Each entry should be a paragraph approximately 125-200 words (about half a page to 3/4 of a page).

Learning Goal: I’m working on a english question and need an explanation and answer to help me learn.

Research Question and Context

My research will investigate the feasibility of “regulating the legality of AR-15 due to their extensive use in school shootings in the United States.” There have been too many school shootings in the United States to avoid asking about this subject. There have already been more than two horrific mass shootings with AR-15 Riffles in 2022. There are several things I want to take away from this endeavor. My priority is to learn what causes mass shootings in educational institutions. Second, I need to know whether these shootings are random coincidences or if there are other elements involved. Third, I will challenge the legality of AR-15 rifles after learning the causes and mechanisms behind school shootings.

Research Conversation

In the United States, the issue of whether or not to legalize firearms is very contentious. People who like guns and support the First Amendment say that Americans should be able to arm themselves to protect themselves. On the other hand, some people argue that being armed is the same as being an dominant person. At the same time, this raises questions about weapons’ morality and legality. Experts have argued that the AR-15 should be restricted for civilian use, much as it was in the 1990s.

Experts say that possessing any “legal” gun in the United States symbolizes freedom. It is a rite of passage shared by parents and children, a way to thank veterans for their service, or a tradition that friends enjoy at the range. Nevertheless, many experts say owning a gun in the United States expresses personal freedom. Even though the AR-15 has only been around for a short time, other scholars say it already has a bad reputation as a mass-killing gun and is linked to tragedies. Experts have been wondering if it is legal to buy an AR-15 since some 18-year-olds may feel comfortable buying one after playing video games with it.

Although I support the right to bear arms for self-defense, I believe that the justification for using firearms in the commission of murder should be questioned. However, the topic of “what is contributing to school shootings? Is it the availability of guns?” is not addressed by the experts. Or, what is the real problem here? Whether or not school shootings will stop occurring after AR-15s ban is no longer available is an open question.

Search Strategy

I will use the academic papers in the EBSCO Academic Search Complete database to research this topic. So far, I have been researching this topic by searching for numerous phrase combinations. Shootings in schools, shootings in general, AR-15s, rifles, gun violence, and the right to bear arms are all examples of such potent mixtures. Since it is hard to check the accuracy of publications that have not been peer-reviewed, I want to focus most of my attention on those that have been published in scholarly journals. However, there is a chance that I may use certain publications from non-peer-reviewed sources.

Research Challenges

There will be much difficulty in tackling this subject. Many people in the world have risen to positions of wealth, influence, and power without ever questioning whether or not their actions or words makes any sense. A critical thinker who wants to know if AR-15s are legal in the United States must first question the gun’s legality and then look at why and how school shootings happen. So, it might be hard to find good information that not only puts the responsibility on guns but also thinks about whether or not this is just a way to get somewhere.

1. Each entry should be a paragraph approximately 125-200 words (about half a page to 3/4 of a page).
2. Number each source, and include the following:
   1. MLA bibliographic citation: format citations as they would appear in a Works Cited page and arrange sources in alphabetical order by author’s last name, or by title for works with no author.
      1. See the MLA Citation GuideLinks to an external site.
      2. You will probably find your peer-reviewed articles using databases. Do not mistake the database name for the title of the journal.
      3. Italicize the titles of longer works, such as books, periodicals, films, and other long works; put quotation marks around the titles of shorter works, such as articles, poems, or stories.
   2. Context of the source: genre, author’s credentials, intended purpose of source, intended audience (Note this is different from the summary!)
      1. Note which sources are peer-reviewed. (You may need to Google the publication to find out if it is peer-reviewed.)
      2. What are the author’s credentials? What makes this person qualified to write authoritatively on this topic? (You will probably need to Google the author to find out.)
      3. What is the intended purpose of the source?
      4. Who is the intended audience for this source?
   4. Summary of the source written in your own words, in third person and present tense (thesis, main points, evidence).
      1. Study: How to Paraphras
   8. Relevance: Explanation of how the source contributes to your research project
      1. Is the source a Background source, an Exhibit or evidence derived from an exhibit, an Argument source, or a Method or theory source? Refer to this handout on kinds of sources (BEAM)Download handout on kinds of sources (BEAM) to help you determine what each source contributes to your essay.
      2. Why/how is the source useful? What is the purpose of this source in your essay? How does this source relate to other sources?
3. 1. 1. 1. Accurate MLA Citation (2 points)
         2. Context: genre, credentials, intended purpose, intended audience (1 point)
         3. Summary paraphrased in your own words (2 points)
         4. Explain Relevance to your project as background/exhibit/argument/theory (1 point)
         • Source 1 = 6 points
         • Source 2 = 6 points
         • Source 3 = 6 points
         • Source 4 = 6 points
         • Source 5 = 6 points