Writing Question

Writing Question

Assignment Instructions

Assignment: Write a Complete Research Paper with In-Text Citations (APA format) and Reference List. The paper is 5 to 6 pages which DOES NOT INCLUDE THE TITLE AND REFERENCE PAGES. The paper should answer the research question you proposed in week 1.

Research Question: The particular research question to focus on is; how has the 9/11 attack enhanced collaboration and protection of essential infrastructure and intelligence agencies?

In this assignment, you will put all the pieces together, requiring that you go back and review several elements:

– How to cite and use the proper “in text” format
– How to write clearly and succinctly
– How to avoid common mistakes in grammar, construction, and format
– How to create a properly formatted list of References

Use this format and please include a cover sheet for this assignment.

I. Title Page
II. Introduction (research questions are formally presented at the end of the introduction)
III. Body of the Paper
IV. Conclusion
V. References (the highest quality sources are peer reviewed articles, government publications, and scholarly texts)

You should be ready to write a good short research paper.

Create in a Word document and upload to Assignments by Sunday night at 11:55pm EST.

This submission will be graded based on the following rubric: (YOU MAY USE THESE CATEGORIES AS HEADINGS FOR YOUR PAPER TO ENSURE YOU MEET ALL THE REQUIRED ELEMENTS)

I. Title Page (5 pts)
II. Introduction and Research Question (10 pts)

III. Body of the Paper (65 pts)
IV. Conclusion (10 pts)
V. References (10 pts)


To recap the Format of the Paper:

  • Title of the Paper. The title of your paper should be brief but should adequately inform the reader of your general topic and the specific focus of your research. Keywords relating to parameters, population, and other specifics are useful.
  • I. Introduction and Thesis Statement. All papers should have an introduction that provides background information on the topic, tells the reader why the topic is important, and states the thesis statement, which is the last sentence of the introductory paragraph. This section should lead to the research question(s) and hypothesis (primarily used in graduate studies). If you refer to (or cite) sources in your Introduction (or later in your paper), you must document these sources properly. Use APA Style formatting for your citations and references.
  • II. Research Paper and Hypothesis. This section needs little extra explanation. What are you attempting to do and why is it significant? If you are proposing a hypothesis, state it clearly. This section is primarily used in graduate studies, but can be used in undergraduate studies as well. Just be sure to clearly outline this section with an appropriate heading. This section is usually for graduate studies, and should include a question written within qualitative, quantitative, or a mixed methods format. This section may not be required for all undergraduate coursework.
  • III. Body of the Paper. This section will be the “body” of the paper and shall contain a brief survey of the existing literature about your topic and where your particular research fits into it. For this section, you should have reviewed at least five academic sources related to your specific question and be able to identify why these sources do not answer your research question. In graduate research papers, this discussion of sources will be its own section, the Review of Literature. Next, you will lay out the narrative of your own argument. What has your research of the topic revealed to you? This section should be informative and written to support what will be your conclusions.
  • IV. Conclusions. This section will present the findings of your research and support your argument and the answer to the research questions. The conclusion often returns to the issues raised in the introduction. If you stated a hypothesis, was it proven or disproven? How was your initial purpose fulfilled by your research? How do your results compare to the results of the other studies you cited in your introduction? While all these questions may not be pertinent to your research, answering as many as possible will contribute to a well-designed and well written paper.

  • V. Bibliography. Entitle this section as “Bibliography”. Refer to the APA Quick Guide for specific formats.