Introduction/Rationale
Now its time to embark on the research study youve prepared for in Project 2. In Project
2, you learned how to craft a personalized research process to help you read in to a topic
that interests you. It is time to take those research skills and put them to use in building
persuasive arguments about your topic, targeted to a specific audience. You will compose a
researched argument essay, using the argument types outlined in our reading (definition,
evaluation, causal, rebuttal, proposal). The objective of this paper is to present the findings
from your research, composing an argument about the issue youve identified within the
topic you studied. You will present your argument in two related projects the Research
Essay Project, and the Infographic Project. These two projects will draw on the same body
of research, but will use different genres to present your findings. For this project (Project
3A), you will be focusing on writing in an academic tone and style, developing your ethos as
researchers by practicing using an academic voice to respond to or join the conversation
you see happening. In Project 3B, you will focus on using elements of visual rhetoric and
argumentation.
To help develop your understanding of academic discourse, you will use a technique called genre analysis to examine publications in undergraduate research journals. These journals serve as places for students like you to publish their research and participate in a particular conversation…one that you will join.
. To have composed a paper that is appropriate for submission to a real-life academic forum, such as an undergraduate research journal
To be practicing the research strategies youve developed in Project 2posing research questions, figuring out where to look to find the answers we seek, locating and evaluating scholarly and popular sources, reading the conversation (figuring out whos saying what about your topic, where are there gaps? are scholars not talking about something? whats missing?) and figuring out how you can contribute.
Make a claim that is based on the claim types we read about in From Inquiry to
Academic Writing
Support your claim throughout your essay with examples and evidence gathered
through your research methods.
Identify and clearly target a specific academic audience with your writing,
considering whether that audience is comprised of insiders or outsiders relative to
your community of observation.
Your essay should also address the purpose you stated in your I-Search project, and
the results of your research investigations. Did you find what you expected? Why or
why not?
Conclude with avenues for further pursuit: is there an issue or tension youve
discovered that needs to be further explored? A change you think should be made?
More research that needs to be conducted to further pursue your questions?
