Phys120 Research Paper For the remainder of the semester, we will be working on scientific research papers to promote effective written communication and general scientific literacy. These papers will be written independently and will be over a topic of each writer’s choice, however the topic must be cleared with the instructor. We will follow a typical research process for a scientific paper including forming a thesis and justifying this thesis with quality sources. It will be expected to compose a clear and easy to follow paper which has been well researched. The paper will require an abstract and bibliography. Over the course of the next few weeks, we will take time during our class meetings to discuss composing sections of the paper in greater detail. We will discuss what makes a quality reference for source material and discuss how to decode whether something is a reputable source or not. There’s a lot of nonsense out there on the internet and it is a powerful skill to be able to weed through the garbage to find the gold.
The remainder of this document will discuss the specific sections of the project in greater detail. There will be more in depth explanations of these sections available as we progress with the writing process. 1. Abstract: We will be writing abstracts for our papers to give a brief overview of what the paper is about. The goal is to give a good understanding of what the reader can expect in terms of structure and content.
• The abstract will be submitted through LON-CAPA and is due by Wednesday, April 20 at 11:59pm. (10 points)
• A sample abstract will be included in a sample research paper I will be providing in the coming weeks. 2. Bibliography: We will be submitting a bibliography of sources utilized in writing the paper. This must be in proper format and will be useable in the final draft of the paper.
• The bibliography will be submitted through a LON-CAPA drop box and is due by Wednesday, April 27 at 11:59pm. (15 points)
• It is expected that you will have a minimum of six quality sources which will guide the information and justify the thesis of your paper.
• A sample bibliography and bibliography format guide will be provided in the upcoming sample paper. 3. Paper: The final paper will utilize all the previous sections. Using this method, you should be able to compose a well thought out manuscript which is both clear and informative.
• The final paper will be once again submitted through a LON-CAPA drop box and is due by Wednesday, May 4 at 11:59pm. (25 points)