Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of your primary text. Also, review the Week 5 Final Research Paper and Approved Research Paper Topics located in your online class

Prior to beginning work on this assignment, read Chapters 1, 2, and 3 of your primary text. Also, review the Week 5 Final Research Paper and Approved Research Paper Topics located in your online classroom. Then, you will conduct preliminary research in the Ashford University Library. It is recommended that you read The 2014 Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., primarily reading the pages that pertain to your topic of choice. The highlighted topics in the Approved Research Paper Topics document have a Research Starter for your use within the library. To access these Research Starters, type in the topic name within the Ashford University Library search function; the starters will immediately show.

For an example of how to format this assignment, click on the Research Paper Outline Template located in your online classroom

For an example of how to correctly format a research paper using APA, click on the APA Formatting Sample Paper.

In your outline,

• Draft an introduction and thesis for your Final Research Paper.
• Select one of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) missions that you will examine for your Final Research Paper. (This must be a stand-alone statement following your introduction and thesis. For instance: DHS Mission: Secure and Manage our Borders or Safeguard and Secure Cyberspace.)
• Explain a current issue, threat or hazard that leads to a homeland security vulnerability that you want to research. (Review the Approved Research Paper Topics document. You may select one of these, or select one of your own. If you do not select a topic on the list, your instructor must approve your topic).
  • Write a paragraph discussing why you selected this issue or topic.
• Explain other associated issues, threats, or hazards that must be addressed to resolve this homeland security vulnerability.
  • Identify any constitutional issues in play.
  • Provide additional information from your initial research.
• Identify three questions that you want to research prior to writing your Final Research Paper.
  • Provide a paragraph explaining why it is important to answer these questions.

The Final Research Paper Preparatory Outline

• Must be two to three double-spaced pages in length (not including title and references pages) and formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s APA Style (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Must include a separate title page with the following:
  • Title of paper
  • Student’s name
  • Course name and number
  • Instructor’s name
  • Date submitted

For further assistance with the formatting and the title page, refer to APA Formatting for Word 2013 (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site..

• Must utilize academic voice. See the Academic Voice (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. resource for additional guidance.
• Must include an introductory paragraph that ends with a clear thesis statement indicating the purpose of your paper.
  • For assistance on writing Introductions & Conclusions (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. as well as Writing a Thesis Statement (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site., refer to the Ashford Writing Center resources.
• Must use at least two credible sources in addition to the course text.
  • The Scholarly, Peer Reviewed, and Other Credible Sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. table offers additional guidance on appropriate source types. If you have questions about whether a specific source is appropriate for this assignment, please contact your instructor. Your instructor has the final say about the appropriateness of a specific source for a particular assignment.
• Must document any information used from sources in APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center’s Citing Within Your Paper (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Must include a separate references page that is formatted according to APA style as outlined in the Ashford Writing Center. See the Formatting Your References List (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. resource in the Ashford Writing Center for specifications.