Paper II: Multi-Source Analysis
Purpose and Description
Contributing to a scholarly conversation requires that you have something meaningful to communicate based on your own research. It also requires, however, that you consult existing scholarship on your subject in order to demonstrate, precisely, what is new or relevant about research findings. With these ends in mind, your aim in this assignment will be to 1) locate and analyze multiple scholarly sources related to the problem, question, and audience you intend to write towards; and 2) use your analysis to begin positioning yourself within a scholarly conversation that you would like to join based on your ongoing inquiry. The instructions described below are designed to guide you through this process.
Invention & Inquiry
Consider the following as you develop the first draft of your paper:
Identify 3-5 key words related to your research problem and question;
Research the key words using appropriate university library databases;
Locate scholarly sources that examine problems and questions similar to your own;
Create a digital repository for the articles you find and can access through the library;
Select 4-5 sources that you would like to analyze for this particular assignment;
Analyze the sources using methods drawn from Chapters 2 & 3 in IAW;
Craft a thesis that positions your own voice within the scholarly conversation you have begun to define through your research.
The Composing Process
Your process for composing this paper will be similar to the work you completed for Paper I. In particular, you should introduce your subject, offer some context for your analysis and state your thesis, present your analysis, come to a general resolution that reinforces your thesis, and conclude the paper by pointing toward additional research that should or needs to be undertaken. Consider the following structure as you draft your paper:
Introduction (designed to frame your paper)
Research Context (designed to build on Exercise II)
Rhetorical Analysis (designed to focus on 4-5 scholarly sources)
Resolution of Perspectives (designed to reinforce your thesis)
Conclusion & Directions (designed to gesture toward future action)
Specific Requirements
Your paper should:
Analyze 4-5 scholarly sources related to your inquiry;
Develop a compelling thesis based on methodical analysis;
Have a well-defined and coherent organizational structure;
Be written in a clear, precise, and active prose style;
Cite sources correctly using appropriate citation style (MLA);
Include a title that reflects the spirit and scope of your paper;
Be 6-7 pages in length NOT including works cite page (double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman or Garamond typeface);
Be uploaded to Canvas as a Word document by the deadline (consult your course syllabus and schedule for details).
The process of defining a scholarly conversation does not end with the analysis of 3 or 4 sources. Rather, it begins with this step and continues to evolve as you focus your inquiry and develop your argument over time and through ongoing research and writing. Please write or stop by my office (or both) if you have questions about this assignment or anything else related to the course.
