There is no doubt that technology has touched most aspects of our lives. Choose a subtopic of technology. For some examples, please see the Big Tech Topic Choice page. Or, alternately, you could combine the topic of technology with another topic of interest to you, such as music, video, health, business, etc. In any case, what controversies are going on in the topic you chose, and where do you stand on them? Evaluate the state of the issue you chose; is it good or bad or some of both (be specific about what parts are good and what parts are bad)? Make an argument about what should or should not happen in the future in the the topic you chose. Remember, this is not a report; this is a researched argument paper. Your essay should be driven by a judgment or opinion (a thesis) and supported with specific evidence. Make specific recommendations about what people SHOULD do about your big-tech issue in the future.
Sources (Remember the number 3!)
You must use at least 3 articles or ebooks from Moorpark College Library DatabasesLinks to an external site., such as EBSCO Academic Search Complete, CQ Researcher, Gale Academic OneFile, Issues and Controversies, Gale Opposing Viewpoints, Proquest U.S. Newsstream, Statista etc. If your topic is covered by a printed library book, you may substitute that book for one of your 3 required library sources.
If you wish to use any additional sources (not required), they must be from high-quality sources, such as the following:
Documentaries/streaming video from the library or from reputable online sources such as PBS, National Geographic, 60 Minutes, or Netflix (see Netflix’s The Social Dilemma, for example).
TED Talks are acceptable.
If you use any public websites, I suggest using .gov or .edu sources. If you use any .com websites, they should be the websites of well-known newspapers, magazines, or news networks. If you find a .org website that you would like to use, it must be well-known and credible (example: aclu.org).
NO WIKIPEDIA, EVER. DO NOT GOOGLE RANDOM WEBSITES.
Since we are researching current issues, please be sure your sources are not more than ten years old.
Formatting Requirements
The paper will be at least 5 double-spaced pages (1800-2100 words) + Works Cited.
Submit the paper and all its parts to Turnitin.com (Links to an external site.) by 11:59pm on the due dates as specified in the syllabus and the Canvas calendar.
Instructions for all the assignments leading up to the research paper will be found in the modules that correspond to the weeks these assignments are due.
Late work will not be accepted.
A plagiarized paper is an automatic 0/150 points.
All written material for this class (discussions, essays, assignments, etc.) is subject to AI/academic dishonesty checking and plagiarism checking.
If you use plagiarism or AI to generate any part of a piece of writing, you will receive a 0 on that piece of writing and will lose your rewrite opportunity. If you get a 0 for a plagiarized or AI-generated Rough Draft of an Essay, your Final Draft must be a completely new piece of writing, on a different topic/prompt than the Rough Draft.
Use the same MLA heading and page numbering format that we’ve been using all semester. Thank you.
Note:
Put your best efforts into the assignments leading up to the paper and do not fall behind. Seek assistance from me or a librarian at any time during the process of writing this paper.
At any point in the writing process, you may get help from the Moorpark College Writing Center. (Links to an external site.) Scroll down for information about online tutoring and e-mail feedback options if you cannot go to the center for an in-person appointment. Online tutoring services are also available through the menu on the left or through the Library Learning Resources tab of your MyVCCCD portal.
