Performance-enhancing drug usage in Major League Baseball an…

Research in the Disciplines Final Research Paper Instructions Topic: Your research paper will examine performance-enhancing drug (PED) usage in Major League Baseball, specifically focusing on how MLBs response during the steroid era affected institutional trust, ethics, and the integrity of professional baseball. Core Requirements to Earn the Best Grade (A-Level) 1? Length & Format Requirements Follow the assigned page requirement (whatever your professor set) 12-point font 1-inch margins Double-spaced MLA or APA format (use whichever your class requires) Include: Title page (if required) In-text citations Works Cited or References page Grammar, spelling, and formatting must be clean and professional. 2? Research Source Requirements (Very Important) Minimum 10 credible sources At least 7 must be scholarly All sources must be peer-reviewed academic articles Sources must come from the Rutgers University Library database No blogs, Wikipedia, news articles, or random websites Sources must support analysis, not just background information You must: Analyze and compare sources Synthesize arguments between scholars Include at least one counterargument and respond to it 3? Introduction Requirements (10 points) Your introduction must: Clearly define the problem (PED use in MLB) Explain why the issue matters Identify the scholarly debate Clearly state your research question Define key terms (e.g., PEDs, institutional trust, sport integrity) Introduce your theoretical framework Mention your case studies (Steroid Era, Congressional hearings, policy reform, Hall of Fame debates, etc.) The introduction should show confidence and control over the topic. 4? Thesis & Argument Development (30 points) Your thesis must: Be analytical, not descriptive Be arguable and interpretive Show independent thinking Be clearly stated early in the paper Your paper must: Develop your argument logically Use scholarly evidence to support claims Avoid summarizing sources Stay focused on answering your research question You must move beyond: What happened during the steroid era? You must answer: How and why did MLBs response to PED use impact institutional trust and ethics in professional baseball? 5? Use of Sources (30 points) To earn full points, you must: Use a minimum of 10 peer-reviewed sources from Rutgers Library Integrate sources throughout the paper Compare scholars arguments Show how sources agree, disagree, or complicate each other Introduce counterarguments and respond to them Connect theory to real case studies Do not write a summary of articles. You must analyze them and connect them to your thesis. 6? Organization & Structure (20 points) Your paper must: Have a clear and logical structure Use strong topic sentences Include transitions between sections Use subheadings to organize ideas Maintain focus on your thesis throughout Be easy to follow No sloppy organization. 7? Conclusion (10 points) Your conclusion must: Clearly summarize your main findings Reconnect to your theoretical framework Explain why your argument matters Discuss broader implications (trust in institutions, ethics in sports, commercialization of professional athletics) The conclusion should show what your research proves and why it is important. Topic Summary for Your Paper Your paper will analyze: The rise of PED use during MLBs steroid era MLBs delayed response and policy reforms The ethical implications of performance enhancement The impact on institutional trust in professional baseball Scholarly debates surrounding commercialization, deviance, and regulation Your research question should focus on: How MLBs handling of PED usage affected institutional trust and ethical legitimacy in professional baseball. What Will Lower Your Grade Not using peer-reviewed sources from Rutgers Library Less than 10 sources No theoretical framework Just summarizing instead of analyzing Weak or vague thesis No counterargument Poor organization Grammar or citation errors Not showing revision from rough draft