Research Paper Overview-Fall09

Ms. Dillard exaggerates, of course, but she's got just the right idea. For the balance of this class, you will be developing a research paper by writing four, smaller individual essays - the "tiny little tasks." These four essays will address different aspects of the same topic. After each has been graded and returned to you, your task is to re-conceive, rewrite, and assemble them into one larger project.

What sets this research project apart from others you may have done in high school or for other classes is that, ultimately, you will be proposing a solution (see chapter 7), not just writing a report. The writing of a proposal requires not only that you conduct research and report what you find but that you couch that report in an argument designed to convince your audience to take action.

What follows here is an overview of the project that defines each assignment and refers you to relevant sections of the text. Note:

listed below are the four assignments;
each assignment heading is a link to the individual assignment;
click on that link to call up the individual assignment in detail
in Chapter 6, pages 297-87, there is a list of sample issues, each cast in the form of question, to help you posit one of your own; and,
in Chapter 7, pages 374-5, there is an outline of this very kind of paper.

Prospectus Assignment assignment: state the problem and offer a tentative solution- 750 - 1000 words reading: Chapters 6, "Arguing a Position," and 7, "Proposing a Solution" discussion Prospectus Sample 1 Prospectus Sample 2
Position Paper assignment: summarize and evaluate four sources (e.g., books, journal articles); and indicate your position among these sources - 750 - 1000 words reading: Chapters 8, "Justifying an Evaluation"; 21, "Library and Internet Research"; and 22, "Using and Acknowledging Sources" discussion note: check Using and Acknowledging Sources (my abbreviated instructions) and Chapter 22 - see especially pages 772 ff, for there is a sample of a finished paper. Position Paper Sample One Position Paper Sample Two Position Paper Sample Three
Causal Analysis assignment: discuss the cause(s) of the problem - 750 - 1000 words reading: Chapter 9, "Speculating about Causes" discussion Causal Analysis Sample One Causal Analysis Sample Two Causal Analysis Sample Three
Refutation assignment: offer the most convincing counter argument(s) to your proposal and seek to refute them - 750 - 1000 words reading: Chapter 19, "Arguing" discussion Refutation Sample One Refutation Sample Two Refutation Sample Three
Final Proposal
Final Proposal - 2250 - 3000 words assignment: State a problem and propose a solution to it, examining its causes and showing your knowledge of the major positions in the controversy. Use whatever rhetorical strategies it takes to make your argument persuasive for the audience to whom it is addressed. Final Proposal Sample One Final Proposal Sample Two

The Research Paper an overview

The Research Paper
an overview