Essay #3: Research Essay will serve as your Final Exam in this course.
For Essay #3: Research Essay, you will be using scholarly research to support a topic of your choice. This essay serves as an informative essay, where you will be diving deeper into a topic to provide your audience more information. (*Instead of a thesis statement, you will use a purpose statement since there is no argument being made. Example: The purpose of this essay is to … )
There are some important areas to consider before you begin your project:
Your Level of Interest: Research papers are time-consuming; you will be spending countless hours researching the topic and related topics, developing several primary and secondary sources, and putting everything together into a paper that is coherent and accomplishes your objectives. If you do not choose a topic you are passionate about, the process will be far more tedious, and the finished product may suffer as a result.
Your Level of Experience: Being interested in a topic is great, but it is even more helpful if you already know something about it. If you can find a topic that you already have some personal and/or professional experience with, it will vastly reduce the amount of research needed and make the whole process much easier.
Available Information on the Topic: Be sure to choose a topic that is not only interesting but also one that has numerous sources available from which to compile your research. A researchable topic with several potential sources gives you access to the level of information you need to become an authority on the subject.
As you begin researching your topic, you may want to revise your purpose statement based on new information you have learned. This is perfectly fine, just have fun and pursue the truth, wherever it leads. If you find that you are not having fun during the research phase, you may want to reconsider the topic you have chosen.
Ideas for Topics:
-Homeschooling
-The History of McDonalds
-Alternative Medicine
-Depression
-Decline of Communication due to Technology
-Sexual Innuendos in Marketing
-Issues with Cybersecurity
Those are just a few ideas to provide examples and show you the flexibility in topics. To get started, select any topic of your choice. It is highly recommended to create an outline so you have a firm understanding of the aspects you will be discussing in regards to the topic. Also, allow the research to guide you in determining main ideas as well as to provide support. Again, the objective is to teach your audience more information about your topic.
Additional Requirements:
MLA format
Formal essay
8-10 pages
Must have at least six primary sources and one secondary source
(Use BRCC Library database, ERIC, academic databases, academic journals, and/or GoogleScholar for primary sources)
DUE: Wednesday, 05/01, by 11:59p
Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
