It is necessary to include 25 references which are Sociology based !!
Please do not plagiarize.

In addition I am attaching a document titled paper outline which has an outline which you could wish to follow if you would like. I am also attaching one article I found to be helpful but please do include at least 25 different sociological references.

If you have ANY questions please feel free to email me anytime as this is my senior capstone class and I really want a good grade on the paper.

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About the Research Paper Guidelines: SOCL 4600
The Research Paper
A primary goal of the class is to have students produce a significant paper which demonstrates the
ability to make an argument, marshal and interpret data, and write clearly. The paper also provides you
with an opportunity to demonstrate mastery of the discipline, and should serve as a source of pride and
statement of academic achievement. In this respect, the paper can be used to demonstrate your
potential for graduate school, professional training, or a career in a field related to Sociology.
Students should begin thinking about possible topics for their papers right away. It is important for
students to begin work on their papers immediately and to make steady progress if they are to complete
their work in the available time. The paper should be 25 pages in length and must include a minimum of
25 references. It must be carefully typed, proofread, and properly referenced (see ASA Style Guide and
resources on Blackboard for writing the research papers). Remember, we expect the use of proper
grammar, spelling, sentence construction, structural organization, and logic in your papers.
The Research Proposal, Literature Review, Methodology, and Outline
It is impossible to write a high-quality 25-page research paper in 1 week or 1 draft. As such, students will
complete a 4-part series of research forms designed to structure thesis progress. By the 3
rd week of the
semester, students complete a research proposal form in which they describe, in coherent written
paragraphs, the topic they have chosen to work on; narrow this down to a reasonable research
question; identify methods and data sources; explain the topic of interest to them as well as the
discipline; and identify audiences to which their project might be directed. The research proposal
should include the beginnings of a literature review, theoretical framework, data and methods section,
discussion of the relevance of the topic to sociology, and policy implications.
By the 6
th week of the semester, students complete a literature review form in which they identify,
summarize, critique, and present pertinent conclusions about existing research on their chosen social
problem/issue. The literature review should clearly frame the thesis; ground the thesis within a
particular debate; relate theory, data, and methods to the thesis; and provide the basis upon which
students make their original thesis argument.
By the 8
th week of the semester, students complete a methodology form in which they detail, in concise
written paragraphs, their thesis theoretical framework and research design. The methodology will
describe how you connect specific sociological theory to your empirical data through selection of
appropriate research method(s); detail a conceptual framework that guides your thesis study; and
describe your collected data and analytic strategies.
By the 10th week of the semester, students complete a final paper outline summary form. The outline
will include the thesis abstract, introduction, and paper outline.
Each student will provide peer review of all classmates’ proposals, literature reviews, methodologies,
and paper outlines. By focusing early and continually on the project and receiving feedback from the
class, students will be able to more effectively create research designs, get into the field, analyze data,
and write drafts of the thesis in a timely fashion.
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How to Write the Research Paper
With this approach, students are basically free to research just about any topic or question, and are
encouraged to use the seminar to develop and deepen knowledge they had perhaps begun to acquire in
one of the upper-level substantive Sociology courses, on co-op, internship, dialogue, or other academic
or co-curricular experiences.
The research paper should:
(1) Contribute to our understanding of social reality, including an application of the
sociological imagination and concepts;
(2) Employ evidence and methods (archival, qualitative or quantitative) in the research
design;
(3) Make use of sociological theory in framing the question, as well as the analysis of the
data;
(4) Take a critical orientation to the study of one’s own position in society; and
(5) Propose possible solutions to the problem or issue being discussed.
In addition to writing the paper, a central “rite” of the seminar is the senior thesis presentation and
critique, organized in a format similar to that of a professional meeting. Students will formally present
their completed thesis for critique, including inspiration for conducting this research, theoretical and
conceptual frameworks, an evaluation of empirical evidence to support the thesis, an assessment of
policy implications, and reflection on how this project relates to your post-graduate plans. Your
audience will ask questions and critique the thesis presentation at the end of the session.
Steps to Organizing and Writing the Research Paper
The research paper will present a “sociological understanding” of the selected issue, and should include
a clear statement of the general issue or problem being considered and the specific theoretical and
methodological approaches taken to examine the problem.
The topic you choose must be both broad enough so that you can obtain sufficient resource material to
write the paper and narrow enough so that the amount of resource material does not become
overwhelming. For example, you would not want to choose a topic as broad as poverty. Too much
information exists on this topic. You would not want to choose a topic as narrow as poverty rates
among Northeastern graduates from the 1960s. Too little information is available on this topic.
However, a study on poverty rates among recent college graduates could be an appropriate topic.
The core of this paper will rely on library research (minimum 25 references) integrated with analysis of
additional sources, which may include original analysis of archival data, interviews with various social
actors (minimum 10), analysis of survey data (minimum 100 responses), or ethnographic research
including participant observations (minimum 10 discrete experiences).
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The paper should provide the following:
(1) An introduction to the paper which captures the attention of the reader, introduces the social
problem, phenomena, or topic of interest, and presents views and perspectives of the problem
from the various publics or interest groups having different points of view about the subject;
(2) A carefully constructed definition of the problem or issue that again includes multiple
perspectives with illustrative and well explicated concrete examples of relevant categories and
characteristics;
(3) A description and analysis of the antecedents and suspected causes of the problem or issue with
special emphasis upon the interconnectedness among relevant social phenomena;
(4) A rigorous analysis and evaluation of the seriousness of the social problem or issue by analyzing
the magnitude (how big), severity (how harmful) and primacy (how influential) of the problem;
(5) A literature review of sorts which will be used to help frame the issue, including the grounding
of your approach within a particular debate or argument;
(6) A methodology section that describes how you collected your data (if applicable);
(7) A section that reviews and analyzes the evidence for your argument, including any data that you
might have collected on your own;
(8) An analysis and evaluation of the various solutions and conclusions about the problem or issue.
The paper is graded according to the following criteria:
(1) Organization and development of thesis;
(2) Application of theoretical/conceptual framework;
(3) Empirical support of thesis;
(4) Reference sources;
(5) Format and style of presentation;
(6) Grammar, spelling, and other “mechanics” of writing.
Please feel free to come see us throughout the semester to discuss your project. You can schedule
appointments with us via http://profbuford.youcanbook.me/ and [email protected]. We also encourage
you to visit with other faculty and graduate student experts in the department and in allied fields whose
research overlaps with your thesis topic.
Good luck!