Tell me the topic you are picking for your paper. Don't just say something like immigration, abortion, or the
death penalty. Tell me specifically about what aspect of immigration, abortion, or the death penalty. There
are many components of these board topics.
- Tell me why you picked it. Don't just say because it's important or it's in the news. Do you have a
personal interest in this topic? For example, did you pick health care because you are sick, need
insurance, or going into the health care field?
- Tell me why this topic is important. Don't just say it's important because everybody deals with it or it's
controversial. What are the consequences of the issue? For example, will a border wall hurt trade or
reduce crime?
- Tell me specifically what sources you plan to use. The Internet, library databases, and Wikipedia are
notsources. I'm looking for academic journals such as peer reviewed journal articles. If your topic is fairly
recent then you might not find a published article; however, you will most likely find a study that relates to
your topic.
- Tell me why you selected them. Don't tell me it's because they are credible or popular. Tell me how it fits
into your thesis.
- Tell me why they are good sources. Again, don't tell me it's because they are well know or some other
unsubstantiated claim. Being peer reviewed can make it a good source alone; however, not all peer
reviewed sources are good. Are the claims made by your source support by other sources? What's the
methodology used? Did the author do interviews or did they collect data some other way?
Sample Solution