- THE TOPIC IS WHY CONSUMERS SHOULD STOP PURCHASING BOTTLED WATER
- THE THESIS: Consumers should stop purchasing bottled water to help stop the effects of global warming, to save money, and to not be exposed to harmful chemicals that the bottles can produce.
- MUST BE IN APA STYLE WITH COVER PAGE AND ABSTRACT
- Length: 900-1,500 words. A minimum of 900 words is required in order for your essay to be substantial. What is important is that you get your point across.
- Organization: Introduction, supporting paragraphs, and a conclusion.
- Language: Use formal language and avoid the use of first and second person — avoid references to yourself (NO “I believe, in my opinion” etc.), no personal anecdotes, and do not address the reader (avoid “you” altogether).
- Documentation: five correctly documented quotes or paraphrases from five adequate sources.
- Style: APA style is usually used for the type of research you will be doing. Continue in that style unless otherwise stated by your professor.
- Take a position: This is not merely a pro/con paper where you list both sides of an argument. In this paper, you will take a side. Know your position.
- State the opposition’s viewpoint: Because this is an argument, you must bring up the opposition’s position and do your best to establish counterarguments to refute it.
- Do more research: A minimum of five references is required for this paper. They must all be from different sources.
- Write in formal English: This is a research paper, so keep to the formal third person (avoid “I” and “You”) and avoid personal anecdotes.
- Proofread carefully! If you are not sure of your writing skills, you may go to one of the MDC campuses to the Writing Lab where tutors are available. You may also use free online tutoring through Smartthinking.com. Go to the link under Tools and Resources (side menu) to find out about this resource.
- Revise, edit, and proofread. I can’t stress this enough.
- Format correctly according to the documentation style your professor assigns. To assure that your Microsoft Word program does not force those extra spaces on you, remember to go to Paragraph > and click on the box on the left-hand corner that reads “do not add extra spaces between like paragraphs.”
- Cross-referencing: You must use in-text citations (also known as in-text references) or signal phrases each time you use the words or ideas of your sources in the essay. Cross-reference your work as explained in your handbook. The handbook is especially necessary for this essay.
- Support: You’ll need a minimum of five sources. Support your ideas with expert opinion, facts, statistics, and other information you find in your research. It is a mistake to create a Frankenstein research paper by copying and pasting.