The Research Paper Assignment:
The purpose of Unit Two is to explore truths and how we recognize truth. What do you know, what do you believe and why? How do we evaluate truths we hold? What evidence should we use and what kind of evidence do various disciplines use to support their quest for truth?
This writing assignment is designed to provide an opportunity for you to write for a specific audience with a specific purpose, gain and strengthen your critical thinking skills, learn how to discern valid arguments, learn how “truth” can be constructed, and develop the ability to analyze information as it is presented.
In this research report, you will need to have a clear argumentative thesis that makes a claim that you support with evidence. The thesis should be made clear within the introduction to the essay. Counterarguments to your position should be addressed to strengthen your claims and the essay should have a conclusion in which you tie together ideas and refer to or restate the thesis.
Remember that the issue you choose to research MUST have strong arguments on both sides of the question. In order to understand a significant ethical controversy in our society (or world) today, you must investigate multiple perspectives to gain clarity on the question. Your research will locate and incorporate the arguments that support each side of the controversy.
An important aspect of writing is knowing your audience and writing appropriately for that audience. In this case, think of the audience as being college-educated individuals who want to learn more about a topic. What needs to be explained to someone not very familiar with the issue or topic?
The learning objectives of this assignment (related to writing) are for students to improve their skills in
• Formulating an effective thesis statement for an argumentative research paper
• Conducting research and evaluating sources
• Developing and structuring academic essays with paragraphs that support the thesis
• Writing paragraphs that include details and concrete evidence to support generalizations (topic sentences)
• Identifying and writing to a particular audience
• Using a specific style (APA) for in-text citations and works cited
• Understanding the writing process and showing competence in revising and editing their own work
Research:
A large part of the time involved in writing is actually the time spent finding sources and then reading and evaluating them. Don’t underestimate the time involved! You may ask our assigned librarian to help you work on your research skills and to develop strategies to find scholarly sources.
Your research report must incorporate at least the following sources:
• Three (or more) peer-reviewed journal articles on your topic
• One book on your topic
• Two newspaper or magazine articles on your topic
• One media resource (website, news show, radio show, film, play, documentary, art exhibit, music piece, etc.) on your topic.
You will include a complete annotated bibliography at the end of your paper, using a References page in the APA style of citation.
Use the Synthesis Matrix to assemble and evaluate your sources. (See separate listing for matrix.)
Pre-Writing: This assignment should be used to help you get started in organizing your sources and thinking about how you will begin to write your research report. Address all of the following questions (in complete, grammatically correct sentences):
1. What is your topic?
2. What are two of the various positions that one can take on this topic?
3. For position 1, what are the reasons why someone might take this position?
4. For position 1, what sources of evidence are used to support this position? Describe the sources and the credibility of the sources.
5. For position 1, what are some of the problems with this position?
6. For position 2, what are the reasons why someone might take this position?
7. For position 2, what sources of evidence are used to support this position? Describe the sources and the credibility of the sources.
8. For position 2, what are some of the problems with this position?
9. Consider position 1 and 2 – what are areas of common ground? What can people in both positions agree upon?
10. What sources, arguments, and evidence do you still need to find, collect, and read?
11. What help do you need to write your paper?
12. What major concerns do you have about writing your paper?
Begin with an outline:
1. Statement of research question
2. Thesis sentence
3. 3 topic sentences – identify 3 broad areas of investigation
4. Statement of conclusion (or what you think it will be – this could change as you do research)
5. Reference list – if you are unable to identify at least 6 references, you probably do not have a suitable topic
Working Draft: This first draft is not a half-done paper, but a full version of all sections of the paper (including bibliography). You should exhibit that you are becoming sure of your thesis (be explicit!). It should be in paragraph (not outline) form and have all ideas fleshed-out – but this is still a draft to yourself and it’s okay if not every sentence is perfect. (In fact, don’t get too involved in making sentences perfect. Focus on the big picture – do you have a strong thesis? Does each paragraph have a topic sentence? Does your argument flow? Are you synthesizing and integrating information, rather than providing your reader with just a series of summaries of the sources you’ve read?)
A report that does the job well is 6-8 double-spaced pages (standard font, such as 11 or 12 point Times New Roman, 11 pt Calibri, etc.).
Feedback will still largely focus on higher order concerns. I will assess the following:
• Thesis: Is there a clear, argumentative thesis?
• Development/Evidence/Analysis:
o Have you provided sufficient background information to put the topic in perspective?
o Have you supported your thesis with information from scholarly sources?
o Is the information well integrated (or does it seem to be a series of summaries of papers)?
o Is the argument logical and convincing?
o Have you properly cited sources of information?
• Organization: Is your paper well organized?
• Sources: Are they appropriate and adequate?
• Paragraphing & Transitions: Does each paragraph focus on a single main point (in a topic sentence) with all information connected to that point? Do transitions between paragraphs work well?
• Format: Does your reference list match your citations, and are references listed in APA style?
Your feedback here will be on higher-level concerns, not the mechanics of writing. It will be up to you to do the editing of sentence structure, word choice, spelling and punctuation.
After your pre-writing, use the following guide to include these necessary elements:
o A compelling introduction to your topic. This might be a story, startling statistics, or an anecdote. It should capture your reader’s attention.
o A brief historical background on the issue.
o A description of position 1: clearly describe the position and the evidence that supports this position. This is where you will cite the majority of your research and evaluate the credibility of the evidence.
o A description of position 2: clearly describe the position and the evidence that supports this position. Again, this is where you will cite the majority of your research and evaluate the credibility of the evidence.
o Critical analysis: examine common ground between the two positions, the evidence you found and the quality of the evidence you found. Which position do you believe to be stronger and why? (Note, that in stating your position you need to specifically mention the evidence with which you agree/disagree.)
o A conclusion that summarizes the topic and the search for truth. You should not introduce new evidence or research in this section of the report – the final paragraph or two should reflect upon the issue and the implications it has on society. You may want to circle back to your introduction and place the story, statistics or anecdotes in a larger context or bring closure to them. Your conclusion should leave the reader with something to think about and reflect upon.
Keep in mind that your draft is a draft. Writing is a process and it takes numerous drafts to achieve a final result with which you will be satisfied. I do not expect you to write a “perfect” report for your draft. After creating your draft, you should answer the following questions that will be used to guide my feedback.
1. How do you feel about your report?
2. What has been easiest about composing this report?
3. What has been most difficult about composing this report?
4. What is one major question you would like answered?
You will have a chance to use the peer review process in class. You will use these comments in the revision of your paper.
Final Draft:
By now you will have received feedback from the instructor (and your peers) and should have used it to produce a paper that is focused, polished, organized, and free of surface mechanical errors, such as errors in spelling, punctuation, verb tense, and sentence structure. This final version is the result of much revision, editing, and proofreading. Make sure that you revise and edit your own work and don’t just rely on things pointed out by your reviewers. Read the paper out loud, read it to someone else and try to listen objectively. Make changes as needed.
The final paper should be 6-8 double-spaced pages (standard font, such as 11 or 12 point Times New Roman, 11 pt Calibri, etc.). It should include all of the points included above. The final report will be graded using the rubric at the end of this document.
TRW Research / Structured Controversy Paper Checklist
Content and Analysis (60%)
Thesis: Essay contains an argumentative thesis (a claim that needs to be supported with evidence, rather than a statement of purpose or topic)
Evidence and Analysis: Evidence is sufficient to support the thesis. All arguments are supported by evidence or appeals. The conclusions drawn are valid and logical. Logical fallacies are avoided and opposing arguments are acknowledged and refuted. The essay is convincing.
Sources: All statements of fact or judgment are supported by reference or example. References used are appropriate and adequate.
Research Process: Essay shows evidence of understanding of the research process as an iterative process based on a research question and use of scholarly sources.
Management of Content (30%)
Structure & Organization: The essay is structured with an introduction, a body with paragraphs that support the thesis, and conclusion. The order of paragraphs (development of the argument) is logical and appropriate.
Paragraphing & Transitions: Paragraphs contain a topic sentences and include sufficient details and concrete evidence to support that topic sentence. There are effective transitions between paragraphs.
Integration & Synthesis: Information and ideas from multiple sources is integrated and synthesized effectively. (Avoiding repetition of information and writing as series of summaries of sources).
Audience Awareness: Essay is written with the appropriate audience in mind. Difficult concepts or unfamiliar terms are explained clearly and at a level appropriate to the intended audience
Writing Process: Essays shows evidence of effective use of the writing process: drafting, revising, and final editing of material.
Format and Mechanics (10%)
Grammar, Punctuation, & Spelling: Punctuation is accurate and effective. Sentences are grammatically correct. There are no spelling errors.
Sentence Design and Word Choice: Complex sentence structure and other conventions are used to create an effective whole. Word choice is effective and appropriate for the intended audience.
Citations and References: All references are cited properly within the body of the text; references are listed properly, according to a consistent style (e.g., APA), in the Works Cited section
Format: Paper is double-spaced, 10-12 point regular font, one-inch margins, and pages numbered in the header or footer
