This document provides instructions for Essay 4, the research paper assignment. It explains that students should revise and build upon their exploratory paper (Essay 2) and position paper (Essay 3) to create the introduction and body. A new conclusion focusing on a solution must also be added. The research paper must be 8-10 pages and include at least 8 academic sources cited in MLA format. It must demonstrate the ability to thoughtfully discuss a controversial issue using critical thinking and argument skills developed throughout the course.

1. Review Instructions for Essay 4--The Research Paper
The instructions and guides for the research paper are
linked below.
In this class you have a rare opportunity to develop,
revise/edit, and resubmit your work. Your revised exploratory
paper (Essay 2) will become the introduction to your research
paper. The revised position paper (Essay 3) will become the
body. In addition, you will create a conclusion or "solutions"
section for the final project. Note, however, that significant
revisions are expected, so you should carefully review the
edited draft and rubric evaluations for both essays 2/3 before
you begin your final essay.
The final research papers must meet ALL of the minimum
criteria for the assignment (in terms of structure, development,
documentation style, quality and number of research sources,
and writing skills) to be eligible for a score. In other words, you
must receive a mark of "competent" in all of these areas to
receive a grade for this assignment.
English 103: Essay 4—Research Paper
In the Research Paper, you will further develop, revise, and
build upon the single perspective argument you have been
developing all semester. Your final assignment should
demonstrate your ability to apply the principles of argument
discussed in the class throughout the semester and it should
demonstrate your ability to use critical thinking when
discussing a controversial issue.
Directions:
Prepare an 8-10 page research essay that builds upon the single
perspective argument paper. The purpose of this assignment is
to build upon what you have already created in the course.
Therefore, the introduction of your research paper should be
drawn from your Exploratory Paper, laying the foundation for

2. the reader by presenting all sides of the issue, the exigence, etc.
The body should be drawn from the Position Paper, which
incorporates research to support your claim and sub-claims.
Obviously, you cannot include the entire portion of each of the
previous papers, and your final research paper should show that
you’ve developed areas requiring development and made
significant revisions to those sections of your papers requiring
revision. The idea is to pull sections and points from previous
essays. Use comments from me to revise those papers as you
incorporate portions of them into this final project.
In addition to revising/developing the exploratory and position
papers to serve as the introduction and body of the research
paper, you will write an extended conclusion in which you focus
on a viable solution and/or conclusion to the issue. For the
conclusion, provide a means of solving the problem indicated by
your topic. Consider the audience, establish common ground,
and provide details for how to implement the solution. For
example, if the position paper argued that bilingual education is
necessary in California schools, the solution would discuss how
to implement bilingual education programs in our California
schools. Your conclusion should be 2-3 substantial paragraphs.
The Research Paper should include all of the following
components:
1) The essay, while presenting your perspective on the issue,
should be presented objectively. This means you will present
the information in as fair and unbiased way as possible, without
use of first person point of view.
2) The essay must include a minimum of eight
scholarly/academic sources (encyclopedias and dictionaries do
not count.) These sources must be accurately cited in the paper.
You should have a variety of sources (articles from journals,
newspapers, magazines, books, websites). The majority of your
Internet sources should be from academic/scholarly journals

3. accessed in the college library databases (EBSCOHost).
3) The essay should be a minimum of eight to ten pages of text
(this does not include the Works Cited page or any space
devoted to titles/graphs/images, etc.)
4) The essay must have a complete and accurate Works Cited
page—formatted according to MLA guidelines.
5) The essay should adhere to these formatting/composition
guidelines: Your research paper should be typed in a 10-12
point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
Your essay should follow MLA documentation format; refer to
the handout titled “MLA Documentation Style.” Your essay
should have a titled that reflects the argument/content of the
paper--centered at top of first page. (Save your document as a
“Word” (.doc) file and upload your essay to the assignment area
in Blackboard by the due date/time.)
Grading Criteria:
Your essays will be evaluated for the following: strength of
argument, development of claim, thoroughness of research,
writing ability, completeness of the writing process, meeting the
requirements of the assignment, improvement in writing and
argument skills relative to previous papers.
Important Note on Plagiarism:
All of the final research papers will be submitted to
turnitin.com (a plagiarism detection website.) It is therefore
imperative that you document your sources accurately. If you
borrow information from a source, it must be attributed. If you
use the exact words of a source, the language must be put inside
quotation marks. If you paraphrase a source, it must be
attributed, and the sources original words/language must be
translated into your own words. If you have any questions about
documenting sources, please ask them before you submit your

4. final papers.
1
This guide is a brief introduction to some of the most common
types of citations
using MLA style. The rules of citing materials using MLA style
are developed by the
Modern Language Association (MLA). For specific examples
not included in this guide,
please consult the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research
Papers, 8th edition, available
at LB2369 .G53 2016, or consult the MLA Style Center’s Works
Cited: A Quick Guide at:
style.mla.org/works-cited-a-quick-guide/
The MLA 8th edition introduces a flexible system built upon
core
elements in a certain order. To create citations for your Works
Cited list,
use only important information that is available and necessary
to find
your source again.
Core Elements for Works Cited List
The Works Cited Page - MLA Style 8th Edition
Core Element Description Descriptive Example
Author. The author’s name, if available Author’s Last Name,
First Name.

5. Corporation Name,
Title of Source. Title is usually displayed
prominently. Can be an article or
book title
“Title of Article or Chapter.”
Title of Self-Contained Piece Like
a Book.
Title of Container, This can be a book title, journal
title, newspaper, website, or
database
Book Title If Source Is an Article or
Chapter,
Title of Website or Database
Name,
Other Contributors, Others that are not authors but
contributed: editors, illustrators,
etc.
edited by First Name Last Name,
adapted by First Name Last
Name,
illustrated by First Name Last
Name,
Version, Usually the edition 8th ed.,
Number, Volume and number of a set vol. 25, no. 4,
Publisher, The primary producer of the piece Oxford U,
Publication date, Full date 2016,

6. 18 Jan. 2017
Location. Page number , website URL, or
digital object identifier (DOI)
pp. 210-215.
www.cnn.com.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
https://style.mla.org/works-cited-a-quick-guide/
2
Book with 1 Author
Duckworth, Angela. Grit : The Power of Passion and
Perseverance. Scribner, 2016.

7. Book with 2 Authors
Jackle, John, and Keith A. Schulle. The Garage: Automobility
and Building Innovation in America’s Early
Auto Age. U of Tennessee P, 2013.
Book with 3 or More Authors
Nicola Acocella, et al. Macroeconomic Paradigms and
Economic Policy: From the Great Depression to the
Great Recession. Cambridge UP, 2016.
Chapter, Essay, or Other Work that Appears in an Anthology
Báez, Jillian. “Television for All Women?: Watching Lifetime’s
Devious Maids.” Cupcakes, Pinterest and
Ladyporn: Feminized Popular Culture in the Early Twenty-First
Century, edited by Elana Levine, U of
Illinois P, 2015, pp. 51-70.
Article in a Specialized Encyclopedia or Dictionary
“Multitouch Displays.” Principles of Computer Science, edited
by Donald R. Franceschetti, Salem, 2016, pp.
201-203.
Note: If an author’s name is not given, begin your citation with
the name of the article.
Film on DVD or in Theater

8. The Matrix. Directed by the Wachowski Brothers, Warner
Brothers, 1999.
Note: If a writer, director or other contributor is particular to
your research, you can include them, or use them as the author.
The proliferation of VCRs in people’s homes meant that “by the
mid-1980s features shot directly on video were the
standard” (Thomas 52).
In-Text Citation
You must indicate to your readers not only what sources you
used in writing your paper, but also where in the
work you found the material. You give this information by
inserting a parenthetical citation in your paper
wherever you incorporate someone else’s words, facts, or ideas.
Usually, all you need is the author’s last
name and a page number.
Common Sources Found in the Cypress College Library
EXAMPLES
3
Cypress College Library Database Sources
EBSCOHost—Scholarly Journal Article Accessed via Academic
Search Premier
Gnanadason, Aruna. “Resisting Injustice.” Cross Currents, vol.
66, no. 2, Jun. 2016, pp. 215-226. Academic
Search Premier, doi:10.1111/cros.12179.

9. Note: Use a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available, or the
permanent links provided in the citation tool.
ProQuest—Newspaper Article Accessed via Proquest: National
Newspapers Expanded
Swaim, Barton. "Trump, the Press and the Dictatorship of the
Trolletariat." Wall Street Journal, Eastern ed., 24
Jan. 2017, p. A15. ProQuest,
ezproxy.cyclib.nocccd.edu/docview/1860947911?accountid=416
82.
Note: Where an article continues on to non-consecutive pages,
just list the first page number with a “+” after it, e.g., “A10+”
Gale Virtual Reference Library—Article in a Specialized
Encyclopedia
Jones-Brown, Delores, and Michael Thompson. "Racial
Profiling." African Americans and Criminal Justice: An
Encyclopedia, edited by Delores D. Jones-Brown, et al.,
Greenwood, 2014, pp. 438-444. Gale Virtual
Reference Library,
go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?p=GVRL&sw=w&u=cypressc&v=2.1
&it=r&id=GALE%
7CCX6104100102&asid=98afeb2729431f016ceb53071569ec86.
Note: Use the permanent links so your instructors can just click
on the links. Exclude http:// from beginning of URL.
Opposing Viewpoints

10. Bergeron, David A., and Carmel Martin. "Strengthening Our
Economy through College for All." How Valuable Is
a College Degree?, edited by Noël Merino, Greenhaven Press,
2016. Opposing Viewpoints in Context,
link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/EJ3010971206/OVIC?u=cypressc
&xid=f3bd2b95. Accessed 24 Jan.
2017. Originally published in AmericanProgress.org, vol. 1, 19
Feb. 2015.
CQ Researcher
Price, Tom. “Student Debt.” CQ Researcher, vol. 26, no. 41, 18
Nov. 2016, library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
document.php?id=cqresrre2016111800.
CountryWatch
“Syria: Political Conditions.” Country Watch, Sept. 2016,
www.countrywatch.com/Intelligence/CWTopic?
Type=text&CountryID=167&Topic=POPCO.
Film Accessed via Films on Demand
Circulation: What an Autopsy Reveals. Produced by Firefly
Film amp Television Productions, Films Media
Group, 2006. Films On Demand,
fod.infobase.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?wID=15985&xtid=36418.
Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.

11. 4
Webpage
Occupational Outlook Handbook. United States, Department of
Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics,
www.bls.gov/ooh. Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.
Note: Include date accessed when no other dates are available.
Video Accessed via Youtube
Stedman, Kyle. ”Understanding MLA Style (8th edition, 2016
updates).” Youtube, 2016, https://youtu.be/
bjbMfL92b7g.
Television Show on Netflix
“Framing Defense.” Making a Murderer, episode 7, Netflix,
2015, www.netflix.com/watch/80000777?
trackId=14277283&tctx=0%2C6%2Cdefe4d5c-07c6-4ef2-874a-
7f8cdc6cd573-32470941.
Tweet
@POTUS. “One thing I've learned from my time abroad as
President: Young people will shape our future long
after their leaders leave the world stage.” Twitter, 20 Nov.

12. 2016, 7:17 a.m., twitter.com/POTUS/
status/800357392588406785.
Podcast
Dunn, Gaby. “The New American Dream.” Bad with Money
with Gaby Dunn, episode 12, 9 Nov. 2016.
Accessed 30 Nov. 2016.
Note: Include URL if accessed on a Podcast website.
Center the title, Works Cited, an inch from the top
of the page
Use double spacing throughout.
Begin each entry at the left margin. If an entry
runs more than one line, indent the
subsequent lines one-half inch from the
margin as hanging.
For titles of works, capitalize the first word and all
principal words.
Alphabetize entries by the author’s last name or,
if no author, by the first main word in the title.
Overall Look Checklist
Other Common Sources
Additional Help
Current Cypress College students have access to NoodleTools, a
comprehensive tool for creating bibliographies in a

13. variety of formats, including MLA. Select Cite a Source? from
our homepage to access additional citation help.
Updated: 1/31/17
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/
https://www.netflix.com/watch/80000777?trackId=14277283&tc
tx=0%2C6%2Cdefe4d5c-07c6-4ef2-874a-7f8cdc6cd573-
32470941
https://www.netflix.com/watch/80000777?trackId=14277283&tc
tx=0%2C6%2Cdefe4d5c-07c6-4ef2-874a-7f8cdc6cd573-
32470941
1
Sample title page and formatting guidelines for an MLA-style
paper:
Student's first and last name--John Smith
Course title--English 103
Instructor last name--McAlister
Date of submission--1 October 2017
Center your essay title on the first page--
Social Media: Fostering Community or Cultivating Narcissism?
This is a sample of MLA (Modern Language Association)
format. Present a header on the first page in the top left corner--
including name, course title, instructor last name, and date of
submission. Present page number in top right corner. Center the
title of your essay on the first page following the header and

14. preceding the first paragraph. Your title should clearly identify
the issue you are exploring, and it should also reflect the
argument/focus of your essay. Capitalize the first letter of
significant title words. Do underline or place quotes around
your title. Whenever you refer to titles of books or longer
written works like Perspectives on Argument the title words
should be italicized; titles of journals or periodicals should also
be italicized, for example, TheJournal of Environmental
Studies. Titles of articles or shorter works should be placed
inside quotation marks; for example, any of the articles in “The
Reader” section of your textbook (pages 529-) should be placed
inside quotation marks: “The Green Monster,” “The Changing
Face of Immigration in America,” “The Moral Equivalent of
War,” etc.
Indent at the beginning of each paragraph. Avoid using
fancy fonts. Stick with Times New Roman--10-12 point. Double
space throughout your essay. Do not include extra spaces or
gaps between paragraphs in your essay. Format for one-inch
margins on all sides--top, bottom, left, and right. Do not justify
margins.Notes on research and MLA documentation style:
· Please review the MLA Guide for a more detailed overview
MLA (Modern Language Association) documentation style. For
the exploratory paper (essay 2), position paper (essay 3) and
final research paper (essay 4), outside criticism MUST be
incorporated into the discussion, and your sources must be
documented accurately--according to MLA guidelines. Your
sources must be appropriate for the subject: essays or articles
published in academic journals and written by scholars.
Wikepedia is NOT an academic source. You should avoid using
any source for which the author cannot be identified. If you
cannot establish the credibility of an author for a source, then
you should not cite that source.
· You may conduct your research at the Cypress College
Library. A step-by-step guide to searching the Cypress College

15. Library databases is available on our course site. A link to the
library website is provided in the "External Links" area of the
course site.
You can search for "books and media" and "articles" from
the home page. Note that the EBSCOHost databases,
"Academic Search Premier" and "Masterfile Premier" are
general subject databases. Some of the materials you find in
these databases will be appropriate, and some will not. If
something is published in a peer-reviewed "Journal" or a
"Study" associated with a University, then it is probably
appropriate. Magazine and newspapers articles would NOT be
appropriate for this assignment.
· If you find a book at a nearby university, you can request an
"Interlibrary Loan," and a Cypress College librarian will
acquire the book for you.
Documenting sources in the body of your essay:
· Always use a signal phrase the first time you quote a source;
include the author's name, his/her credentials, and the title of
the essay. Provide a page number reference for quotes AND
paraphrases in your in-text citations. Below you will see a
basic example of a quote and an in-text citation; the sample is
taken from an essay in an anthology--a collection of essays in a
book with an editor. The Reader portion of Perspectives on
Argument is an example of an anthology.
· Sample quote with and attribution and an in-text citation: In
his essay "Is Google Making Us Stupid," noted author and
culture critic, Nicholas Carr, presents research suggesting that
the Internet has effectively re-wired the human brain, altering
the way that we read and process information. The “style of
reading” that is promoted by the Internet is superficial, and may
“weaken” our capacity for “deep reading.” When we read
information on the Net, “Our ability to interpret text, to make
the rich mental connections that form when we read deeply and

16. without distraction, remains largely disengaged" (468).
· In the example above, the title of the essay is provided in the
signal phrase inside quotes "Is Google Making Us Stupid?"; if it
were a book, the title would be italicized. The author's name
and credentials are also provided in the signal phrase: noted
author and culture critic, Nicholas Carr. His quoted words are
placed inside quotation marks: “Our ability to interpret text, to
make the rich mental connections that form when we read
deeply and without distraction, remains largely disengaged"
(468). The in-text citation references the page number (436) for
that quote. If this were an online source, the writer would
provide a paragraph number, preceded by "par." instead of a
page number.
Instructions for the Works Cited page:
· At the end of your essay, on a separate "Works Cited" page,
provide the complete bibliographic information for ALL sources
cited in your essay.
· The words “Works Cited” should be centered at the top of the
page.
· Entries for all research sources should follow in alphabetical
order (not numbered) and using a reverse indent format.
· There are MLA Guides (both 7th and 8th edition) available on
the course site; the guides provide format information and
examples for a variety of different types of sources you may use
in an academic essay. It is important to follow the guidelines
carefully; if bibliographic information is missing from a works
cited entry, that source is plagiarized. MLA recently updated
their guidelines. You may use either the 7th or 8th edition of
MLA, but be consistent. I have provided examples for both
below. If you have any questions or concerns about formatting
works cited entries, you may want to use the Noodlebib tool to

17. create your list of works cited; the Noodlebib tool can be
accessed on the Cypress College Library home page.
Here are the (7th edition) MLA-style formatting guidelines for
an essay in an anthology:
Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Article Inside
Quotes." Title of Book
Article is Published in--Italicized. Editor(s) name(s).
Place of Publication:
Publisher, Date. Pages on which article appears. Medium.
Here is a sample (MLA7) works cited entry for the source
quoted above:
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid." Perspectives on
Argument. Eds. Nancy
V. Wood and James S. Miller. Upper Saddle River:
Pearson Education, 2015. 466-468. Print.
Here are the (8th edition) MLA-style formatting guidelines for
an essay in an anthology:
Author's Last name, First name. "Title of Article Inside
Quotes." Title of Book
Article is Published in—Italicized, edited by editor(s)
name(s), publisher,
year of publication, pages on which the article appears.
Here is a sample (MLA8) works cited entry for the source
quoted above:
Carr, Nicholas. "Is Google Making Us Stupid." Perspectives on
Argument,edited by
Nancy V. Wood and James S. Miller, Pearson Education,
2015, pp. 466-468. Modern Language Association Style Guides:

18. · In the research paper module, you will find Modern Language
Association Style Guides which include examples for a variety
of different types of sources—books, articles, films, wikis, web
sources, etc. Recently MLA published updated guidelines for an
8th edition. Many of you may have MLA-style handbooks with
the guidelines for the 7th edition. For this assignment, I have
uploaded both guides, and I will accept essays that conform to
either model.