Important Considerations for Turning in the Essay on Tues.

Brief Description: Your research essay can address a topic of your choosing. Often the research essay is a springboard into the research paper. If you choose, you can get a good start on exploring the topic that you want to look at in greater depth for the research paper. The paper will be about 4 pages; it will include 3-4 outside sources. The paper is due on November 20. It is worth 150 points.

Research Paper

Your paper is due on December 11. Again, you may work on the paper throughout the semester. I do not recommend waiting until the last minute to decide on a topic or to investigate sources. Even though the research paper is the last project of the course, you should begin your project as early as possible.

Research proposals will become formal documents specifically tailored to the field that you are entering. But for our purposes, the research essay proposal will provide a framework for your project, designed to help you become clearer about your topic and to give you a sense of the kind of material you will need to write your research essay.

I encourage you to choose a topic that truly sparks your interest. However, please be aware that a broad topic is difficult to fully explore in just 10-12 pages. Ideally, you want to locate a narrow aspect of a topic, one that you can argue or analyze. Keep in mind that most topics have zones of controversy and knowledge gaps that have not yet been filled. As you brainstorm your project, consider how stasis theory might help you settle into an argument or controversy that you consider worthwhile. Stasis theory may be very valuable for helping you find the heart of the argument. Think of your purpose, your audience, and your strengths as a writer. Consider the appeals that will best persuade your audience (ethos, logos, pathos). Remember - this is a research essay, so you should avoid just writing a report.

A summary is a condensed version of a passage. It involves expressing an author's writing in your own words. Unlike paraphrasing, summarizing presents only the main ideas of the passage.

Writing a summary essentially takes two steps. First, identify the main points of the passage. These are usually given in the topic sentence, but sometimes they are stated implicitly, or the paragraphs may contain more than one vital point. Second, state these points in a coherent fashion without adhering to the author's style too closely. Remember to tag the author and passage at the beginning of your summary.

The assignment is to summarize at least five sources that you plan to use in your research paper. The summaries must be concise, precise, and in your own words. You may use quotes if you indicate that you have quoted. There should be a clear relationship between each summary and your explanation of how you will use the source in your paper. Please use correct grammar and style.

Narrative/Essay

I hope that this assignment will help you make a significant leap in designing your research paper. You can choose to write this assignment in one of the following ways: Use this essay assignment to tell the story of your research paper. By framing your research paper as a story, you may gain insight into the overall project, the interconnections, the depth of the background that you need to cover, and the nature of the conflict or gap or question that you are addressing. Many stories set up a time frame and a context (Once upon a time in a land far away can be easily translated into "During the late part of the twentieth century in a lab in Manchester..."). Your story should be a minimum of 500 words.

Oral Presentation

You will present your research paper to the class during the last two weeks of class. You should plan to spend about 10-12 minutes presenting your project to the class. You may use a power point presentation if you wish.

Research Paper Specifications

The research paper should showcase the skills learned in class. It should be 10-12 pages (not including the reference page or appendixes. Your paper will include 10-12 reputable sources (i.e. journals, articles, books, interviews, surveys). You should avoid "web sources" (such as wikipedia and .com sites). We will discuss appropriate web sources in class. Once you have chosen a topic and written your proposal, you may not veer from the proposed topic unless you have consent from the instructor. If you change your topic at the last minute without approval, the paper will not receive a passing grade.

Your paper should carefully establish boundaries between your voice and that of your sources - plagiarized papers will be automatically failed.

In addition to the standard rubric for evaluating essays, the research paper will be evaluated with respect to the following guidelines:

• The paper has a discernable persuasive edge; it is more than just a report. As such, it should respectfully acknowledge and contend with opposition.
• The paper considers its intended audience with necessary background, explanations of terms, and an appropriately engaging title.
• The introduction has a clear thesis that concisely outlines the paper's purpose to the reader. It should be engaging and should generate interest in the topic.
• Each paragraph begins with a clear topic sentence and ends with a clear closing statement.
• The ideas in the paper are presented coherently, with appropriate use of signposts and forecasting statements that help the reader navigate through the discussion. The ideas are presented in a logical order that reinforces the author's argument.
• Borrowed material is used strategically, with quotes "sprinkled" throughout to shore up contentious points and to reinforce the thesis. Quotes are properly punctuated (block quotes and regular quotes), with longer passages being paraphrased. Borrowed material is clearly indicated in the text and is documented correctly in MLA (or APA, CBE…with prior consent of instructor) format. The paper does not rely too heavily upon its sources.
• The ideas in the paper are developed sufficiently, and relate to the specifics of the governing idea. The discussion is logical and internally consistent, avoiding logical fallacies and recognizing the assumptions it makes.
• Any visuals in the presentation are fully interpreted for the reader and are integrated with the analysis and synthesis.
• There are effective transitions within and between paragraphs that contribute to the smooth flow of the discussion. The paper also uses transitions before and after borrowed material.
• The conclusion effectively connects the evidence and analysis presented in the paper to reinforce the thesis.
• The writing is fluent, with minimal errors in structure, punctuation, grammar, and mechanics to interfere with the purpose of the text.