This document provides instructions for an exploratory paper assignment requiring students to research a topic using 4 sources, at least 2 of which must be scholarly. The paper must provide an overview of each source, summarizing the author, title, format, topic, and main argument. It must also explain how each source presents a different opinion on the research topic and how the sources agree or disagree. The paper should be a minimum of 3 pages following MLA format and include a works cited page and at least 3 quotations. Sample thesis statements are provided as examples.

1. Exploratory Paper Assignment
Word Count = 1250 The Exploratory Paper is also known as a review of criticism or a
review of research. The purpose of a review of criticism or research is to establish for
readers the current trends in thought surrounding a topic and to provide brief summaries
of current research on that topic. This type of review may appear as articles within journals
or magazines to update readers interested in the current research on a topic. Alternatively,
a review may appear as a section within a research paper to show that the writer has done a
sufficient amount of research on their topic and therefore has the authority to make an
argument on this topic. Skills Utilized: • Research Methods • MLA Citation/Formatting •
Quotation/paraphrase/summary • Synthesis of resources • Critical reading and thinking
Assignment: For this assignment, you will use library resources to research and locate 4
sources on one topic. At least 2 of these sources must be scholarly, peer-reviewed texts
(journal article, chapter from a book, article from a book, or book). Otherwise, you may
choose from a variety of sources: newspaper articles, documentaries, interviews, movies,
podcasts, etc. These sources may be popular or scholarly but should be both relevant and
reliable. Research should be geared towards providing different perspectives on your
research topic; this means research should aim to find sources that all provide different
answers to a research question on your chosen research topic. Sources should be
read/viewed in their entirety. You will then use these 4 sources to create an essay, which
explores the connections and conflicts between these sources. The goal of this assignment is
to describe the current critical understandings surrounding your research topic and
establish the contexts into which you will be introducing your own argument in a future
essay. Be sure to point to how resources agree with one another, but also address how they
disagree. Ultimately, the paper should provide an overview of each of your resources,
effectively conveying a small snapshot of the broad spectrum of current opinions on your
research topic. Research Topics: The only research topics not available for this assignment
are marijuana use, marijuana legalization, healthy college student lifestyle, paying college
student athletes, and politics. All other topics are available as a research topic to pursue. As
this is just the first step in a 3 assignment series dedicated to ultimately developing a well
written and informed research paper, it is recommended that you choose a research topic
that you are willing to pursue, develop, and refine. EN102 Spring 2019 Essay Basics: This
paper should not be argumentative but remain objective and neutral; you may begin to
articulate your own argument only in the conclusion. The essay should assume a general
audience; tone and voice, while objective and neutral, may be more casual. The thesis

2. statement should be non-argumentative, indicate the research topic, and give a brief
overview of the trend(s) in current opinions on the research topic. Each resource should be
introduced and accompanied by a 3-4 sentence summary (author, title, medium, topic, and
main argument or purpose). Each source should be followed by an explanation of how it
presents one opinion on the research topic and how it agrees or disagrees with other
resources within the essay. This essay should include at least 3 quotations and a Works
Cited page. The essay can include relevant images, web links, etc. This essay should be typed
in Times New Roman 12-pt font, double spaced, have 1” margins, and conform to MLA
format. The essay should be a minimum of 3 pages, each page, correctly formatted, being
comprised of 23 lines of text. Page count does not include Works Cited page, incorporated
images, charts, graphs, videos, etc. Sample Theses: An examination of the texts on music and
protest reveals a broad spectrum of understandings about how effective music can be as a
form of protest. On the positive end of the spectrum, music is an effective form of protest as
it can bring large audiences together around a central cause, and on the negative end, the
commerciality of popular music works against and weakens the message of the protest. This
review of articles, book chapters, and films addressing the Vietnam War and rock music
show that the impact of the Vietnam War on the rock music genre was significant. Each text
approaches the connection of the Vietnam War to the growth of the rock music industry
through a different perspective, but collectively these texts attribute the popularization of
rock music in the late 1960s to the advent of the war.#Exploratory #Paper #Assignment