This 1000-word essay will be your first stab at writing the research paper. It is
your chance to try out some ideas, and identify which aspects of your perspective might raise
disagreement, and defend your perspective against the kinds of disagreements that thoughtful
people are likely to have with your ideas.
Your draft should properly integrate at least three sources (one web source may be counted).
What is a discovery draft? It’s record of your thinking about an issue as that thinking occurs
(as opposed to the polished result of having thought). That may sound like discovery is a
synonym for rough, but it isn’t. Indeed, one of the hardest things a writer can do is accurately
demonstrate how she thinks. When your reader feels that he can follow the essay with little
effort, it means that you’ve put a great deal of effort into guiding your reader through your
thought process. What gives a discovery draft its speculative (NOT rough) feel is your
unwillingness to settle on simple answers to difficult questions. If an idea is complex, then
honor the complexity. Sort through it deliberately and carefully.
LO3 will be graded according to (a) the care and thought you put into your speculations on the
complexities of your topic; (b) the degree to which you support your claims with reliable
information and/or good sense; (c) your ability to identify the shortcomings of your own points;
and (d) the reliability and relevance of your three sources.
