Write a research essay (5-7 pages, not counting your Works Cited). Your research process will begin with a research question on a topic that you care about, and arrive at a thesis-driven research project that works to add to an ongoing academic conversation.
Using the tools of academic discourse, research and rhetoric that we have discussed (and will continue to discuss) this semester, your essay will present a clear thesis supported by evidence (from at least five sources) that is credible, relevant and valued by the targeted audience. At least one of these sources will be from a peer-reviewed journal.
In addition to sound evidence and a clear thesis, you should effectively introduce and conclude your essay, and you will use the tools of research and formal rhetoric to shape your argument (including, once again, a naysayer’s position).
You will use the concept of ‘points and particulars’ to shape your essay, though here in the longer research essay, we’ll be considering sections rather than paragraphs (but we’ll continue to make our paragraphs coherent and unified).
In the forums and our lectures we will be working through topics that you each care about, then finalizing a research question that will be our guiding questions through the research. (These will not change once you have set.)
Because this is a longer research assignment, you will have several deadlines for this assignment in order to keep everyone on track.
Your thesis question is the Discussion Forums on 8 April. You will also submit this in the Discussion Forums on Blackboard.
A working bibliography, that is, a well-curated list of sources you have read and will be using for your essay, is due on 22 April. You will also submit this in the Discussion Forums on Blackboard.
The DRAFT version of this assignment will be due in in the forums on 1 May. This will be a complete early version of the essay that you will workshop with your peers.
The revised GRADED version will be due on 8 May in the Major Assignments tab on Blackboard.
None of these deadlines are optional, and missing any of them (or submitting them late) will reduce the grade on the GRADED version of the assignment. The same goes for the mandatory one-on-one sessions in week 10
Rhetorical Situation
Purpose: to add to the ongoing academic conversation regarding your topic through a well-researched essay of thesis-driven prose
Audience: Other scholars (both new and established) in your field
Genre: thesis-driven, academic, research essay
Style and Form:
Closed-form prose
A well-researched essay that uses at least five credible sources (at least one of which is from a scholarly journal), which have been effectively introduced and properly cited.
MS Word format (.doc or .docx) only
5-7 pages, not counting the Works Cited Page
12 point, Times New Roman
Double-spaced
MLA style
Effective use of the tools of academic writing, research and rhetoric discussed in our course so far
Assessment:
This assignment is worth 30% of your overall grade for this course.
For this assignment I will be assessing your response based on:
1) Contribution: that you are effectively adding something to an ongoing academic conversation by synthesizing and recontextualizing the ideas of others.
2) Research and Citation: that you have effectively evaluated, selected, introduced and cited your sources throughout your essay
3) Organization: that your essay is effectively organized using thesis-driven prose and a system of points and particulars (and includes and addresses opposing viewpoints).
4) Mechanics: that your essay is free of errors and nonstandard spelling/grammar, and organized using MLA style.
5) Process: that you completed each stage of this assignment in accordance with the instructions provided, on-time, while avoiding plagiarism.
