Sociology 255
Sociology 255
Research Paper Guidelines
Due: Nov. 30
You are expected to write a research paper for The Family. The paper should be approximately 15-20 pages. Since this is a short paper, you will need to be concise in your writing and in the development of your argument.
You can pick whatever topic is of interest to you, but don't be too general. For example, you might start out by being interested in interracial marriages. You would then go to the library and start reading about the topic. You would find out right away that most interracial marriages tend to be white women marrying African American men. For your research topic, you might ask the question of why there is this particular pattern in interracial marriages and what it implies about power relationships in marriage. The title of your paper might be something like, "Black Men Marrying White Women: Implications for Power Relationships in Marriage."
Your grade will be based on the following:
a. The thoroughness of your research. You should be doing a survey of what is known about your topic. Go well beyond just a couple of authors or a couple of experiments. Articles from a class may be your starting point, but you need to do research in the library as the basis of your paper.
b. How well-written and organized your paper is. Remember that you are trying to impress your reader so be sure that the paper looks like you have done a careful job, not a rush job! Be sure to use headings. Include: a title page, an introduction, the body of the paper, a conclusion, and a bibliography. Papers without a bibliography will be deducted one letter grade. The introduction should lead into your research question.
c. The care that you put into choosing your topic. If you try to write a paper on divorce, it is going to be much too general and wander all over the place. It is also going to inform me that you did not put much thought into your paper. Think it through. What about divorce interests you? Do a little background reading before you pick your topic.
d. How well constructed and detailed your arguments are.
e. You are welcome to use information on the Web. However, less than 1/4 of your citations should be from the Web.
Grades are reduced by one letter grade for each day that the paper is handed in late. Papers will not be accepted after Dec. 7th.
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