About.com, Howstuffworks or other linkbait/content farm sources; Britannica or encyclopedias, dictionaries, or basic reference books; Enotes, Sparknotes, or any other “study guide” sites; any sites providing sample essays or reference lists for common essay topics; and personal blogs or personal websites (except those run by someone who is an acknowledged expert in his/her field). Unacceptable internet sources will be counted as a missing source. Acceptable internet sources include advocacy group websites (note they will take a side and have a bias); government websites (.gov); large news organization websites such as CNN, Reuters, Associated Press, BBC, ABC/NBC/CBS (not Fox or HuffPo); newspapers of record such as Washington Post, New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal; major print magazines such as Time, Newsweek, Wired, Discover, Harper’s, Atlantic Monthly, National Geographic, etc. (avoid fashion, decorating, regional, and celebrity magazines, as their articles are usually too short); and professional blogs with editors (Gawker.com sites, TheAwl.com sites, The Rumpus, etc.; blogs run by newspapers or magazines; blogs written by experts in a field). Unacceptable book sources include anything in a “for dummies” or “for idiots” series; Cliffs Notes or any other study guide text; encyclopedias , dictionaries and other basic reference texts; or any “What are the Issues?” and/or “Exploring the Issues” types of texts that collects a number of (basic) sources on a controversial topic under one cover for the use of students. The following terms are used throughout this guide to refer to specific writing and research concepts. Please refer to this sheet if there are any questions throughout the research process. Bibliographic Information: the address for your source. ideas found in a source and writing them with the original text. Quotations must be surrounded by quotation marks. Revising: the process of changing the structure and ideas in a paper. Thesis: the articulated point of your essay. The thesis expresses your opinion about the topic and states what your essay is seeking to prove. Topic Sentence: a sentence that clearly defines the point of a specific paragraph. Each body paragraph needs to begin with a topic sentence. The topic sentence relates directly to and supports the thesis statement. Transitional Sentence: a sentence that helps bring a paragraph to a close and then leads the reader into the next paragraph. •What are the author’s education and experience? Look for information about the author in the publication itself. •Who is the audience for the publication (scholarly or general)? •Is the publication primary or secondary in nature? •Does it provide general background information or in-depth information on a specific topic? Which do you need? •How extensive is the bibliography? Can you use these references to find more information?
