Research Paper Requirements
Length: minimum of 6 full pages (Not including cover page, outline or reference pages)
Style:Use one-inch margins, 10 to 12-pointTimes New Roman or Tribute font, and double-spaced.
Paper Organization:
I. Title Page
I. Paper Outline with thesis statement at the top of the page to guide the reader.
II. Main Body (minimum 6 full pages)
1. Introduction
2. Body
a) Main section of your paper- What you were researching?
3. Career Exploration Section- small related section in which you explore a specific career related to your area of study
The career information includes:
a) Name of Career
b) Nature of Career: Describe what the person does in detail.
c) Working Conditions: Do you work indoors or outdoors? Alone or with many people?
d) Job Outlook: Are there many or few of these jobs in the future?
e) Earnings: What is the salary range?
f) Education Required
Optional
g) Related Careers: What other careers are similar or related to this one or offer support tothis one? (Ex. lawyer and paralegal: explain the differences and similarities.)
h) Schools, Companies or Military Branches which Offer Programs in
Career Field: Describethe college(s) in detail (admission requirements, college profile, etc.).
(Hint: The items above can be found in the Occupational Outlook Handbook online at
4. Conclusion
IV. Reference Page
Note: you are required to use a minimum of six sources (i.e.: newspaper, journalarticles, books, internet etc.).
Due Date for First Draft:Due Date for Final Draft:
December 12, 2017January 12, 2018
Research Paper Check List
Before handing in your final draft of your Research Paper, use the following check list to evaluate yourpaper.
Yes NO
______Paper Typed
______Title Page in Correct Format
______Thesis Statement
______Introduction and Conclusion
______Career Section of Paper
______Correct Documentation Utilized Within the Paper
______Minimum of Six Sources
______“Works Cited” Page Correctly Formatted
______Research Portion of Paper written in Third Person
______Body of Paper 6-8 Pages in Length
______Correct Overall Format
______Paper carefully edited for capitalization, punctuation, spellingand word usage. Go over this checklist with your Faculty advisor. Make corrections and prepare a final draft of yourresearch paper.
______
Faculty Advisor Signature Date
______
Student Signature Date
Research Paper Scoring Matrix
Content
Introduction
Clear Thesis Statement
Catches Reader’s Attention
Well-Developed (about 5 sentences) ______out of 10
Body of Paper
Organized Paragraphs
Quality Writing
Career Portion of Paper Included ______out of 25
Conclusion
At least 5 sentences
Wraps up paper effectively
Summarizes main points ______out of 10
Overall Knowledge of Subject ______out of 10
Paper Well-Organized and easy to understand______out of 10
Mechanics
Typing
Correct font
Minimal typos ______out of 5
Works Cited Page
In alphabetical order
Double spaced
Correct format ______out of 10
Cover Page
Faculty Advisor’s name, date, title ______out of 5
Minimum Length Requirement ______out of 5
Proper Documentation
Documented completely throughout
Citations done correctly
All research information documented ______out of 10
TOTAL ______out of 100
Note: Total points must equal or exceed 75 in order to pass this component of the Senior Project
______
Faculty Advisor Date
The Product: Explanation & Examples
The product phase of the Senior Project requires you, the student, to create a product that islogically connected to your research. Ideally your product should be related to a career field tied to yourproject topic. For example, an architect would create an architectural drawing. An artist would create acollection of his/her artwork. A web designer would create a web page. A dancer would perform adance piece. This product must show an application of knowledge gained during research.
The product phase allows you to use your individual creativity and talent to apply your newknowledge. You can build or create something tangible, or complete an activity or volunteer in thecommunity in a way that connects to your topic. Consider building or creating something tangible, orvolunteer in the community in a way that connects to your research topic.
Examples of Senior Project Topics and Products
Topic Product
Cloud Computing – It is the latest technology that has made a huge change in the way data is stored and processed in servers.
Computer Graphics Development – It is based on the use of software to create image data which in turn is used from videos to architecture and a lot more.
Internet Censorship – A debatable topic based on the information flow over the internet.
Data Security – It is mainly based on the misuse of technology. Taking advantage of the loopholes in technology to cause serious damage by hacking or phishing information.
Robotic surgery – One of the latest achievements of technology in using the help of robotics to achieve success in medical surgery.
Electronic surveillance – The use of technology to monitor important and secured places with the use of camera and video devices to protect them from possible dangers.
Artificial intelligence – This topic has made its name long back in the history of technology but is ever evolving. It mainly deals with the use of technology to make devices behave like human beings.
3-D Algorithms – The utilization of computer programming languages combined with game theory to develop 3-D algorithms and using them in turn to develop video games or art.
Optimizing parallel queries – This is related to usage of a database to retrieve stored information or data with the help of Structured query language.
Auto text summarization – This deals with to the point representation of electronic data.
Imaginaire – The use of technology to share your photos over the internet with your friends.
Data Mining – To detect technical fraud and theft. It deals with protection of online card usage.
Proxy Server – A process of connecting computer networks to access or process information.
Tracking of Defects – A system to track defects or issues that might result out of the development stage.
Business Protocols – The set of rules or guidelines that are not defined yet followed in the technology business field.
Internet Shopping – The use of the internet to purchase almost everything from the comfort of your home.
Ad Server – The use of technology for advertising.
E-Billing – The summary of bills or expenditure arising out of online shopping and leading to their mode of payment.
The challenges of setting up an e-commerce website and how to make it operate effectively.
The mechanism that ensure security to a person who is going to make transactions online.
How can you stop phishing completely? How do hackers use phishing to gain personal information?
How can users ensure privacy to their virtual life?
Technologies that can be implemented to create a digital library.
The effect on the lives of people due to globalization. How has things changed, now that we can order anything from the world over from the comforts of our home?
What is software assurance? Does it really work and how can you be sure about the authenticity of a program?
What is performance testing and how does it help?
How has artificial intelligence replaced most tasks that humans used to do?
Patterns used in the development of software architecture.
What is IP telephony and what are its major functions.
How does spy ware pose security threats to a system? How can you remove it from your system or even know that they are there.
How to develop a free tool that will detect the plagiarism of a content.
Sample Topics
Here is a list of twenty starter topic ideas for research essays. See below for many more!
- What are the long-term effects of living in a technological world? Are these mostly negative or positive?
- Are children under 12 now growing up in a different world than college-age students did? How is it different, and what does that mean for them?
- What is the most important new technology for solving world problems?
- How has social media helped solve and create problems in countries outside the U.S.?
- Will governments like China continue to be able to control citizens' access to the Internet and social media?
- How do social media, texting, cell phones, and the Internet make the world bigger? Smaller?
- What are the implications of ever-increasing globalization through technology to the global economy?
- Technology is changing so quickly that we are frequently using computers, software programs, and other technologies that have frustrating glitches and problems. Is there a solution?
- How does our experience of social interactions with other humans influence the way we interact with machines?
- When does it become morally wrong to genetically engineer your child?
- What are new ways people can use technology to change the world?
- How is digital learning going to change schools and education?
- Does the Internet need controls or censorship? If so, what kind?
- Do digital tools make us more or less productive at work?
- To what extent is the development of new technologies having a negative effect?
- How will technology change our lives in twenty years?
- Should people get identity chips implanted under their skin?
- Should people in all countries have equal access to technological developments?
- Can video gaming really help solve world problems? (see video)
- How are brains different from computers? (see video)
- Is organic food really better for you than genetically modified foods?
- What are genetically modified food technologies able to do? How does this compare with traditional plant breeding methods?
- Should genetically modified food technologies be used to solve hunger issues?
- Since it is now possible to sequence human genes to find out about possible future heath risks, is that something everyone should have done? What are the advantages or disadvantages?
- If people have genetic testing, who has the right to that information? Should healthcare companies and employers have access to that information?
- If parents have genetic information about their children, when and how should they share it with the child?
- What sort of genetic information should parents seek about their children and how might this influence raising that child?
- Would having cars that drive themselves be a good or bad idea?
- How might travel in the future be different?
- Should information technologies and Internet availability make work from home the norm?
Is a small business a cornerstone in your community, and you want to research its impact on the community? Is a small business struggling due to a new big box store in the area?
Basic steps of a research paper:
Choose a topic
A topic should interest you, provide an opportunity to explore, and have information that is available.
Narrow your topic, if necessary
What will you focus on?
Write a thesis statement
A thesis statement guides the direction of your research.
Explore your topic
Begin preliminary research.
Gather information
Use library materials, Internet sources, interviews.
Prepare to write
Analyze and organize your information, sharpen your focus.
Write the paper
Write, edit, and revise, and document the sources you used.