You are on page 1of 2

RESEARCH

ESSAY
Dietel-McLaughlin / WR 13300 / Fall 2012
Paper Requirements
Address a topic of interest to you, while also engaging a theme of the course Present a clearly articulated, well-reasoned, focused argument to a specific audience Develop key points with examples, evidence, and analysis

Over the past several weeks, you have developed a variety of important critical thinking and writing skills. Specifically, youve learned how to write with compelling clarity and detail, how to read, summarize, analyze, and synthesize sources, and how to craft an organized, focused, fully supported argument for a specific audience and purpose.

Your research topic should somehow engage the broad themes of our course (rhetoric, multimedia, identity/community). Within that theme, your topic should be 1) of interest and importance to you, 2) narrow enough in scope to be adequately discussed in a 10-page paper, and 3) broad enough that you will be able to locate a variety of credible sources.

Anticipate and respond to possible counterarguments Use at least six credible sources Follow MLA format and citation guidelines Be 8-10 pages in length.

DUE: NOV 9
(by 11:59 p.m., via Sakai)

This essay will draw from Other Requirements all of the skills listed Before turning in your finished essay, you will be asked to complete above and will also orient several smaller tasks along the way. Most importantly, you will be you to the realm of required to turn in a research proposal and exploratory draft independent research. You early in your research process, so that I can get a sense for the will research a controversy direction your work is taking. You will compile an annotated relevant to your interests bibliography to organize your research. You will give a short and will develop an presentation of your major research findings to your peers. We will argument for an audience of talk more about these smaller projects in class. your choosing.

Inventing a Topic
There are many strategies for finding a viable topic, but one of the best approaches is to begin asking questions about communities that are of interest to you. Here are some examples: Academics: How is your intended field of study challenged by some of the issues weve been
discussing in class? How are these issues reflected in the experiences of Notre Dame students? What is the greatest ethical issue in digital marketing? How should that issue be addressed? How can Notre Dame students solve the problem of distraction with mobile technology?

Hobbies: Are you a die-hard sports fan? Do you love a specific genre of movie, video game, or T.V. show? How are the issues weve been discussing relevant to those hobbies?

Should Notre Dame student athletes be required to delete their social networking accounts? What social, economic, or psychological factors might be contributing to the brony trend? How does the notion of the tethered self impact religious communities that have been historically slow to adopt new technologies?

Social Concerns/Current Events: Whats in the news? What about recent happenings on campus?
Should South Bend schools be allowed to install surveillance software on school-issued laptops? What role should digital technology play in Notre Dames ongoing sustainability efforts? Should Indiana craft legislation forbidding teachers and students to interact on social networking sites?

The Dos and Donts of Research Writing


DO investigate a topic that interests you. If youre bored, then your readers will be bored, too! DO look for opportunities to create NEW knowledge through your fresh perspective on the topic. DO draw from a variety of credible sources. DO synthesize source material to add richness and complexity to your argument. DO cite all source material accurately and responsibly. DO research and respond thoughtfully to counterarguments. DONT turn your paper into a report about your topic. Keep your essay argumentative. DONT rely on just one source (or one TYPE of source). DONT use sources that your audience may not see as credible. DONT lose track of your audience Need and purpose.

Help?

Dr. Erin: edietelm@nd.edu Leslie Morgan (Librarian): lmorgan1@nd.edu The Writing Center: http:/writingcenter.nd.edu

You might also like