Writing Seminar Senior Project Research Essay

1. Writing Seminar Senior Project Research Essay

3. Source Title Christman, Ed; “Music Retailers Singing the Blues as Sales Decline Topic of Note Card Declining Sales Information “For the three-week period ended December 7, sales were down 18.9 percent from a year earlier, compared with the 13.8 percent decline for the year-to-date period.”

4. Source Title Hiatt, Brian and Evan Serpick; “The Record Industry’s Decline” Topic of Note Card Declining Sales Information Album sales have declined for seven straight years (2002-2008).

6. Introduction Paragraph • Hook • a) Popularity of music and music sales in past decades • Background • a) Sales have plummeted in recent years C. Thesis • a) Consumer spending has dissipated to the point of severely damaging • the music industry • Statement of Development • Uncertainty in music industry stability • Efforts to combat sales decrease • Future of music industry

8. II. Body Paragraph • Topic Sentence – Subtopic A • a) Uncertainty in music industry stability • Support • a) “For the three-week period ended December 7, sales were down 18.9 • percent from a year earlier, compared with the 13.8 percent decline for • the year-to-date period” (Christman). • b) Album sales have declined for seven straight years (Hiatt, Serpick). C. Conclusion • a) The music industry is declining, and stores must adapt or suffer • serious financial failure.

10. The Abstract • What Is Your Research Topic? • Who Is Involved In Your Research Topic? • Where Is Your Research Topic Relevant? • When Was Your Research Topic Legitimized? • Creation/Invention • Significant Events/Achievements • Why Is Your Research Topic Important? • How Does Your Research Topic Function? • Processes/Procedures

11. Do’s • Write in Third-Person • Use A Noun, Adjective, Verb, Or Adverb Once In An Essay Unless Using A Key Word • Design Each Sentence With An Opening Word And Structure Different From Adjacent Sentences • Incorporate Transitions Or Key Words In Every Sentence • Include Single-Word Words Only • (Bring Up – Introduce; Look At – Examine; Go Up To – Approach) •  Develop Rhythmic Writing That Flows Like A Professional Speech

12. Don’ts • Write In Second-Person • Use Ambiguities “Thing” And “Stuff” • Develop A Non-Question Sentence With Question Words • (Students know what subject they learn next – Students know their next subject • The police knew where Jimmy went – The police knew Jimmy’s destination • Use An Opening Gerund • Attending meetings can exhaust workers – Attendance at meetings can exhaust workers)

13. Don’ts (Continued) • Describe With ‘Intensifier’ Adverbs • (very, quite, entirely, utterly, highly, greatly, perfectly, absolutely, strongly, considerably, pretty, much. too, awfully, tremendously, dreadfully, terrifically, surprisingly, astonishingly, amazingly) • Confuse The Reader With Frequent Pronouns • (Ken and Kirk left, but he was not upset, although he expressed sadness at him for it even though they discussed that only with her)