Term Research Assignment FAQ’s This is an overview of questions received regarding the assignment. It is not all inclusive and may be added to throughout the term. Q. If I am working on this assignment with a partner, do we both need to turn in an assignment? A. No, only one assignment needs to be turned in by one of the partners. Please make sure both names are on the memo. One of the partners must upload the assignment into D2L. Q. Do I have to use Word to complete the assignment? A. Yes. This is another use of what you learned this term using Word. Combine the two parts of the assignment in to one file. You will be graded on how you used Word as well. Q. Are there any Word format requirements? A. Yes, the assignment must be single spaced (DO NOT use the default spacing in Word), with a 1” margin. The font must be 10 or 11 point Times New Roman. Q. What exactly should the completed assignment include? A. The completed assignment is made up of two parts – both completed using Word. 1. A 1-2 page typed persuasive memo – written to Ava Stevens – from you (representing your business, non-profit, government entity, or committee). This memo outlines HOW you plan to persuade your audience and what your main persuasive point(s) will be and how you will back these points up with your research. Basically it is a narrative or outline of your argument. Think of me as your boss, and this memo is being used to prove to me that you have the needed information to continue with this persuasion. How you organize this memo is your choice – but you may find bullet or numbered points helpful in presenting some of the information. Remember you cannot end a memo with a list. There needs to be at least a one sentence close to end the memo (don’t just stop…write for the reader). Don’t forget to use the correct second page heading for the second page of your memo. This memo is NOT your entire argument – it is designed to prove you are ready, with the necessary resources, to write the persuasive argument. Don’t make the mistake of using this memo to argue your point. Remember to write to your audience – Ava Stevens – what does she need from you to know you are ready to write the persuasive argument to your audience? 2. A 2-4 (or more) page typed annotated bibliography – the minimum number of sources on this annotated bibliography is 6. Of the 6 sources, at least 3 must be from peer reviewed academic journals. (Information is provided below to explain how to verify if the journal, and therefore the article, is peer reviewed.) Each source will have two paragraphs. The first paragraph is an overview of the article. DO NOT use the abstract to write this – read the article and explain the overall idea of the article using your own words. You are uploading this in D2L and it will be put through Turn-it-in. Please don’t earn zero points because you plagiarized. The second paragraph is WHA.

1. Term Research Assignment FAQ’s
This is an overview of questions received regarding the
assignment. It is not all inclusive and may be
added to throughout the term.
Q. If I am working on this assignment with a partner, do we
both need to turn in an
assignment?
A. No, only one assignment needs to be turned in by one of the
partners. Please make sure both
names are on the memo. One of the partners must upload the
assignment into D2L.
Q. Do I have to use Word to complete the assignment?
A. Yes. This is another use of what you learned this term using
Word. Combine the two parts of the
assignment in to one file. You will be graded on how you used
Word as well.
Q. Are there any Word format requirements?
A. Yes, the assignment must be single spaced (DO NOT use the
default spacing in Word), with a 1”
margin. The font must be 10 or 11 point Times New Roman.

2. Q. What exactly should the completed assignment include?
A. The completed assignment is made up of two parts – both
completed using Word.
1. A 1-2 page typed persuasive memo – written to Ava Stevens
– from you (representing
your business, non-profit, government entity, or committee).
This memo outlines HOW
you plan to persuade your audience and what your main
persuasive point(s) will be and
how you will back these points up with your research. Basically
it is a narrative or
outline of your argument. Think of me as your boss, and this
memo is being used to
prove to me that you have the needed information to continue
with this persuasion. How
you organize this memo is your choice – but you may find bullet
or numbered points
helpful in presenting some of the information. Remember you
cannot end a memo with
a list. There needs to be at least a one sentence close to end the
memo (don’t just
stop…write for the reader). Don’t forget to use the correct
second page heading for the

3. second page of your memo.
This memo is NOT your entire argument – it is designed to
prove you are ready, with the
necessary resources, to write the persuasive argument. Don’t
make the mistake of using
this memo to argue your point. Remember to write to your
audience – Ava Stevens
– what does she need from you to know you are ready to write
the persuasive
argument to your audience?
2. A 2-4 (or more) page typed annotated bibliography – the
minimum number of sources on
this annotated bibliography is 6. Of the 6 sources, at least 3
must be from peer reviewed
academic journals. (Information is provided below to explain
how to verify if the journal,
and therefore the article, is peer reviewed.)
Each source will have two paragraphs. The first paragraph is an
overview of the
article. DO NOT use the abstract to write this – read the article
and explain the overall

4. idea of the article using your own words. You are uploading this
in D2L and it will be put
through Turn-it-in. Please don’t earn zero points because you
plagiarized. The second
paragraph is WHAT you will use out of the article to back up
your argument. It is taking
the needed information from the article and explaining briefly
how you can use it to
strengthen your persuasive argument.
Don’t forget to include the proof that the journal (and therefore
the article) is peer-
reviewed. You will include a “snip” of copy of the line from
Ulrich’s to prove the journal
was peer-reviewed (see below).
You are using MLA documentation for this Annotated
Bibliography. That means you
need to make sure you present the source in the correct method.
The first line of the
source starts at the left margin and the remaining lines of the
source are indented 5 spaces
(see below).

5. “When deciding how to cite your source, start by consulting the
list of core elements.
These are the general pieces of information that MLA suggests
including in each Works
Cited entry. In your citation, the elements should be listed in
the following order:
1. Author.
2. Title of source.
3. Title of container,
4. Other contributors,
5. Version,
6. Number,
7. Publisher,
8. Publication date,
9. Location.
Each element should be followed by the punctuation mark
shown here.”
Bagchi, Alaknanda. "Conflicting Nationalisms: The Voice of the
Subaltern in
Mahasweta Devi's Bashai Tudu."Tulsa Studies in Women's
Literature,
vol. 15, no. 1, 1996, pp. 41-50.
This information was taken directly from the Purdue University
Online Writing Lab Webpage on November 11, 2018:

6. <Https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/m
la_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style
_guide.html>
Q. How do I find strong articles for my topic?
A. Your goal is to find good search words or phrases.
Brainstorm what you could look for and then
use Google Scholar or Academic Search Premier to find articles.
You can use non-peer reviewed
articles, but verify they are strong articles for your topic and
your credibility. One of your articles
should be about the organization you are representing so you
can build credibility. Creative
thinking will help you to come up with ideas to search – if you
are not finding information please
contact Ava Stevens and she will help guide you in your search.
Q. How do I identify if the articles are peer reviewed?
A. To verify these articles are from peer-reviewed journals,
please verify using Ulrichs International
Periodicals Directory. Ulrichs’ can be found online through the
PSU Library. Go to

7. www.pdx.edu, click on “Library”, click on “Databases &
Articles”, and then click on “U” in the
alphabet presented to get to Ulrichs’. To verify the journal is
peer-reviewed, type the name of
the journal in the search bar and hit enter. When the journal
comes up, if there is a striped
referee shirt to the left of the journal listing, then the journal is
peer-reviewed. If there is no
striped referee shirt, then the journal is NOT peer-reviewed.
An example of what this will look like in your paper is below.
Please make sure to include
this with all your peer-reviewed journal articles. The
assignment will be marked down if you
don’t show which articles are peer-reviewed.
Q. Why did I have to identify who I was representing?
A. To be able to create a strong argument you need credibility.
Therefore who you align yourself
with makes a lot of difference. You can use this in your memo
to help with your persuasive
argument. This means one of your sources can be background
on who you are representing (a

8. company or non-profit’s web page for example).
Q. Why did I have to identify the audience when they won’t be
given the actual assignment/
argument?
A. To be able to find the right information, and to build the
correct persuasive argument, you must
know your audience – what they know and what they need to
know to be persuaded. Without this
information your argument will be generic and very basic – and
will not be persuasive for that
specific audience. Remember, your goal is to write for your
audience.
Q. What do I do if I get stuck or need help on this assignment?
A. Contact Ava Stevens at [email protected] and she will help
guide you – but please do
not procrastinate and expect immediate help the night before the
project is due.
http://www.pdx.edu/
Research Paper
Writing Workshop

9. Assignment
Research question:
How does the literary work or the author advocate for change in
a particular society or culture?
Pablo Neruda’s “United Fruit Co.” and North American
corporate imperialism
Nicolas Guillén’s “Ballad of the Two Grandfathers” and Cuban
society in the 1930’s and today
Aimé Césaire’s “Out of Alien Days” and decolonization
Luisa Valenzuela’s “I’m Your Horse in the Night” and the
Argentine Dirty War
Use books in the library and/or the library databases (in
particular JSTOR and the MLA International Bibliography) to
find 2 scholarly analyses of the work that you have chosen or of
the author’s writing in general, as well as historical
documentation regarding the societal context.
Write a 3-page analysis that presents your findings. Your paper
should contain an introduction and a conclusion and must quote
from at least 2 scholarly sources (online sources will not be
accepted)
Parameters: Font Times 12, double-spaced. Begin at the top of
the first page. This document, including all citations and your
bibliography must follow MLA format as specified in the MLA
Formatting and Style Guide (link provided below).
MLA Formatting Guide
How to begin
What is the societal problem identified in the text? What are the
contributing factors from different angles? How does the author
suggest solutions ?

10. How do your sources answer this question?
Writing Exercise: cubing
Consider your topic from 6 different angles – like the sides of a
cube.
1. Describe the topic
2. Associate it with a bigger context (ex. literary movements,
colonialism, oppression etc.)
3. Analyze it (break it into parts, ex. author’s tone, literary
techniques used, etc.)
4. Formulate a thesis statement
5. Argue for it. (develop a strong voice and be convincing and
compelling)
6. Answer the question: So what?
Thesis
A thesis statement is a single sentence that formulates both your
topic and your approach. In a sense, the thesis statement is
your answer to the central question or problem you have raised.
Writing this statement will enable you to see where you are
heading and to remain on a productive path as you plan and
write. In other words, the thesis statement is the controlling
idea around which you will frame your paper.
See Developing a Thesis or The Thesis Statement
Outline
Section 1: Introduce and explain topic. Include thesis
statement.
Section 2: Set the context

11. Section 3: Organize and discuss research findings (multiple
paragraphs with one main point in each paragraph) See
Paragraph Development
Section 4: Conclusions
*Works Consulted list in MLA or APA format
In-text citations
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a
"spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
in-text citations
Conclusions
When working on a major paper or project, students often give
the conclusion the least amount of thought and write it at the
last minute. Compelling conclusions are helpful and useful:
How will your conclusion reiterate, not just restate, your ideas?
What will you leave readers to think about? How will your
conclusion answer the ‘So what?’ question and serve as an
extension of your original ideas?
Helpful words. An author:
agrees analyzes argues asks asserts believes
claims comments concedes concludes confirms
considers contends declares demonstrates denies
describes discusses emphasizes estimates explains
findsgrants illustrates implies informs insists
maintains negates notes observes offers

12. points out recommends refutes remarks reports reveals
signals speculatessuggests
Helpful Words: transitions within paragraphs
I. Topic sentence of paragraph
II. Major details: first, second, third, equally important,
besides, furthermore, also, again, next, to begin with, as well
as, in addition to, more, even more, more than that, lastly,
finally
III. Minor details or explanations: For example, for instance,
that is to say, namely, just as, specifically, in other words, to be
sure, in the same manner, to be specific, such as, more clearly,
in fact
IV. Closing sentence: In conclusion, to conclude, to sum up,
for these reasons, in summary, finally, lastly
Proofread
5-minute Writing Exercise
Write the rest of the story:
The nurse left work at 5 o’clock….
NPR creative writing
See rubric in Assignment

13. No.
Research Paper Assignment
Due Wednesday, March 6
Note: for full assignment please see the powerpoint on Bb
titled “Research Paper Writing Workshop”
· Research question:
· Luisa Valenzuela’s “I’m Your Horse in the Night” and the
Argentine Dirty War
· Use books in the library and/or the library databases (in
particular JSTOR and the MLA International Bibliography) to
find 2 scholarly analyses of the work that you have chosen or of
the author’s writing in general, as well as historical
documentation regarding the societal context.
· Write a 3-page analysis that presents your findings. Your
paper should contain an introduction and a conclusion and must
quote from at least 2 scholarly sources (online sources will not
be accepted)
Parameters: Font Times 12, double-spaced. Begin at the top of
the first page. This document, including all citations and your
bibliography must follow MLA format as specified in the MLA
Formatting and Style Guide

14. What is the societal problem identified in the text? What are the
contributing factors from different angles? How does the
literary work present solutions?
How do your sources answer this question?
BA 205 - Term Research Assignment
Understanding the research process is critical in
communication. This assignment will allow you to show your
research ability, topic and research understanding, and
persuasive aptitude. You may complete this assignment on
your own or with one other student from the class. If you wish
to work with another student, it is up to you to pair
up as your instructor will not determine with whom you work.
There are two parts to this assignment: the research process
itself and the written understanding of the research.
This assignment is designed to help you understand how to find
research that is specific to your topic and is
persuasive (along with informative) in content.
Part 1 – Topic Identification / Audience Analysis
This part is about identifying a topic and considering the
audience; it consists of two steps.

15. First Step: Choose a topic from the list below. If you don’t see
a topic which interests you, you are welcome to
suggest an alternative topic to your instructor for approval.
Your goal is to persuade your audience to do one of
the following.
an unlimited vacation policy
agency
-reimbursement program
rtified B Corp
population
or other energy type)

16. -user restrooms in their facility
-parental leave policy
support) a specific product or products that
support a particular agenda
Second Step: Identify the following three items.
1. Who is your audience? Who are you persuading in your
assignment? (This must be a business,
government agency, or non-profit entity.) Identify the actual
decision makers from your audience, by
name and title. This cannot be a fictitious audience, it must be
existing and researchable.
2. Who are you representing? To be able to persuade you have
to be representing a known entity (business,
government agency, or non-profit entity).
3. What specifically are you persuading them to do? What do
you want the audience to do when you have
successfully presented your argument? What is the audience’s
next step if and when they are persuaded?
Once you have completed these two steps, you are prepared to
complete written Assignment 2; additional

17. assignment details are on D2L.
Part 2 – Research
This part is about finding and understanding the research on
your chosen topic.
Gather Research
Now that you know your topic, audience, and persuasive goal
you need to find research that can be used to back
up your claim and persuade your audience. You must find at
least 6 articles (not books) that can be used to back
up your persuasive argument. Of these 6 articles at least 3
MUST be from peer-reviewed academic journals.
To verify these articles are from peer-reviewed journals, please
verify using Ulrichs International Periodicals
Directory. Ulrichs’ can be found online through the PSU
Library. Go to www.pdx.edu, click on “Library”, click
on “Databases & Articles”, and then click on “U” in the
alphabet presented to get to Ulrichs’. To verify the
journal is peer-reviewed, type the name of the journal in the
search bar and hit enter. When the journal comes up,
if there is a striped referee shirt to the left of the journal listing,

18. then the journal is peer-reviewed. If there is no
striped referee shirt, then the journal is NOT peer-reviewed.
Part 3 – Written Understanding / Persuasive Discussion
Annotated Bibliography
Once you have found the 6 articles (with at least 3 peer-
reviewed) your job is to read all the articles and
understand the content well enough to write an annotated
bibliography. Information on how to write and produce
an annotated bibliography will be given in a separate document
and discussed in class. This annotated
bibliography will be 2-3 pages in length and will be typed
single space, using 11 point Times New Roman font.
A copy or “picture” of the journal showing that it is peer-
reviewed (as shown in Ulrich’s) is required to be pasted
under each annotated bibliography that is from a peer-reviewed
journal. This can be done by using the “CTRL”
“PrtScn” command on your computer (hold Ctrl down and tap
PrtScn) and then copying that picture into Paint (or
another similar software). Then cut the picture so only the one

19. journal is shown on the page. Insert that picture
into your Word document at the end of the annotated
bibliography from that journal.
An example of what this will look like in your paper is below.
Persuasive Memo
This is the final part of the assignment. You have a strong
understanding of the persuasive goal, you have found
research to help persuade your audience, and now it is time to
prove you have the necessary information and
persuasive research to successfully persuade your audience.
Instead of writing a formal report to your audience
you will write a 1-2 page memo to your instructor outlining the
following.
audience?
se from each article to prove your
points?
http://www.pdx.edu/
The goal of this memo is to outline your research, ideas and

20. motives to show you can successfully persuade your
audience. Please make sure to write a strong memo outlining the
necessary information needed to persuade your
audience. You can refer to the annotated bibliography in the
memo as well.
You will turn the assignment in with the memo first and the
annotated bibliography second.