Topic: The effect of social media on body image and eating disorders
Genre: Expository/Informative (review genre sheet for features and conventions!)
Purpose: The purpose of the “Why” essay is to explain a thing, activity, phenomena, etc. that may otherwise be taken for granted or under-explored. This is not a persuasive paper! You may reveal your bias, certainly, but the general tone should be more “Wow—I read this interesting thing and it helped me understand X a little better, and I think you’ll find it interesting too and here’s why…” In other words, you are the person making a body of work (a bunch of research studies) or one single long treatment (a book, for example) ACCESSIBLE to the everyday person.
Length & Formatting: Approximately 1000-1500 words (not including bibliography). You may format as you wish—use image, font, spacing, etc.—as you would envision the essay published.
Sources: Please consult five sources, but feel free to use more, either for your own background research or within the essays. You will rely heavily on at least one source (#1 below) and will supplement with at least 2-3 more sources (up to you). You may or may not refer directly to all of these sources in your paper. I do, however, need to have all of their citations when you turn your paper in to me. You must include:
• a single-author scholarly or very credible book OR a scholarly essay OR a single-author chapter within a scholarly book
Remember that your job in this paper is to “translate” dense and/or lengthy research into a pithy explanation for a broad audience. You will be READING EXTENSIVELY FOR THIS PAPER.
Evidence/Support: First, read your sources very, very carefully and discern what information will be most interesting and enlightening to your audience. Then, figure out how you can convey that information in a way that is accessible and understandable to your audience. Be sure to use a combination of summary, paraphrasing, and quoting.
Organization/Structure: Look to the sample essays for guidance. Make sure you have a thesis. Typically, you have an interesting intro (establishing exigence or the so-what factor) with or followed by an introduction to the primary source material you are “translating” or interpreting for the audience. Then, you follow by going into the specific key points you have decided to relate.
Syntax/Grammar: When addressing your audience, there should be a level of formality. You can be “friendly” and “engaging” while still maintaining tight control over your prose.
