Instructions/guidelines
Pick one of the three possible topics below to create a thesis-driven analytical research paper.
It must be;
- 9.5 to 10 pages (cover and ref. page don’t count in there)
- Thesis-driven
- 3rd-person
- Properly & fully-APA formatted
- Using 8 to 10 sources (recommended), 2/3 of which must be scholarly!
- Typed, double-spaced, size 12 font (using Calibri, Cambria, or Times New Roman font only), 1-inch margins
- Uploaded to BlackBoard as a .PDF file.
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Due Date(s)
Draft 1 (ungraded but must be turned in for me to accept draft 2) is due 7/6 for comments, feedback, and criticism. Late drafts can be turned in up to 7/21. It does not need APA formatting or to be the full page length.
Draft 2 (the final version!) is due by 4pm of 7/26. It must be APA, it must meet the page minimum.
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Here are the potential topics you have to pick to create your thesis for.
POSSIBLE TOPIC 1 –
“Immigrant food and the American experience”. So many “American” foods from spicy General Tso’s chicken to spaghetti and meatballs are rooted in immigrants. Write something related to the relationship that food has to immigration and marginalized communities, how we take things and make them American, or how we change things brought here to make them a part of America.
POSSIBLE TOPIC 2 –
“Data harvesting and usage, be it corporations or the government.” Ever feel like there’s more spam and junk mail and telemarketers than ever? Where are they getting all this info about you? You’re not alone. And if corporations get all sorts of data about you in sketchy ways to gather, sell, and monetize, think about the government (especially in a post-9/11/2001 Internet). Write about the impact and influence of that data taken from you, about you, and then used whether you want it or not.
POSSIBLE TOPIC 3 –
“Our obsession with true crime & ignorance of the costs.” More and more, true crime as a form of entertainment is in the forefront. Documentaries, podcasts, TV shows, and of course books have brought this genre to the forefront of culture for a lot of people, helping to bring light on things like cold cases, missing persons, injustices by law enforcement, and more. However, some people argue that the cost is too exploitative and often leaves victims, survivors, and their families behind. Write here about what you think.
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Here are a few “starting points” for perspectives to think about for each topic.