Research Paper: Students will complete a comprehensive, 5-7 page research paper identifying, explaining and analyzing a challenge to attaining the American Dream, as defined in the USA Today article, "Are you middle class?" This project will allow students to focus on one challenge and explore many facets of it while considering possible solutions based upon legitimate evidence/data. Students can focus on issues related to employment, education, housing, immigration, healthcare, federal, state, or local laws, etc. Use of this thematic focus will enable students to develop a deep understanding of one aspect of pathways and barriers to the American Dream while mastering the process associated with composing a large research paper. The only topic not available is Retirement/Social Security.
Suggested Topics:
Employment & Wages
Education
Criminal Justice/Reform
Social Support Programs -- Medicaid, Food Stamps, Welfare, etc. (not Social Security)
Religion
Taxation
Housing or Homelessness
Native American Issues
Immigration
Inflation
Healthcare
*The above list is not meant to limit student selection. If you have an idea, please talk with your instructor or the librarians as soon as possible so we can help guide you during the research phase.
Using a variety of sources, such as newspapers, periodicals, speeches, interviews, books, websites, documentary films, etc., will provide the most comprehensive collection of information. Sources should be recent and published within the past five years -- 2019 to present. Keep in mind that COVIID had a significant impact on wages, housing, education, etc., so data before 2020 will possibly be outdated.
All components must be typed in MLA format. All components will be submitted to CANVAS.
1. Do you prefer taking notes on paper or on a computer? How will you keep track of your research?
2. Have you selected a topic? Brainstorm 5-10 related search terms BEFORE you start your research.
For example: Search terms for Racial Inequality could include specific instances of inequality between races such as incarceration rate(s) or wealth disparity. Search terms for Immigration could include related words or terms like refugee(s), undocumented, DACA; Search terms can also include names of people, events, or places: while researching Climate Change you could use terms like Greta Thunberg, Paris Agreement, or Hurricane Ida.
*See Creating Your Search Statements for more ideas about how to search your topic most effectively.
3. Save what you find (print it or email it to yourself) and keep it in a place you can easily find it again.
Good starting points for background information are reference "books," such as dictionaries, thesauri, and encyclopedias. You may choose Wikipedia to get a sense of a topic. However, Wikipedia is best used by going to the source material (references) listed at the end of each article.
Our library includes another database you may know, Britannica. Britannica has an online version, ProCon, that can also be helpful for identifying information relevant to your essay topic, helping to limit its scope.
Another good source for this stage of your research is Credo. The Credo Reference database includes a great MindMap tool to help you brainstorm topic ideas.