Research & Project

Research Paper Overview

Assignment Summary

Write a 750-1000 word MLA paper that demonstrates an informed perspective with a focus on who you are and your future goals, a career pathway, a career field and community project you have chosen using your mentor interviews and service-focused thought process. You must have at least two in-text citations from two different academic sources. 

Purpose

To show a thorough understanding of who you are, and a community issue based on your career choice. At the same time, you will be demonstrating a culmination of high school language arts skills (speaking, reading, writing and listening.) 

Writer’s Role

Using the first-person perspective, you will be writing as yourself, an informed student researcher who is informative and sincerely curious about your future path and a particular problem or issue that needs to be addressed. Superior papers will exhibit a sensitive awareness of the mindset of an identified audience, skilled use of language, and a distinctive sense of “voice.”

Audience and benefit

No matter who your audience is or what issue you choose to tackle; superior writing is often distinguished by its accessibility to all intelligent adults. Your teachers will be looking for writing that is both convincing and clear.

Form

Paper should follow the conventions of Standard English; run from 3-4 pages (750-1000 words) double-spaced (12 point Times New Roman) and should employ the MLA format for all documentation.

Assessment

Your paper will be assessed based on your ability to showcase you as a unique individual while addressing and supporting your own perspective of a community/work issue that can be solved with a particular skill set from your career area; to write clearly and convincingly for your audience; and to maintain a voice that is individual, compelling and engaging.

**This is not a paper on the career itself. **