The Research Argument Essay

Networked Rhetoric: Winter 2013

The$Research$Argument$Essay$

Assignment:$$Overview$

This"assignment"asks"you"to"deliver"your"research"in"the"form"of"an"academic"research"paper"of"2800+"

words,"utilizing"at"least"12"sources,"with"a"balance"between"primary"and"secondary"research.""Both"the"

draft"and"the"revision"of"the"research"essay"should"be"prefaced"by"a"cover"memo."

Due:$$$

• Draft"#1"due:"Tuesday,"February"19,"by"9am""(post"to"the"Ning"–"no"print"out"needed)"

• Draft"#2"due:"Monday,"March"4,"by"the"start"of"class"(bring"3"copies"to"class"–"see"below)"

• Revision"due:"Monday,"March"11"by"class"–"hand"in"a"printout"and"also"upload"to"your"portfolio"

on"Ning.""

Paper$Format:$2800+"words;"1.5"spacing;"separate"title"page"including"name,"title,"and"date;"page"

numbers;"inQtext"citations"and"works"cited"in"MLA"form;"1”"margins;"visual"evidence"(as"appropriate)"

with"captions."

Submission$Format:$Electronic"posting"of"all"materials"to"your"student"portfolio"on"the"Ning"under"the"

thread"“Research"Argument”"as"they"are"due"(this"includes"title"pages,"reflective"memos,"abstracts,"

works"cited"as"they"are"due)."

Grading:$This"assignment"is"worth"35%"of"the"overall"class"grade.$

Recommended$Envision$reading:"Chapters"6"&"7""

Assignment$Goals:$"

This"assignment"has"three"interrelated"goals:"

1. To"ask"you"to"take"on"a"sophisticated"research"project,"working"with"both"primary"and"

secondary"sources,"on"a"subject"related"to"technology,"digital"culture,"and/or"online"

communities."

2. To"encourage"you"to"develop"skills"in"delivering"complex"research"effectively"in"written"form."

3. To"help"you"develop"skills"in"presenting"a"powerful"and"articulate"argument"about"a"topic,"using"

evidence"to"substantiate"your"claims."

Detailed$Assignment$

All"PWR"2"students"are"required"to"complete"an"extended"piece"of"academically"rigorous"research"

writing,"designed"to"reinforce"the"skills"learned"in"PWR:"research"strategies;"deliberate"use"of"rhetoric;"

clear"and"forceful"argumentation."

Your"research"paper"should"include"an$argumentative$thesis"that"represents"your"own"claim"about"your"

topic.""This"thesis"should"be"supported"by"evidence"derived"from"both"primary"and"secondary"research."

You"should"utilize"at"least"12"sources"and,"as"applicable,"fieldwork"(interviews,"surveys,"etc.)"QQ"in"many"

cases,"you"will"find"it"necessary"to"utilize"more"than"12"sources"to"make"a"persuasive"argument.""Sources"

can"be"online"or"print"as"appropriate"to"your"topic,"but"be"sure"to"consider"the"ethos"and"credibility"of""

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Assignment: Overview This assignment asks you to deliver your research in the form of an academic research paper of 2800+ words, utilizing at least 12 sources, with a balance between primary and secondary research. Both the draft and the revision of the research essay should be prefaced by a cover memo. Due:

Draft #1 due: Tuesday, February 19, by 9am (post to the Ning – no print out needed)
Draft #2 due: Monday, March 4, by the start of class (bring 3 copies to class – see below)
Revision due: Monday, March 11 by class – hand in a printout and also upload to your portfolio on Ning. Paper Format: 28 00+ words; 1.5 spacing; separate title page including name, title, and date; page numbers; in-‐text citations and works cited in MLA form; 1” margins; visual evidence (as appropriate) with captions. Submission Format: Electronic posting of all materials to your student portfolio on the Ning under the thread “Research Argument” as they are due (this includes title pages, reflective memos, abstracts, works cited as they are due). Grading: This assignment is worth 35% of the overall class grade. Recommended Envision reading : Chapters 6 & 7 Assignment Goals: This assignment has three interrelated goals:

To ask you to take on a sophisticated research project, working with both primary and secondary sources, on a subject related to technology, digital culture, and/or online communities.
To encourage you to develop skills in delivering complex research effectively in written form.
To help you develop skills in presenting a powerful and articulate argument about a topic, using evidence to substantiate your claims. Detailed Assignment All PWR 2 students are required to complete an extended piece of academically rigorous research writing, designed to reinforce the skills learned in PWR: research strategies; deliberate use of rhetoric; clear and forceful argumentation. Your research paper should include an argumentative thesis that represents your own claim about your topic. This thesis should be supported by evidence derived from both primary and secondary research. You should utilize at least 1 2 sources and, as applicable, fieldwork (interviews, surveys, etc.) -‐-‐ in many cases, you will find it necessary to utilize more than 12 sources to make a persuasive argument. Sources can be online or print as appropriate to your topic, but be sure to consider the ethos and credibility of

the sources you choose. You should use the Stanford databases as part of your search strategy to help you find scholarly sources related to your topic. Source material should be cited appropriately, using MLA style for parenthetical documentation and your works cited. Note: consult with me if you’d prefer to use a documentation style more applicable to your intended major. THE DRAFTS: Details You will have the opportunity to revise your research paper during the process of writing it. Drafts are mandatory, but will not be graded. However, if a draft is not turned in or if it shows a lack of effort, the overall grade for the research paper will be reduced by one half a grade (from an A-‐ to an A-‐/B+). Your first draft is due Tuesday, February 19 by 9am This draft should be as complete and polished as you can make it at this time -‐-‐ though this will vary from student to student. Ideally, this version would be a fully developed draft. At the very least, you need a fully developed introduction with thesis statement; an expanded outline of your main body, over ½ of which is in prose form; and a developed conclusion. It is recommended, though not required, that you include any visual evidence, footnotes, and parenthetical documentation in your draft so that you can get feedback on these components of your argument. It is REQUIRED that you append your current working bibliography to your draft (note – this does not have to be in MLA form yet, though it will have to be in that form for the revision). Remember: the more complete this draft is, the better feedback you will receive. Post this draft to your Ning portfolio: no printout needed. Your second draft is due Monday, March 4 by class The level of revision of this draft is up to you; however, this draft should represent some revision from the first draft that you turned in on November 5. Ideally, it would be completely in prose form, without any outline remaining. It should also be headed by a title. It is recommended, though not required, that you include any visual evidence, footnotes, and parenthetical documentation in your draft so that you can get feedback on these components of your argument. The more polished it is, the more useful feedback you’ll receive to help you through your final revisions. Draft Cover Memo: Also include with this draft a prefatory memo (of at least 200 words) intended for your peer reviewers and for me that details how complete the draft is; what your goals are for further revision and research; what in particular you’d like your peer reviewers to focus on as they read your essay. This should be stapled ON THE FRONT OF your draft and also included on the Ning Thread where you post your electronic version. Upload Draft #2 to your Ning portfolio (in a separate thread from Draft #1) and bring 3 print outs to class. FINAL REVISION: The Details Your final revision is due Monday, March 11, at class. If you're feeling a little shaky about what constitutes plagiarism or appropriate use of sources, you should visit the Research exercises at Diana Hacker's Bedford Handbook site (click on “Go To Site”, then Research Exercises, then click on MLA) and run through exercises 5 4 -‐ 1 and 54-‐2. You might also look at 54-‐ 3. (Note: you do not need to log in to complete these exercises – click “cancel” if prompted to log in.)

points as a written memo (i.e., don’t just hit record and start to babble – have a plan, a main point, and develop your ideas using specific language and example). The tone may be informal – as if you were talking to me in my office. You can either upload this to coursework, to your Ning student portfolio (if the file size isn’t too big), or to a private YouTube site; alternately, you could burn it on a disk and hand it in with your paper. If you are handing in an audio/video cover memo, you must send me an e-‐mail to let me know this and also to tell me how you will deliver it. Evaluation Criteria In brief, research papers are graded according to the following criteria:

TOPIC: Interesting, nuanced; not clichéd or banal; appropriate for the assignment objectives and class theme
TITLE: Catchy, well-‐written title that gives the reader a sense of topic and argument
THESIS STATEMENT: Clear, precise, and well-‐defined; sophisticated in both statement and insight, connecting to a larger issue
ARGUMENT: Underlying argument developed in the essay matches thesis statement; essay delivers on the “promise” of the thesis; avoids tangents and digressions; author’s argument is clear and sophisticated; it is showcased and drives the essay (rather than evidence driving the essay)
INTRODUCTION: Shows attention to audience and hooking the reader; clearly establishes topic and argument
BACKGROUND & DEFINITION : Provides effective background or theoretical framework to support the central argument; fully utilizes theoretical framework; defines important terms at the appropriate place
CONCLUSION: Ties the paper together; resists relying exclusively on summary; demonstrates attention to crafting of language; works in conjunction with intro to bookend the argument
EVIDENCE: Strong, effective use of specific forms of evidence to support the argument; uses both primary and secondary evidence. Synthesizes multiple arguments from different types of sources appropriate to topic – strong sense of the conversation about the topic & evidence of rigorous research
EVIDENCE-‐ INTEGRATION & ANALYSIS: Effective use of summary, paraphrase, and direct quotations to support claims; polished use of signal phrases and attributions; consistently and effectively comments on, adds to, qualifies, and critiques source material
EVIDENCE – ETHICAL USE: Ethical use of source material; provides context and appropriate citation/documentation
VISUAL EVIDENCE: If uses visuals, uses as evidence to support argument rather than as decoration; includes image source citations after works cited/bibliography
STRUCTURE – COHERENCE & FLUIDITY: Well-‐constructed, purposeful coherent structure; arrangement of paragraphs leads the reader through argument effectively; good sense of forward momentum

STRUCTURE – COHESIVE/COHERENT PARAGRAPHS: Each paragraph has a coherent, cohesive purpose
TRANSITIONS: Fluid transitions between paragraphs and ideas; demonstrates conceptual relationship between paragraphs/ideas; develops, reinforces or builds on central claim; if uses subheads, uses them in conjunction with transitions rather than instead of and creates rhetorical, interesting subheads
ETHOS: Clearly establishes the ethos of the author as a writer and researcher
STYLE: Clear, consistent, and engaging; appropriate to topic and audience; avoids bias
CRAFTING: Shows attention to crafting language and structure through word choice, sentence structure, rhythm, voice, pacing, and effective use of rhetorical appeals and strategies of development
DESIGN & DELIVERY: Attention to aesthetics of design
CORRECTNESS: Demonstrates mastery of appropriate conventions of academic discourse, format, grammar, punctuation, source citation, and language usage Please note: If you do not turn in the drafts for your essay, your overall grade for the RBA will be taken down half a grade (i.e. from an A-‐ to a B+/A-‐) for each missing draft. Papers that are late without an approved extension will receive a grade deduction for each day that they are late (from an A-‐ to a B+). For a more comprehensive description of the grading criteria, please re-‐visit the PWR Policies link and scroll down to "Evaluation Criteria." This assignment is worth 35% of your overall grade for the class. Further Resources There ways you can find extra help in writing up your research into an essay:
Look at the sample essays linked through the Ning or at the Boothe Prize winning essays for examples of outstanding researched arguments.
Make an appointment to consult with a tutor in the Writing Center (http://sututor.stanford.edu). Consult with Christine or check our website for recommended tutors.
Look at Envision for tips on writing research arguments (chapter 6), designing documents (chapter 8) and incorporating accurate documentation style (chapter 7).
Contact me if you have any questions at [email protected] or through Twitter @christinepwr

The Research Argument Essay, Lecture notes of Rhetoric

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The Research Argument Essay