Scholarly Essay (final)
SCHOLARLY ESSAY – 40% of grade
The final assignment asks you to answer your research question with a 2500-word essay. Your essay will begin with an appropriate title, abstract, and keywords. The introduction will establish your topic and provide a clear thesis statement. The bulk of the essay will analyze primary and secondary sources, deploy the rhetorical principles we’ve studied in class, and use an appropriate citation style, all with the aim of persuading a general scholarly audience.
Due Dates: Thursday, April 14 (draft) / Tuesday, May 3
PRIMARY STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs)
1
Identify and explain the role rhetorical appeals and the rhetorical triangle can play in non-fiction print and/or multimodal texts.
2
Create and sustain across one or more pieces of writing a focused research question that responds to an exigent issue, problem, or debate.
3
Compose cogent, research-based arguments, in print-based and/or multimodal texts, for specialist and/or non-specialist audiences.
4
Locate, accurately cite (through summary, paraphrasing, and quoting), and critically evaluate primary and secondary sources.
5
Demonstrate knowledge of writing as a process, including consideration of peer and/or instructor feedback, in one or more pieces of writing from initial draft to final revision.
ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
TITLE, ABSTRACT, AND KEYWORDS (5% of grade): Refer to the readings for guidelines. Your abstract must fall between 225 and 250 words. Below your abstract, provide the five most relevant keywords. Titles, abstracts, and keywords are not included in the overall word count.
ARGUMENTATION AND THESIS STATEMENT (25% of grade): A thesis statement conveys the entirety of the argument that you support throughout your essay of 2250-2750 words. It must contain constraints that make clear the scope and limitations of the argument.
PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SOURCE SYNTHESIS (25% of grade): Primary sources should drive an argument, with secondary sources offering key concepts. Use secondary sources to frame the conversation, then use primary source analysis to contribute to that conversation.
RHETORICAL STRATEGIES (25% of grade): Academic writing must be legible to a general academic audience while maintaining the interest of experts. Your use of ethos, pathos, and logos must be appropriate for your topic and persuasive for your readers.
STRUCTURE AND CONCISION (10% of grade): The order in which you present evidence should aid reader comprehension. You must create clearly-organized paragraphs with topic sentences. Sentences should be concise, lack repetition, and avoid excessive summary.
CITATION AND DOCUMENTATION (10% of grade): Academic writing abides by the style and formatting guidelines of the citation style in which it is written. You must use APA or MLA in a manner that is consistent and appropriate for your subject, data, methods, and claims.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
1. All formal assignments must be double-spaced, use 12-point Times New Roman font, and include your name at the top of the document.
2. Only submit .doc or .docx files. Other types (including .pages or .pdfs) are not accepted. UIUC students can download Word and other programs for free.
3. Moodle submissions are final. Before you upload, ensure that it is the correct file, is in the correct format, and has your name on it. I will not grade emailed or printed submissions.
4. If I cannot read a submission for any reason, including files that have been “corrupted” or are in the wrong format, the assignment has not been submitted.
5. Submissions are due at the beginning of class. If necessary, ask for an extension via email. Otherwise, late assignments will incur a 5% grade deduction per each day late.
