Learning Plan 4

Assignments

LP4.1 Assignment: Prepare a Working Draft

At this point in the course, you should have an approved research topic and thesis/question. In this assignment, you will prepare a working draft of your paper with three sections completed: your research thesis/question, definition of terms, and reference list.

Step 1: Define Your Terms
For example, if you write a paper on end-of-life management issues, what do you mean by end-of-life? Are you talking about the care of the aged in nursing homes, or are you referring to those individuals in a persistent vegetative state? You must define "end-of-life", or other important language like this clearly for your reader.

Compile a list of 3-4 terms that are important in your paper, defining what you mean by them in your own words.

Step 2: Further Develop Your Reference List
Your reference list can grow during your research, and even change during the process. But it is important to stay on track in your research by keeping a record of the sources you plan to use in your paper, even before you begin writing.

Add 3 additional resources to the list you submitted in Learning Plan 3.

What to Submit for This Assignment
In a Word document, start a working draft of your research paper. This document should include the following components to be submitted to your professor for approval. Items you should complete now are in bold font. For the other items, include the section title do not complete them at this time.

1. APA-style cover page containing your paper's title, your name, and your professor's name.
2. Working Draft:
   • Introduction Section (to be filled in later)
   • Research Question or Thesis (complete this section)
   • Definitions of 3-4 Critical Terms (complete this section)
   • Body Paragraphs (several sections and topics which will address your thesis/question to be filled in later)
   • Conclusion (to be filled in later)
   • Reference List (complete this section now; revise after you have completed writing)