Research Paper Assignment

This assignment marks the culmination of all of our semester and provides an opportunity to apply all of the skills you have practiced thus far. Write a research paper on a topic of your choosing that relates to our theme of “digital and non-digital technologies.” (Note: You are welcome — but not necessarily obligated — to use the same topic as the Source Paper.) The strongest papers are often those that investigate something that hasn’t been discussed much, or isn’t (at least at first) a “hot-button” topic.

The research paper should contribute to the academic discussion taking place about this topic. The paper should engage with the work of other writers, and should inject some new knowledge or insight into the conversation.This is arguably the most important element in the paper — the finished product should avoid simply re-packaging the work of other writers. To do this, I recommend the paper answer two series of questions:

1. What don’t we yet understand about this topic? Where is there a gap in our knowledge, or a space in which the conversation is lacking information?
2. How will this paper fill that gap? What is the value of doing so?

You can think of the paper as a contribution to a specific field, and thus should conform to the generic and rhetorical conventions of that field. To help facilitate this entry into the conversation, the paper should engage with at least six outside sources.

Roughly 1800 words
MLA Style/Formatting
Times New Roman
12 point font
Double-spaced
Submitted via Canvas

Rubric

Argument/Claim. The paper should identify and respond to a gap in our knowledge regarding the research question; it should contribute a new idea/approach to a specific and identifiable on-going academic “conversation.” The paper should be arguing for a particular understanding of your research question. Additionally, a clear, assertive thesis built upon reasons and effectively deployed evidence will make this paper successful.

Sources. The 6+ sources you use should be academic and credible (meaning not blogs, .com sites, or text written by non-experts), and they should provide information that works to fulfill the paper’s purpose. The paper should demonstrate a balance between your own ideas and the ideas of others; it should both critique and use sources as support.

Organization. The paper should be logically organized in a way that is easy to follow for the reader. Cohesive, unified paragraphs that move logically from one to another are a must for this kind of writing. Likewise, the paper should demonstrate clear transitions and effective use of signposting/meta-discourse to guide the reader through the text.

Mechanics. Grammar, punctuation, spelling, and formatting all work to strengthen your “ethos” as a writer and thus should be taken seriously. Style and creativity are welcome, but clean, clear prose is a must. The paper should be carefully revised, edited, and proofread. MLA citations should appear both in-text and in a Works Cited page.

This assignment will have several stages. They are as follows:

Draft 1 — Due Tuesday, April 10 (by midnight)

Write a thorough introduction to the paper. Please note: this does not mean simply one paragraph — I am of the opinion that introductions often need to extend beyond one paragraph (or even one page). In short, your draft should represent the first “section” of the paper in which you hook the reader’s attention, survey the conversation and identify a gap, make a claim that responds to said gap, and offer a map/structure for the remainder of the paper. You should aim for roughly 2 pages of text.

The remainder of the assignment is as follows:

• Annotations for two sources (not used in the Source Paper). For each source: a full MLA citation of the source, a roughly 100 word summary, and a roughly 100 word evaluation in which you describe the source’s use for your paper and how you’ll respond to it.
• A detailed outline. Adescription of the remaining sections of the paper (consider breaking this down paragraph-by-paragraph) and an indication of what sources you’ll be using and where in the paper. You may present the outline however works best for you (including bullet points). Try to be as specific as you can about what will happen when.

Draft 2 — Due Thursday, April 19 (by midnight)

Draft 2 is a more traditional rough draft: a revised version of the introduction and as much of the paper’s body as possible, allowing you to receive feedback from me in advance of revising. I acknowledge that these will be “rough,” and so I am grading them on completion. I strongly encourage you to produce as full of a draft as possible. The more text I can respond to, the more feedback you’ll have prior to revising.

Draft 3 — Due Tuesday, May 1 (by midnight)

This is the “final” draft, in which you should be responding to at least six sources, and making the moves that are outlined in the assignment description and rubric above.

Presentation — May 8, 10, 15

At the conclusion of the semester you will present the results of your research in a five minute presentation. More information about the content and evaluation of this assignment will be forthcoming, but know that it’s goal is in part to assess your awareness of audience.