Purpose
The purposes of this assignment are multifold. First, it will engage you in the process of writing. Second, the assignment will introduce you to discipline-specific research principles and strategies. Third, it will involve you in argumentation.
Process
This assignment has some stages. First, you will need to generate a topic that is relative to your discipline--languages (English and foreign), humanities (art, dance, film, history, music, philosophy, religion and theater), social sciences (anthropology, business, economics, education, law, political science, psychology, and sociology), or applied sciences (astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, geology, health sciences, mathematics, and physics). You may want to read chapter 42 ("Planning a Research Project") of The Little, Brown Handbook
. Second, you will need to search for sources of information relative to your topic, to your discipline. You must examine books, journals and websites. As you analyze sources, look for alternative topics. Critique the content of the journals and websites. Notice the publishers and the frequencies of publication. What types of people write for the journal? With respect to the websites, examine them for accuracy, objectivity, currency, frequency of updates, coverage, and administrative and quality controls. You may want to read chapter 43 ("Finding Sources") and chapter 44 ("Working with Sources") of The Little, Brown Handbook for more information. Your search for sources will lead to a proposal.
. Second, you will need to search for sources of information relative to your topic, to your discipline. You must examine books, journals and websites. As you analyze sources, look for alternative topics. Critique the content of the journals and websites. Notice the publishers and the frequencies of publication. What types of people write for the journal? With respect to the websites, examine them for accuracy, objectivity, currency, frequency of updates, coverage, and administrative and quality controls. You may want to read chapter 43 ("Finding Sources") and chapter 44 ("Working with Sources") of The Little, Brown Handbook for more information. Your search for sources will lead to a proposal.
Third, you must convince me via a proposal (an abstract and an annotative bibliography) that the topic is researchable in our primary library and that it will allow you to analyze facts and opinions en route to an original, interesting and informative extended argument. You may want to read chapter 49 ("Working with the Goals and Requirements of the Disciplines") of The Little, Brown Handbook for more information. The proposal must be in the form of an abstract and must include an annotative bibliography in the proper format: MLA for languages, CMS for humanities, APA for social sciences, or CSE for applied sciences. You will need to refer to either chapter 47, 51, 52 or 53, respectively, for more information on the proper format relative to your discipline. The abstract must describe the situation or problem and contain your position.
for more information. The proposal must be in the form of an abstract and must include an annotative bibliography in the proper format: MLA for languages, CMS for humanities, APA for social sciences, or CSE for applied sciences. You will need to refer to either chapter 47, 51, 52 or 53, respectively, for more information on the proper format relative to your discipline. The abstract must describe the situation or problem and contain your position.
Fourth, you will compose, revise and edit an academic essay, an extended argument. You will do such gradually, for we will discuss each type of argument--definitional, categorical, evaluative or ethical, causal, and propositional--before you create each type. Your essay will be a combination of the aforementioned arguments.
Particulars
