TOPIC: Automation within manufacturing helping or hurting the workforce.

topic: You are required to use five to seven sources for your research paper, no more and no fewer. This means that you must choose your sources very carefully and use them very thoroughly and thoughtfully in your essay. Please choose five sources that you will discuss in this essay (you can add two additional sources to your researched paper later if you so choose). In a 2-4 page essay, please answer the following question:

Why are these five sources the very best ones to use for your research paper?

Format

Introduction: Your essay should begin with an introduction that introduces your topic and describes the range of sources available for that topic. Is this, for example, a topic that requires study of newspaper articles as well as scholarly articles? Does it require finding statistics or research studies? Is it a recent issue for which there arent many sources of information or are there many books and articles to choose from? The introduction should end with a thesis that tells your main criteria for choosing your sources. What was most important to you as you chose these sources?

Body of Essay: Dedicate one paragraph to each of your five sources. Each paragraph should provide a brief summary of the source and should tell why you chose that particular source for your paper. Did you choose it because it was important for you to have a range of different types of sources, for example? Did you choose it because you wanted the most up-to-date information? Did you determine that it is credible and in-depth? Is it particularly relevant for your topic? Did you want to choose scholarly sources that would add more detail and depth to your paper? Did you choose sources that represent various sides of an issue? All of these are possibilities, but you can discuss any reason that you think is important for choosing that particular source.

Conclusion: In your conclusion, you can discuss any barriers you see to completing your research, what you hope to accomplish or understand through your sources, or any additional sources you hope to find.

The Rules

5-7 sources (no more than 7)

At least 3 sources must be scholarly

What is a scholarly source?

A scholarly source is an article or book that has ALL of the following characteristics:

It is written by an expert in the field who has studied the topic extensively.

It has been peer reviewed. This means that other experts in the field have reviewed the work and deemed it credible and accurate. All scholarly journals and most books include a peer review process.

It cites its sources and includes a references page, works cited page, bibliography, and/or footnotes.

Can I use sources that are not scholarly?

Yes. Three of your sources must be scholarly, but the other 2-5 sources may be scholarly or non-scholarly. Acceptable non-scholarly sources include:

Newspaper articles

Magazine articles

Interviews

Reports from government or educational web-sites

Transcripts from news or radio programs

Government documents like legislation