The Research Essay Assignment

For your class research paper, your topic will come from one of the selected figures from history, philosophy, literature, and other significant areas of intellectual history that I have prepared for you (you’ll find these in Step #1 below). These figures range from Ancient (such as Plato and Aristotle) to more modern (such as Flannery O’Connor and Stephen Hawking).

Firstly, let’s make sure you understand what this research paper is not. You will not write biographies of these figures nor will you write a book report on one of their writings. Make sure you understand that from the outset.

This research paper is a thesis-based, argumentative-focused project. You will select one significant piece of writing from the figures I have provided and write a persuasive research paper on that writing (an exception might be if you write on, say, a poet like Emily Dickinson, where you would use selected poems for your project). So for example, you could select Plato and write on some topic that relates to “The Republic” (such as “The Allegory of the Cave”) or you could choose Karl Marx and write a critique of one of his ideas from “The Communist Manifesto.” You could write on Adam Smith’s “Wealth of Nations” or Albert Camus’s “The Stranger.” There are a host of options – literally hundreds.

Again, though, you will not write a paper where you summarize a work. That is a sure fire path to failing the paper (and likely receiving a zero). You will also not write an encylopedia-like article on your chosen figure. You will need to do some significant reading and research to find a topic based on something one of these men and women have written. I’ve provided a preliminary list of some suggestions, but you are welcome to find your own selection. However, your topic must come from the list of figures that I’ve provided. That is non-negotiable.

Requirements:

The final draft of your paper should contain the following minimum requirements:

1,500 words. This is exclusive of the works cited page.

A minimum of 5 sources (not counting your chosen work), which should be at least three scholarly articles (peer-reviewed articles, not web pages), one book, and one quality web page (e.g., a .edu site). You may use four scholarly articles instead of a web site if you wish.

Use MLA documentation for all source usage. You will use your research in a variety of ways. You may use direct quotations, paraphrase, or summarize the sources. Please see the “Source Usage” section below. 

Use MLA format for the document design as well. Make sure that you format the first page properly. Ensure that your last name and page number are in the header on every page.

Have a focused argumentative thesis that comes from your close reading of your chosen text. Do not summarize or offer a book report. 

Your paper should be focused on the work that you’re writing upon. The research should support your argument.

Edited with care. Avoid serious errors like comma splices, sentence fragments, run-on sentences, faulty possessives, and misused words.

The Big Picture: What This Paper Is and Is Not

As you’re working on your papers, I think it’s important to have a sense of the “big picture,” what this paper involves and what should be avoided.Remember from the outset that this isn’t a book report. You don’t just tell me about a particular work. You don’t summarize it. It’s also not a collection of random thoughts about the subject matter related to your chosen work. It is focused on the reading you’ve chosen. You need to stay engaged with the primary reading. And as a reminder, you do need the work or works you’re writing on. That should be a given at this point.

Your paper needs to have a main idea. That’s really what a thesis is – a main idea about the work that you’re writing on. It is not an obvious point, but something that you’re trying to argue for or against, a particular interpretation or particular anaysis. 

You will use your research to help support your main point; however, the reseach does not do the “heavy lifting.” Using your sources is not a substitute for careful reading and reflection on your chosen work.