Research Paper
Guiding Question:
Before you begin your research, you need to have a question that guides your research. In this class the guiding research question(s) will be provided by me. However, if you have a better research question, I am open to suggestions.
The issue stays the same – it is PROCRASTINATION!!!
I have two options for you in terms of guiding research questions. You can choose one of them (or offer your own suggestions):
1. What are some reasons that people, especially students, procrastinate, or delay working on projects until the very last moment?
OR
2. Can procrastination (or delaying working on a task) have benefits for students or employees? What are the advantages of procrastination?
3. Your choice: If you have another suggestion, you have to run it by me first – email me you research question if it is different from the two I have suggested, and I will let you know if it is okay to work on it.
Audience:
Because this is an academic research paper, you are writing for an academic, interested audience. Your audience is educated, knows how to read research, and is familiar with the format and expects your citations to be accurate.
Purpose:
The purpose is to explore the research that has been done on the issue of procrastination, summarize it concisely, and inform your audience on what you have learned from the readings.
Format:
Your paper will be done in the MLA format and style of citations (see the next page for the MLA explanation).
Organization:
You paper should be organized in the following way:
Title:
should tell the reader what your paper is about
Introductory paragraph should:
- introduce the issue and hook the reader
- provide the basic definition of the issue
- state your research question
- provide the concise thesis that answers the research question
Body paragraphs:
- There could be many, but he minimum is 3
- The paragraph that follows the introduction should provide the background or history of the issue
- The next few paragraphs must summarize your findings on the issue (there should be more than one)
- Each significant finding should be in a separate paragraph
- You should have a paragraph where you summarize the research that refutes or contradicts the major findings. This goes something like this: “While most research agrees that X is a problem, Z and Y says that it is not.” In other words, you MUST address other points of view on this issue.
The concluding paragraph:
- should summarize what your findings
- may provide suggestions for future research
- should only be one paragraph long
FORMAT:
- MLA formatted
- Works Cited page should be part of your paper (the bibliography of your sources is the last page that should have a title “Works Cited)
- Your paper should be at least 4 pages long (not including images or Works Cited page)
- Double-spaced, 12 size font (for body)
