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You are here: Courses / Future Courses / Future Course: Academic Writing 300: How to Write a Research Paper

Future Course: Academic Writing 300: How to Write a Research Paper

Future Course

Live Webinar day/time varies for this course. Please contact the instructor for more information.

Offered by:

  • “Prof.” Deborah Simon

This course is a part of the Academic Writing series. 

  • Information about the Academic Writing series may be found on the Athena’s Upper Level Language Arts Information webpage under the Academic Writing tab.
Category: Future Courses Tags: Future Courses, Prof. Deborah Simon's Future Courses
Offered By Instructor

Deborah Simon, M.Ed.

Content Level

8th Grade – High School

Course Length

16-Week Course

  • Description
  • What to Expect
  • Materials & More

Description

Writing a research paper can be a daunting task. As students progress through school, this task takes on a new role in their studies, growing from an exercise in research to a persuasive tool.

Moreover, in this electronic world, plagiarism has become as difficult to define as it is to detect. Students need a comprehensive understanding of the root problems involved with plagiarism and how it damages us personally and as a society.

Students will learn to carefully choose a topic, gather information, create a logical structure, present their research with proper attribution, proofread and revise their draft, and properly document their references.

This is a hands-on, working class where students will present and revise their papers at each step with help from fellow classmates and the teacher. Our webinars will follow a three-fold cycle for each step:

  • Week A Webinar – Instruction in one step of writing a research paper
  • Week B Webinar – Students share their personal progress and turn in their assignment
  • Week C Webinar – Each student meets one-on-one with the teacher to discuss their assignment

The information we cover includes:

  • Topic
  • Organization
  • Reference Material
  • Incorporating Reference Material
  • Cohesion
  • Voice
  • APA Style
  • Prewriting
  • Drafting
  • Self-Review
  • Peer Review
  • Final Draft

Note from “Prof.” Deborah:

Writing is a process with several distinct stages, and I believe that much of the confusion and disinterest students (and adults!) feel about writing comes from teachers’ lack of involvement at each of those stages. Writing needs to be a conversation between student and teacher. Like navigating on the open sea, a degree or two change can make a huge difference in the destination. If I can help students make necessary course corrections along the way, they will be so much more confident in both their ability and their final product. So I spend quite a bit of time steering students’ essays from prewriting to drafting to revising/proofreading.

Note to parents: 

  • Students must have access to electronic (Internet websites, electronic references) and physical (library, reference books, etc.) research tools to fully explore this task.
  • Enrollment in this class unlocks Athena’s Academic Writing Resources Room packed full of academic writing resources and information  as well as one-on-one help.
  • This course is one of Athena’s Upper Level Language Arts courses. Click for more information.

Offered by:

  • “Prof.” Deborah Simon

What to Expect

What to expect in the Required section in the classroom each week:

  • Either forum posts or responses to others’ posts to explore and comment on a topic being discussed.
  • Step-by-step formulating, drafting, and revising of a research paper on a self-chosen topic.
  • Group work on preparation of fellow classmates’ papers.
  • Links, videos, background information, and occasional study.com assignments (provided at no extra cost) to be completed in preparation for the next week’s topic.

What to expect in the Highly Suggested & Optional sections in the classroom each week:

  • Because of the nature of this class, all sections in the classroom are either required for the current webinar or required in preparation for the following week’s topic.

What to expect during the weekly webinar:

  • Teacher instruction in the week’s topic/focus.
  • Presentation of drafts and working through each others’ papers as they are written.
  • Participation in discussions that demonstrate the student has read the material and done the preparatory work for that week’s topic.
  • Questions and answers from students as they complete their research papers.

Log in as a Guest to view Prof. Deborah’s Course Catalog and the Academic Writing 300: How to Write a Research Paper Syllabus

Materials & More

Before taking this course, students should be able to: 

  • Write a paper independently at a junior high school to senior school level.
  • Navigate and understand library- and Internet-based research tools and methods.

Students should be willing to:

  • Participate in discussions in such a way that they demonstrate their preparation in advance of class.
  • Critique and offer suggestions to each other throughout the planning, writing, and revising stages.
  • Offer their writing for sensitive and constructive criticism from peers and the teacher.

Required books & materials:

  • Research Papers, Spiral bound Version, 16th edition
    William Coyle, & Joe Law
    ISBN-13: 978-1111839512
    Publisher: Cengage Learning; 16 edition (2012)

Enrollment Options

This course repeats yearly in the fall semester.

  • Register Your Student
  • Academic Calendar & Weekly Schedules

Related Courses

  • Future Course: The Story of the World – Volume 3: Early Modern Times

  • Future Course: The Inventor in You!

  • Future Course: College Prep English 9/10

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