Science Fiction and Society

Soc. 49, Fall 2016

The Research Paper Assignment (50%)

For help with library research, contact Scott Schaffer.

Your assignment is to write an approximately 12 page research paper, based on scholarly, peer-reviewed sources, on a question relevant to science and society. The paper can be either,
1. An analysis of a scientific or engineering trend with social implications, such as a new form of pre-natal testing for genetic defects, or the effect of cell phones on social relations among young people; or,
2. An analysis of some science fiction (novels and/or films) as part of their social context, such as a study of 1950s films about aliens and monsters in the context of the anti-communist hysteria of the 1950s, or a study of the silent film Metropolis that looks at the social context of Germany in the 1920s. (You MUST find and write about what is called “scholarly critical literature” on the science fiction, or type of science fiction, your write about. That means articles and books written by academics about those stories or stories like them. You can agree or disagree with what those academics have written, but you cannot ignore them. )

The research project has four parts:
  1. A proposal, due Oct. 11 (ungraded, but subject to revision);
  2. A rough draft, due Nov. 15 (20%);
  3. An in-class presentation, scheduled between 11/29 and 12/8 (10%); and
  4. The final draft, due no later than Monday, Dec. 12th, by 4:00 pm (20%).

1. The Proposal (due no later than Oct. 11): The proposal outlines the main idea -- the point -- and explains the kind of evidence you plan to use to support it. It should be 1-2 pages long, typed, double-spaced. It should be organized, clear, and concise, and reflect the logic of your idea. It should not just list a topic area and some information. For example, "this paper will be about bovine growth hormones and will use evidence collected from journal articles," is not enough.)
2. The Rough Draft (due no later than Nov. 15): This should be full, word processed, draft of your paper, complete with references.
3. An in class presentation of your paper during the last few days of class.
4. The Final Version (due Monday Dec. 12): This should reflect the best writing and argument you are capable of, and should show that you have thoroughly researched your topic and thoroughly understand it.

When you hand in the final version, be sure to attach all versions of the proposal and the commented rough draft, so I can see the process you have followed in developing the paper. Your grade will reflect the seriousness with which you have worked on revising the paper through that process, as well as the quality of your final product. Each draft must be typed and double-spaced, and all pages must be numbered. Be sure to back up your work regularly; computer problems are not an acceptable excuse for missed deadlines.

Proper Documentation: Your sources must be fully documented using a standard system of reference. If you're not absolutely sure about how to do this, see me right away. Please remember that you need to provide references for ALL material you find in other sources even when you use your own words (NOT just for those things you quote). Remember that improper documentation is considered a form of plagiarism, which can get you in serious trouble, e.g., flunking, thrown out of school. For help with systems of documentation, check out http://library.uvm.edu/guides/citation/.

Rules for Writing your Research Paper

There should be page numbers on each page. Your citations should include page numbers as well as other details about sources.

Your paper should begin with
  1. a one paragraph introduction, which ends with a thesis statement of the form "In this paper I will argue ...." The introduction should be followed by
  2. a review of the literature on your topic that explains the questions, methods, and findings that have driven previous work. (This is important and hard to do well.) And after that, you should get into
  3. the body of your paper, where you make your case and provide evidence.
  4. Finally, write a concluding paragraph (or two) that summarizes your argument

Please use descriptive subheadings to describe your introduction, literature review, and other parts of the paper.

Proper Documentation: Your sources must be fully documented using a standard system of reference. If you're not absolutely sure about how to do this, see me right away. Please remember that you need to provide references for ALL material you find in other sources even when you use your own words (NOT just for those things you quote). Remember that improper documentation is considered a form of plagiarism, which can get you in serious trouble, e.g., flunking, thrown out of school. For help with systems of documentation, check out http://libraries.uvm.edu/guides/cite/.


Here are some sample papers, written by students in this class in past semesters. They're good, but not perfect, papers: