SIGNATURE PAPER
DESCRIPTION
Your group has been appointed by the President of the United States to be the Policy Work Group for your area of expertise. Your task is to provide an analysis of your topic and its impact/influence in the United States.
You will need to read about the topic in the textbook and pick an aspect of that topic to further explore through outside research. Your outside information should be from reliable sources and go beyond Wikipedia. The report on your topic should be from a sociological perspective.
1) Religion and Social Change: Provide a brief overview of the beliefs of the major world religions listed in and beyond the text. Then explain how religion has served as a catalyst or instrument for social change. You can focus on a specific example or provide an overview of multiple examples.
PAPER CONTENT – Your paper should include:
• An introduction. What is your topic and what is the specific question you’re going to address? Why is it sociological/sociologically important?
• History/background/context. Provide the history or background of your topic so that the President understands the broader context of this issue.
• A sociological analysis. Your paper should be rooted in a sociological perspective and draw on research and data. Provide detailed information. What did you find in your research? What data supports your points? Who is most affected by this issue? In what ways? Present the sociological data that sheds light on the validity (or lack thereof) of various arguments.
• Solutions/conclusion. What are your solutions (where applicable)? Why do you think they’ll be effective? How would you measure their effectiveness? What can we learn from your information that will help the country? What are the core points we should take away from your research?
• A list of references. Along with the textbook, you must include at least 4 additional, credible, reliable, substantive sources. Include explicit connections to the reading and class material.
PAPER FORMAT – Your paper should:
1) be between 8-10 double spaced typed pages in Times New Roman or Calibri 12 point font. You should not have extra spaces between paragraphs.
2) have margins no larger than 1.25 in.
3) include a cover page – see template below. In the drafts only, include your names.
4) include section headings for each section of the paper. In the drafts only, next to the headings, mark who was responsible for the information in each section.
5) be written in formal, standard English (i.e., avoid informal/conversational unless necessary).
6) use APA within text citation format to cite sources. Go to the Research Help link in Blackboard for examples. You need to cite when you’re using someone else’s ideas, even if you’re not
directly quoting.*
7) include a References page, using APA format, at the end. DO NOT use an APA paper template. You only need to use APA format for within text citations and your reference page.
SUBMISSION
1) Each person should submit the group paper to BlackBoard, using the link in “Submit Assignments Here.” It’s not ok for only one person in the group to submit. Each person must upload the paper. Papers are due on May 7th.
GRADING
You will be graded on how well your group communicates the main points of the topic (including grammar, clarity, organization, and citation), follows instructions and answers the questions asked, and how well your group supports the ideas with a sociological analysis of the topic using concepts and data from your research, readings, and the class.
- A Note on Plagiarism
Plagiarism happens when you borrow another writer’s language or ideas without proper acknowledgment or citation. Plagiarism is more than copying another person’s work verbatim; it also happens when you paraphrase another’s work without citation (that is, without noting from where and from whom the information came). Avoid plagiarism by always citing other people’s ideas and/or words.
When using an author’s words verbatim, make sure you put those words in quotation marks (block quotes, however, have different rules; make sure you look up the format). When using quotation marks, make sure that the quotation exactly mirrors, word-for-word, the original text. If there are parts you want to omit, there are ways to indicate that omission without losing the accuracy of the quote.
So either quote completely accurately, or paraphrase the ideas entirely in your own words. Avoid doing something in between (eg: half copying the author’s words and calling it paraphrased, or half copying the author’s words and putting it in quotes). Whether quoting directly or paraphrasing, remember to always provide a citation. If you have any questions about plagiarism, see the information in your student handbook and make sure you ask me and/or another professor whom you trust.