The Research Project
Overview
This is a prompt for the final draft of a research paper following a semester of formative assignments focusing on source evaluation and information literacy.
The Research Project
The Research Project
- Deadline: TBA
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to take the feedback you have received for multiple drafts and to finalize a persuasive argumentative research paper. Because this is a position paper, you must argue for one side of a debatable claim. Remember that the topic of debate must be one which rational people can disagree on.
Because your audience is, at best, a skeptical one, you must address the counter-arguments those on the other side will raise. To persuade people from that audience, you must include a variety of sources from across the spectrum for your debatable topic.
Based on the above instructions, you have much leeway in choosing your topic. That said, you may not write about the following topics.
Abortion
Euthanasia
Arguing for the validity of a conspiracy theory
These are off the table either because of the rancorous nature of debate that often accompanies them or how often these are written about.
You are encouraged to write about a topic you care about, but one which you can also take a step back from and view objectively. Over the semester, you've worked on refining your writing. For this essay, you are seeking to demonstrate why your position in the debate is, if not entirely correct, then stronger than other positions.
Skills
The skills you will sharpen in this assignment include:
Formulating a narrowed thesis statement that argues for one side (a position) of a rational debate.
Organizing your thoughts into a consecutive paragraphs.
Incorporating credible, reliable, and authoritative sources to support your claims.
Critical thinking about those sources (analysis and evaluation and synthesis).
Citing all borrowed information per MLA requirements in both signal phrases and in-text citations, and in corresponding works cited entries.
Presenting your paper according to MLA formatting.
Writing in a formal, academic voice.
Considering the needs of your audience.
Task
By this point, you have received feedback from your instructor and peers on two rough drafts, focusing on your arguments, use of sources, and grammar and mechanics.
To complete this assignment, you must:
Revise your rough draft based on the feedback about your argument that you agree with.
Revise the thesis for clarity and accuracy.
Make sure it accurately previews all of the major parts of your debatable position.
Revise body paragraphs to ensure each connects to a part of the thesis statement.
Revise the conclusion to ensure it brings a sense of closure to your argument without raising any entirely new claims.
Revise for lapses out of an academic voice.
Revise for missing or rough transitions between body paragraphs.
Revise paragraphs to ensure all are coherent and unified
Revise MLA documentation to ensure every source is properly credited both in the paper itself and in corresponding works cited entries.
Revise any grammatical issues.
Requirements
The final draft must be at least 1,250 words, not including the Works Cited page.
The final draft must incorporate at least five (5) sources throughout it.
At least three (3) of these sources must come from the library's databases, and they must be from credible and reputable authors and publications.
The remaining two (2) sources may come from non-library resources, but these must also be credible, reputable, accurate, and relevant to your topic.
The final draft must be typed in plain 12-point font (Times New Roman or Arial), using 1" margins.
No cover page is necessary; instead, use the standard MLA heading.
Submit the final draft as a single file, with the Works Cited page being the last page(s) of the paper.