Cycle 3 Research Proposal Final Drafts

LSC 100 Cycle 3: Writing

Research Proposal for the Final Paper                    

Name: ____________________    Team(circle):  1/Green              2/Red              3/Blue

My Team’s Writing Assignment is due FRIDAY, ___________________________  

Friday Deadlines, Weeks 10 – 12

Overview:  Write two pages proposing the topic and approach for your final research paper. You will review and integrate at least one secondary source and one tertiary source that relate to your topic. You will also be reviewing conflict and controversies surrounding your research topic. This assignment will help you:

(1) develop your research topic and thesis for your final paper,

(2) gain practice finding, introducing, presenting, and analyzing sources, and

(3) learn how to correctly use APA citation style for academic-level attribution.

Requirements: This proposal will follow the 5-paragraph essay we learned and applied in Cycle 2. There are additional requirements for the approach of this essay noted below:

• You must use as least two excellent sources with correct APA Style in-text citations AND formatted reference page.
• Use two different methods for integrating evidence: Summary, full quotation, or partial quotation.
• Effectively use sources by introducing, presenting, and analyzing you evidence
• Follow the structure outline below on page 2

APA In-text Citation Style and Ways to Integrate Evidence

See Purdue OWL online and class materials for more detail: Author – Year – page # for quotes

• Paraphrase – new language using one’s own wording: Skloot (2010) investigated how Tuskegee’s public outrage fueled the movement for informed consent.
• Full or Long Quotation: Henrietta whispered on her deathbed, “Don’t you let anything bad happen to them children when I gone.” (Skloot, 2010, p. 86).
• Partial Quotation (a phrase): Skloot (2010) argues the controversy over tissue donations centers on “consent and money” (p. 317).

How to Effectively Use Sources and Evidence in Your Writing

1. Introduce – Set the scene and provide context while introducing evidence. Make sure the introduction (1) smoothly transitions from your previous point and (2) effectively sets up the evidence you are going to present.
2. Present – Use either a long quote, a short quote, or paraphrasing to present the evidence from your source. Make sure to use a variety of these options to keep your writing interesting.
3. Analyze – Relate the evidence you just presented back to your topic sentence/main point/thesis. This is the most important step and the most frequently missed! The analysis sentence should tell the reader why they should care about the evidence. It’s your chance to frame it within your research.

Helpful resources to consult:

• The Craft of Research, review table of contents for help on specific topics
• The Craft of Research Worksheets
• Resources from the Library sessions
• Class materials and Purdue Owl resources for appropriate APA citations and format
• Wk 9’s “Writing: Research Proposal Worksheet”
• Cycle 2 Writing assignment sheet: Use this to review the components of good paragraph

Required Essay Format: A research proposal that integrates 5-paragraph essay structure and the 4 Cs

• Introduction
  • Connection: Grab your audience with emotionally relevant topic / theme /statistic/quote
    • This is your attention grabber- make people want to keep reading
  • Context: Introduce the broad topic you’re going to be talking about. Give us the essential background information we’ll need to follow your proposal. Summarize only what is relevant to the point you are making and be VERY
  • Thesis: For this paper, the thesis statement can be slightly different than the structures we have discussed in class.
    • For cycle two the requirement was a statement that included (1) an argument related to a theme of the book and (2) three clear supporting points that relate to three distinct body paragraphs (1 idea = 1 paragraph).
    • For cycle three your thesis should hold this general structure, but instead of relating to a theme it should cover the three main topics the body paragraphs of your research proposal outlined below.
      • Example: My research focuses on the problems of fake news by analyzing scholarly research from communication theory, arguments about the role of social media companies in tertiary sources, and reviewing disagreements between academics and corporations on how to address the issue.

• Body Paragraphs
  • Body Paragraph 1: Secondary sources- This paragraph should briefly review the specific areas of scholarly sources you have, and will, review for your research paper. Give me a sense of the arguments and research that has been done in this area.
    • Include a minimum of 1 secondary source in this paragraph. Be sure to correctly cite the source in APA and effectively introduce, present, and analyze the evidence.
  • Body Paragraph 2: Tertiary sources- Now briefly review the arguments and claims being presented in popular sources. Are they different than the scholarly sources? Is there a wide-range of arguments? What types of sources did you find?
    • Include a minimum of 1 tertiary source in this paragraph. Be sure to correctly cite the source in APA and effectively introduce, present, and analyze the evidence.
  • Body Paragraph 3: Mapping the controversy- Now that you have mapped evidence and claims from both secondary and tertiary sources, discuss the controversies or disagreements. Does your secondary source agree with the popular sources you found? What controversies exist surrounding your topic? What are the two, or more, sides to the issue?
    • Include a reference to either one of the sources you presented in paragraph 1 or 2. You are also encouraged to bring more sources of your choice.

• Conclusion
  • Connect back to your connection. Reference your attention grabber and bring it full circle
  • Restate your thesis and review the information you presented in the body paragraphs. Review the essential context for your research paper
  • Give a conclusion by addressing the ‘so what?’ Why is this topic important? Who is impacted by the topic? Why do we need to know more? Why does your research matter?

Note: We are starting early enough that students can change their topics in consultation with LSC 100 instructors.