ASSIGNMENTS
Research Paper
Each student is assigned one research paper. Paper must use a minimum of 4 scholarly sources which are clearly and correctly cited in the text [please refer to https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/ ].
Papers MUST adhere to the following formatting: Times New Roman 12 point font, 1”all-side margins, double-spaced, headings, and citing sources. The research paper must be a minimum of 1,500 words in length [Word Page Calculator: http://wordstopages.com ]. Failure to adhere to the formatting will result in an automatic loss of a full grade level on the paper. Rubric will be provided in class and also posted on the Blackboard. Each research paper must begin with a research proposal, or hypothesis statement with respect to the topic. A founded and logical conclusion is also a requirement of the papers. No title page or identifying information should be on the assessment paper to allow for anonymous assessment. Each student is required to visit the Writing & Research Center before submitting the research paper.
Topic: How has the recent Covid pandemic impacted supply chain around the world? Please identify and use a specific company example in your discussion. Also, explain how companies could do better in the future to avoid supply chain issues
NOTE: A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition. It is, perhaps, helpful to think of the research paper as a living thing, which grows and changes as the student explores, interprets, and evaluates sources related to a specific topic. Secondary sources are the heart of a paper, and provide its nourishment for these research paper assignments; without the support of and interaction with these sources. The research paper serves not only to further the field in which it is written, but also to provide the student with an exceptional opportunity to increase her knowledge in that field. It is also possible to identify a research paper by what it is not.
Remember, a research paper is not simply an informed summary of a topic by means of primary and secondary sources. It is neither a book report nor an opinion piece nor an expository essay consisting solely of one’s interpretation of a text nor an overview of a particular topic. Instead, it is a genre that requires one to spend time investigating and evaluating sources with the intent to offer interpretations of the texts, and not unconscious regurgitations of those sources. The goal of a research paper is not to inform the reader what others have to say about a topic, but to draw on what others have to say about a topic and engage the sources in order to thoughtfully offer a unique perspective on the issue at hand.
