RESEARCH INNOVATIONS PAPER

RESEARCH INNOVATIONS PAPER

1500-1750 WORDS; 20% OF COURSE GRADE)

Topic

This paper explores the past, present and unknown future of a technology which you project will significantly change your field in the next 5-10 years. It may be a computer, mechanical, electronic or even biological technology.

Content

• Make sure your paper incorporates the following:

• • An interesting introduction, including a clear thesis, arguing or persuading in favor of one particular point of view
    • future developments will be speculative, extrapolating from research information gained in the Literature Review
  • some original contribution to the topic (New procedure, comparison or combination or elements not joined by others, analysis of strengths and/or weaknesses of a plan or position, etc.)
  • a minimum of ten authoritative and appropriate sources. Sources must be
    • a combination of scholarly, professional (a/k/a/ grey literature) and popular
    • screened for reliability and [unique_solution]
    • directly relevant to the choice of topic.
    • Except for one or two which might establish historical background, all should be current–written within the last five years.
    • Largely paraphrased, with a very few carefully selected direct quotations
  • A combination of Toulmin and Rogerian arguments in different parts of the paper as appropriate
  • Recognition and refutation of counter arguments to your position
  • A conclusion which unifies the rest of the paper, then reaches toward the future

Style

• Move smoothly between first person writing and third person writing. This is an advanced skill that should happen naturally given the topic of this paper.
  • When you are discussing your own experience, education, goals, etc., you will use first person (I, me, my, mine), but when you are describing other groups (like GMU or a [professional association) or your target technology, you will use third person (it, they, them, their, and so forth.)
  • NOTE: formal writing is NEVER written in second person (you, your, yours.) It is typically used in casual writing situations only.
• Use transitional expressions and connectors to show the relationships between different topics within the paper. This is also an advanced writing skill that adds depth and sophistication to your thought.
  • Do NOT use subheadings, bullet points or extended lists in this paper.

Documentation and Formatting

• • A title page and an abstract, both correctly formatted for your documentation style (IEEE format does not use a title page.)
  • clear attribution of sources used for text, concepts, numbers, statistics, or graphics, either by traditional endnotes/footnotes, or by mentioning the source in the text
  • a complete, correctly formatted References page at the end of the paper. All references on that page must have been cited at least once in the body of the paper.
  • Error-free spelling; complete sentences, correct grammar
  • Formal style, without slang words, exclamations, jokes or sarcasm
  • a polished, professional appearance

Participation in Peer Review

• Follow the deadline on the Course Schedule for uploading your draft
  • Post a message to your group indicating the areas in which you would most like help/feedback.
  • Attach your draft.  DO NOT paste it into the message.
• Critique your group members’ drafts by the deadline, using two rubrics
• AT A MINIMUM, complete the two rubrics and justify your evaluations of your classmates’ drafts.  Also address the concerns expressed in each person’s main message.
  • Use the Formative Rubric to help think about important issues in the paper while the draft is still in development
  • Use the Summative Rubric to indicate your best estimate of the final grade the paper would earn at this point

The Final Stages

• Revise, revise, revise
  • You are NOT obligated to change something because of a reviewer’s comments.  If you have a good reason for what you wrote, keep it as is.
• Check your paper against the Formative Scoring Rubric to be sure all concerns have been addressed
• Also compare it with the Summative Scoring Rubric to make sure all required elements have been included

• Submit to Blackboard Assignments as
• Research Paper Yourlastname
• IMPORTANT NOTE: Files must be submitted as .doc or.docx. As per the Course Description, no other formats will be graded, so only .doc or .docx files will receive credit.
• Submit the entire paper, including the references/works cited, in ONE file named Research Paper Yourlastname
• Do not submit the articles you used as references for the paper