FINAL RESEARCH ESSAY – SOC 470/776/978 WRITING SOCIOLOGY


Thirty-five percent (35%) of your grade will be based on a research essay due on January 31, 2011.*
Please follow the guidelines below, and don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions. I
answer most e-mails within 24 hours. You may come and see me for help during my office hours or
e-mail me to make arrangements for another time that is convenient for you. In other words, there
is no excuse for problems with this assignment! My schedule is very flexible and I enjoy meeting
with students – please take advantage of this factJ!



STRUCTURE:


The purpose of this essay is to think sociologically (and perhaps culturally) about your topic. The
assignment is very broad – you may choose any topic, whether we have covered it in the class or
not. I will approve the topic and make sure that your research question is narrow enough to answer
successfully in an essay of this length.


The final essay should be between 10-15 pages (2.5 cm. margins, double-spaced, 12 pt. Font). This
is about 3,000 – 5,000 words, but there is no maximum limit.



TIMELINE (all due at 23:59 on the specified date):


November 30, 2010 – Submit a 1-2 paragraph statement explaining your choice of topic via e-mail. I
will approve your topic within 48 hours so you can begin work. You may send this at ANY time; you
do not have to wait until the due date.


December 13, 2010 - A short (4-6 pp.) preliminary summary of your work is due via e-mail. We will
discuss these in class on December 15 – EVERYONE WILL MEET TOGETHER ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15.
There is no reading assigned for that week.


January 17, 2011 - FINAL ESSAY IS DUE FOR MASTER’S STUDENTS SITTING FOR THE STATE EXAM.


January 31, 2010 - FINAL ESSAY IS DUE VIA E-MAIL by 23:59.


LATE ESSAYS will be marked down by 1 point per 6-hour period (out of a maximum of 35 points).




*IMPORTANT NOTE: Students sitting for the State Master’s Exam on January 28, 2011 MUST submit their
essays by January 17, 2011.