Research Paper (Due June 7th)

Directions: You will be researching information on either one or two careers that may interest you and writing a paper on your findings. You will receive handouts that are supposed to work as a guide to the type of information for which you should be looking. When writing your research paper you must do the following:
1. Record all researched information on note cards.
2. Must use and cite at least 6 sources in your paper, including at least one source from the internet, a book, and a journal (the other three sources can be any source of your choosing).
3. The paper must be 5-7 page in length, typed, MLA format.
4. The paper must include a works cited page, arranged in alphabetical order by author’s last name.

Tips for Research:
Plan ahead. Research is a time consuming process that cannot be done effectively on a whim or completed last minute. Access a good library. The best libraries to use for research are four-year university. Take time to travel to and visit a university library. The library staff will be extremely helpful to you in locating books, journals, and other sources that you will need to complete the assignment. It is also a good idea that you become familiar with a university library system as you will be using it quite frequently if you attend college.

Be sure to record citation information from any possible sources at which you look. Nothing is worse than having a quote that you would like to use and you cannot remember the source or citation information.

Develop organizational skills. Effective research will require you to be extremely organized.

Guidelines for Research:
Note Cards: Purchase some index cards which you will use to organize information. For every source that you use (internet, book, journal article, interview, etc.), record the citation information on one card and number the card. The first source is #1. The second source is #2. The third source is #3. And so on. Every quote or paraphrase that you may use should be recorded on an index card. Instead of writing the source citation for each quote, simply put the number of the source card in the upper right hand corner of the card that you have written the quote. Keep all numbers together in the initial stages of research (while this seems like it will be a bit of work, this will keep you organized and save you time in the long run).

When looking for information to use in your paper, consider the following topics within a career: Education, training, job skills, talents, experience, earnings, benefits, health factors, employment, and a typical day. Be sure to refer to the handouts titled, “Career essay outline” and “Career research questions”.