For the final research paper, you need to identify a contemporary, real, local problem and its causes, and then propose feasible solutions that address those causes. You will need to provide a clear and descriptive summary of the problem, including evidence for its existence. Then, you will need to identify for whom, specifically, this is a problem. Then, you will need to sort among the various causes of the problem, tracing the relationship among those causes. You might sort the relationships of cause and effect that have created the current problem, perhaps in chains of A>B>C>D, or A,B and C>D, or perhaps in a web of major and minor causes. Then, what are the current social and institutional factors that cause the problem? There are always many contemporary factors that make the problem a problem and not merely a circumstance, if just on the basis of competing interests among various involved groups. What are those groups and what are the bases for their differences? What are the solutions you propose and whose needs do they meet? Who has to do what in order to enact your solutions?This is a research paper; plan on including the following: books, journal articles, popular periodicals, institutional materials, interviews, surveys. Document your sources accurately both in your text and in a Works Cited page using MLA format. This research should help you describe the problem, trace its causes, demonstrate possible solutions, and show that there are other problems like the one you’ve identified and that people are concerned about them.Some Tips to Help You- Describe in detail what the issue or problem is; you need to convince your audience that the problem exists and that it matters to others, or should.- Find an appropriate audience for your proposal. Who can implement your suggestions for change, or who is charged with considering possible solutions to the problem you have described? You need to write to someone who will be able to enact or perhaps vote on your proposal; otherwise, your effort will be wasted.- Address your sentence level concerns. Consult Andrea Lunsford’s top twenty errors and how to fix them: http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/smhandbook6e/Player/index.aspx, “20 Most Common Errors.”- Follow the intro/quote/restate/relate pattern of incorporating evidence.- In general, avoid parenthetical comment, saving parentheses for citation in MLA style.- Your paper should be 6-8 pages, double-spaced, in Times 12 pt. and address your primary audience—the person or people who can act on your recommendations—in appropriate tone and style.- Format your list of works cited appropriately.Grading CriteriaI will evaluate your essay according to these criteria:clearly defines a specific, local problemclearly identifies the causes of that problemhas a clear, comprehensive, and complex thesisdefines and uses terms specific to the problemintroduces, uses, and explains specific evidencehas a one paragraph summary of the problemdemonstrates how you know what you knowprovides a sense of contemporary and historical contextdemonstrates a clear sense of audiencehas six or more relevant sourcesuses excellent sentence level rhetoriccites in MLA style
