Research Paper: Updates, new due dates, guidelines

Research Paper
Updates, new due dates, guidelines

Short Research Paper

• *new due date* Monday April 27th
• 4-5 pages (1200 words)
• uses 3 sources
• Do not use encyclopedia type sources (if you do, it will not count as one of your 3)
• At least one source should be a book
• Try to use at least one scholarly article
• You may use interviews, but only as one of your required sources.
• Worth 5% of your final grade

Long Research Paper

• *new due date* Wednesday, May 13th
• 7-9 pages
• Uses six sources
• Include a copy of all your sources (you can copy relevant pages from the books you use)
• Worth 20% of your final grade. About ½ of your grade will be awarded based on how well the paper is written; the other ½ will be awarded based on the quality of your sources and how well you use them in your paper.

Possible Structure for long paper

• Introduction: Explain your interest in the issue, provide overview of the problem or question, end with thesis
• Problem or Question: explain and define the problem or question by giving specific examples of it, perhaps individual cases and situations as well as facts and statistics.
• Source of the problem/ reason for the question: how has this problem developed or what has caused it? (Note: the problem and its sources could be combined into one section).
• Consequences of the problem/ question: What are the typical results or consequences of this problem? What are the typical responses to the question?
• Possible solutions: What solutions have been applied to this problem?
• Conclusion: What have you learned from your research? What have you proven to us about this problem? Your focus and your thesis and your conclusion will probably be on why this problem matters and what should be done about it.

Possible structure for short paper

• The short research paper will be a reduced version of the suggested outline. You might do a shorter version of every point OR you might simply explore the problem/question, its sources and consequences, and save the possible solution for your longer paper.



Sources

• Length is a good indicator or what is useful. A one page interview is too short; an in-depth interview would be more useful. Similarly, a book review would be too short or superficial; a scholarly article or full chapter from a critical study would be valuable.
• Luria Library “Online Research Databases”
• Google Scholar
• Davidson Library at UCSB

The Final Draft (Due May 13th)

Please submit in a large envelope (with your name on it) in this order
1. Outline: this should reflect the final structure of your paper. It should be typed.
2. The paper
3. Works Cited page in MLA format
4. On the same page or subsequent page, present a list of “Works Consulted” if there are sources you read but did not end up using in your paper (only list sources you actually read)
(Staple these first four items together)
5. A copy of your proposals w/ my comments.
6. A copy of your progress report w/ my comments
7. A copy of your short research paper w/ my comments
8. A copy of short research paper w/ peer review comments
9. Copies of your sources, clearly labeled and in alphabetical order, matching your “Works Cited” page (for books, just submit copies of the pages you cited from). Please staple each source separately, writing or circling the author’s name on the first page of each stapled packet. Also, please highlight or underline the ideas you quoted or paraphrased, and write, in the margin of the source, the page number of your paper where I can find that quote or paraphrase.

Call for Student Papers for 6th Annual SBCC Student Conference

I thought some of you might find the topic of this year's Student Conference interesting. Possible topic for your research paper?

6th Annual SBCC Student Conference

Mirroring Faith, Mirroring Science: Reflections
on the Structures That Shape Our World

Friday,
April 24, 2009

11:30-2:30 BC Forum
FREE
LUNCH at 11:30

Please note that all SBCC Student Conference topics are intentionally
broad.

We want as many students as possible to be able to say something about
the topic.

The ideas below, then, are simply an opening salvo of possibilities.
If you or your student have another idea, so much the better. Please
feel free to contact me if you have any questions:


Short films showing faith and/or/vs. science in action.

Student composed music that somehow encapsulates faith or science, or
that alternates between the two.

The art of faith (paintings, in particular) is much deeper than that of
science: why?

In what way is/isn't faith the same as religion?

What is the role of judgment in both faith and science?

Both faith and science depend on theorizing that which cannot be proven
(yet): why are we so willing to allow this for science but not for
faith?

At what point is a social science a science, and how do or don't they
speak to the issues of faith? Why?

Who are the New Atheists, and why should we care?

Many religions explicitly state that theirs is the way to God. How,
then, can religions co-exist while still adhering to this tenent?

Must faith and science be opposed?

How do we inhabit the shadowy realm in which faith and science overlap?

Is the battle between faith and science (is there a battle?) a
necessary, useful tension within our society?

Science as Savior: examine science fiction and futuristic work.

Receeding Christiantiy: why are some religions admired, and other
receed in popularity?

Examining the faith-full: how do people of various strong religious
beliefs function in secular America?

Scientific Prophecy: what counts as proof to the lay public in certain
scientific debates, such as global warming?

What do you think the role of religion should be in 21st century
America? Why?

Are new sciences, such as nano technology, blending the bounaries
between faith and science?

Historically, what has been the role of God?

Compare religions on the inerrancy of key texts and examine the
consequences of that inerrancy.

Cult v. Religions v. New Religions: How do new religions emerge?
When--and can--a cult become a religion?

Expressions of faith: the response of the arts to the movement of
faith.

And so on--please encourage your students to be as creative as possible.
Papers should run about 5-6 pages--so in some ways they are an overview
to some of the more substantive topics suggested here.
Submission deadline: Thursday, April 9 at 5:00 pm. IDC 311.
Electronic submission to Prossor@sbcc.edu