Research Project Guidelines
..::Research Project::..
For this exciting, scholarly effort, you will need to follow the guidelines in order to receive full credit for your research project.
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Goals- There are three (3) major goals for this project.
1) You will complete a research project that will be published as a website OR as a research paper.
2) You will complete an annotated bibliography of selected sources used in this project.
3) You will reflect on and respond to your process, your completed project, and your peers' completed projects.
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Objectives- There are several required objectives.
-Define a subject in precise terms and employ a thesis statement that drives the entire project. This requires using facts and details that you organize from your research to help readers understand and engage with your topic.
-Use appropriate rhetorical modes (e.g., cause and effect, comparison and contrast, description, analysis, definition, illustration, etc.) to help your readers understand and engage with your topic.
-Represent all sources accurately and fairly. Credit sources and integrate quotations from sources in MLA format.
-Enhance the audience's understanding of and engagement with your topic (e.g., by employing multimedia and tools such as images, charts, video, sound, etc.).
-Reflect upon, describe, and analyze different methods of invention, research, and ethical incorporation of sources.
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Products- You will be responsible for developing three (3) products.
1) Written Research: You will be responsible for EITHER creating a website (using a free platform like Webnode, Wix, and Weebly, etc.).
Each website must include the following:
- a menu
- home page that serves as an introduction and shares your overall purpose in a thesis
- four-to-five (4-5) webpages, each focused on a subtopic of your research
- two-to-three (2-3) paragraphs per webpage
- each paragraph will include original text and at least one (1) quote or paraphrase from a reliable source integrated into the paragraph in MLA format
- an MLA formatted works cited page of sources
OR writing a research paper.
Each research paper must include the following:
- MLA formatting: double-spaced, in 12 pt. font, and an appropriate title and heading
- eight-to-ten (8-10) paragraphs
- each paragraph will include original text and at least one (1) quote or paraphrase from a reliable source integrated into the paragraph in MLA format
- an MLA formatted works cited page of sources
2) You will be expected to organize an annotated bibliography:
- with at least 6 entries
- based on sources used for your research that pass the TRAAP Test.
Find this helpful resource from Excelsior College OWL https://owl.excelsior.edu/research/annotated-bibliographies/),
3) You will be responsible for posting your website's link or posting your paper to the discussion board on Blackboard and then replying to two classmates' projects in 100-to-150-word responses.
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Research
In organizing your research, you need to integrate sources. We will participate in a research class with a librarian/professor from the CCRI library to support your initial research and gathering of sources. You will need to support your project with sound information from at least 6-8 reliable sources. You will be expected to complete work on your own outside of class.
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For Websites: Technology and Project Building
We will spend time in class brainstorming, working, and troubleshooting issues that you might have with building this web-based project. You should consider using headings, videos, charts, graphs, visuals, etc. to help communicate the information clearly and in a manner appropriate for a web/slideshow/interactive medium.
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Documentation
You will use MLA documentation style, and you must carefully cite all sources used to credit authors and to maintain academic integrity (that is, to avoid plagiarism). You will also need to credit any multimedia (e.g., videos, images, charts, sounds, etc.) you use unless it is original.
(Note: Other documentation styles can be used if your work focuses on a field that typically uses a style other than MLA. For example, a psychology project would best be served by APA format. We can discuss this individually.)
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Project Rubric
The rubric below can also be found on Blackboard.
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