Writing Homework Help

Task: The research paper is designed to allow students the freedom to explore a topic of political
science and politics which is of interest to them. The paper will consist of 5-6 pages (double space)
.. The topics can include but are not limited to: Political Theory, The Presidency,
Congress, Judiciary, Political Biographies, Elections, Civil Rights, War, Political Theory, etc. The
goal here is to provide a creative medium for students to explore in-depth a topic which is of
interest to them and to assist in developing research skills and putting together a scholarly
argument.

Formatting and Details:
Length of Paper: 5-7 Page double space pages
Abstract and Cover Page: (This does not count as one of the 5 pages)
Professionalization: Edit your papers, include page numbers, and provide headers.
References: Three scholarly/government sources only (books, scholarly journals, reports by think
tanks, reports by government agencies or departments). You may use news articles, but they will
not count towards the three scholarly/government sources requirements. If you are using speeches
from government elected officials rely on their campaign or government webpage for citations.

Rubric:
I. Introduction (15%): identify the topic, research question, and have a clear thesis of
what your paper will be arguing.
II. The argument (40%): Construct the argument. Don’t just tell me the argument but show
it! In other words, what examples are supporting your arguments? What are the
arguments relevant to the research paper? Are their competing arguments explaining
an event, a political outcome, why a specific policy is justifiable or not? And also,
include citations!! (You may cite using APA, Chicago, MLA)
III. Organization (20%): Is the paper structured in a way that there is clear road map for
the reader (e.g. headers and tells the reader how the paper will develop).
IV. Logistics (10%): Paper has an abstract, cover page, three scholarly sources, 12-point
font, 1-inch margins.
V. Conclusion (15%): The conclusion reiterates the key points, arguments, and
summarizes the overall paper.