AP Government- White and Stevens: American Government Issue Research Paper Process

Guiding Questions:

• What steps should I take when collecting information?

• What resources are best for this paper?

• How do I organize and keep track of information?

• How do I cite my sources correctly?

Today’s Goals:

• Brainstorm useful search terms

• Create a document to record sources

• Access two informational articles about topic

• Access two recent news articles about topic

• Begin to understand how to cite sources correctly

My Topic:

My topic is ___________________________________________________________________.

Step One: Pre-Search

Useful Sources for gaining background information

-Wikipedia

-Quick Google Search

-Google News

-Library of Congress Subject Headings

• What terms are related to this issue?

• What are the main controversies associated with the issue?

• Who are the key figures/organizations surrounding this issue?

Step Two: Keywords

Tips: Keep keywords simple; Use 2-4 words; noun phrases; think of synonyms

 Step Three: Organizing Research

____Open up a word document

____ Type Research Resources at the top of it and save it to your OneNote

____ Each time you find an information source, include the citation/link on this document. In the beginning, you may not cite it properly, but you will eventually go back to this document and turn it into your official “works cited” page with proper citation.

Step Four: Finding Information Sources

American Government Library LibGuide: https://mehs.morton201.libguides.com/c.php?g=806043

General Information Sources (Databases): Background and Context

• ABC-CLIO Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society

• Gale Opposing Viewpoints in Context

• SIRS Issue Researcher

Find at least two informational/background articles. Put the link/citation in your resource organization document.

Staying Current with the topic

• Google News

• WN.com

• Specific Newspapers/Services: New York Times, Washington Post, NPR

Find at least two current news articles in the last week. Put the link/citation in your resource organization document.

Positions/Approaches

• FactCheck.org (Annenberg Political Fact Check)

• Pew Research Center

• MacArthur Foundation

• Brookings Institute

• Republican National Committee-see Party Platforms

• Democratic National Committee-see Party Platforms

Step Five: Recording Research

Create a document for recording your research. This could be digital or on paper. You will want to develop a system that works well for you. Remember, it’s important that you take notes and that you paraphrase. If you take information directly from the source, be sure to quote it. Be careful keep track of where you are accessing your information because you will be responsible for citing this information!

See sample note-taking document on next page

Source:

Link:

Date:

Author:

Title:

Relevant Information:

Counter-Arguments:

Key Quotes:

Questions:

Miscellaneous:

Source:

Link:

Date:

Author:

Title:

Relevant Information:

Counter-Arguments:

Key Quotes:

Questions:

Miscellaneous:

Step Six: Citing Your Work (Using In-text citations)

In-text citations are also sometimes called parenthetical references or parenthetical citations. This type of citation goes in the body of your paper BUT it must also match with information that is in your Works Cited page.

In the 1931 court case Alvarez vs. the Lemon Grove School District, a judge ordered that Mexican school children be re-integrated into the white majority schools that they had previously attended (Rigonati). 

• In-text citations include the last name of the author followed by a page number enclosed in parentheses. "Here's a direct quote" (Smith 8).

• If the author's name is not given, then use the first word or words of the title. Follow the same formatting that was used in the works cited list, such as quotation marks. This is a paraphrase ("Trouble" 22).

• If there is no page number, you just record the author’s name.

Step Seven: Citing Your Work (Works Cited Page)

In order to give credit to the resources that you used for your research you will need to create a works cited page as the last page of your paper.

Considerations:

• Type “Works Cited” at the top of the page. Make sure it is centered.

• Your list of books should be organized alphabetically by the author’s last name. If there is no author listed for the article, alphabetize by the title—ignore A, An, or The.

The following are sample online citations. You will want to follow this model for your paper. Note that our library databases will generate citations for you. You can cut & paste these citations to your works cited page.

Sample Online database with author:

Hershkowitz, Allen. "Recycled Materials Produce Less Pollution." Pollution, edited by James Haley, Greenhaven Press, 2003. Current Controversies. Gale In Context: Opposing Viewpoints, https://link.gale.com/apps/doc/EJ3010058252/OVIC?u=cice26272&sid=OVIC&xid=18ca08ef. Accessed 26 Sept. 2019.

Sample Online database without author:

"Bilingual Education." Issues: Understanding Controversy and Society, ABC-CLIO, 2017, issues.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/1656181. Accessed 26 Sept. 2017.

Website with author:

Adams, Jennifer. “About Dr. King.” About Dr. King: The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, www.thekingcenter.org/DrMLKingJr/. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017.

Website without an author:

“Martin Luther King Jr.” Nobelprize.org, Nobel Media 2014,www.nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/laureates/1964/king-bio.html. Accessed 28 Feb. 2017.