Paper 5

Formal Documented Report

Summary of requirements for Paper 5

Report: A formal report that identifies and analyzes an issue or problem, presents and interprets evidence, makes conclusions and provides clear recommendations to your readers.

You may -- and are encouraged to -- supplement your published research with a personal interview. Your interviewee can be an expert in the field or anyone who has specialized knowledge or personal experience that relates to your research. Prepare your questions in advance and conduct the interview through an in-person meeting, by telephone or by email. Integrate the interviewee's information and comments in the text of your report (just as you would for a printed source). Include a transcript of the full interview (in a question-and-answer format) as an Appendix at the end of your report.

Paper 5 format

Paper 5 outline

The final report should include (in order, with heads for each section):

Cover page -- Title, Prepared for: (identify your reader), Prepared by: (your name), Date

Abstract (1 paragraph, on a separate page) -- This is a "stand-alone" summary that briefly describes the existing problem or situation that prompted your research, the purpose of your report and your major findings and recommendations. Below the abstract, add a double space and, on a separate line, list the keywords to be used if your report is published in an electronic database on the Internet. These are the search terms other researchers might use to find documents like yours. Example:
    Keywords:  genetic modification, GM foods, gene splicing, food safety, FDA, food labeling

Table of Contents (separate page) -- This should include a listing, with page numbers, of the major sections of your report (Introduction, Research Methods, Discussion, Recommendations, Conclusion, Works Cited, Appendices).  It should also include a listing and page numbers for all the subheads in the Discussion section.

Introduction (1 paragraph) -- Give a broad overview of the situation, identify the most important issues, present the thesis, emphasize the relevance to the reader.

Research Goals and Methods (1-2 paragraphs) -- A summary of how you limited the topic and approached the research. Focus on your original research question and discuss the types of sources you consulted and why. If you are using a personal interview, identify the interviewee here and explain why this person was chosen, what his credentials are, etc. Refer the reader to the full transcript of the interview in the Appendix section of your report. This is the only section of the report where you may refer to yourself.

Discussion (8-12 paragraphs) -- This is the major section of your report where you present the evidence. It should be broken down into clear subheads that identify the major reasons your thesis is valid.

Recommendations (1-3 paragraphs) -- Emphasize the general conclusions you want your readers to draw from the evidence. Then recommend specific ways that readers can or should act on these conclusions --  what they can do to solve a problem, improve an existing situation, modify a practice, choose an alternative, etc. If you are presenting just one or two general recommendations, present them in paragraph form. If you have several recommendations (a step-by-step plan, for example), introduce the plan and present the recommendations in a numbered list.

Conclusion (1 paragraph) -- Broaden out the discussion, return the focus to the overall problem or situation, reassert the thesis, re-emphasize the overall benefits of your recommendations, predict the future (the consequences if your recommendations are not followed), and call the reader to action.

Works Cited (separate page) -- A complete listing (in alphabetical order and in proper MLA format ) of all sources you actually cited with one or more MLA notes in the text of the paper.

Appendices (separate page for each one) -- This is supplemental material that you think your readers might find beneficial or that was too cumbersome to include in the text (large tables of data, maps, photographs, etc.). The full transcript of the personal interview should be an Appendix. Label each document at the top of the page (Appendix A, Appendix B), etc.

 Important:  Be sure you discuss and refer to each Appendix at an appropriate place in the text of your report. Examples:
                         (See Appendix A for a complete transcript of the Johnson interview.)
                         (For complete data from the FDA study, see Appendix B.)

Draft submission

You have the option of sending me a draft copy of Paper 5 no later than one week before the final due date. I'll review the draft and make general comments, and you can revise the paper before the due date. This is not required, but strongly suggested.

If you don't have a complete draft ready by this date, you can send just a portion of the paper you would like some help with -- a body paragraph or two, your introduction, the Works Cited page, etc. And at any time during your work on this paper, please email me if you have questions about any aspect of the assignment. You can send a message to me in Angel or you can email me at kwalker2@comcast.net (please do not send mail to @parkland.edu address).

Submitting Paper 5

The final research report is due by midnight on the date listed on the Assignments page. Leave yourself some extra time to handle any possible technical problems.

Please submit your final paper as a file attachment. To do this, prepare and save your file in your word processor, then go to Angel and open the Paper 5 folder and choose "New post" . Instead of loading the text into the message box, choose "Attach file" from the top menu. A box will open that shows your computer directories and floppy drives. Go to the directory or drive that has your file and double-click on the file name to send the file with the message. You can read other  students' attached files by double-clicking on the file name in the header of each posted message.

You can prepare your files in Microsoft Word (preferred), WordPerfect or almost any other up-to-date word processor. However, please do not use Microsoft Works, as this format does not display correctly in other programs. If in doubt about the compatibility of your word-processor format with other programs, use the "Save as" command to save your file as RTF (Rich Text Format). 

Important reminder:

This final paper will demonstrate your mastery of persuasive communication, research skills and MLA documentation -- and your ability to follow directions. You cannot "wing it" when you prepare the documentation. Your Works Cited entries and MLA parenthesis notes must follow the exact formats explained in the textbook and in the files on the course web site (Citing Sources and MLA Notes).

Properly documenting your sources is not difficult. It requires little more than the ability to follow the examples in the textbook and pay attention to details. If your paper does not show clear evidence that you understand how to use MLA formats to present and credit your source material, the paper will receive a failing grade and you will fail the entire course, even if you have all A's on the shorter papers.

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