Research Paper
Assignment Goal
The goal of the assignment is to strengthen scientific thinking and writing. The
objective is for each student to write an objective, logical, fact-based paper using
evidence from high quality scientific research sources.
Topics
In general terms, your paper can examine selected consequences of social
inequality. Throughout your textbook, the author presents examples of how social
class impacts the lives of people. Some obvious examples are health, including
mental and physical illness, or parent’s social class and children’s educational
attainment. Each of the chapters on the major social classes examines the behaviors
and consequences of that class. Your paper could explore on of these issues in
greater detail. We are also seeing that race and gender are deeply interrelated with
social inequality. You could dig deeper into one of the problems or issues identified in
the book, or you could pursue some other thesis that links social inequality and race
or gender. The paper could be based on the work of Karl Marx and would use mostly
Marx’s writings.
The Major Social Factors
• Social class
• Gender
• Race/ethnicity
• Age
Your Paper Must Have A Thesis!
Your research paper must have a thesis. At the beginning of the paper, you must
state your research thesis. It can be part of a short introductory paragraph or it can
stand alone.
The following explanations include materials that are courtesy of Empire State
College, Online Writing Center.
www.esc.edu/online-writing-center/resources/research/research-paper-steps/
Research Topic
When you start working on your paper, you begin by selecting a topic. A topic is
what the essay or research paper is about. It provides a focus for your writing.
Choose an appropriate topic or issue for your research, one that actually can be
researched. Many topics can be found in your textbook. Example: “Attention Deficit
Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)”
Research Question
The next step in developing a thesis is to formulate a research question. Start by
listing all of the questions that you’d like answered yourself. (This assumes you are
curious about the topic!) Choose the best question, one that is neither too broad nor
too narrow. In the early stages of your research, you can use a search engine to
learn about the question and explore what high quality sources are available.
Sometimes the number of sources you find will help you discover whether your
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research question is too broad, too narrow. Example: “Why have ADHD diagnoses
risen so rapidly in recent years?”
Research Thesis
A research thesis is your proposed answer to your research question, which you
finalize only after completing the research. (It’s okay to modify and revise the
working thesis as you research more about the topic or issue.) Thesis example: “The
rise of A.D.H.D. diagnoses and prescriptions for stimulants coincided with a twodecade
campaign by pharmaceutical companies to publicize the syndrome and
promote the pills to doctors, educators and parents.” (Factually correct example
courtesy the New York Times)
I will be glad to help you as you work your way toward your thesis, especially with
topic selection and research question development.
Examples
“The disparity between the richest and poorest in Country A and Country B is due
primarily to differences in Cause X.”
“The next hegemonic power will be Country H because of the emergence of the key
conditions that produce such world powers.”
“The rise of the American economy was the result of ideological elements A, B, and
C.”
“Upper-class education clearly illustrates the power of social reproduction.”
Your Analysis
You may approach your thesis as a question that needs to be answered or as a
statement that needs evidence to support it. Either way, your task is to compile
factual evidence that supports or refutes your thesis or helps you answer your
question. You should include statistics showing the importance or lack of importance
of other social factors or other diseases, as the case may be. Scientific papers are
honest about evidence, presenting facts that both support and refute the thesis or
hypothesis.
You should think critically about your thesis and ask yourself, Why does this happen
or not happen? What causes this difference or lack of difference? Include answers to
these critical thinking questions in your paper.
Required Elements for the Paper
• Your paper should be 5 pages in length, single-spaced, using a 10-12 point font,
with one-inch margins. If you prefer to double-space your pages, just double the
length requirement.
• Your name
• The name/number of the course
• Date
• Title of the paper
• The body of the paper must incorporate a set of headings that shows the logical
organization of the paper.
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• Citations in the body of the paper for all sources of information using the American
Psychological Association style. This is the style used by your textbook. No footnotes.
I will accept MLA style, as well.
• A list at the end of the paper of all references cited. Not a bibliography of all the
sources you used to write the paper.
• Please number your pages.
• Do not save your document as an HTML, HTM, .pdf, or .wps file.
• When you save your document, title it with your last name, course number, and
assignment number. Example, YourlastnameBSOC123ResearchPaper.
• Submit your paper in the Assignments area of Blackboard.
Use An Outline And Headings
An outline shows the logical organization of your paper with a set of headings. These
headings are like those used in bold print in the main sections of the chapters of our
textbook and the journal articles you will use.
Grading Rubric for the Paper
Your paper will be graded on both the extent to which it draws upon concepts
developed in the course and the extent to which it does so with clear writing and
appropriate documentation. The paper will be graded using the following five criteria
and 0-4 point system.
Grading Rubric for the Research Paper
Category Exceeds Standard Meets
Standard
Does Not Meet
Standard
Thesis
Exceeds (4) Meets (2) Does Not Meet (0)
Clearly and concisely
states the paper’s focus
in a single, engaging,
thought- provoking
sentence.
States the paper’s
focus in a single
sentence.
Missing, incomplete
and/or unfocused
statement of focus.
Use of Support and
Evidence
Exceeds (6) Meets (3) Does Not Meet (0)
The paper effectively
uses high quality factual
and expert evidence
that supports the thesis
and main ideas.
The paper does
not adequately
use high quality
factual and expert
evidence that
supports the
thesis and main
ideas.
The paper fails to use high
quality factual and expert
evidence that supports the
thesis and main ideas.
Organization
and
Development of
Ideas
Exceeds (6) Meets (3) Does Not Meet (0)
Writer demonstrates
logical sequencing of
sociological ly
relevant ideas through
well-developed
paragraphs; transitions
are used to enhance
organization. Headings
and subheadings used
effectively.
Ideas have little
sociological
relevance and
logical
organization is
not clear or fully
developed.
No evidence of
structure or
organization. No
sociological relevance
nor use of social
factors. No headings
or subheadings.
Conclusion
Exceeds (2) Meets (1) Does Not Meet (0)
The conclusion is
engaging,
summarizes key
points and restates
the thesis.
The conclusion
does not
adequately
summar ize
the key
points or
restate the
thesis.
Missing, incomplete
and/or unfocused.
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Grading Rubric for the Research Paper
Category Exceeds Standard Meets
Standard
Does Not Meet
Standard
References
Exceeds (2) Does Not Meet (0)
The paper includes at
least 5 high quality
sources and uses
proper in-text source
citations in the body
of the paper.
The paper includes fewer
than 5 high quality sources
and does not use proper
in-text source citations in
the body of the paper.
Adapted from Center for Teaching Excellence at Cornell University. Used with permission.
Your Thinking, Please
The main ingredient of your paper should be factual information and statistics from
high quality sources. Your opinions about the topic or those of anyone else without
substantial scientific evidence are not relevant and should not be included in the
paper. You may use as evidence the statements of qualified experts, but you must
make sure those sources are reliable. Your recommendations should be supported
with evidence.
I want you to apply skeptical, critical thinking to everything you read. You should
make your sources work hard to convince you that they have the best evidence and
the best reasoning, as I will expect you to work hard to convince me.
High Quality Web-based Sources
Each sociology sub-discipline has relevant journals to which you should give priority.
The USCB online journal database offers access to full-text copies of most of these
journals.
Peer Reviewed Journals
Here are some of the better-known academic journals in sociology.
American Journal of Sociology
American Sociological Review
Social Forces
Journal of Health and Social Behavior
Social Science and Medicine
American Journal of Public Health
American Journal of Epidemiology
At least one of your cited references must come from a journal in the USCB online
library database, which can be accessed from the sociology LibGides:
http://guides.uscb.edu/sociology?hs=a
Click the Find Articles tab. My experience is that “Academic Search Premier” or
JSTOR are good starting points for a sociological web search. Make sure you also
search “Academic ASAP, Extended” and “Social Sciences Full-Text”. Always search
for full-text articles. If you need additional help with on-ground or online research,
please use the USCB library staff or let me know.
Web Resources for Countries
CIA World Factbook
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A website that provides a basic set of information about each country of the world.
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
The US State Department website has information about each major region and
country of the world, as well.
http://www.state.gov
Member States of the United Nations
Country web sites and information (click UNdata logo after country name.)
http://www.un.org/en/members/index.shtml
International Statistical Agencies
The US Census Bureau listing of country-specific websites (most in English)
http://www.census.gov/population/international/links/stat_int.html
BBC News
Click on one of the six major regions of the world, then page down to the list of
country profiles. The Media tab for each country is particularly useful for finding
English language websites where available.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/
Beware Poor Quality Sources
To me, one of the main differences between a high school-level research paper and a
college-level paper is that college-level papers do not use encyclopedias as direct
sources. If your topic is something you don’t know much about, an online
encyclopedia can help you learn enough to get started. But do not use sources such
as Wikipedia.com, Britainica.com, about.com, or Encarta.com as cited references in
your research paper. I will return as Incomplete any research paper that uses these
kinds of sources.
Questionable Sources: Foundations, Advocacy Organizations, and Non-Profits
Many advocacy organizations for problems and policies provide source information
and statistics. You must “vet” this kind of source to make sure that the evidence you
gather from it is reliable. (Vet means “To examine carefully; to subject to thorough
appraisal; to evaluate” (dictionary.reference.com.))
Some sources that you will find are not governmental or academic but still can be
trusted to provide reliable data and information. An example is the Population
Reference Bureau (www.prb.org). The way to tell if a source like this is reliable is to
click the link for information about the organization. In the case of PRB, a quick scan
of the senior staff members show that they are experienced demographers with
backgrounds in highly respected organizations. An example of an advocacy
organization is the Center for Immigration Studies (www.cis.org), which appears to
have a strong political agenda of reducing immigration into the US. This is not an
unbiased, objective source. If you must use material from questionable sources, be
very cautious when making generalizations based on their information.
Questionable Sources: All News Media
Some news media are less guilty of hype than others, but all of them want to attract
attention and they have learned that conflict and controversy sell. Even the New
York Times, the Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal and the BBC, which tend
to be more fact-based in their news coverage, still must be read skeptically. Most
media outlets exaggerate, present incomplete information, and even misrepresent
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the facts in order to create or exaggerate conflict and controversy. You should
always attempt to verify information used by the media. If you can’t verify by going
to the original source, you must be very cautious about making generalizations
based on this information.
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