Research Paper Assignment Sheet

Research Paper Focus:  Intellectual Property/Plagiarism

 

Introduction to the Research Focus:

Your third essay asks you to write a position paper that takes a stand on a controversial issue somehow related to intellectual property.   You will be required to present the issue, provide background, state the claim you wish to support, present reasons and evidence in support of your claim, and summarize and respond to opposing views.  

 

As the sample essays for this unit all deal with plagiarism and intellectual property, you will use those ideas as a jumping off point to write a research paper on some topic related to intellectual property.

So what is intellectual property?  First, a dictionary definition:

 

Noun

1) Property that results from original creative thought, as patents, copyright material, and trademarks.

2) An individual product of original creative thought:

Example Sentence:

Microsoft’s Halo franchise is one of the most profitable intellectual properties in the video game industry.

 

I want you to think about this in the broadest terms possible.  Intellectual property is original thoughts that have value.  So, think in terms of inventions, research, art, and of course, education.  All of these things are the intellectual property of the person who thought them up.  Below are some sample topics related to intellectual property and plagiarism, which is an important sub-topic of the broader idea of intellectual property. 

 

Topic: 

1. Zero Tolerance Plagiarism Policies

Connection to Intellectual Property/Plagiarism:  Do zero tolerance plagiarism polices help or harm students.  Do they really help them to understand that they are stealing the intellectual property of others?

Paper Requirements, Resources, and Process Questions:

Format                                                                                  

• MLA Style                                                                 
• 3 pages of text and 1 page of works cited                
• 3 Sources (one source must be from the perspective of the opposition)      

 

Important Questions to Consider

• What makes your claim an arguable issue?
• Whom are you trying to persuade?
• Specifically, why is your claim persuasive?
• How can you backup each of your reasons?
• What are strong reasons against your claim?  How will you respond to those reasons?