Final Draft
Your essay must include a thesis statement that takes a stance on your topic that you aim to support throughout the body of your essay. You should use between 6 and 10 of the sources you collected during the research process. Your sources should represent a variety of views on your topic rather than just one or two. You need to treat your sources fairly by accurately representing their views and not twisting their words to fit your ideological position. As much as you can, don’t regurgitate what your sources say. You are not summarizing other people’s research; you are presenting your own findings.
When integrating source material into your essay, generally paraphrase that information. Only use a direct quote when the phrasing is so good that it demands to be quoted. The vast majority of the information you include from your sources should be paraphrased into your own words. Avoid using long, or block, quotations. They are seldom necessary and should only be used when the phrasing absolutely demands that you include it.
While you may use academic and popular sources for this essay, keep in mind that this is a formal academic college essay, and you are expected to find credible sources that include authorship credit (either by a person or an organization), provide expert analysis, conduct critical examinations, and present verifiable information. You should avoid the use of encyclopedias, gossip websites, random blogs, and social media unless your topic directly relates to those types of sources, such as the Digital Disruption option. Even then, your use of such sources should be limited to examples of usage rather than as hard evidence to support your thesis.
