essay- research

Description

Please carefully read the purpose of the assignment, instructions, and criteria for success below before submitting your assignment.

Two-Sentence Summary

This assignment asks you to identify a peer-reviewed, scholarly resource using the criteria from the module. It should contain no fewer than 650 words in the body, should be in MLA format, and should cite specific evaluation-based criteria from the course content.

Purpose

The purpose of this assignment is to facilitate and measure a student’s understanding of academic research.

English 112 seeks to teach you how to do serious academic research in your subject area. As the module materials show, this is accomplished by doing research. It is worth repeating over and over: Students sometimes complain that English 112 has more research than writing. That is precisely what the course is about, so assigning research is a part of your learning experience!

With this in mind, your first essay in the class requires you to find a peer-reviewed, scholarly resource in your field of study. This must be one that you find on your own, not one you pull from another class (using materials from another class will result in a zero). We emphasize this because if you merely recycle scholarly resources from another course, you are not learning how to find them on your own.

Skills

Computer skills, including the use of Canvas
Netiquette
Critical thinking and reflection
Formal Tone in written assignments (see Quick Guide to Formal Writing)
Research skills using scholarly sources (see the video on Navigating Scholarly Sources)
Knowledge

Canvas LMS (learning management system)
MLA Formatting
Finding and using scholarly (peer-reviewed) sources
Basic understanding of research and interpretation of researched information
Ability to read the information available on a selected topic and determine its academic worthiness by determining its level of objectivity and purpose for publication
Ability to develop a clear purpose and to develop analysis to link the researched information to the paper’s purpose
Instructions

Read Module 2.0 and pages 1-52 in They Say, I Say.
Watch the Scholarly vs. Popular Research video (at the top of this page).
Review the Navigating Scholarly Sources video.
Review the sample essay in the 2.0 module.
Locate a peer-reviewed, scholarly resource in your field of study. Be sure to find this resource on your own and do not pull it from another class (using materials from another class will result in a zero).
Read your selected resource to gain an understanding of its contents.
Using points from the image on the right (copied from this page in the module), identify specific criteria to argue that this article is peer-reviewed.A chart that shows the difference between scholarly and popular sources.
Open a Microsoft Word or Google Doc. Format the page in MLA format with page numbers (LastName 1), double space, a heading (Your Name, Instructor Name, Course Name, Date), Font (Times New Roman, 12-point), and a title centered on the page.
As you develop your argument, you may use “I” since you are at least in part using your own experiences with research to argue your case. You may only use ‘think’ instead of ‘feel’ or ‘believe’, e.g. – “I think this article is a peer-reviewed, scholarly resource because…” For a refresher on why this is important, recall this information on argumentation from English 111. (Links to an external site.)
Make note of elements of the content of the work that can be used in your argument as well. You must argue from the specific characteristics of the article to communicate a clear understanding of the elements of a scholarly resource.
Clearly include in-text citations in MLA format any time you paraphrase or quote from your source material.
Write a clear and specific thesis statement for your argument that will be included in your introduction and conclusion.
Write at least 650 words for this work. For every 25 words you are under the word count, 5 points will be deducted. Example: 649 words will result in -5; 624 words will result in -10; etc.
Once you are finished with your content, insert a page break. Title the next page Works Cited.
Cite your source(s) used in the essay in MLA 8 format.
Proofread, edit, and revise your document using the essay checklist. Try to give yourself some time between finishing and proofreading your work. You may also find it beneficial to read your paper out loud. Be sure to search for the following common errors:
Second person pronouns (‘you’)
Missing commas
Contractions
Run-ons
Fragments
Comma splices
Save your work as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf.
Upload your document to this assignment page.
Press the submit button.
Feedback

To learn how to access your feedback on this assignment, see this resource.

Criteria for Success:

You will be graded on the rubric attached below:

Rubric
3.1 Essay Rubric
3.1 Essay Rubric
Criteria Ratings Pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Essay Is in MLA 2016
The essay has been formatted to 2016 rules. This is judged based on the information on the first page, the information in the header, the spacing, the indentations, the margins, the title, the typographical features, the in-text citations, and the font size.
15.0 to >8.0 pts
Full Marks
The essay is formatted to the required standards and there are no mistakes.
8.0 to >0.0 pts
Partial Credit
The essay is in the required 2016 rules, but some (2-3) of the items for this category are wrong.
0.0 pts
No Marks
The essay is not formatted to the required standards or has too many mistakes in the required formatting.
15.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Works Cited Is in MLA 2016
The works cited page has been formatted to MLA 2016 guidelines.
10.0 to >5.0 pts
Full Marks
The works cited is formatted to the required standards and there are no mistakes.
5.0 to >0.0 pts
Partial Credit
The works cited is in the required 2016 rules, but some (1-2) of the items for this category are wrong.
0.0 pts
No Marks
The works cited is not formatted to the required standards or has too many mistakes in the required formatting.
10.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Proper Spelling and Grammar
The student has used proper spelling and grammar for a formal college essay. The student has carefully edited the work.
15.0 to >10.0 pts
Full Marks
The student’s work lacks any (or has only very minor) spelling and grammatical mistakes.
10.0 to >0.0 pts
Partial Credit
The student’s work has some spelling and grammatical mistakes. Points will be deducted based on frequency of mistakes and lack of attention to detail, i.e. – ‘eaxmple’ in place of the word’example’ will receive more points off since this shows a lack of care in crafting the essay.
0.0 pts
No Marks
The student’s work has multiple and frequent spelling and grammar mistakes.
15.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Introduction and Conclusion
The student’s work has a clear introduction and conclusion that are formal in tone and that properly demonstrate to the reader the purpose of the essay. The reader is NOT assumed to be the instructor but is instead a general readership.
20.0 to >15.0 pts
Full Marks
The student’s work has a proper introduction and conclusion as taught in English 111 and as reviewed in an earlier module.
15.0 to >0.0 pts
Partial Credit
The student’s work has an introduction and conclusion, but some parts of these items are missing (such as a thesis) or incorrect (such as content in the introduction or conclusion instead of a mere introduction/conclusion).
0.0 pts
No Marks
There is no evidence of a proper introduction and/or conclusion. If one or both is missing, the instructor may deduct from the entire category rather than rewarding partial credit.
20.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Content
The student has read the article and uses its overall characteristics to argue for its peer-reviewed, scholarly nature.
40.0 to >25.0 pts
Full Marks
The student uses specific illustrations to build his/her case. Most importantly, those illustrations show that the student has read the article and recognizes content in it that is peer-reviewed and scholarly in nature. The student uses quotes from the article to build his/her case.
25.0 to >0.0 pts
Partial Credit
The student’s work does not use specific illustrations from the chosen article and/or uses ‘This article is scholarly because I sorted for scholarly resources in my search criteria’ to justify the selection.
0.0 pts
No Marks
The student does not use proper logic to justify the choice. No points will be awarded in this category for an article that is not peer-reviewed and scholarly.
40.0 pts
Total Points: 100.0
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