Attached is the essays instructions and requirements, I already wrote my essay proposal and decided on the topic of MK Ultra. I’ll attach my proposal if you’d like to reference it but it’s pretty basic. This is for an English 2 class in a community college.
Topic & Thesis (MK Ultra)
Research and analyze a specific experiment or another example of dubious scientific ethics after World War II and carried out by multiple collaborators. These may include physical and psychological studies or collusion by healthcare industries. A list of previous topics will be posted in announcements leading to discussion #8 paper proposal. Students may NOT write about the Stanford Prison Experiment as their main topic as that is the subject of the Module 2 sample student essay.
The essay should address how the Nuremberg Code or another ethical standard applies to the topic. Additionally, consider the answer to at least one research question that will help readers learn more about the subject and its relevance today, something like: “could this happen again?” or “how is this relevant today?” or “what was accomplished, if anything, by the research or policies enacted?”
Research Requirements
At least six valid sources (including one graphic) are required. Two of these must come from the Cabrillo Library’s online databases of articles and E-books. Start in General/All Subjects with “Academic Search Complete” or “One Search,” and then try a scientific perspective using the Health, Medicine, and Science databases.
Graphic source may be a chart, table, graph, picture, or photograph and must be:
described in the body of the paper immediately above or below,
informative, not merely aesthetic or shocking for its own sake,
embedded in the body of the paper and take up no more than 1/2 page, including label,
labeled (“Figure 1,” “Figure 2,”) with a brief description and author (or title of source if no author). Complete citation information for the source should be provided on the Works Cited page.
NO encyclopedias and other general knowledge sources (Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia, Ask.com, Infoplease, Questia, Bartleby, etc.). These sites can familiarize you with the topic in the early stages, but don’t cite them; look to their listed sources for more detailed info.
NO entertainment (and infotainment) sources. This includes History.com and other popular TV channels and websites. These can help get a sense of your topic but should not be used for the paper, as they offer narrow, sensationalized, and often race- and gender-biased versions of the past. Email Diane if you question a source’s integrity and ask before citing.
Documentaries can be excellent or sketchy, depending on the agenda and expertise of their creators–scrutinize and verify any facts shared from one.
Length & Format
2000 words, including Abstract & Works Cited page
Citation Format: MLA, APA, or similar style for acknowledging sources.
Document Format:
12-point, professional font, like Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc.
1-inch margins on all four sides (warning: Microsoft Word defaults to 1.25” on the sides)
Lines are double-spaced, using one tab at the start of a new paragraph.
No extra line spacing goes between paragraphs, below titles and subtitles, or in-between items on the Works Cited page.
Top right header includes the student author’s last name, a space, and the page number on every page.
On page 1, in the upper left-hand corner of the first page, before the title and abstract, list your name, instructor’s name, the course, and the date.
Attribute every quote and information from a source to its author as in-text citations.
Include a Works Cited page at the end, alphabetically listing all cited sources in the paper.
See the Cabrillo Library webpage on MLA Citation and Style Guides for more details on formatting your essay and acknowledging your sources.
Abstract & Title
An abstract of about 300 words is required on page one and counts towards the essay’s 2000-word minimum. An abstract summarizes your significant arguments and examples to help readers and researchers quickly determine whether your sources and findings are relevant to their interests.
The abstract is written after the paper is completed. It does NOT replace the paper’s introductory paragraph. Consult this UNC Writing Center handout for more information and suggestions on how to write an “informative” abstract.
The title should be unique and tied to the topic. Try to combine catchy and creative phrasing while also being informative, using standard key terms and phrases for the search engine algorithms.
Preparing the Essay
Continue your research (launched in your Discussion 8 proposal) at our class Library Research Guide,a curated set of research tools just for this paper.
Treat the process of researching and drafting as cyclical, not linear. Continue to develop your list of research questions as you discover new sources and write about them:
what else can be gleaned about all the stakeholders (people involved)?
to what degree were subjects or patients informed and willing?
what was the stated purpose for going forward with the experiment or “treatment”?
what, if anything, was gained by unethical researchers? was it worth the human cost?
what can be learned and applied today from what happened then?
An introductory paragraph should engage the reader, introduce your topic, and state your thesis.
Use the opening sentences of the essay to get the reader’s attention with a relevant quote, question, description, or other strategies to focus on the topic as you see it (1-3 sentences).
Next, set the scene, briefly describing what happened, when, where, and who was involved.
Finish with a clear thesis about how this event or study violates the Nuremberg Code (or doesn’t, or it’s unclear) and the implications for something similar today. The more nuanced your thesis, the more you’ll have to say later on–concluding simply that “this was wrong and now it’s over” leaves little else to add.
The essay’s body presents the details of events–the setting, the players, the fallout–alongside your overall thesis statement.
Examine the larger context, standard practices, and explanations given by those in charge at the time.
Never end a paragraph with a quote or other citation; always bring it back to your reason for sharing it (your thesis).
Throughout the paper,
DO NOT describe your research process or refer to yourself directly (no “I,” “me,” or “we” statements), and
DO NOT speak directly to the reader (no “you,” “your/you’re” statements).
Conclude the essay with a final look at the main events, their impact on participants and other stakeholders, and their broader social implications, then and now.
