Part 1: Introduction (1 paragraph)

Introduce the research topic and why it’s worth serving as a research topic. What was the problem you were setting out to explore? Why does the topic matter? The last thing to add is the most important part: your main argument. This is a one-sentence statement (Thesis Statement) that essentially seeks to answer the research question with an evidence-based position on the matter. It’s a claim that you can make based on the evidence you assembled in your research; the purpose of the rest of the paper is to explain and support that one position with evidence.

Part 2: Presentation of Three Perspectives (3 paragraphs)

This is the evidence. You want to convince the reader that your argument is supportable with good research, even if a reader might disagree with aspects of it. It helps to remember that it’s impossible to definitively “prove” the claim. The best you can offer is supporting evidence to show that your argument can hold weight and convince a reasonable person that it deserves analysis. The use of peer-reviewed sources is the best way to demonstrate a rigorous degree of research and reliability.

Part 3: Conclusion and Reflections on Research (1-2 paragraphs)

In this section, offer any final remarks, observations, or insights on the topic. If there are areas that require further research, you can mention these and even chart out what research questions should naturally follow your work. Avoid summarizing or repeating the previous sections.

Now that you’ve finished your project, let’s take a minute to take stock of what you can take forward and identify any lingering questions you have about research or information literacy. Add any final remarks on what you’ve learned about information literacy and research. What skills will you take forward into the next paper you write or the next class?

Reference List

Provide complete references for all sources cited in the paper. Include sources from Week 2 and 6 Assignments. The citations should be Turabian/Chicago Author-Date style.

Other Guidelines

The paper must be only four pages long. Write the Reference List on the fifth page. Use a 12 size font, and double-space your paper with 1-inch margins. It’s recommended to use headings for each part. You can customize the names of the headings to fit your topic.