The document provides guidelines for writing an informative research paper that presents both sides of a controversial topic in a neutral manner without including personal opinions. It outlines the key components of the paper, including an introduction that hooks the reader and presents the thesis, body paragraphs that objectively present evidence and perspectives from both sides of the issue, and a conclusion that summarizes the paper without taking a stance. It also defines primary and secondary sources and discusses the importance of avoiding plagiarism.

1. An annotated bibliography is a list of citations going to be used
for a formal academic
assignment. It contains appropriately APA formatted reference
citations for each source, and
then each of those citation entries will be followed by a
descriptive and evaluative paragraph,
known as the annotation. The purpose of annotated
bibliographies is to help students to evaluate
the quality and purpose of the chosen article for their
assignment.
An annotated bibliography will begin with the simple heading
Annotated Bibliography centered
across the top of the page in Times New Roman 12 point font.
It should not be bolded,
italicized, underlined, or placed in ALL CAPS.
You will need to cite your entry using APA formatting. Rules
for APA can be found here:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/. Below are
some of the important rules to
keep in mind.

2. ld not
be extra spaces inserted
between entries.
first author of each work.
give the last
name and initials for all authors
of a particular work.
list should be indented one half
inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation.
re than one article by the same author, single-
author references or multiple-
author references with the exact same authors in the exact same
order are listed in order by
the year of publication, starting with the earliest.
r works such as books and journals.
shorter works such as journal
articles or essays in edited collections.

3. and any proper nouns should be
capitalized.
See the examples below:
Book by a Single Author
Author, A. A. (Year). Book title: Subtitle after colon. Location,
State Abbreviation: Publisher.
Bender, T. (2012). Discussion-based online teaching to enhance
student learning: Theory,
practice and assessment. 2nd ed. Sterling, VA: Stylus
Publishing, LLC.
Book by More than One Author
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Book
title: Subtitle after colon. Location,
State Abbreviation: Publisher.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/
Aslanian, C., & Clinefelter, D. (2012). Online college students
2012: Comprehensive data on

4. demands and preferences. Louisville, KY: The Learning House.
Journal Articles
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title,
Volume(Issue), Page numbers.
Alexander, J. S., & Gardner, J. N. (2009). Beyond retention: a
comprehensive approach to the
first college year. About Campus, 14(2), 18-26.
Online Periodical Article
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of
article. Periodical Title, Volume
(Issue), Page numbers.
George, J. M. (2014, July). Understanding the dangers of
legalizing marijuana. America’s
pharmaceuticals, 122(10), p. 49-76.
Stand-Alone Online Document or Page, No Author or Date
Title of page. (n.d.).
Medical marijuana. (n.d.).
Annotations also have rules that must be followed, as in the list
below:
the citation for the source

5. reference. It lines up with the
indented portion of the reference
background/authority
intended audience
your list
opposes your topic
ur explanations has to be detailed enough to fully support
your reasoning.
(including font color), and margins.
Make sure that your entire annotation is tabbed over and not
just the first line.
Here is an example of an annotated bibliography:

6. Vasiliauskas, S. The Effects of a Prayer Intervention on the
Process of Forgiveness. Psy.D.
dissertation. George Fox University, United States—Oregon.
Retrieved from
Dissertations & Theses: The Humanities and Social Sciences
Collection. (Publication No.
AAT3445537).
This author’s dissertation is on the connection between prayer
and forgiveness. The
author begins by asserting that there is psychological value to
prayer and forgiveness
outside the spiritual realm. The study posits that although much
has been written and
studied about both prayer and forgiveness, there is not
significant data showing
connections between them. The thesis examines the correlation
between those who pray
and their ability to forgive. Findings reveal the importance of
informing clients of the
benefits of prayer, as it also leads to forgiveness. Study
concludes that belief in any
spiritual deity results in the quest for goodness, forgiveness,
and worship, and enhances

7. general health and relationships. Vasiliauskas is in the field of
clinical psychology, and
she includes a variety of Christian-based sources, in addition to
those that are strictly
clinical or psychological in nature.
Running head: Americans Right to Healthcare 1
Americans Right to Healthcare 2
Americans Right to Healthcare
5 February 2018

8. Americans Right to Healthcare
Thesis Statement: Americans are torn between high-tech, high-
cost medicine as apposed to preventive medicine when
choosing an affordable healthcare plan.
References
Cohen, Ph.D., J. T., Neumann, Sc.D., P. J., & Weinstein, Ph.D.,
M. C. (2008). Does Preventive Care Save Money? Health
Economics and the Presidential Candidates. The New England
Journal of Medicine,358, 661-663. doi:10.1056/NEJMp0708558
Cortez, N. (2011). The Elusive Ideal of Market Competition in
United States’ Health Care. Health Care and EU Law,359-386.
doi:10.1007/978-90-6704-728-9_15
Derickson, A. (2002). “Health for Three-Thirds of the

9. Nation”. American Journal of Public Health,92(2), 180-190.
doi:10.2105/ajph.92.2.180
Richardson, MD, L. D., & Norris, M. (2010). Access to Health
and Health Care: How Race and Ethnicity Matter. Mount Sinai
Journal of Medicine,77(2), 166-177. doi:10.1002/msj.20174
US Census Bureau, "Health Insurance Coverage in the United
States: 2014," census.gov, Sep. 2015
Wilke, J. (2013, November 18). Majority in U.S. Say Healthcare
Not Gov't Responsibility. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from
http://news.gallup.com/poll/165917/majority-say-healthcare-
not-gov-responsibility.aspx
Running head: Americans Right to Healthcare 1
Americans Right to Healthcare 2
Americans Right to Healthcare
28 January 2018

10. Americans Right to Healthcare
My paper will be digging into the pros and cons of the
right for US Citizens to have healthcare. Proponents of the right
to healthcare argue that a right to healthcare would end medical
bankruptcies, improve the overall public health, reduce the
overall cost of healthcare, and it would make healthcare an
essential government service. According to the US Census
Bureau, “33 million people in the United States (10.4% of the
US population) did not have health insurance in 2014” (census
gov. Sep 2015). There are on 3 countries that are part of the
Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development
(OECD) that do not have some sort of universal healthcare. The
opposing side states that the right to healthcare amounts to
socialism and that it should be the citizens responsibility to
obtain healthcare, not the government. If the government were
to control healthcare, it would decrease the quality of
healthcare.
I chose this topic due to the changes that have been made
since President Trump has taken office. I am one person that
has been very uneducated about both Obamacare and now
Trumpcare. I have had free healthcare from the Veterans Affairs
Healthcare Administration which could not last forever. My
nine-month-old son also benefits from Medicaid, and there have
been several changes made to the access. It’s an ongoing issue

11. that almost every American needs to be made aware of the
changes. My target audience will be the general public. Not to
convince anyone of what side they should be on, but rather
present historical data relating to the two different plans.
Challenges that I will face while writing my paper is attempting
to remain unbiased. In conducting research on this type of topic,
it is easy let emotions get in the way of simply educating the
reader.
References
US Census Bureau, "Health Insurance Coverage in the United
States: 2014," census.gov, Sep. 2015
Wilke, J. (2013, November 18). Majority in U.S. Say Healthcare
Not Gov't Responsibility. Retrieved January 28, 2018, from
http://news.gallup.com/poll/165917/majority-say-healthcare-
not-gov-responsibility.aspx
Derickson, A. (2002). “Health for Three-Thirds of the
Nation”. American Journal of Public Health,92(2), 180-190.
doi:10.2105/ajph.92.2.180
ENGL 240 Signature Assignment (Research Paper)
The Research Paper assignment is broken into two key parts:

12. o Week 1: Topic Submission
o Week 2: Thesis Statement and Source Analysis
o Week 3: Outline
o Week 4: Introduction and Conclusion
o Week 5: Annotated Bibliography
o Week 6: Rough Draft
o Week 7: Peer Review
o Week 9: Reflection
Final Draft: This is also the Signature
Assignment for this course,
which is due in Week 8.
Purpose: The research paper will explore a controversial topic
in an informative style. This
means that the writer must present an equal amount of
information for both points of view
related to the topic. The topic should be a debatable subject
concerning social, political, or
cultural relevance. The paper must present both sides of the
argument without providing

13. personal thought or opinion. Each side will be neutrally
presented allowing your audience to
make their own decision as to which side to support. Topic
ideas are provided at the end of the
syllabus.
Some things to think about as you approach this undertaking:
from interjecting personal thought,
opinion, and ideas?
books, journal articles, academic
websites, interviews, etc.?
-to-date? (Please do not use any source
that is more than eight
years old without prior approval.)
Research Paper Requirements:
1. No personal opinion should be given. Please refrain from
using “I think” or “I believe.
2. Five to seven pages, not including the title and reference
pages.
3. Minimum of eight resources for your final paper.

14. 4. In-text citations should be provided throughout the paper,
giving credit for the sources
used.
5. Reference page should be written in APA style, using the
sixth edition of the manual.
6. Do not use Wikipedia; it is not a credible source.
7. All assignments related to the research paper will be due on
Sundays.
Note: The paper is broken down into several pieces during the
class. Your final paper will be due
in week 8. Please read the weekly assignments carefully!
Guidelines for Writing: The Structure of an Informative Paper
the audience’s interest.
Historical context and other features of an introduction
(preview of topic, thesis
statement) should be contained in the introductory paragraph.
example, “Before deciding which
side to take, readers should be aware of both positions regarding
“X.” It should be the last
sentence of your first paragraph.

15. they need to understand
your thesis. As appropriate, you might include definitions of
key terms, historical or
social context, prior scholarship, and other related material.
Often times, this can be
included in the introduction or in a paragraph immediately after
the introduction.
-of-view “A”: The first
part of your paper should
present information that people from the “A” point of view
agree with. This is the core of
the essay. Each reason or piece of evidence usually consists of a
general statement
backed up with specific details and examples. Evidence needs to
meet the standards for
critical thinking and reasoning to be logical. Depending on the
length of your essay, you
might devote one or two paragraphs to each reason or type of
evidence. For organization,
you might choose to present the most familiar reasons and
evidence first, saving the most
unfamiliar reasons and evidence for last. Alternatively, you

16. might proceed from the least
important to the most important point so that your essay builds
to a climax, leaving the
most powerful impact for the end.
point-of-view “B”: The
second part of your paper should
present information that people from the “B” point of view
agree with. And as stated
earlier, each reason or piece of evidence usually consists of a
general statement backed
up with specific details and examples. Evidence needs to meet
the standards for critical
thinking and reasoning to be logical. Depending on the length of
your essay, you might
devote one or two paragraphs to each reason or type of
evidence. For organization, you
might choose to present the most familiar reasons and evidence
first, saving the most
unfamiliar reasons and evidence for last. Alternatively, you
might proceed from the least
important to the most important point so that your essay builds
to a climax, leaving the
most powerful impact for the end.

17. gracefully—never abruptly. It often
summarizes the controversy, elaborates its significance, or calls
readers to action.
f information that provides
ideas, examples, information,
or evidence. A primary source is an original work created by
groups or individuals being
studied, including original documents, letters, diaries, poems,
books, paintings, artwork,
films, news footage, etc. Nothing stands between you and a
primary source. A secondary
source reports, describes comments on, or analyzes someone
else’s work. When
completed, your research paper will be a secondary source.
d or unintended use of
someone else’s words and/or
ideas as your own. According to Troyka, “plagiarism occurs
when you take ideas or
words from a source without revealing that you used a source”
(p. 17).