Required Research Writing: LRUP and On-Campus Writing Certification III

Both of PC's undergraduate options, Limited-Residency and On-Campus, require a documented, thesis-driven research paper from each would-be graduate. This post intends to answer two questions virtually all undergrads should ask themselves: 

       --What is a 'thesis-driven' research paper?

       --Where do I find the guidelines to meet this
          requirement in my degree program?

Let's take the first, tougher question first. PC students write a lot papers, posts, and essays before they are expected to write the required research paper (known to On-Campus students as the Writing Cert III paper). A thesis-driven research paper takes a position on a topic and makes an argument throughout the paper to convince the reader of the correctness (or at least worthiness) of the writer's thesis statement. A paper that documents its sources but does not have an explicit thesis statement falls into the category of a report, a paper that does not take a position or argue a central claim. Our writing coaches refer to reports as 'tell-about' papers rather than research papers. One telltale sign of a report is a sentence in the first paragraph that begins, "This paper is about..." or, "The topic of this paper is..."

Both the research paper and the report have a purpose. Sometimes the line between the two genres is blurred in casual conversation. A report usually requires research and published sources may be cited in it. But the purpose of a report is to inform the reader of a range of facts and findings, leaving the reader to use the report for making a decision or taking some action. The report is background information on a topic for readers to use as they wish.

A research paper both reports research findings and explicitly persuades the reader of a particular way to view those findings. The typical scientific or 'objective' research paper does not use emotional language or flowery rhetoric to persuade, but arranges facts, examples, reasons, and evidence to convince the reader to engage in thinking about the argument of the paper and to reach the writer's conclusion. 

Think about it this way: a computer-driven lunar Rover can report on the features of the moon by sending a stream of data to a computer on Earth. Only a human can analyze, synthesize, and evaluate the data to make a hypothesis for further exploration and development. The purpose of a research paper is to accommodate the latter, so the writer of a (thesis-driven) research paper must balance the reporting function of the paper with the argumentation that makes each research paper original. 

Now, where to find the written guidelines and forms to help you meet this requirement? The PC website is one place to find these guidelines so we put the links here:

LRUP (ADP) Required Research Paper Guidelines and Evaluation Rubric

LRUP (ADP) Required Research Paper Approval Form 

LRUP (ADP) Required Research Paper Submission Link (required for all
       submissions)

On-Campus (RDP) Writing Certification III Guidelines

On-Campus (RDP) Writing Certification III Coversheet

It is very important to start your paper with the guidelines in hand. If the location of the guidelines and forms changes as the new website is expanded, we will update the links here. Check back with PC Learning Commons Weekly anytime for a quick refresher on meeting this challenging requirement. 

Khan Academy Kudos

Being back in school may mean time to brush up on your algebra or physics. Have no fear, the Web now features KhanAcademy, a not-for-profit website that offers video tutorials in math, computer science, chemistry, and many other sciences. As of this writing Khan Academy presents over 3,000 instructional videos that average about 10 minutes each. These videos have been used over 180 million times, and counting, by learners all over the world. 

The founder of Khan Academy, Salman (Sal) Khan, narrates and illustrates most of the videos, which he began posting as YouTube videos for his younger cousins in the early 2000s. Now with major funding from Google and other donors, Khan Academy has a staff of expert teachers, translators, and engineers who have built up the Academy to make it easy to learn specific math and science concepts, understand how concepts are sequenced and interdependent within specific content areas, and communicate with other learners to learn together material that has often left students of all ages feeling isolated and discouraged. The site is currently in English with plans and funding to translate the videos into many world languages in the near future.

If you haven't been to the site before, get a feeling for its organization and quality by watching the short video "Overview of KhanAcademy". You can also go directly to the "Watch" tab and type in the concept you know you want to study. Check out the Knowledge Map to see where the concept or skill you want to refine fits into the field as a whole. If you create a login account and do the exercises, the interactive Knowledge Map will help you sequence your learning to make sure you have a handle on all the concepts you need in one area before you move on to the next.

Sal writes on the "About Khan Academy" page, 

"I teach the way that I wish I was taught. The lectures are coming from me, an actual human being who is fascinated by the world around him." 

Khan Academy is not just for school children and includes videos covering test preparation help for the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). A lot of people are saying that Khan Academy doesn't represent just the best in online tutoring but an entirely better way to learn key math and science concepts at any age. You can replay the videos and do the exercises as many times as you need to--Khan Academy video teachers never lose their patience or pre-judge you. For each video there is also an online community of fellow learners who ask questions and answer yours to supplement the video with the dialog of real people. You can even track your learning and measure your progress as you complete the lessons.

Because it is free, top-notch tutoring in difficult subject areas, the smart thing to do is to think of Khan Academy for math and science the same way we often use Wikipedia today. Go there first with your questions and stay awhile, for best results.