Research Paper and Short Story PAD

Select a topic of interest; write a research paper with annotated bibliography and short fiction piece based off the topic you chose for your research paper. Here are some things to consider when drafting your research paper, annotated bibliography and short story.

1. Choose a topic of interest and investigate it by collecting informative data that supports your research paper. You can use magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals, documentaries, and the internet. The information gathered will be used to support the points made in your research paper.

2.  Read your sources and take notes so that you can refer back to important quotations and document sources accurately. Your ideas must be proven, do not simply state it, but prove it with explanation and sources.

3.  Brainstorm, gather and organize your ideas by outlining main points and sub points so that you are avoid being repetitive. Your paper should be formatted in a logical sequence.

 4. Begin writing your first draft to flesh out what you want to say. Be sure to introduce your topic well, and arouse the readers’ interest.

5. Include sources where they fit and support your ideas. Use your collected sources to create an annotated bibliography (bibliography that gives a summary of source that is used in research paper). Proof read, edit and revise your draft where needed.

Short story

Using the main idea of your research paper, you will construct a five-page short fiction piece. Look to some of your favorite books to gather ideas on how this can be done effectively. For example, if your paper is about race, class and/or education you can use Lee Harper’s, To Kill a Mockingbird. If it is about politics and warfare, you might use Ernest Hemingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls.  Be as creative as possible.

1. Use the same central idea of your research paper to create a central theme for your short story.

2. Think about how your theme relates to everyday life so that your audience can relate to or understand your story.

3. Avoid complex words and metaphors, instead use language that is used everyday, but feel free to use some jargon to help shape characters.

4. Paint a picture for the reader. Offer important and unusual details, like, the location, scents, sounds, touch and texture. Use dialogue to give the reader a good portrait of each character. 

5. Ensure that your point is clear in the story; use every character to keep the story moving.  Not all characters have to be round; some can be flat if it helps in bringing out your central theme. For example, round characters in a story are usually round, and area well developed- they undergo changes. Flat characters; remain stagnant in a story, this is sometimes necessary to shape your story. Proof read and edit your story where needed.