Is it ethical to use pesticides in agriculture and should we consider switching to organic farming methods instead?

OVERVIEW

The words “documented research paper” have been known to produce severe anxiety among students. Try to relax. A “documented research paper” simply utilizes the skills we’ve been discussing to this point in the course; the only difference is that it adds the use of documented source material to support, illustrate, or explain your ideas. Documented research papers call for introduction paragraphs that lead into presentation of thesis statements, logical sequences of paragraphs, well-developed supporting evidence, smooth conclusions – in other words, all of those skills we’ve been discussing and you’ve been practicing all semester. By citing sources in your essays, you merely show readers that you have investigated your ideas and found support for them, critically examining a variety of perspectives on your topic, and, in the process, bolstering your ethos. In addition, using sources affords your readers the opportunity to study your topic further if they so desire, following your cited references as a guide to additional information. 

For this assignment, think about a topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem derived from the assigned course readings and your own research you would like to write about. Although the assigned readings often contain similar points, use your imaginations as to how they might relate to a topic that is something personally important to you. The next step is to identify a specific topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem within the subject area. If that seems daunting, remember that you’ve already narrowed things considerably — by selecting certain sources while constructing your research trail.

In order to identify a specific topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem to write about try these strategies:

• Simply give it a bit more thought. The answer might be right there at the front of your brain. Take a look at the visual at the top of your Canvas homepage: does it spark an interest?
• Do some additional light research. Read through database articles, online publications, or websites devoted to the topic to see what kinds of things people are talking about. That might give you potential sources, in addition to an idea.
• Talk to someone personally affected. For example, if you wanted to write your paper about the dangers of increased occurrence of severe weather events due to climate change, do you know anyone who may be able to speak to that authoritatively (Ellicott City survivor/resident/business owner, or perhaps a scientist)?

Choose a topic within the bounds of the assignment that’s genuinely meaningful to you if possible— preferably one where you have some “skin in the game.” 

Once you have defined a specific topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem (and feel free to run it by me), the next step is to construct a realistic rhetorical situation. First, you must identify an  audience. The operative question is:

• Who would care about this topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem?

In most cases, the answer to that question will lead to a very specific audience. Although we should all care about climate and food justice, depending on your specific topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem, some will be more invested or impacted than others.

Hand in hand with audience goes the concept of the writer’s role — essentially: Who are you as the writer of this paper?

In real life, most people don’t write long(ish), thoroughly researched essays. When they do write a report or white paper, it’s because it’s part of their job. So, for example, who would produce a document about climate and/or food justice? Maybe a government administrator, someone who works for a non-profit, or a person directly affected by a climate event. Those are all realistic roles.

For the purposes of this assignment, you must identify a realistic audience and adopt a realistic role. Your research and writing should establish the role convincingly. And we all have a role in most any topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem you’ve come up with if we are, truly, “all in this together.”

• Regardless of the role you choose, keep in mind that this essay is written for an academic audience.

Understand that none of that “role-playing” appears in the research paper itself. I’m trying to foster a frame of mind, a way of thinking. Just as I consciously think about my boss when I email her, I want you to consciously think about the audience you’ve identified. I do, however, want you to seriously consider the specific topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem you intend to tackle in your research paper, and spell out, in your mind, the rhetorical situation you’ve constructed, including the intended audience, your purpose, and the role you’ve assumed as writer.

It’s okay to include a visual argument in your work. This might be an image or chart that furthers the written text or be something like a small info-graphic. Be sure that your visual advances your rhetorical purpose. If you include one, it MUST be cited, but it DOES NOT count toward the minimum source requirements listed below nor your page number count.

BASIC EXPECTATIONS

Here is a set of criteria that breaks down the assignment in more detail and that will serve as the grading criteria for the final product you will produce for this unit:

• Clearly articulate your topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem as derived from the assigned course readings and your own research in a clear central thesis (see Guidelines for Writing a Good Thesis Statement)
• Maintain a clear purpose for writing that grows out of your chosen topic/issue/challenge/concern/problem
• Make strategic composing decisions in response to a real, existing audience 
• Provide relevant background information or history of the issue that sets the theme in context
• Provide definitions of key terms as necessary
• Introduce, summarize, and otherwise integrate sources effectively and ethically, through paraphrase and direct quotation, while providing insight into and breakdowns of their arguments
• Critically engage sources’ perspectives through interpretation, analysis, and critique in service of making a logical, well-supported argument that contributes to the conversation taking place around your topic
• Use a minimum of four (4), maximum of eight (8) sources to include at least one of the provided sources from Project 1, and at least three of your own sources. At least one of your own sources should be a scholarly (i.e. peer-reviewed) source from HCC’s Databases or Google Scholar
• Meet academic expectations for clarity, cohesion, organization, paragraph structure, grammar, and mechanics
• Properly cite sources—both in-text and through an accompanying Works Cited page—in accordance with MLA Style guidelines (Note that 25% of the grade for this project will be based on your effective use of MLA Format and Citation conventions)
• Achieve a length of between 1500 and 2400 words (6-8 pages, not including Works Cited)