RESEARCH SUMMARY / PRESENTATION PAPER
For writing your paper, you MUST use the format and Roman numeral headings provided below (i.e. I, II, III, IV, and V) but do not include the lettered sub-headings (A, B, C, etc.) in your paper. As you organize your paper, remember you only have six full pages of text to write.1
I. Introduction at most two paragraphs long
A. Begin with your actual research question; be sure it includes key concepts B. Indicate why this topic is important for other people to know about
II. Methodology about one paragraph long
A. Describe how you did your research for this paper. For instance, I know you used the
library, so what areas/topics specifically did you pursue as you did your search?
B. Which keywords did you use when you searched for the peer-reviewed articles?
C. If you had preconceived expectations, opinions, or hypotheses about what you would
find in this research, state what they were
III. Findings this should be longest part of your paper
A. Describe what you discovered or learned about your topic
B. Discuss and evaluate the methodology used by other authors of the articles you summarized or
referenced
C. Though not required, it may be useful to include tables, charts, or illustrations to better describe
the findings [include any in an APPENDIX section, NOT in the text of your paper]
IV. Discussion & Summary about three paragraphs long
A. In what ways were you surprised by your findings, or did they confirm what you expected B. Explicitly make direct connections between your research material and concepts,
theories, or other material from this course; it would be good to use your course readings as sources here. Use at least one reading from before Exam I and another from after Exam I.
C. Use 2 short direct quotes from 2 peer-reviewed articles you found (1 quote from each article).
D. Give your own opinions, evaluations, and/or predictions on this issue2
E. Indicate what unanswered questions still remain on this topic which could be researched
in the future
F. If you can, revisit your main question and provide a one sentence answer or suggestion
V. Definition of Race and Ethnicity
A. Throughout the semester we have encountered various measures and definitions of race.
For this section, provide YOUR OWN definition of race AND YOUR OWN definition of ethnicity as it applies to the group that you are writing about.
VI. References
A. For a format, refer to the References Assignment for this class.
B. The list of references for this paper should include 2 readings from our syllabus and 2 peer-
reviewed articles you found.
C. The References section is NOT part of the 6 pages of your writing. Instead, this section should
appear AFTER you have written 6 full pages of text.
1 This space requirement does not include the bibliography or any charts contained in an Appendix.
2 Once again, be careful not to spend more than a few sentences or so on this part.
SOC 213-03: Fall 2021: Instructions for Assignments: Prof. Pastrana Page 12 of 15
You are required to comment on what you have learned from researching your paper. Though I think it is important, I am not interested in what you learned about the research process (save that for the Letter to the Editor). I am much more interested in what you learned about your topic as a result of doing the research.
I am often asked how many references you can cite. For this paper, you must use two academic journal articles (see library handout) AND two articles from our syllabus as sources. This assignment is worth 100 points.
The final paper must be six full pages,3 double-spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman (NO SMALLER, NO LARGER), contain one inch side margins all around, have an unjustified right margin, and must be free of spelling and grammar errors. PRESENTATION, SPELLING, AND GRAMMAR WILL AFFECT YOUR GRADE ON EVERY WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT YOU PRODUCE FOR THIS CLASS.
Below is a list of items students sometimes forget and can be costly in terms of points. Please read these items
before you write your paper and again before you submit the final version. If you have any questions, dont hesitate to ask me via Blackboard email.
Include a title page. A sample is included in this handout.
Use proper internal documentation. Look at the last page of this handout for examples.
You MUST use the format and Roman numeral headings provided (i.e. I, II, III, IV, and V)
Introduction, Methodology, and Discussion & Summary should take a total of about 2.5 pages. Findings should be about three pages.
Submit your Letter to the Editor with the final paper.
Plagiarism of any kind will result in a zero score for this paper and may result in other academic penalties as indicated in our syllabus.
The final paper is worth 100 points (and is 25% of your overall grade). Late work will not be accepted.
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