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Writing the Term Paper PHIL1120 Environmental Ethics Instructor Bearden Fall 2011 Contents: 1. How do I select a topic for a philosophy paper? (1) 2. What is a thesis statement? (2) 3. Using outside sources (4) 4. Possible paper topics (6) How do I select a topic for a philosophy paper? All students are expected to write one term paper on a relevant topic in the course that considers a philosophical position or contemporary environmental issue in detail. Papers should be 5-6 pages in length, double-spaced, in font size 12 and free from grammatical and other errors. Papers should show creativity and imagination but should also be written with clarity and precision. Students will first submit a thesis statement indicating their topic, proposed argument, and support from philosophical sources. The thesis is worth 5% of the final grade and is graded on a pass/fail basis. Students will receive comments and guidance from the instructor regarding their thesis before the paper’s due date. Consult the Course Schedule for all due dates. Students are warmly encouraged to discuss the paper topic with the instructor. Please see the instructor if you have further questions or need help during any phase of the writing process. The first step in the writing process is picking a topic that interests you. What issues were you hoping to tackle in this course? What ideas have most impacted the way you think? What would you like to know more about? Narrowing the field to a few topics is a good start. From there, consider what readings our book offers on the subject. You are free to write about any environmental issue, as long as it is considered from a moral point of view. That said, you might also look into public policy, environmental science, economics or any other related field. Following your interest is one way to encourage creativity in your papers. Starting with a question regarding your topic is a good second step. What would you like to investigate about a particular topic?…