Much of your time this semester will be used to complete two research papers tha

Much of your time this semester will be used to complete two research papers that cover the same topic through two different lenses. What this means, in short, is that you will choose one topic—i.e. social media use in early adolescents—and write two papers, each addressing a different lens, or perspective—i.e. how social media use affects adolescent socialization (sociological lens) and how social media affects adolescent self-esteem (psychological lens).
Your topic should be inspired by a “problem” that you, and others, have noticed in our world. It is a good idea to think in terms of your own field of study, but feel free to think outside of that, as well.

You will shape each paper around a question (think about the scientific articles that we have read—what questions might have shaped those papers? what did the author “want to know?”) and, when completing research, to look for an “answer.”
This will be accomplished through heavy research, field work, and drafting. By the end of the semester you will have two polished, professional papers that will clearly demonstrate your thesis, research, and conclusion on the topic of your choosing. The reading you will be doing will center almost entirely around your individual research topic—be sure to take advantage of this fact by completing thorough, well organized research throughout the semester (particularly during the early stages). This will be documented/demonstrated within your Research Proposal.
Each paper will be approximately 5 pages in length, written in 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced with 1” margins, and cited according to APA Standards.
You must include a Research Question and thesis statement for each paper.
Paper 2 should, in some ways, connect back to Paper 1 (we will talk more about this during class).
Each body paragraph must have at least two citations from two different sources.
You should be introducing all quotations with signal phrases.
Your paper must have a strong conclusion that offers needed insight (Paper 2 should directly connect back to Paper 1).