Essay Overview
For this Research Essay, students will choose their own topic. Start with a question related to your own academic and/or culturally relevant interests. Ask yourself questions about the behaviors, beliefs, values, communication and symbols of a group/community you belong to. Develop a central research question that is up for discussion in current academic literature; use this question as a guide to find credible and relevant sources discussing a debatable issue. As you approach this research project, start not with a formed judgment or predetermined answer, but instead with curiosity. Think like a scientist to take the conversation beyond prejudices, politics, and personal feelings.
Then, after much reading, you will arrive at your own conclusions through a process that includes a careful examination of available evidence: summarizing information, analyzing arguments, synthesizing ideas, and generally taking a critical view of that evidence.
Be sure that the guiding Research Question you choose does not call for answers that merely report or explain an issue. In your Research Essay, not only do you need to take a position, but you need to clearly define what your position entails. You will make judgments and draw your own supported conclusions based on the evidence presented.
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Essay Criteria
The Research Essay will be evaluated based on your argument’s overall ability to reach its target audience and persuade them of the purpose.
The writer builds strength with the claims, support, structure, organization and use of appeals. A strong argument will:
- Establish a strong sense of your audience & purpose. Gain their trust and understanding so they are willing to help you in the goal of your argument. What do you seek to accomplish with your writing (purpose), and who do you anticipate will help you to achieve this goal?
- Make an argument intended to convince the reader of your main point. A clear, specific main claim (thesis statement) in the introduction paragraph helps the reader know the arguable point that will control the content and tone of the essay.
- Develop multiple body paragraphs that follow an organizational strategy. Instead of developing too many supporting points (reasons), instead focus on just a few sub-claims and developing those in depth. Each body paragraph should directly support the main claim, one idea at a time. Think about how each paragraph allows the reader to understand your main claim better and moves the reader logically forward in your argument.
- Aim to depolarize the issue by finding and establishing common ground with your reader, who may initially oppose your viewpoint(s). Address and respond to counterarguments (the most reasonable and strongest argument against your position) in a way that helps you develop a more sophisticated argument.
- Support for your argument is essential. It is important to consider what the reader needs to know and how to introduce research so that it flows. Careful to not simply summarize the sources. You should show analysis and synthesis of the sources. This will develop a conversation with the sources by demonstrating how your sources relate to one another and explaining how examples support your main or supporting points.
- Use credible, recent, and relevant sources to support your argument and develop your logical reasoning. You will need to use at minimum five (5) sources; this will include at least two (2) academic/scholarly sources.
- Make sure to fully understand your sources. You do not want to misquote or misrepresent your sources because of misunderstanding. When incorporating outside sources into your essay, include mostly paraphrased material and limit the use of direct quotations. Use rhetorically powerful verbs in your signal phrases to contextualize the outside ideas.
- Apply a variety of rhetorical strategies to successfully persuade your reader. Keep your audience & purpose at the forefront of every “writerly choice” you make.
- Pay attention to details! A carefully proofread final draft that is generally free of distracting and confusing sentence-level errors and correctly cites the sources you used. This adds to your credibility as a writer and critical thinker.
- Avoid directly addressing your reader by not using the second pronoun “you.” Additionally, the essay is not a narrative, so be purposeful in your use of first person: I, me, we, our, us.
Submission Guidelines
- Length: 1,500- 2,000 words of text (5-7 pages) plus citations documentation (required)
- Documentation: Choose ONE of the following documentation styles: MLA or APA . You must stay consistent in that formatting throughout the entire document.
- Sources: Minimum of five (5) credible sources are used and cited accurately; at least two sources (2) must come from academic/scholarly journals
- NOTE: “minimum” does not mean “target number”; your research should be guided not by number of sources but by the completeness of your answer to your guiding question.
- Academic Integrity: All submissions will be entered into and examined for plagiarism by the Turnitin database.