write one 8-12 page (3500-5000 words of main text; and yes, you may go beyond that if you should so wish) research paper on a specific communication technology. It will be worth a potential value of 36 points. Grading of the research papers will be based on how well it addresses the historical social/economic/ technological progressions, as discussed in class, its current and future applications and the social implications of those applications, and the paper’s overall thoroughness, detail, and depth. This paper must strive to be well researched and current, citing (within the text) at least ten sources overall. These are minimum numbers, not what somebody who is shooting for an “A” should limit themselves to. Try to avoid relying on broad general sources such as wikipedia.com, howstuffworks.com, etc—these sources are best for supplying you with initial background information but ought not find their way into your final paper as cited sources. If there is a good use for such sources in your papers, it is that they are often good places to find illustrations and diagrams for your report. Again, students desiring good grades on their reports should anticipate going well beyond these minimum requirements. Any and all source material should be cited within the text, along with a full bibliography page at the end of the paper. Failure to meet any of these minimum research requirements will mean the deduction of 9 points from your grade. If you have any questions about writing/attribution style, it is your responsibility to discuss your concerns with me before turning in the report. All written material is to be typed, and written in accordance with general college standards. If you have any question about what those standards are, check your Holt Handbook, or any other Freshman composition text, read Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style, or talk to me about your questions. This is not a “writing class,” and you are expected to turn in work without major grammatical or structural problems. ALL sources are to be attributed, parenthetically, WITHIN the text of each research paper. It is STRONGLY recommended that you consult either the Holt Handbook, the MLA Guide to Writing Research Papers, or the APA Handbook, for citation formats.
All written material is to be typed, and written in accordance with general college standards. If you have any question about what those standards are, check your Holt Handbook, or any other Freshman composition text, read Strunk & White’s The Elements of Style, or talk to me about your questions. This is not a “writing class,” and you are expected to turn in work without major grammatical or structural problems. ALL sources are to be attributed, parenthetically, WITHIN the text of each research paper. It is STRONGLY recommended that you consult either the Holt Handbook, the MLA Guide to Writing Research Papers, or the APA Handbook, for citation formats.