ENGL 1102 – RESEARCH PAPER ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES
Note: To receive full credit for this assignment, you must bring a printed copy of your first draft to class on the due date, in addition to uploading it here. This must be a complete 8-10 page draft.
While we are discussing this assignment throughout the semester, here are a few things to keep in mind
For this assignment, you will be tying together all that you have learned through your research by writing documented research paper of around 8 pages (not including your Works Cited page), based on the topic you explored in preparing your annotated bibliography. In this paper, you will have to cite all of your sources in the correct citation format. (It will be helpful for you to review the citation materials materials online and on D2L)
Before even beginning this assignment, your work on the annotated bibliography should have given you a strong foundation to begin composing a compelling argument around one or more of the texts and issues you’ve researched and thought about. Your work on the presentation assignment should give you a better sense of how to structure your argument for an audience.
Given the length of the paper, you should ideally be addressing multiple points supporting your argument regarding the issue you have chosen to write about and have researched. You will want to articulate your thesis (your stance on the issue), explore your topic, and cite outside sources to reinforce or augment your argument (this does not mean you simply adopt someone else’s argument). Bear in mind, one of the purposes of rhetorical discourse is to persuade your audience to adopt a certain belief or idea, or to take a particular desired action. As you work on this assignment, reflect back on what we have previously discussed in this course and your own previous work, keeping in mind the following rhetorical elements:
Your argument should employ the following three elements of the rhetorical appeal:
Develop your argument using the methods and techniques discussed in class and your readings, employing at minimum the use of:
All of your claims ought to be fully developed, and backed by authoritative sources. Be sure you cite your sources according to the proper format guidelines. These include:
As you work on this, do not forget that your drafts should always include a Works Cited page that includes all of your sources. This should appear as a new page at the end of each draft, and does not