Overview

The final project for this course is the creation of a final project research paper.

The research paper must be on a topic relevant to class content. In the paper, you must present research on a chosen topic and then use the research to draw and support a conclusion about the topic. Research papers must be objective in the presentation of the content.

The final product represents an authentic demonstration of competency because you will select your own topic appropriate to the course content and objectives, conduct independent research with minimal supervision from your professor, and create finished papers that meet all the established criteria. By working on this project, you will learn to:

Evaluate and analyze academic and primary data
Synthesize data into a persuasive argument
Conduct policy impact analysis
Display critical thinking, cultural sensitivity, and analytical skills in written communication

The project is divided into three milestones, submitted at various points throughout the course to scaffold learning and ensure quality final submissions. These milestones will be submitted in Modules Two, Four, and Five. The final project research paper is submitted in Module Seven.
Prompt
In the final project, you must specifically address the critical elements listed below.

Topic Proposal

Propose a topic that will be the focus of your final research paper.
What questions do you hope to answer with your research?
What would you like your focus to be?
Identify and briefly summarize at least two different viewpoints on the chosen topic.
Discuss more than two connections to the U.S. Constitution that impact or relate directly to your topic.
Have court cases and rulings impacted your topic?
Does a particular amendment impact your topic?
Research more than two academically appropriate resources that present different sides of your chosen topic. Appropriate resources include original source materials, government documents, peer-reviewed academic journals and articles, and court case summaries (from Oyez, Cornell Law, or LexisNexis). Consider the following question: Do these resources reflect the depth and breadth of research on your chosen topic?
Outline

The outline organizes the information from your topic proposal and additional research into the following outline elements, presented in APA format:
Cover page (a separate page) – includes title, author, institution, course, and course section

Research topic – information from your topic proposal organized to provide background information and show intent of the research paper
Thesis statement – well-developed thesis statement, includes themes, and questions to be explored in the research paper
Body – includes research summary, exploration of issues and ideas, analysis of viewpoints/perspectives, Constitutional connections, and conclusions.
Citations/references page (a separate page) – at least 5 academically appropriate references. The following are appropriate resources in addition to those mentioned in Milestone One: public opinion polling (from organizations such as Pew Research, Gallup, Harris, or broadcast (not cable) TV news), official teachings of religions commonly found in the United States, stated positions of at least two interest groups (it is not acceptable to only use one interest group)

Rough Draft of Final Project Research Paper

The rough draft uses the topic from Milestone One as its focus and expands upon the outline from Milestone Two using scholarly research.
The rough draft should follow the same content and format as the Final Project Research Paper submission. You will submit a rough draft in APA format that includes the following parts:
Cover page (a separate page): includes title, author, institution, course, and course section
Abstract (a separate page): introduces the topic and purpose of the paper in 1–2 paragraphs
Thesis statement

 

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