Reference no: EM133652054

Research Paper Assignment Sheet

For the research paper, you will investigate and take a position on a current issue that is important to you. After researching your topic and reading what established scholars have
already written about it, you will develop a specific thesis or argument that declares your stance on the issue you've chosen to study. You will then write a five-and-a-half to six-page essay that uses your research to defend and develop your thesis.
Assignment Overview
Purpose: To persuade your readers that your argument about the issue you have chosen to study
is valid.
Audience: Members of the academic community (college students and instructors) who are
interested in your topic but have not researched it or considered it in depth.
Tone: Professional: neither too highbrow nor too casual.
Length: Five-and-a-half to six pages (not including the Works Cited page).
Format: Follow our standard format for writing in this course-see syllabus for details.
Sources: You must use at least five sources for this paper. All five must be scholarly or
reputable popular sources that are found on the assigned Saint Paul College Library databases.
No sources from the open Internet may be used in this paper.
How to Choose a Topic
One way to develop a topic is to consider something that interests you that you have seen or
read about in the news, online, or in this class or another course.
To think of a topic, ask yourself these questions:
a. What is going on in the world today that I would like to know more about?
b. Is there an issue in the news that I would like to understand better?
c. Has a subject been mentioned in this class or another one of my classes that I want to explore further?

a. Issues related to technology use among teenagers in the U.S. How is smart phone use affecting adolescents in America? Are social skills or sleep patterns changing for teenagers because of their smart phone usage times? Does social media use allow adolescents to create meaningful social connections?