Do some initial research on topics that interest you! (Yep, pause and head off into Google and see what you can find.) Think about what new and interesting ideas stood out to you and research those a bit more. You aren’t conducting official research at the moment. I just want you to get the ball rolling on this essay by beginning to think about topic options. Your ideas are going to evolve much more next week as you learn new research methods and learn more about how to find various types of sources. What I want to see from you right now is a starting point. What topic (or topics) are you thinking of choosing and what initial ideas do you have for a research question and working thesis statement (“working thesis” means it will evolve as you go along and learn more about the topic)?
So, here is what you should submit:
Your research question
Your surprising answer / key points you will inform your audience about
A working thesis (this will be the answer to the question; it should highlight the surprising angles you’ll present in your paper)
Your target audience
*Remember: Your question and/or the surprising views may be tweaked or revised as you begin researching your topic more heavily next week. This is simply meant to establish a starting point so you have a direction to begin your research (and so I can help you along the way). Feel free to include questions and concerns you have about your initial topic along with your homework submission.
*Make sure your research question is: open-ended, researchable, and leads to informative answers (not persuasive). It should also have a bit of an “academic” angle to it since this is a college-level research paper (you’ll need to be able to find a little scholarly research in our library databases). Remember, your answer to the question will be your thesis (i.e. the road map for your entire essay), so keep this thought in mind to formulate a strong question.
Example submission: (Please make your submission look like this: numbered and labeled)
Research question: What are the effects of consuming high amounts of added sugar?
Surprising/informative focus for the essay: Consuming too much added sugar can negatively impact mental health.
A working thesis: Although many are familiar with the fact that eating too much added sugar in one’s diet can be detrimental to one’s physical health [this is the common view your readers will already be familiar with], some might be surprised to learn that consuming too much sugar can also negatively impact one’s mental health leading to an increased risk of depression, a worsening of anxiety symptoms, and compromised cognitive abilities related to learning and memory [this is the “road map” of surprising points to be made in the essay].
Target audience: Readers who are interested in diet and nutrition (but aren’t necessarily experts on the impact of diet on their overall health). Those who might not know the negative effects of sugar on mental health or how diet can impact mental health in general. Those suffering from depression and other mental health concerns.
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