The Black Family Description Students are to submit a 15 page typed (double-spaced, Times New Roman size-12 font), research paper, addressing a course topic (Student’s Choice). A research paper is not a personal opinion paper or a summary report. A research paper is the culmination and final product of an involved process of research, critical thinking, source evaluation, organization, and composition. It is, perhaps, helpful to think of the research paper as a living thing, which grows and changes as the student explores, interprets, and evaluates sources related to a specific topic. Primary and secondary sources are the heart of a research paper, and provide its nourishment; without the support of and interaction with these sources, the research paper would morph into a different genre of writing (e.g., an encyclopedic article). The research paper serves not only to further the field in which it is written, but also to provide the student with an exceptional opportunity to increase his/her knowledge in that field. There are several types; the Argumentative and the Analytical. Argumentative research paper: The argumentative research paper consists of an introduction in which the writer clearly introduces the topic and informs his audience exactly which stance he intends to take; this stance is often identified as the thesis statement (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. An important goal of the argumentative research paper is persuasion, which means the topic chosen should be debatable or controversial. Analytical research paper: The analytical research paper often begins with the student asking a question (a.k.a. a research question) on which he has taken no stance. Such a paper is often an exercise in exploration and evaluation. [Please follow the guideline below when writing your paper. Introduction: Over view of the issue Make sure that the reader understands the scope of the issue, if there are terms that need to be defined this is a good place to introduce them. Thesis/Focus or Central Argument (last sentence in first paragraph) Body: Introduce major claims that support your thesis or central argument Provide examples/illustrations that support your claim Discuss implications of your claim Conclusion: Summarize your major claims Draw your final conclusions Review: Review your paper and verify that your central analysis answers the following question: How does this impact the African American family? Remember to proofread. Remember to properly cite all quotes and sources (MLA, APA, etc.) Don’t forget your works cited page. The research paper without a work cited page is an automatic fail. Please remember that this is a formal paper so make sure to include an outline and cover page