Essay III Researching to Learn Writing 121— A Research Supported Essay– otherwise known as a Thesis and Supported Argument or Supported Position, or an Exploratory Essay.
Arguments and positions are all around us. Are unions relevant or irrelevant for workers? What should be done to address college costs? What should we do about PFOS or other water issues in Michigan( What should consumers do for best health?) Maybe more important than an argument or position is why it is reasonable to come to a position. Work to discover facts, and support your conclusion or thesis. What about food? What is happening nationally and locally around the issue of your choice? What would you like to find out about if you had some time? Consider including a brief discussion and supporting why your topic is important in your paper. Think about scope and focus—try to narrow your topic and look at some piece of a larger topic.
One good option would be to pick an issue that is connected to something in one of your classes or in something you have heard on the news. Another option is go to the library’s research guides for Beyond the Book and browse a bit. (Some suggestions might include studying the history of a social movement, how do the past and present fit together? What is being done to reform our criminal justice system? How do the issues of race and class interweave with that issue? If you spend some time at the data base it will help you come up with topics you may never have heard or thought about. Have you ever thought about color in nature?
Pick an issue you care about and read/ research about it. Research what different “voices” are saying about the issue you choose, and write a paper taking an informed position after you figure out what you have to add to the conversation. Try to do more than just say this is or should be…. Think about why and how so that your writing has meaning to others. Think about answering a question—should I eat non-organic celery and explain why that question matters. What should you and others do politically or socially?
Start by considering what you know and why and how you know it. Where can you read or research to find out more about a topic? If someone disagrees with you can you read and find out more about what they are saying and why? This is important as a way to fight confirmation bias. As you read, who seems most convincing to you and why? Think about local, state, and national issues—local and state may be more manageable.
Think about focusing this issue and your research question(s) as tightly as you can. Reading about research questions pp. 89-91 section # 25 will help in The Pocket Style Manual. If you didn’t buy a copy, consider the ideas of: focus—not to broad, an intellectually challenging idea, grounded and not too speculative. (We’ll talk about these issues in class on March 21.)
Find at least three sources to use in your Position/Research Essay. At least two should come from the college’s data bases. Don’t ignore this paper requirement and just google. You are trying to learn about college reference sources. You should probably look at more sources than you end up using. Think of aiming for at least 6. Talk to a librarian to as your ideas become clearer and to help you clarify your idea and find sources. Really read and ponder your subject.
Consider your topic and starting research question; we will be working with your plan, focus, and draft. Have your research questions and what you want to learn written by March 21.(Monday) It would be best to have your questions drafted the week before if you can, and then perhaps modify them at the end of class on March 21 if needed. You will need to decide by March 21 if you will be following MLA or APA and let me know at that point. More than the end of text citaions will be impacted. Go to the style guide and let me know. Have as much draft as you can ready to share with us in class on March 28. Bring a plan of some kind as well as a draft when we collaborate on this essay as well—your plan could be a web, sketch, a map, or a list. Your final paper is due April 6 by midnight. That’s a Weds. Of course, you could turn it in by class on Monday if it is ready. I am feeling the pressure of time—and giving you what I can. Expect us to assign Essay IV in class on April 4. This essay should be 1000 to 1300 words long—don’t go over 1500 so FOCUS and NARROW your topic. Support your position in a reasoned manner. Challenge yourself to really learn something new. Think about focusing your topic/ issue and your research question(s) as tightly as you can. After you have become knowledgeable about the topic what do you think readers should know, understand or do about it. That’s this essay.
Read Expression and Inquiry sections 5 ,9 and 12 especially 12.3 to help you do this assignment. Work on evaluating your sources as you read and use the best most reliable sources you can when you write this essay. Section 26 in PSM may be helpful as you work to evaluate sources. ADAM as mentioned in 5.7 in the early sections of E&I.
