Research Paper Assignment Desciption

Assignment Description:

Over the course of this quad, we will systematically build a 12-page argument, in which you will:  

• identify and describe a problem of interest to your major and/or career path,
• analyze its causes and its consequences,
• argue for solution(s) that people in your field can use to resolve or address the problem
• refute your critics, their concerns and questions.

This is NOT a should-we/should-we-not abstract argument on a general issue like abortion, the death penalty, gay marriage, or the environment.

This is a problem à solution argument, in which you need to: 

• address a chronic or significant problem that people in your field face

• respond with solutions that exist, as Covey would say, “within your sphere of influence”.
• In other words, the solutions that you propose need to be realistically usable or implementable by you or your peers, requiring your input, involvement, and interaction.

• Arguments that propose solutions that require others—especially those removed from you—to do something will not work. In other words, avoid proposing solutions like:
• Congress passing a law
• an entire culture (like education, government, business, etc.) changing
• government or management simply funding new programs to solve the problem. 

These things very well may be part of an effective solution. But in most cases, you cannot make them happen on your own. And they may never happen. And so . . . what? Are we just to sit on our hands, helplessly, because government, management, or society didn’t solve this problem for us? No. Instead, you need to identify things that YOU in YOUR position could put into effect to begin making a difference where YOU can.

• avoid status quo arguments, in which you simply argue for what is generally already agreed upon.

• include a clearly stated thesis statement—that expresses your proposed SOLUTION to the problem that you have chosen—located in a three-paragraph introduction

• prove that your thesis is the most effective, efficient, ethical, and/or ideal solution to the issue through the use of reasons, evidence, and refutation.

• Support your position by synthesizing 8 SOURCES that defend and explain your position.
• At least 4 of your sources must be SCHOLARLY.
• At least 2 of your sources must be TRADE.
• At least 2 of your sources can be anything else, but must be vetted for high academic or professional credibility.

Audience:

Write for peers in your major or career—who are not necessarily the people in this class or your professor. Within the constraints of this assignment, your peers are the people who work in your particular field, related industries, and/or who would otherwise be interested in or have to deal with your chosen problem. The best way to approach any audience in an argument is to assume that they: 

• know little about the problem; perhaps they are new to the industry or to the problem
• disagree with you as to how ideal your proposed solutions are.

Purpose:

Act as an expert consultant for your peers—sharing what you have learned from research and experience—as to the causes, consequences, and preferred solutions to resolving your chosen problem. Your job is to teach your industry one valuable technique or remedy to this problem by: 

• explaining the problem,
• analyzing costs and consequences of the problem,
• providing solutions within your sphere of influence to deal with (if not resolve) the problem,
• refuting your position against critics

Note:  Don’t get stymied by your mandate to “act as an expert consultant”. As you are just beginning to study your major area of interest, it’s unlikely that you revolutionize your field in this one research paper. In addition, many of the serious problems that an industry faces are chronic problems that will never be solved, but must be managed. Instead, think of your purpose in this paper as making a contribution to your field. Better yet, think of your purpose as developing one tool or strategy that you and the peers you share this with can use to strengthen your own practice in the field.

Page Length:

Craft a 12-page argument. While this may sound like a terrifyingly large number of pages to write, consider how they break down:

• Page 0:        Cover Page
• Page 1:        Abstract
• Page 2:     3-Paragraph Introduction
• Page 3-5:     Defining the Problem and Analysis of Cause
• Page 5-7:     Analyzing Consequences
• Page 7-10:   Arguing for Solutions
• Page 11:      Conclusion
• Page 12:      References

While these numbers are approximations and not an exact science, think about how conceptualizing your writing into manageable chunks like these eases the writing process. In other words, TWELVE pages might feel mighty daunting. But it’s not so daunting to write a 1-page introduction or just 2 pages in which you analyze what causes the problem that you are examining.

Outside Sources:

Most of the paper should be comprised of your own ideas, expressed in your own words. Use your 8 outside sources to support your position or as part of your refutation—not to speak for you. Ideally, your sources should provide research, evidence, and data that supports your position or refutes your opposition. Avoid “mushy” sources that simply echo what you have already said.  

• At least 4 of your 8 sources must be SCHOLARLY.
• At least 2 of your 8 sources must be TRADE.
• At least 2 of your 8 sources can be anything else, but must be vetted for high academic or professional credibility.

Finally, any outside sources used for support or refutation need to be appropriately incorporated and documented according APA guidelines.