Final Project Information

Due March 3.

For your project your group will work together to put all of the following elements in your group Google Doc. For the elements where one source is needed from each group member, you will need to sign your sections. (15 pts)

• Author Information: Each person in the group will enter a short bio in the Author Information section. This will be done in the Intro to the group Google Doc section of Class 2.
• Topic: You will list a broad topic, then a narrower topic, then a research question. This is Assignment #1. If you have tweaked or changed your topic from the one you submitted in Assignment #1, you will need to reflect this change in the group Google Doc.
• Introduction: This will be a 4 or 5 paragraph introduction to your topic. You will give background, why it is important, and outline what your larger discussion will and will not cover. You will indicate which sources you used and where you used them with parenthetical citations.
• Main Report: This is the meat of your content. Using the sources you have found on your topic, your group will provide an in-depth look at the issues and try to find an answer to your research question. This can be sub-divided into sections if you wish. You will indicate which sources you used and where you used them with parenthetical citations. See example for how to do this. This portion should be roughly equivalent to a 3 to 5 page research report, double-spaced in MS Word.
• Sources: For each of the following categories you will explain how you located the resource and why you chose it over others on the same topic. Each member of the group should sign each of their references.
  • Reference Resources: Reference sources may include subject encyclopedias and dictionaries, almanacs, handbooks, biographical sources, geographical sources, indexes and databases, as appropriate. Must be available in the ZSR Reference Department or online to WFU students. This is Assignment #2. If you make any changes or substitutions to your Reference Resources after turning in Assignment #2, you need to reflect these changes in the group Google Doc.
  • Books: Must be available in the ZSR Library or online as an eBook through our catalog. Exceptions may be made for books available in their entirety elsewhere on the web (i.e., Google Books). Must get approval from the instructors for this exception. This is Assignment #3. If you make any changes or substitutions to your Book Resources after turning in Assignment #3, you need to reflect those changes in the group Google Doc.
  • Journal Articles: Can be from either paper or electronic sources, but either must be available full-text to WFU students, (either in the ZSR Library or in our databases full-text). You must have at least three scholarly journal articles, but after that, popular materials such as magazines and newspapers are welcome. This is Assignment #3. If you make any changes or substitutions to your Journal Article Resources after turning in Assignment #3, you need to reflect those changes in the group Google Doc.
  • Scholarly Web Resources: All Internet resources must be useful for scholarly research. Wikipedia is not acceptable. This is Assignment #4. If you make any changes or substitutions to your Scholarly Web Resources after turning in Assignment #4, you need to reflect those changes in the group Google Doc.
  • Other Resources of Interest: This could include DVDs, blogs, videos, images, statistics, audio files or other resources.
• Journal Databases: You will list at least 2 online databases that your group used in researching your topic. Give the URL for the database and a description of how you located it and what sort of materials it contains. Be sure these are online journal databases (they contain journal articles) and not electronic Reference resources.
• Search Terms and Subject Headings: Here you will discuss the best search terms and strategies you found for your topic, and Library of Congress Subject Headings for your topic from the ZSR Catalog. You must list at least 3 search terms and 3 subject headings. Subject headings do not need to be formally cited, but you do need to describe how you located the and how many books we have in the library for each heading.
• Works Cited List: Properly formatted in MLA format and submitted in the group Google Doc. This will be a group document where you will combine your references from each of the class assignments. You will also add in any extra sources you used for the class even if they weren’t included in your assignments. The sources should be listed all together in alphabetical order, not divided up by group member.
• Lessons Learned: Each group member will write a paragraph that answers this question:
  • What have you learned this semester that will change the way you approach future research projects or make research decisions?

  You will post your Lessons Learned in your individual Google Docs page as well as the group Google Docs page.