Posted: July 29th, 2019

Research Paper Assignment

The Paper

 

Your final assignment for this class will expand on the work from your previous drafts in order to create a long form argumentative paper that either advocates a particular perspective or position in your field, presents a case for a certain line of research, argues for a particular plan of action or treatment, or seeks to rebuke a particular perspective or position in your field.

That might sound kind of broad, so let’s break it down in bullet points.  For this assignment, you can write about any topic you’d like, using one of three models:

– Position paper.  In this sort of paper, you’ll use research to present an argument for or against a particular position relevant to your field of study.

– Research proposal/grant proposal model paper.  In this paper, you’d make a case for the value of a particular sort of program for research or line of inquiry in your field, or advocate for an approach to research relevant to your field.

– Argument to Action.  In this paper, you’d want to present a case for a specific plan of action to address a concern relevant to an issue in the your field.

Each of these models is adaptable, and there may be some light intersection between models (for example, a grant proposal might contain elements of an argument for a plan of action in it) but, overall, they make up a sort of more digestible version of the sort of papers you might write later on in your career in your field of choice.

Regardless of the model you choose, there will be uniform requirements for all these papers.  First, each paper will require a formal proposal, including an annotated bibliography (detailed on the next page).  Each paper will require a complete Works Best paper writer websites, Custom term paper writing service and Research papers owl essays – Professional help in research projects for students – Cite d page, utilizing a consistent system of citation drawn from either a particular journal or governing organization germane to your field of study.  You’ll declare that system of citation in your proposal.  Your paper will also have to be between 1800 and 2700 words in length, before your Works Best paper writer websites, Custom term paper writing service and Research papers owl essays – Professional help in research projects for students – Cite d page is factored in.  That means your last paper in our class will be slightly longer than your previous papers: between 6 and 9 pages.

There are three key due-dates associated with this paper.  The first will be 11/19/18, the due date of your research proposal.  The second will be 12/3/18, the due date of your first draft of this paper.  And the final due date for your research paper will be determined in the near future, and will fall between 12/14/18 and 12/21/18.  This due date will also be the due date for your final portfolio.

The final draft of your research paper should contain a clear central argument, develop that argument utilizing appropriate sources and citations, and represent a critical perspective on the issue in question.  It should be submitted to me via email, and be included in your final portfolio.  Your research paper may contain any number of sources from your previous assignments, but will require a minimum of two new sources.  There will be no minimum source requirement for this assignment, but I’d recommend you utilize at least one source per page to present your argument effectively.

 

The Proposal

 

Your research proposal will be worth 5% of your total course grade, and will graded based on the inclusion of four sections.

– First, you’ll need to include a declaration of topic.  This should be a one to three paragraph statement wherein you inform me of your intended line of study, and briefly explain which approach you plan to take, and why you’re interested in this topic.

– Second, you’ll want to give me a brief progress report on your work so far.  If you’re drawing from previous work in this class, tell me about it.  If you’ve located your new sources, or already started drafting your paper, tell me about that too.  Just fill me in on the work you’ve done to date so I can advise you appropriately.  This is also where you’ll tell me which citation guideline set you plan to use.

– Third, you’ll need to include a brief plan of action for your paper’s development.  Again, it won’t need to be exhaustive, but if you plan to contact faculty members, take advantage of interlibrary loans, spend a weekend researching things in online databases, or send in multiple drafts of your paper to me, this is where you’d spell it out.

– Finally, you’ll need an annotated bibliography with a minimum of two entries.

 

The Annotated Bibliography

 

Annotated bibliographies sound fancy, but they’re actually very simple.  They consist of a citation for a source you’re using, and a paragraph where you briefly summarize that source, then explain how it will contribute to your paper as a whole.  Do you plan to use it as a background source?  As a counterargument to a claim you’ll be making?  Or as a supporting argument?  Assess the strengths and weaknesses of your source – is it from a grad student, or a professor?  Has it been cited by other authors?  Does it have a solid set of citations backing it up?  Is it peer reviewed?  What are its shortcomings?  Is it easy to read, or challenging to understand?  Mention details like this so I’ll know that you’ve seriously reflected on how this source will fit into your discussion, and intervene to assist you if necessary.

While your proposal won’t have a minimum length, a solid, complete proposal will tend to be between three and five pages.  This might seem like a lot of work, but proposals can actually make drafting your paper later on much, much easier.  In fact, when Greene separates the process of invention from drafting, he’s basically talking about the kind of writing you’ll be engaging in here: writing intended to help you solidify your thoughts about your topic before you even start drafting on it.