Writing Project 1: Research Plan

Overview: For this first writing project you will plan a research project. The project you plan in Writing Project 1, will be
researched throughout Writing Project 2, and the results of that research will be used in (Writing Project 3) an essay
that proposes a reasonable solution to a significant social issue.

Assignment: In Writing Project 1 your task is to discover an problem you are curious about and write a research plan
that (1) illustrates pre-existing knowledge about the issue, (2) demonstrates the significance of the problem today, and
(3) outlines which research methods you will use to explore the issue. Examples of the questions that this assignment
will answer include (but are not limited to) the following:

● What is the problem? ● Who talks about this problem? who else is involved?
● What question or debate is at the problem’s core? ● What other issues connect to this problem?
● What is the history of the problem? ● Why should people pay attention to this problem?
● How is the problem viewed and discussed today? ● How can you best research the problem this semester?

Think of your WP1 plan as a call-to-action that identifies a gap in a current conversation, a gap that you then explore
during Writing Project 2 and take a position on in Writing Project 3. Therefore, the primary rhetorical mode of this
project is to inform the reader about an issue’s existence and its background. You should not engage the issue’s debate.
Instead, you should identify what others say about it, remaining neutral until WP3. The only persuasive goal of WP1 is to
convince the audience that the problem is worthy of their attention.

Selecting a Problem to Explore: The problem you select should involve differing points of view and conflicting claims.
However, do not select an issue simply because it is controversial. Instead, you should select an issue that you would like
to learn more about.

Promising Topics: As you begin thinking about what you might research and write about this semester, you might be
guided or inspired by these previous topics:

Women in the gaming industry, Racial misogyny on indian reservations, Recycling and diapers, Dating and the
elderly; faith in dance communities; gender in comics; debt and first-gen college students

Topics to Avoid: For this project, challenge yourself. Delve into a topic you don't know much about. Unless you (1) have
more than a causal connection to a topic and (2) have obtained instructor permission, do not engage the following
topics, as they regularly do not promote timely and engaging thought or writing:

Abortion, capital punishment, decriminalization of drugs, euthanasia, global warming, religious

beliefs/groups, performance enhancing drugs, greek life, gun control, animal rights, foreign policy,
paying college athletes, gym and fitness plans, proper diet

Requirements: Your proposal must be at least 1000 words in length, attend to the specific requirements of the
assignment, and adhere to APA formatting standards

Project Submission: Much of your process work for this project will be posted to Google Classroom and/or completed in
class. Specific details about the process work of WP1 (e.g. readings, etc.) can be found in the learning modules on
BlackBoard. Your final project will be submitted in two ways, (1) as an APA formatted document to the WP1 submission
drop box on BB, and (2) as a webpage on the Writer’s Website that you created in ENG 101 or at the beginning of ENG
102.

Sample Outline

● Introduce your topic.

○ Create a bridge that connects your reader and intended audience to the topic.
○ Introduce the topic and related issues that will be addressed.
○ State the purpose of your research.
● Detail the background and history of your issue
○ Explain background information necessary to understand the proposed research and its significance
within current conversations about your issue. This section should include a critical evaluation of
existing knowledge and should identify forward progress that the project is intended to provide.
● Review prominent perspectives on your issue.
○ Define 3 contemporary perspectives and explain how these perspectives suggest a conflict, controversy,
or problem that warrants a response or further research.
● Describe how you will research your topic.
○ State what your inquiry will address. Include a bullet-pointed list of 3-5 research questions you want to
investigate. Keep in mind that a good research question is one that is actually researchable, and while
close-ended questions (yes/no; this/that) may be beneficial within the paper, open-ended questions will
results in more developed inquiry.
○ Outline your research method and plan. Who might you talk to? Where will you conduct your research?
Which databases or sources might you consult? What kinds of search terms or keywords might you use?
Be detailed. Avoid generality.
● Define the significance of the issue and your research
○ Address the questions: “Why now”? and “So what?” and “What is ultimately at stake?”
○ Discuss how your research will move the current conversation about your issue in new directions.
○ Discuss the overall significance of the topic.