This document outlines the requirements for an academic research essay assignment that is due on November 13th and must be 7-10 pages double spaced. Students must choose an intriguing problem related to their research topic and find an unexpected perspective or solution to argue in their paper. They are asked to formulate a research question to guide their exploration, conduct research from various academic sources, write an exploratory essay about their process, and compile an annotated bibliography. The final paper must be an argumentative research essay that logically supports a thesis with well-researched evidence from academic sources. Students must submit multiple drafts, sources, and feedback to complete the assignment.

1. Academic Research Essay
Due Date: November 13, 2018
7-10 pages (Double Spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman, stapled)
In Unit 1, you chose a specific story to tell about a time you did something unexpected. In Unit 2,
it is your job to do research until you learn something unexpected outside your own
experience. In other words, you must conduct research on a particular problem until you find an
intriguing perspective/solution that you have not seen before, or that is surprising/unexpected to
you. If you think the solution to global warming is electric cars, you might research until you
find sources that argue that the solution to global warming is communism, or veganism. The
solution/perspective you choose to write about must be a reasonable one—no wild speculations
or conspiracy theories. And you will need to find something that more than one person has
written/talked about, as you will need many sources. The key thing here is that you are focusing
on a perspective or solution (or even a question/topic) that you did not know about before
researching.
For this unit, you will conduct extensive research, compile an annotated bibliography, and then
write an academic, argumentative research paper.
Unlike your Unit 1 assignment, this Unit 2 essay will be governed by a thesis that is clearly
stated. You will support your thesis with objective, logical argumentation and well-researched
evidence. This paper needs to be structured in a clear, logical way—not as a narrative.
The first step to writing any effective research paper is to formulate a research question that will
guide your research. You MAY NOT begin with an opinion that you set out to prove; rather,
YOU MUST begin with a question that genuinely perplexes you. What about your topic
intrigues you? What about your topic is problematic?
Use your question to begin your research, and as you conduct research, write an exploratory
essay. An exploratory essay is a first-person, narrative account of your research process, tracing
the evolution of your thinking. Then compile an annotated bibliography. Your focus will be on
academic sources, which can be electronic or print. During this unit we will be spending one
week in the library learning how to utilize their resources effectively and efficiently.
What do I mean by “academic?” In a word: argumentative. In several sentences: Academic
writing strives to be objective; you will be dealing with facts, logic, analysis, and argument.
Academic writing is clear; your introduction should tell your reader what the paper is about and
how it will be structured. Academic writing is professional; write without slang, colloquialisms,
or informal tone. We will be reading examples of professional and academic writing in this unit.
Your Role/purpose: Convince your reader of your stance on the issue
Your Audience: Your essay might belong in an academic journal in your field or at a conference
Your Format/genre: Argumentative Research Essay
Your Task: Offer a reasonable solution to an intriguing problem

2. REQUIREMENTS
Step 1:
Brainstorm a research question. This will govern your research. It needs to be specific,
so that you can focus your research and quickly determine whether or not a source will be
relevant to your paper.
Step 2:
Find ten (10) sources on your chosen topic. At least five (5) must be an academic source;
one must be a visual source; one must be a primary source. The remaining sources may
be of any kind.
Step 3:
Write your Exploratory Essay.
Step 4:
Compile your sources into an annotated bibliography.
Step 5:
Write an outline for your research paper. This will include: the research question; a
potential answer to the question; the main arguments you will use to support that answer;
and the main sources/evidence you will use in each argument. This outline will help you
write a first draft, but it may not be the structure you stick to in later revisions.
Step 6:
Write a draft of your essay. This will be a fleshing out of your outline, and must
incorporate your sources.
Step 7:
Revise your rough draft several times until you have a final draft. We will cancel class
for one week, and instead I will meet with each of you individually to discuss revisions.
Format your essay in MLA with a Works Cited page (not the annotated bibliography).
Step 8:
Compile all drafts and free writes into a folder. Put your final draft and grade negotiation
letter on top. All drafts should be stapled, and everything should be in one folder.