Research Paper Assignment Sheet

Assignment: Informative Research Paper
Due Date: Rough draft due Thursday, February 26th; Final Draft due Tuesday, March 17th
Page Requirements: 5-7 pages, double-spaced; MLA format; 12 point font, Times New Roman; include page numbers in the right header; 1” margins.

Assignment Description: Write an informative research paper based on the tentative thesis statement you emailed to me. This paper should incorporate 5-10 sources that work to support your thesis. I have posted on D2L and the class blog a list of questions to consider when writing, reviewing, and revising your drafts. This assignment will display your ability to research a narrowed topic, interpret the information, and present that information in the form of a formal research paper. You will be required to properly cite sources within the body of the text and compose a works cited page, as well. Examples can be found in your Rules for Writers handbook.

Rough Drafts: You will be required to write multiple drafts of this paper. The first draft is due on Thursday, February 26th and must be submitted to the appropriate dropbox on D2L. We will conduct one-on-one conferences the week before Spring Break, and the second drafts will be due the Tuesday after break. The rough draft must be complete with a clear intro, body, and conclusion; you will not need to turn in a hard copy of this draft. I will email you a commented version of your rough draft and go over it with you in our conference.

Late Papers: If you turn in your final draft late, you will receive a penalty of 10% reduced from the paper’s final grade. Whether it’s late one day or seven, your grade for this assignment will be lowered 10% if it’s not turned in on time. You will be required to turn in a final draft via the D2L dropbox marked, Research Paper—Final Draft, and you will be required to turn in a hardcopy in class on the due date. This assignment counts for 25% of your overall grade, so it would be to your benefit to turn it in on time.

Plagiarism: If you do not give credit where credit is due, if you fail to cite sources or blatantly steal someone else’s work, you will receive an automatic zero for both the assignment and the class. MSU has a zero tolerance policy on plagiarism. If you feel unsure about citing and paraphrasing from your sources, feel free to ask for some assistance.

If you have any questions regarding the assignment requirements, grading criteria (provided as a supplement to this sheet), or policies, please contact me via email, my office phone, or stop by during office hours. Please refer to your syllabus for contact information.