Topic:Should the US enact a carbon cap and trade policy after considering it possible effects on the economy?The economic debate on policy is always a popular topic. You can substitute carbon tax for
Instructions for Writing Research Paper
The topic for the research paper needs to be generally related to the issues of possible climate
changes caused by human emissions of greenhouse gases and/or policies and methods for reducing
greenhouse gas emissions. Two of the more popular policy ideas a re carbon cap and trade and
carbon tax, though others have been proposed. You are expected to research this issue and select
a focused, debatable topic (or topic question) within this general theme as the topic for your paper.
In the paper you are expected to include arguments, with references, on both sides of your focused
question or topic, not just the side you may agree with.
In past semesters the biggest problem with student papers has been failure to follow or
understand the directions for the con tent of the paper, so I want to state it clearly. The type of paper
you are expected to write is what I would call a “discussion -type” paper. However, if you do a web
search for discussion paper, you will find a variety of definitions. These two links desc ribe the
type of paper that I expect along with some writing tips and suggestions, How to Write a
Discussion Essay and How to Write a Good Discussion Essay . You must select a topic that fits
under the general themes stated above and is debatable. A debatable topic is one in which valid
argument s can be presented on both sides. It should be a topic or question that does not have a
single, exact answer. The main purpose of this paper is to learn about and discuss arguments on
both sides of the topic with supporting references. You are informing th e reader of both sides
without your opinion. This is not a persuasive paper in which you are trying to convince the reader
to your point of view. You are asked to briefly state your opinion in the conclusion, but that is not
the main focus of this paper. T his type of research paper is sometimes called an analytical research
paper as opposed to an argumentative research paper (see An alytical vs. Argumentative Research
Papers from Write.com ).
Selecting a focused topic of interest to you is perhaps the most important aspect of writing this
paper. The specific topic of your paper needs to be narrow as the general themes posed above a re
much too broad. For example consider this broad general topic question: Has President Trump
been a good president so far? Focused, debatable topics under this theme could be: Have President
Trump’s economic policies been successful? Have President Trump ’s foreign policies been
successful? Has President Trump helped the nation’s poor? Has President Trump effectively dealt
with the immigration issue? Has the Trump administration negotiated good trade deals? Each of
these focused issues has two clear sides to debate. With research you could find references
supporting each side of those questions, e.g., some claiming that the president’s economic policies
have worked, while others claiming that they have not.
Examples of possible topics for this paper are provided in a separate document, but many other
topics beside those listed are acceptable. Generally, almost any related topic is acceptable as long
as it is focused and has two clear sides to debate or argue. This is purely a research paper based on
out of class material. If you are not at all familiar with carbon cap and trade or emissions trading
schemes in general, then I suggest that you begin your research by reading about carbon cap and
trade and the reasons why some people feel that a policy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is
necessary. Easy -to-und erstand summaries are provided in What is emissions trading? and The
Basic Design Elements of C ap and Trade Systems . After a little background reading, you should
have no trouble selecting a suitable topic that you can easily understand. Background
Many, but certainly not all, people believe that human -caused emissions of greenhouse
gases into the a tmosphere will result in significant global warming and potentially catastrophic
climate changes. Thus, many believe that humans must severely reduce or eliminate emissions of
greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide. To address this potential environme ntal problem,
many countries and local regions within countries, have implemented policies to reduce emissions,
see State & Trends R eport Charts Global Growth of Carbon Pricing . The United States has not
enacted a legally binding national policy to reduce emissions, though there are several active
emission reduction schemes operating at the regional and state levels.
Recently, in Decem ber 2015 at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris,
178 nations, including the United States, agreed to nationally determined pledges to reduce
greenhouse gas emissions over time. US Secretary of State John Kerry signed the agreement .
However, the deal is not legally binding in that the emission reduction targets submitted by each
country are goals and not internationally punishable. Ac cording the US Constitution, international
treaties with legally binding commitments must be ratified by congress; however, the US congress
has never even debated the Paris Agreement, let alone vote to approve it. On June 1, 2017,
President Trump announced that the United States will withdraw from the Paris Accord. The
president did say that he is open to negotiating a new deal.
W hile at the Paris conference, the US pledged to reduce emissions to 28% below 2005
levels by the year 2025. Of course those reductions would be great if there were no costs involved.
However, there is little doubt that this would increase the cost of energ y. Those in favor of Cap
and Trade or some other carbon emission reduction legislation believe action must be taken now
to avoid or at least reduce the potential harm from human -caused global warming and climate
change that will occur if we do not reduce c arbon dioxide emissions. The basic environmental
concern related to human emissions of greenhouse gases is described simply in What is the
Greenhouse Effect? Many of those again st Carbon Cap and Trade either do not think emission
controls are necessary at all (not worried about potential human -caused climate change) or that
Cap and Trade is too expensive to justify against the possible benefits.
This issue is obviously relevant to all of us. It is important to learn about Carbon Cap and
Trade or similar legislation and personally decide whether or not it is a good plan. Armed with this
understanding, we can then discuss our feelings on this issue with our elected representatives and
other concerned citizens.
Overview of Research Paper Assignments
Your assignment is to come up with an acceptable debatable topic or question within the
general theme, research both sides of your topic, and write a sh ort discussion -type paper. The final
paper length should be at least 5 double -spaced pages. For 12 point font and one inch margins, this
translates into a word count of about 1250 words. Your paper does not need to be a strongly
technical or scientific pap er, so cho ose a topic that you can easily understand. If you are
comfortable writing a more technical paper, then feel free to do that. Keep in mind that this is a
research paper, meaning that you are expected to thoroughly research the debatable issue or
question that you choose to write about, which includes searching for information and reading and
evaluating possible source material.
There are two main steps in producing a research paper, research and writing. As a general
rule, you should expect to spen d about an equal amount of time on each step. Research must be
done first. Students often make the mistake of trying to write research papers before doing sufficient research. To help guide you through the process, there are a few assignments due before
the final paper. The first assignment is to submit a topic proposal for the research paper. The topic
should be selected after first doing some background reading and preliminary research on the topic.
On top of that, you need to include an annotated bibliography in the topic proposal . The purpose
is to make sure that you have done sufficient and effective research.
After the research phase, the next step is to organize your ideas and write the paper. This
step typically includes many rounds of editing, revising, and refining the organizat ion and wording
of the paper. The second assignment is to submit a complete first draft of your paper for peer
review. Even though it is called a first draft, you should treat it as if it were the final draft. The
first draft is due by th e end of the second week .
For the third assignment, you will each peer review two first drafts from fellow students in
the class. The purpose of the peer review is to help each other improve the final draft of the pap er.
You will then use the peer review feedback to make final revisions to your paper before submitting
the final draft.
Expected Content of the Final Draft
This section describes what is expected for the final draft so that you understand the
ultimate pa per that are working toward. No matter your research topic, all are expected to follow
the instructions for the content of the paper described below.
The main text of the paper should consist of three sections, an introduction, a body, and a
conclusion. Th e individual sections should not be labeled separately, but rather incorporated into
a single, coherent paper. The paper should have a descriptive title centered on the first line of text.
After the main text, there must be a labeled bibliography or works cited section. You must use
either the APA or MLA format for the bibliography and in -text citations. Links describing
both the APA and MLA formats are provided in the D2L course content under the research paper
module.
In the introduction you are expected to provide a clear overview of the large, background
issue, which should at least address: why carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are
increasing, why this is concerning to many people, and that in response to these concerns many
government entities around the world have enacted legislation to reduce their emissions. In the
introduction you also need to introduce your specific debatable topic (i.e., the issue or questions
that you are going to discuss/debate in the body) and describe how it fits into the larger theme. The
introduction should not be longer than one or two paragraphs. Obviously, you must have gone
through the process of selecting a suitable topic and researching that topic before starting to write
the paper.
In the body of the paper, you will focus on the specific debatable issue or question that you
stated in the introduction and discuss it in detail. You are expected to present arguments supporting
both sides of the issue or question that you are writing about, not just the side you may agree with.
You are informing the reader about both sides of the issue or question. While the body must contain
arguments on both sides of your issue or question, you can decide how to present the information.
Each paragraph can be a point/counterpoint fo rmat comparing the relative pros and cons of each
side or you can write several paragraphs supporting one side followed by several paragraphs
supporting the other side. This is the section of the paper where you need to incorporate outside
research and in clude in -text citations to reference material listed in the bibliography. You are
required to have at least 4 in -text citations in the body of your paper, with at least two on each side of the topic question or debatable issue. The in -text citations must f ollow either the
APA or MLA format.
Finally, in the conclusion, you should briefly summarize your topic question and the main
points you presented in the body. You should also state your opinion on which side you stand with
regard to your debatable issue. Just briefly state the reasons for your opinion. You are not expected
to make a detailed, persuasive argument. The largest part of the paper is the body where you
provide arguments on both sides of your specific debatable topic. The conclusion should not b e
longer than one or two paragraphs. Shown below is a summary of the require d components for the
paper.
Paper should have a descriptive title centered above the first line of text.
At least 5 pages of text using double -spacing and 12 point font (about 1250 words). Word
count will not be used in assessing your paper unless it is sh orter than 1 00 0 words or
significantly longer than 1750 words. You are free to include any graphs, tables, or figures
that you consider necessary in your paper. These do not count against the overall page
limit. Make sure to have citations to the sources f rom which you took any figures. Don’t
feel like you must write 6 pages to get a good grade. It is more important that you write
your paper well. Don’t unnecessarily repeat yourself to fill space.
The text should contain distinct sections, which include an introduction, body, and
conclusion as described above.
Bibliography or list of references is required after the text of the paper. The bibliography
section should have a label, such as “Bibliography.” The bibliography must conform to
either the APA or MPA formats. The bibliography does not count against the page limit.
Given that this is a resear ch paper, you must have at least 4 good reference sources
properly listed in your bibliography.
You MUST use in -text citations to specific references in your bibliography where
required. For the most part, citations to reference material should not be nece ssary in the
introductory paragraph since that information would be considered common knowledge,
unless, of course, you cite data or statistics. You absolutely need citations to reference
material in the body of the paper where you will be incorporating da ta and ideas of others.
You are required to have at least two in -text citations to reference material in your
bibliography corresponding to each side of your debatable issue (4 total).
In-text citations must conform to either APA or MLA formats. The requir ed citations will
be judged on the effective use of information. The cited reference material must be relevant
to the main body argument. Note that not all citations in your paper need to be related to
the main body topic and you may have more than four to tal in -text citations throughout the
paper. In fact you may need citations for some background material that is not related to
your body argument. However, four in -text citations from the body section will be judged
on effective use of information, which m eans that the reference material specifically
addresses one or more sides of your main body arguments. There can be citations to the
ideas of others, which support one side of the debate or issue. There can be citations to data
or information that support arguments on one side of the debate or issue.
The use of long, direct quotations, even if properly cited, is discouraged, especially if
the information can be easily presented in your own words. You need to learn to write
in your own words, rather than la zily copying the words of others. Points will be
deducted for unnecessarily long direct quotations. In most cases, direct quotes should not be longer than one sentence, though there are a few exceptions. Here is a Guide
about using quotations from the Writing Center at the University of North Carolina
Some q uestions you may want to ask yourself before submitting the paper.
Overall, is the paper well written and organized?
Is the paper easy to understand? Please keep it simple. Do not unnecessarily try to mak e it
sound “technical” or “academic.” You should not select a topic or try to write about
something that you do not understand.
Did you clearly describe and discuss a single debatable issue in more detail? Are both sides
of the specific issue clearly prese nted? Important here that you do not mix together multiple
debatable issues. You should focus on one specific question or issue and discuss both sides
of that issue.
Is there any grammatical or spelling errors? Besides using a spell checker, it is a good idea
to hav e others read over your paper before you turn it in.
Notes on Plagiarism
Papers will be run through turnitin.com, so you will not get away with copying from the
works of others without proper reference
You must give proper reference to information sources using a bibliography and in -text
citations. Taking information or ideas f rom reference material without proper citation will
be dealt with severely. Note that it is not enough to list the source material in the
bibliography without using in -text citations where needed. Even worse would be taking
information or ideas from source s that are not even listed in your bibliography.
You must use your own words unless you are directly quoting from a reference and use
quotation marks. Copying phrases directly from another work without quotation marks and
proper citation will be dealt with severely. The use of long direct quotations is discouraged
if the information can be easily presented in your own words. While this is not plagiarism,
points will be deducted for unnecessarily long direct quotations.
Please refer to the “Student Code of I ntegrity” section in the syllabus. For cases of severe
plagiarism, no credit will be awarded for the paper and the instructor may consult with the
Dean of Students for disciplinary actions.