ENC 1102

 

Research Essay Assignment (20% of grade)

 

Length: 1,200 to 1,500 words

 

Topic:

Write an argument essay about a controversial topic suggested by the film Gattaca.

Be sure you survey the available research before you decide on a final topic.

 

Research source requirements:

 

  • Total of at least six sources—including at least 3 electronic sources (from Internet, PCC databases, or e-books)--You may use more than six sources (CITE ALL SOURCES).
  • All sources must be authoritative and cited in such a way that professor can locate them in order to get credit for research component of assignment.
  • Do not count films, book reviews, summaries, abstracts, or personal interviews as part of your six sources.  
  • Be sure to use authoritative, scholarly sources, i.e, scientists, educators, doctors, nurses, PhD.s, scholars, government researcher offices, journalists, or other people who have credentials within the field you are researching.
  • Be sure to check out the resources recommended in Ms. Schmidt’s PowerPoint (available on PAL).
  • Do not use non-authoritative or non-scholarly sources such as bloggers, “information centers,” sources without named authors, graduate students, non-scholarly authors such as churches who provide articles on various subjects as a service to people who visit the website, Wikkipedia, Oprah or other public figures.  
  • You may cite the Bible, but do not count it as one of your six sources. Be sure to cite what version of Bible you are using, give publication information, and consult a MLA handbook (such as Handbook for Writers) for proper citation style. Strong suggestion: Ethical considerations such as those raised by Biblical quotes may fit well into the conclusion of your essay (“the “big picture statement”).
  • You will not receive a passing grade on this essay without doing a credible job on organizing your essay according to the instructions and without doing the required research, providing parenthetical cites and a Works Cited page to document your research.

 

Suggested topics (be sure to find a controversial issue to write about):

 

Artificial insemination

 

Drug testing at (in) work/school/sports (choose only one)

 

Insurance companies or employers who use genetic testing to discriminate against people with genetic diseases

 

Gene therapy trials (pro/con)

 

Animal testing for research or testing of cosmetics (pro/con)

 

Should parents engineer the sex of their child?

 

Should parents deliberately conceive a child who has “defects”?

 

Do genetics determine a person’s basic personality?

 

Accuracy of DNA (or fiber/fingerprint/polygraph—choose one) evidence in solving crime

 

Is Pluto a planet?

 

Is homosexuality genetic?

 

Identity theft

Should parents have a second child to harvest genes to help cure their first child?

 

Is manned space travel realistic?

 

Does our present gene testing help make a person healthier (is it worthwhile)?

 

Social or media pressures to look perfect

 

Right to suicide of disabled people

 

Genetically modified plants—pro/con

 

Organization of Paper

 

Always start with a creative title that draws the reader into the essay.

 

1. Introduction:

  • Use a “hook”--a first sentence that draws the reader into the essay.
  • Use a long lead-in from Chapter 3 of Patterns
  • Your thesis statement should be the last sentence of Introduction: 
  • Thesis statement should be a persuasive thesis statement (take a stand on a controversy!) Suggestion: use the words “should” or “must.”

 

 

 2. Body paragraphs:

  • First paragraph should give us the background we need to have in order to understand your topic. Be sure to define any unfamiliar terms.
  • Second paragraph-fourth paragraph should give the reasons for your viewpoint. Give each reason a separate paragraph. You should have more than one reason.
  • Next to last body paragraph should give the opposing viewpoint, explain it, and then rebut it.
  • You should evaluate the sources and the ideas of your authorities. You also give us your own ideas and interpretations.
  • Remember to use transitions between paragraphs.
  • Remember to use topic sentences.
  • Be sure to give a parenthetical citation in the essay for all sources used.

 

3. Conclusion:

  • First, refer back to your thesis, reminding the reader of your thesis and reasons and giving your readers a sense of closure.
  • Then give an “expanded thought” or “big picture”—for example, you can explain how  your research affects children or society, or the moral, political, or social implications of your topic.
  • Finally, end with a “clincher sentence”—a short sentence that will have an impact on the reader.

 

4. Works Cited:

  • Each source you cited in the text should be cited in full here in alphabetical order.
  • Your handbook has MLA citation styles. There are samples on the next page.
  • The next page also contains instructions on how to find e-books.

 

 

 [SAMPLE WORKS CITED]

Works Cited

[sample cite from PCC database:]

Arnst, Catherine. “Cracking the Fairy Tale.” Business Week 19 July 2004:20. Academic Search Premier. EBESCO. Polk Community College Library, Lakeland, FL. 15 Nov. 2005 <http://web5.epmet.com>.

[sample cite for regular book with pages where you found the information:]

Goodman, Wilson. The Grimm Vision. New York: Columbia UP, 1991. 40-41.

 

[sample cite for e-book book with pages where you found the information:]

Goodman, Wilson. The Grimm Vision. New York: Columbia UP, 1991. 40-41 [e-book].

 

 

[SAMPLE PARENTHETICAL REFERENCES]

 

Without quotation marks: place parenthetical reference at the end of the sentence before the period (Arnst).

 

With quotation marks: place parenthetical reference “at the end of the sentence before the period but after the quotation marks” (Goodman).

 

 

 

HOW TO FIND E-BOOKS:

 

1. Go to PCC home page: www.polk.edu

2. Click on “Libraries”

3. Click on “LIBRARY CATALOGS”

4. Click on “Search all PCC libraries”

5. In the field that says “At,” enter “All Community Colleges”

6. In the field that says “Limit Search by,” enter “e-books”

8. Enter some Key Word(s) to search by, such as “Fairy Tales” (it’s best not to limit yourself to just one fairy tale)

9. Click on “Go.”

 

ENC 1102:  Format for Essays

ü  use clean, white, multi-purpose paper (with no holes)

ü  no cover page

ü  everything (including Works Cited) should be double spaced

ü  one-inch margins on all sides

ü  12 point font

ü  Times-Roman, Courier, or Ariel

ü  student’s name, name of assignment, course name and section number, and date typed on the top left corner of first page (double spaced)

ü  page number and student’s last name appear as header in the top right corner of all pages (including any Works Cited page) in 12 point font that matches rest of essay—except for first page

ü  essays must have title (use creative title)

ü  title should be centered

ü  first letters of all in the title should be capitalized (except insignificant words such as “a” “an” or “the”—but always capitalize first word of title)

ü  title should not be bold, all caps, italicized, underlined, or put in quotation marks (unless required by punctuation rule such as for the name of a film or book)

ü  indent all paragraphs one tab

ü  do not skip extra line(s) between paragraphs or between title and rest of paper

ü  do not use bold, bullets, quotation marks, all caps, italics, or underlining for anything unless you have a punctuation rule that requires them—these punctuation rules are very specific, and there are no punctuation rules that require bullets or all caps, so don’t use them; also don’t use photographs or pictures

ü  use MLA citation form for parenthetical cites and Works Cited page