Overview
The second writing assignment will be an in-depth research paper, including references (100 points) on a narrow topic related to Media Law. Through the research and the writing of a thesis paper you should gain skills and knowledge that will be of value to you. More complete details are below and will follow.
1. All students enrolled in Medial Law will be required to complete a research project. You may work alone or with a partner. The project will require extensive research and compilation of information as well as writing the paper. BE CLEAR ON THIS: If you choose to work with a partner, each person receives the same grade. You al lhave a task to complete; thus, get it done by the deadline and share the workload. No excuses. Moreover, I do not wish to hear about any in-fighting between you and your partner. This is an individual OR team effort, and you are making the choice to work with someone; thus, leave the negativity somewhere else, cooperate with ones another, and write the best possible paper. Bring it strong and make it an award-winning effort.
2. You are to keep all information that is gathered. The information that you gather to write the paper should be available to turn in to the instructor on demand. A digital archive (e.g., Google Drive, File Stream, Dropbox) or a three-ring binder would be useful to keep your materials organized.
3. There is no specific length for the paper other than to say that you must provide comprehensive coverage of the topic you select. Most papers are generally about 10-12 pages, but the nature of your topic will determine if you exceed that range.
4. The paper should follow the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th) and its official companion site - APA Style Blog.
5. Papers must be typed in 12 point type using Times New Roman font or 11-point type using Calibri font. Paper margins should be 1" (1.25" left and right margins are acceptable, but top and bottom should be 1"). You will submit a title page, paper, and references. At the beginning of the first page of text should be the title of the paper. An abbreviated title and page number should be in the header (upper right hand corner) for all subsequent pages. Completed papers will be submitted via the Assignments Tool in Course Den. More complete details will follow.
6. Try to select a topic that you are interested in and one that you can research in the library or on the Internet. If you have access to a law library you should not have problems finding material, but our library resources are more than adequate in the area.
7. Glance at your textbook for possible topics. You should also consult various indexes in the library for topics. A list of possible topics will be provided, but it is not exhaustive. Note: Some of the suggested topics are very broad; you should make sure your topic is more narrow in scope.
8. This paper must be original work. The penalty for plagiarism will be severe.
9. A goal you should strive for in writing your research paper is to write one that is good enough to be submitted to an academic conference. Your instructor will provide potential conferences for you to consider as they receive information about them.