FYS 199-15 Good News - Clark - Fall 2024: Home

For both the Short Writing Assignment #3 and Major Essay #2, you need to choose a, "...topic that is debatable or that invites more than one perspective...".

Choosing a topic can be the hardest part of the research process. Make sure you give yourself enough time to think about ideas you have for a topic and then do some preliminary searching to get a feel for what is available. Watch this video for a good example on how searching can help you move from a general idea to a more refined research topic. 

Your assignments:

• SWA #11 (November 8th): This short writing assignment seeks to hold students accountable for beginning their research early and outlining where they think their argument is headed. To that end, you are required to have placed at least one interlibrary loan order by this date and to have examined at least two other essays/articles that appear useful in supporting your claims. With the understanding that you’re still in the early stages of this research, this assignment also asks you to briefly sketch out your argument in one or two paragraphs. What do you think you’re going to be attempting to prove?
• SWA #12 (November 26th): This assignment is your research report in which you will be summarizing the evidence you have mined from your research. By this point, you should have gathered at least five quality sources (including your interlibrary loan) and you should have reviewed them thoroughly, identifying the specific evidence you plan to use in support of your argument. Note, at least one of these sources should represent the opinions (and evidence) or your opponents. You need to know exactly what the other side says in order to prove them wrong.

Research is more than just searching for an answer and reporting that answer. For this kind of project, it's an iterative process of asking questions, understanding how others have approached similar questions, and eventually drawing your own conclusions on what you believe the answer to be. If this feels overwhelming, don't be afraid to ask for help at any point during the process!