Assignment#3—Research Paper The purpose of this essay is to start the process of learning how to engage in academic research and to learn how to incorporate that research into your paper. This focus will allow you to continue to produce rhetorical analysis, or it may allow you to produce a substantially different kind of analysis, based on your research. Within this context, you can revisit a story or novel that you have already written about or you can write a substantially different paper on a different short story, novel, or film. You can request to work on something that has not been discussed in class, but it should still be within the genre, and you need to receive permission before you begin the project. You will need to research your topic, and incorporate material from that research into your paper. That research should substantially effect not only the body of evidence provided in the paper, but should also substantially effect the thesis of the text. Often research papers will either disagree with the positions of other researchers, point out the limitations of other research, or use the framework developed in one situation to explain a different situation. The purpose of this paper is to develop a strong thesis driven paper that frames its argument within the existing scholarship on the subject, to make your own argument that takes in to account the larger conversations about the subject at hand. The material you incorporate into the paper can take one of a number of forms. It can take the form of essays or books that critically engage in the book or film that you are analyzing. It can take the form of essays or books that critically engage in the genre of science fiction in a way that lets you better understand the book or film. Finally, you can research scientific, historical, or sociological material that can help you critically engage in the materials. For instance, you might want to look at the concept of dystopia in relationship to Parable of the Sower, the history of the U.S-Mexico border in relationship to Sleep Dealer, the cold war in relationship to "Only A Mother", or the history of radical feminism in relationship to “When It Happened”. You also need to evaluate the reliability of these sources, and engage with their arguments substantially and accurately. The paper should be seven to nine pages, and should include a minimum of five sources. Three of those sources must be academic in nature, and all sources should be referenced in the paper, whether in the form of direct citation, paraphrasing or summary. In addition, the paper should use proper MLA citation structures and should include a page of citations, which should also follow MLA. Writing and Revising: A Portable Guide, Chapter 11 offers a useful guide on how to approach these structures. Research Paper Rubric Excellent Work (A Range): An excellent paper will exhibit the following characteristics. It will provide a focused an ...

1. Assignment#3—Research Paper
The purpose of this essay is to start the process of learning how
to engage in academic research and to learn how to incorporate
that research into your paper. This focus will allow you to
continue to produce rhetorical analysis, or it may allow you to
produce a substantially different kind of analysis, based on your
research. Within this context, you can revisit a story or novel
that you have already written about or you can write a
substantially different paper on a different short story, novel, or
film. You can request to work on something that has not been
discussed in class, but it should still be within the genre, and
you need to receive permission before you begin the project.
You will need to research your topic, and incorporate material
from that research into your paper. That research should
substantially effect not only the body of evidence provided in
the paper, but should also substantially effect the thesis of the
text. Often research papers will either disagree with the
positions of other researchers, point out the limitations of other
research, or use the framework developed in one situation to
explain a different situation. The purpose of this paper is to
develop a strong thesis driven paper that frames its argument
within the existing scholarship on the subject, to make your own
argument that takes in to account the larger conversations about
the subject at hand.
The material you incorporate into the paper can take one of a
number of forms. It can take the form of essays or books that
critically engage in the book or film that you are analyzing. It
can take the form of essays or books that critically engage in
the genre of science fiction in a way that lets you better
understand the book or film. Finally, you can research
scientific, historical, or sociological material that can help you
critically engage in the materials. For instance, you might want

2. to look at the concept of dystopia in relationship to Parable of
the Sower, the history of the U.S-Mexico border in relationship
to Sleep Dealer, the cold war in relationship to "Only A
Mother", or the history of radical feminism in relationship to
“When It Happened”. You also need to evaluate the reliability
of these sources, and engage with their arguments substantially
and accurately.
The paper should be seven to nine pages, and should include a
minimum of five sources. Three of those sources must be
academic in nature, and all sources should be referenced in the
paper, whether in the form of direct citation, paraphrasing or
summary. In addition, the paper should use proper MLA
citation structures and should include a page of citations, which
should also follow MLA. Writing and Revising: A Portable
Guide, Chapter 11 offers a useful guide on how to approach
these structures.
Research Paper Rubric
Excellent Work (A Range): An excellent paper will exhibit the
following characteristics. It will provide a focused and
coherent argument that will be followed throughout the paper.
The introduction will provide a focused and coherent

3. introduction to the problems that will be answered in the thesis.
That material will be framed by the research undertaken by the
writer, and will reflect a strong understanding of the scholarly
discussion within that work. It will construct an argument that
draws from that material, and uses that material to produce a
strong and unique analysis. The essay will provide focused
textual evidence to defend that thesis, and will provide logical
and easy to follow transitions between paragraphs and major
ideas. Also, the essay will contain coherent, and well
developed paragraphs. In addition, there will be few
grammatical errors that do not impede the reader’s
understanding of the essay.
Good Work (B Range): A good paper will exhibit the following
characteristics. It will provide a coherent rhetorical argument,
although it may lack the focus that is found in the excellent
paper. The introduction will set up the important terms of
discussion that is found in an excellent paper, although it may
lack some of the focus and coherence found in the excellent
paper. That material will be framed by the research undertaken
by the writer, and will reflect a strong understanding of the
scholarly discussion within that work. It will construct an
argument that draws from that material, and uses that material
to produce a strong and unique analysis, although that analysis
make lack the focus found in an excellent paper. It will provide
textual evidence, but that evidence may lack some of the focus
that is found in the excellent paper, and it may not provide the
depth of evidence found in the excellent paper. It will provide
logical transitions between paragraphs, and most of those
paragraphs will defend the claims in their topic sentences in a
coherent manner. In addition, there will be few grammatical
errors that do not impede the reader’s understanding of the
essay.

4. Competent Work (C Range): A competent paper will exhibit the
following characteristics. It will provide some sort of rhetorical
argument that the paper largely focuses on, although it lacks the
focus and coherence found in good and excellent papers. The
paper may at times drift into summary that doesn’t entirely
support the argument, but most of the material will focus on the
material. The essay also will bring in academic sources, but
may not provide the focused engagement found in good and
excellent papers, and may fall into reproducing the claims of the
work it’s analyzing, rather than using that material to produce
an original analysis. The introductions will set up some of the
important terms for the discussion, but may lack some of the
focus and coherence that is found in the good and excellent
papers. It will provide some textual evidence, although it will
lack the focus of the evidence found in excellent and good
papers. The paper will include a logical flow of ideas, although
it may lack in transitions to create these connections. A good
portion of the paragraphs will follow through on topic
sentences, but the paper may drift from this expectation
occasionally. There may be a number of grammatical errors,
but these do not impede the reader’s understanding of the essay.
Work that does not meet expectations (C- or below): A work
that does not meet expectations will exhibit the following
characteristics. It may not provide an argument engage with the
research, or may lack a thesis statement altogether. In addition,
the paper will contain a number of the following qualities. The
introduction may lack focus and may drift into a series of
generalizations that fail to set up a thesis statement. The paper
may be dominated by either summary or material that drifts
away from the focus of the paper. It may also lack textual
evidence and substantially misrepresent the text. Furthermore,
it may lack a logical flow of ideas, and the paper may lack
transitions that leave the reader wondering why the essay moves
from point to point. Finally, the paper may include serious

5. grammatical errors that impede the reader’s understanding of
the essay.
Research Assignment
What is Required?
7-9 Page Paper
Four sources other than the text are required
Three of those sources must be quoted, paraphrased or
summarized
Thesis driven paper
The argument needs to substantially engage with the research
This argument no longer needs to be rhetorical in nature.
What kind of sources can be used?
Sources that write about the specific text or film being analyzed
Sources that write about the genre of science fiction
Sources that provide sociological or historical background for
the text
Texts that engage in the science and technology written about in
the text
Surprise Me
How To Begin?
Begin by creating a broad outline on the topic that you are
writing about:
1. When is the text or film produced? What historical events
might have influenced it? What kind of social movements might
have influenced it?
2. What is the genre of the film or text? How does that

6. influence it?
3. How does the film or text fit in the history of the genre?
What might have influenced it? What might it have influenced?
4. What is the film or the text trying to communicate? How
does the above context influence that?
Researching
Look for material that focuses on the specific text or film that
you are working on. What are their arguments? Do you agree
or disagree with them? Why or why not?
Look for material on the history of the genre or sub genre. How
does that material help you understand what the text or film is
trying to do?
Look for material on the historical background. How does that
help you understand the text or film?
How to approach the argument?
Use the text to support your argument
Use the text as a framework for your argument
Use the novel or film as something that reveals something about
the text
Use the text as something that you argue against
You also might look at the way that an argument is partially
right, but is wrong in some ways
Three Points to Frame Your Topic
Topic: I am working on the topic of___
Question: Because I want to find out_____
Significance: So that I can help others understand______
Core of the argument

7. 1. Claim: What’s the answer to your question?
2. Reasons: Why should I believe that?
3. Evidence: How do you know that?
4. Acknowledgement and Response: But what about the other
view?