9
RESEARCH ESSAY PROJECT OVERVIEW
In the remainder of the course ahead, you will select a topic of personal interest to you, define a controversy within that topic, and examine that controversy at length. The final result will be a 2500-3000 word (approx. 10-12 page) persuasive research paper that argues convincingly for one side of that controversy.
Remember, the point of essay 3 is to make an argument that hasn’t been made or isn’t obvious to most people. It’s also important to look at questions/concerns that haven’t been argued to death. Topics that SHOULD NOT be explored include: anything with guns, abortions, vaccinations, marijuana, or suicide.
- Are We in a Race against the Machine?
- Is Fast Food the New Tobacco?
- Is Pop Culture Actually Good for Us?
- What Should We Eat?
- What’s Gender Got to Do with It?
- What’s Up with the American Dream?
- Why Does It Matter Who Wins the Big Game?
You will utilize at least 7 sources that will help you portray your argument. These sources must be incorporated correctly, used appropriately, and cited thoroughly using MLA standards. Sources should represent both the side that agrees with you and those that disagree with your own thesis. Your final draft will need to incorporate at least one chart, table, or graph, as well as at least one pictorial component (photo, drawing, etc).
You will be given more detailed assignments for each portion of the project as we move through the quarter. You’re welcome to peek ahead at upcoming modules to get a sense of what the steps leading up to the final will be. The idea is that we do small chunks here and there, so that the last steps feel more like assembly than writing a huge paper all in one or two days.
|
Licensing & Attributions CC licensed content, Shared previously Composition II. Authored by: Alexis McMillan-Clifton. Provided by: Tacoma Community College. Located at: http://www.tacomacc.edu. Project: Kaleidoscope Open Course Initiative. License: CC BY: Attribution |
WHAT IS RESEARCH?
At its most basic level, research is anything you have to do to find out something you didn’t already know. That definition might seem simple and obvious, but it contains some key assumptions that might not be as obvious.
Understanding these assumptions is going to be essential to your success in this course (and in your life after college), so I’m going to spell them out here.
First, research is about acquiring new information or new knowledge, which means that it always begins from a gap in your knowledge—that is, something you don’t know. More importantly, research is always goal-directed: that is, it always begins from a specific question you need to answer (a specific gap in your body of information that you need to fill) in order to accomplish some particular goal. If you are a very focused, driven person, this will seem obvious to you because you are probably already quite aware of yourself as someone who goes after the information you need in order to accomplish your go