The papers themselves need to be 8-10 pages long (not including the Works Cited list) and MLA formatted, with 3-4 outside sources (at least one of which needs to be peer-reviewed) cited in the body of the paper. More advice in how to conduct research is located on pages 396-430 of Rules for Writers.
I expect the research component of your project to be substantive but not overwhelming. This means you should plan on bringing something new to the class discussion, but you should focus on the topic so that your investigations do not involve reading several fat books cover-to-cover or visiting archives in a hostile foreign country. The papers should not simply summarize your research; this is still an analytical paper, and you do need to make an argument. What you analyze could be a story or movie, a book, a cultural phenomenon or practice, a historical event, a debate, a theory—just make sure you analyze something that is relevant to consumerism.
Generally, research papers of this length can be thought of in sections, each one being approximately 2-3 pages long:
- One section is devoted to the history of the issue you’re discussing–What are its origins? Was there a key moment when it became more of a phenomenon?
- Another section of the paper is devoted to critical/behind-the-scenes issues–this is where you do more investigative work–Is there a larger underworld that you need to discuss? This is where you discuss things the average person might not be aware of.
- From there, you begin to offer more of your argument (if you haven’t already done so) as well as synthesizing things you’ve already mentioned. These sections, in addition to your introduction and conclusion, should get you to the required 8-10 pages.
As you prepare to write your research paper, you’ll want to consult sections 50-52 of Rules for Writers, which give an overview of the research process.