RP 500 - Academic Research Paper

• Understand and engage in the reasoning and culture of US-style research practices
• Brainstorm and select a research topic suitable for undergraduate and professional work
• Focus a topic to the scale of a standard undergraduate research project
• Find, assess, and maintain a pool of academic print and electronic resources related to research area
• Craft an arguable thesis that effectively indicates the scope of entire work and allows for concrete development
• Develop an outline that organizes introductory and background material, major and minor supporting elements, explicit/implicit arguments and counter-arguments, and conclusions, all proceeding from the original intent of the thesis statement
• Execute various strategies for concise summarizing and accurate paraphrasing
• Understand the role of quoted material in non-fiction work and be able to effectively incorporate quotations in writing
• Synthesize borrowed material to support and develop major and minor elements
• Write a valid research-based paper in accordance with American Psychological Association (APA) style
• Incorporate citations and references as a result of a firm understanding of intellectual property ideals common to all developed academic communities
• Recognize and avoid any and all forms of plagiarism
• Present and defend work to an audience and a small panel of evaluators

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