A research paper is a paper that relies on outside documentation for information and support relating to your own opinions about a topic. The idea is to bring together ideas from a variety of sources

A research paper is a paper that relies on outside documentation for information and support relating to your own opinions about a topic. The idea is to bring together ideas from a variety of sources in an effort to evaluate the evidence and express your own opinion of what the evidence says. Your sources will include primary materials (the texts and stories, for example) and secondary materials (essays and accounts written about the primary materials). Keep your opinion at the front, not those of your sources.

Your research should come from a variety of sources, depending upon your topic. Look for books, journal articles, magazine articles, etc., for your sources. Evaluate your sources as you find them by checking dates, origins, authors, etc. Be extremely careful when using internet resources. The most trustworthy internet sources will probably come from on-line journals, education sites (.edu), government sites (.gov) and on-line databases (FirstSearch, e.g.).

Length and Style of Paper - I expect the paper to be between 4 and 7 pages in length.  The research paper will conform to MLA style guide.  These guidelines include being typed, with 1-inch margins all around, in standard 12-point font, and double-spaced.  You should use a minimum of four resources (a general rule is to have one resource per page, so 4 - 7 resources would be ideal).

Topics: You have two (2) choices for your research paper. 1) You may write a standard literary analysis research paper based on any other and/or text of your choice. It may not be a simple biography of an author, but must address specific text or texts.

2) You may develop an I-Search paper. This is a paper where you develop a question which you desire to find an answer for. It is different from the standard research paper in that it involves documenting your search efforts as well as assumptions/previous knowledge.   

TOPIC;  

How does the US education system compare to education systems in other countries?