Again, this essay–the final draft–should articulate a research interest, summarize and critically engages research sources, and uses the sources to support an argument that you propose.
And here again are the requirements in detail (with tips for meeting those criteria in blue!):
Clearly articulate the writer’s central line of inquiry (explain in detail what you are trying to learn through examine and evaluating the perspectives of your sources)
Maintain a clear purpose for writing that grows out of the writer’s inquiry (explain how the other researchers interested in your topic–the research community–will benefit from the work you’re doing)
Make strategic composing decisions in response to the writer’s rhetorical situation (shape your essay so that your readers–the community of researchers interested in your topic–will find it relevant, credible, and persuasive)
Provide relevant background information and definitions of key terms (give background information about your sources, your topic, and identify and explain any necessary key terms)
Introduce, summarize, and otherwise integrate sources effectively and ethically, through paraphrase and direct quotation, while providing insight into the rhetorical situations of those sources and breakdowns of their arguments (just as you learned to do in the first unit, give your sources’ full names when you first mention them, share the titles of their works, explain their audience, purpose, and context, identify the claims they make and the evidence they use to support those claims, and summarize their perspectives through paraphrase and direct quotation)
Critically engage sources’ perspectives through interpretation, analysis, and critique in service of making a logical, well-supported argument that contributes to the conversation taking place around the writer’s topic (go beyond summary to evaluate your sources’ perspectives and weigh their helpfulness in the context of your inquiry in support of making an argument that other researchers will find new and useful)
Meet academic expectations for clarity, cohesion, organization, paragraph structure, grammar, and mechanics (make sure your draft is organized, flows well, makes connections, and is grammatically correct)
