1984 Research Paper

For our research paper you will be researching a topic related to 1984. You will need to look into one of the
ideas listed below and select a specific topic in that area.

Research Ideas
A research topic can only be chosen once per class. Topics will be rewarded on a first come, first serve basis.
The suggestions below are NOT topics. They are broad areas that you can narrow down to a specific topic.
● a failed utopia
● mind control
● government surveillance
● censorship
● propaganda
● invasion of privacy
● “Big Brother”
● electronic surveillance
● a popular conspiracy theory
● a topic of your choice (approved by Huerta)

Due Dates
Topic Choice Tuesday, November 22nd (minor grade)
Finding Reliable Sources Monday, November 28th (minor grade)
Formal Outline Thursday, December 1st (minor grade)
Rough Draft Tuesday, December 6th (two minor grades)
Final Draft Tuesday, December 13th (one major grade)

Plagiarism - Plagiarism is a VERY serious offense and will result in a 0% for the final draft. I trust you to turn
in your own work. If you find information from a source, you must cite it (even if it is summarized or
paraphrased).

Sources - Sources are a vital part of your research project. Keep a log of your sources on the Finding Reliable
Sources document. This will make organizing and citing your sources much easier. You must have four
reliable sources for your paper.

Outline – I will provide you with a Google Doc to follow for the Formal Outline.

Writing your Rough Draft - Follow your outline to write the body of your paper. Your rough draft should be
3 – 5 pages typed (Times New Roman, 12pt, double spaced). Follow all MLA formatting rules as well as in-
text citation rules. I will not be counting off for these on the rough draft. This will be an opportunity to get
these corrected before the final draft.

Use of Citations - Sources acknowledged within the body of the report are called citations. The following will
help you determine when to cite a source:

1. Cite a source when you QUOTE an author’s exact words.

2. Cite a source when you PARAPHRASE or SUMMARIZE an author’s words.
3. Cite a source when you give FIGURES or STATISTICS from a source.

When in doubt, cite. We will use the guidelines for citing sources set by the Modern Language Association
(MLA).
Works Cited Page
This is the list of all the sources acknowledged in the citations. It is the last page of the report. Use the following
guidelines to create a Works Cited list.

1. Arrange your sources in alphabetical order, by author’s last name. (If no author is listed, alphabetize by
the title of the source, after words such as “the” or “a”).

2. One inch from the top of the works cited page, using center justification, type “Works Cited.”

3. Do not number your sources.

4. Each entry should use the “Hanging Indent” format. you can find this under Format>Align &
Indent>Indentation Options>Special Indent>Hanging

5. The entire Works Cited page should be double-spaced, 1” side margins.

Heading and Title - A research paper does not need a title page. Instead, beginning one inch from the top of
the first page and flush with the left margin, type your name, your teacher’s name, the class name, and the due
date on separate lines, double-spacing between the lines. Double-space between the lines of the title and the
first line of the text. DO NOT italicize, bold or underline your title. Titles should be original, brief, and
thought-provoking. Your last name and the page number should appear on the upper right corner of each page.
You can add this under Headers or by clicking at the top of the page.