Academic Creativity Eku Library Veteran Studies T
TERM PAPER INSTRUCTIONS FOR STUDENTS
This final project asks you to draw upon all that you have learned, integrate five sources provided during the semester, and demonstrate your skills in scholarly research and analysis through the use of five sources from scholarly journals, books, or other forms of research. You must develop an original thesis/argument containing several parts. And, as you prove each part of your thesis in the paragraphs that follow, you will cite sources and provide direct quotations. The formatting of your paper, your in-text citations, and your references page should all adhere to APA formatting guidelines. The minimum length of this essay is 1500 words and the final product should be free of obvious grammatical and stylistic errors.
Here are some resources to help with your writing:
The easiest way to write a strong essay is to start with a thesis that previews your paper. Such theses tend to contain a coordinating junction such as “because.” For example, “Military veterans often struggle with reintegration because of the differences between collectivists and individualistic cultures, the common disabilities caused during deployments, and public perceptions of veterans in college and the workplace.” The thesis statement typically comes at the end of the first paragraph, following an anecdote or fact that introduces the topic. This thesis statement is also the outline of the paper as each phrase following the word “because” is a main point.
The first part of the essay would discuss the differences between collectivists and individualistic cultures, quoting sources that provide evidence of how the military is collectivist and civilian cultures are individualistic. It is best to write one paragraph per source. So, in using multiple sources to prove a main point, you will end up breaking that main point down into sub arguments. You would follow this same pattern in examining the other main points about disabilities and public perceptions of veterans.
After you have used evidence to prove your thesis there are two more things to do. First, you want to show that you have considered opposing viewpoints by writing a “rebuttal paragraph.” This paragraph comes just before the conclusion. If you encountered any sources during the research phase that did not support your argument, but that you felt were not convincing enough to change your mind, cite them in your rebuttal and explain why your view remains the same.
Lastly, you just need to write your conclusion. Begin by restating your thesis and reviewing some of the evidence covered in your main points. End the essay strong with a call to action, suggestions for further research, or by explaining how your argument addresses the problems presented in the essay in a new way.
Writing research essays is not easy. It requires lots of reading. You sometimes have to revise your argument based on the new evidence you find. Essays require many drafts, and sometimes it helps to work with a peer or tutor to catch the mistakes you may have missed. You are encouraged to reach out to the classmates you worked with this semester to facilitate peer review. The NOEL Studio for Academic Creativity provides online and in-person consultations to help guide your writing. And the EKU Library’s staff can be very helpful in procuring sources. You have learned a lot. You have a lot of resources at your disposal. You got this.
TERM PAPER PROMPT
You are a Human Resources Specialist for a large corporation with 5,000 employees in various branches throughout the world. The CEO of the company has made a public commitment to increase the number of veterans it hires and the Executive Vice President of Talent Relations has tasked you with researching trends among military veterans to determine the likely outcomes for your company should it meet this goal.
Specifically, you have been asked to complete a report that addresses the positive qualities veterans bring to the work place. You must also address the unique challenges veterans face when reintegrating into civilian life and employment, proposing ways for the company to accommodate the needs of those veterans it chooses to hire. These accommodations may include trainings about military culture and misconceptions about veterans. They may take into consideration the unique needs of veterans with disabilities. Or, they may address the ways in which your company inducts and trains its employees given the types of training military veterans are used to receiving. Importantly, your report should not take a deficit-based approach that presents veterans as a burden. Such an approach would marginalize veteran employees and go against the stated intent of the CEO. Your goal is to highlight the strengths and diversity veterans will bring to the company while proposing internal changes that will help them integrate more smoothly.