The research essay is the culmination of our work this semester.  Just as in the first two essays of the course, you will write a thesis-driven essay  in which you incorporated secondary sources to help explain/develop your position.  As a research paper, the intent of the paper is of course to inform your audience about your topic.  However, it is critical that you think of your rhetorical purpose as something more than summarizing  a list of secondary sources.  Your responsibility is to use the sources to clarify your position on your topic.  As a writer, you must make the transition from “topic” to “thesis.”    For example, “Bolles Sensory Learning Method” is a topic, but a thesis is “The Bolles Sensory Learning Method can serve as an effective co-curricular methodology in school programs for students with disabilities by targeting the sensory-based deficits that underlie their developmental and academic delays.”

The research paper must be 8-10 pages in length and must include at least eight secondary sources.  The final product must adhere to APA conventions for citation and document style.  In order to receive full credit, you must submit two rough drafts of the research paper.  The first rough draft is due for my commentary on 4/14; a revised rough draft is due for peer review on 5/6.

The annotated bibliography is intended to help you begin completing the research for your paper, as well as to help you develop your skills in locating and evaluating sources.  The annotated bibliography must include 5-8 bibliographical entries (properly formatted, in MLA or APA format) with annotation (1-2 paragraphs for each source, which briefly summarize the source and explain how it will be used in your essay).  The sources for the annotated bibliography (as for the paper itself) must be appropriate, scholarly sources.  In general, your sources should be in the form of scholarly books and articles from established news sources and academic journals.  No more than two (2) of the eight sources required in your research paper may be Web-based sources (this limitation does not include articles retrieved through online databases like EBSCO).

References

Books
Gerdts, Gerdts & Bernier, Raphael (2010). Autism Spectrum Disorders: Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO

Kira, S. Chantal (2006). Adolescents on the Autism Spectrum: (pp. 1-53). New York, NY: Penguin Group.

Marshak, E. L., Seligman, M., & Prezant, F. (1999). Disability and the Family Life Cycle. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Tilton, J, Adelle (2004). The Everything Parent’s Guide To Children With Autism. Avon, MA: Adams Media.

Websites
Last, F. M., & Last, F. M. (Year Published). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pp. Page(s).

Hearn, K. O., & Franconeri, S. (2012). The Development of Individuation in Autism, Journal of Experimental Psychology, 39(2), pp. 1-6. http://viscog.psych.northwestern.edu/publications/OHearnFranconeri_Autism.pdf