Use your research question from the previous assignment to create an
argument about your topic, then write a research paper focusing on that
topic.
Your paper needs to follow MLA style guidelines, including in-text citations and a works cited section. It needs to be at least 5 pages (double spaced).
Your paper should not just present the information you’ve gathered,
it should offer an argument to the reader (thesis) about what they
should do with that information— what is the solution/action/result you
want this essay to produce? In other words:
Academic writing should present readers with an informed argument.
To construct an informed argument, you will want to consider what is
known about a subject and then to determine what you think about it, and
what you can add to an ongoing conversation about it. If your paper
fails to inform, or if it fails to argue, then it will fail to meet the
expectations of the academic reader.
See the sample paper from this week’s reading for an example of this action.
For this paper, you will need to use at least 3 sources, each by different authors.
You may use the sources you found in week 5, or you may acquire new
ones. All sources used must meet the standards for academic (also called
scholarly) sources— do not use wikipedia or random webpages that come
up through a simple google search, do use the RBC library website or
google scholar to find your materials.
Some Tips for Planning Your Essay:
When you begin work on an academic research paper, ask yourself these questions:
Start with what you KNOW.
1. What do I know about my topic?
1. How would I describe my topic? What are the important issues? Facts? Points of agreement? Controversy?
2. What do I know about the context of my topic– who talks about
this? Why? How has my topic been regarded by different audiences over
time? Is this similar/different to the way it is seen now? Why?
3. What historical or cultural influences do I know about that might be important to my topic?
4. Does my topic belong to any particular genre or category of
topics? What larger ideas and issues might it be related to, and why?
2. What seems important to me about this topic?
1. If I were to summarize what I know about this topic, what points would I focus on?
2. What points seem less important? Why?
3. How does this topic relate to other things that I know?
1. What do I know about the topic that might help my reader to understand it in new ways?
2. Which larger theories or frames of reference might help to illuminate my topic? How?
4. What don’t I know about my topic?
1. What to I need to know?
2. How can I find out more?
Next, move on to what you THINK. In light of all this knowledge and
information, what conclusions have you come to? What can you add to an
academic conversation about this topic?
