Major Research Paper

 

Overview and Process

 

The purpose of this research assignment is to synthesize the research you have completed with your own ideas to produce an academic research essay suited to the academic context you identified in your topic proposal and your research bibliography. This assignment will also ask you to synthesize all of the skills we have learned in They Say, I Say. 

 

The last step of a traditional research project is the written academic research essay. The genre of the academic research essay largely depends on your audience, discipline, and context. For instance, in biology, the result of an experiment is a published journal-style report. In psychology, you might produce case studies, a literature review, or the results of a study. In many disciplines, academics present conference papers or poster presentations. You will be assigned many academic research essays in your college career of varying lengths and academic styles.

 

For the academic research essay in this class, you will generate the “answer” to the research question you posed in your Topic Proposal by advancing a thesis statement that is supported by credible evidence (your research). You will choose from the sources you closely evaluated for the library activity and bibliography to advance your thesis in the essay. Your essay should have an original title.

Options for Research Paper

 

Option A                                                   Option B

1 Book

                                                                  1 Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

1 Additional Source of your choice

1 Peer-Reviewed Journal Article

                                                                       1 .gov, .edu, .org source/publication

                                                                         1 Additional Source of Your Choice

Assignment Rubric

 

A research essay that “Achieves Excellence” will be distinguished in the following criteria:

•  
• The writer demonstrates an understanding of the academic for the assignment, including paying attention to the rhetorical norms of his or her specific academic audience (Chapters 1-end).
•  
• The writer advances a thesis based on research and critical analysis (Chapters 4-
• 10).
•  
• The writer’s thesis statement is advanced throughout the essay based on evidence from the writer’s sources. (Ch. 4-10)
•  
• The writer appropriately uses sources to advance his or her thesis statement (Chapters 1-10).
•  
• The writer appropriately uses summary, paraphrase, and/or direct quotation (Chapters 1-3).
•  
• The writer meets the Standards for Effective Composition (clarity, logic, accuracy, etc).
•  
• The essay is 1500-2000 words.
•  
• The writer adheres to MLA style for in-text citations.
•  
• The writer demonstrates sound document design in MLA format and has an original title.
•  
• The writer has a Works Cited page in MLA format.

Rubric

 

Final Research Essay

                                                Final Research Essay

CriteriaRatingsPts

 

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCommunicate: Students must demonstrate the ability to organize, compose, revise, and edit essays with clear thesis statements, coherent, unified paragraphs, and varied sentence structures and lengths.

threshold: 3.0 pts

5 achieves Excellence

4 pts Exceeds Expectations

3 pts Meets Expectations

2 pts Needs Work

1 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

5 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCommunicate: Students will understand how purpose, audience, context, and medium/mode shape processes of reading and composition, as well as the rhetorical situation.

threshold: 3.0 pts

 

5 pts Achieves Excellence

4 pts Exceeds Expectations

3 pts Meets Expectations

2 pts Needs Work

1 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

5 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCommunicate: Students compose through multiple drafts in order to revise their writing, rhetoric, and ideas through feedback, as well as use drafting and revision as a means of inquiry.

threshold: 3.0 pts

 

5 pts Achieves Excellence

4 pts Exceeds Expectations

3 pts Meets Expectations

2 pts Needs Work

1 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

5 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeCommunicate: Students must demonstrate the ability to compose in a variety of rhetorical modes and genres at the college level.

threshold: 3.0 pts

5 pts Achieves Excellence

3 pts Meets Expectations

2 pts Needs Work

1 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

0 pts Exceeds Expectations

5 pts

 

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeResearch: Locate, analyze, and evaluate primary and/or secondary sources in a variety of modes (print, digital, visual, oral, etc.) in order to conduct academic research.

threshold: 3.0 pts

5 pts Achieves Excellence

4 pts Exceeds Expectations

3 pts Meets Expectations

2 pts Needs Work

1 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

5 pts

 

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeResearch: Students must incorporate research into their own writing using summary, paraphrase, and direct quotation by composing academic research assignments.

threshold: 3.0 pts

5 pts Achieves Excellence

4 pts Exceeds Expectations

3 pts Meets Expectations

2 pts Needs Work

1 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

 

5 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeResearch: Students will learn how to cite sources appropriately and avoid plagiarism in academic research and 

writing.

threshold: 3.0 pts

5 pts Achieves Excellence

4 pts Exceeds Expectations

3 pts Meets Expectations

2 pts Needs Work

1 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

 

5 pts

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe writer has implemented and synthesized the methods from _They Say, I Say_ in order to compose effective academic essays.

15 pts Achieves Excellence

13 pts Exceeds Expectations

10 pts Meets Expectations

8 pts Needs Work

0 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

15 pts

 

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe writer integrates appropriate sources using summary, paraphrase, and direct quotation using the methods from _They Say, I Say_.

15 pts Achieves Excellence

13 pts Exceeds Expectations

10 pts Meets Expectations

8 pts Needs Work

0 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

15 pts

 

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe writer effectively uses MLA formatting for document design, in-text citations and the Works Cited page. The writer has an original title.

15 pts Achieves Excellence

13 pts Exceeds Expectations

10 pts Meets Expectations

8 pts Needs Work

0 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

15 pts

 

This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeThe writer meets the “Cheat Sheet” standards for effective composition (clarity, accuracy, logic, relevance, precision, significance, fairness).

 

20 pts Achieves Excellence

17 pts Exceeds Expectations

15 pts Meets Expectations

10 pts Needs Work

0 pts Does Not Meet Expectations

20 pts