Research & Writing II Portfolio

ENGL250 — Research & Writing II Portfolio

Project Directions and Rubric

This Portfolio Project is worth 20% of your grade.

Completing this Assessment will help you to meet the following:

Course Outcomes

• Produce a minimum of one substantial research-based assignment that shows significant depth of thought. The student shall demonstrate the ability to pose a research question, investigate the question using information literacy skills, and articulate discoveries in an appropriate format.
• Analyze, evaluate, and synthesize research through various documentation approaches that include paraphrasing, summarizing, and directly quoting sources.

Institutional Outcome

Information Literacy and Communication – Utilize appropriate current technology and resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal, and then communicate findings in visual, written and/or oral formats.

Scenario

The process of researching a topic and then reporting on one’s findings is fundamental to what occurs within the higher education landscape and the workplace. Researchers work through a process-driven approach where they select a topic to research that is often controversial, researched infrequently, has not been studied in some time to confirm the accuracy of findings accepted as facts, or where the dynamics have changed in such a way that what once was accepted as a fact may no longer be the case.

Your audience for this assignment is your instructor. As such, make sure your language, style, and grammar is precise and evidences your revision and editing abilities. More specifically expressed, make sure your submission:

• Has one central point or theme with every part contributing to the main line of argument, without digressions or repetitions. Its objective is to persuade.
• Avoids colloquial words and expressions.
• Provides precise facts, figures, and qualitative evidence from reputable or fact checked sources.
• Is explicit in articulating your stance on the subject or the strength of the claims you are making.
• Is edited and revised effectively to address nearly all errors that might arise from the drafting process.

You are to format and document the assignment in APA format.

For this research assignment, you will:

1. Select from one of the following topics provided on your potential topic list, or you may propose a topic of your own.
2. Create a thesis statement that is persuasive, arguable, and well-defined.
3. Create two to four research questions that will allow you to prove the thesis statement provided.
4. Perform a Literature Review in which you explore the various current and past perspectives on the topic selected related to your thesis.
5. Construct a four to six page research paper where you use textual evidence to support your persuasive thesis statement driven by the research questions you created.

Directions

Below are the deliverables for this research paper scaffolded throughout this course. You research paper should follow APA guidelines and be approximately 4 to 6 pages in length not including cover page, references, or annotated bibliography.

Deliverables for the project are as follows:

Topic Proposal and Research Questions

For this assignment, you will compose a persuasive thesis statement that articulates your topic as well as the position you will take on the topic. Additionally, you will offer two to four research questions that will help defend your position. These research questions will be used as part of the Literature Review assignment.

Literature Review on Your Topic

For this assignment, you will compose a 2-3 page literature review in which you review historical and current perspectives on your topic. You will use the Virtual Library, etc., to locate an appropriate number (3-4 sources) in which you:

• Summarize the major trends and/or ideas related to your chosen topic.
• Evaluate, analyze, and/or synthesize how the cited sources align with your articulated persuasive thesis statement you plan on using for your final research paper.

Research Paper

Your final research paper will be 4-6 pages in length. It should be written persuasively, and your ideas should be organized by addressing the research questions you posed as part of your proposal. It should incorporate all six of your sources, and these sources should be used equally throughout the essay through direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. All research should be cited in the essay in APA format, and the Reference page should be in proper APA formatting as well.

Deadline

Deliverable items for the Portfolio Project will be required at different points during the course. Details for each submission are included below in the Deliverable Descriptions.

Deliverable Descriptions

Week 3: Topic Proposal and Research Questions

• Due by the end of Week 3 at 11:59 pm, ET.

For this assignment, you will compose a persuasive thesis statement that articulates your topic as well as the position you will take on the topic. Additionally, you will offer two to four research questions that will help defend your position. These research questions will be used as part of the Literature Review assignment.

Week 4: Literature Review

• Due by the end of Week 4 at 11:59 pm, ET.

For this assignment, you will compose a 2-3 page literature review in which you review historical and current perspectives on your topic. You will use the Virtual Library to locate an appropriate number (3-4 sources) in which you:

• Summarize the major trends and/or ideas related to your chosen topic.
• Evaluate, analyze, and/or synthesize how the cited sources align with your articulated persuasive thesis statement you plan on using for your final research paper.

Week 5: Rough Draft of Proposal

• Due by the end of Week 5 at 11:59 pm, ET.

Your final research paper will be 4-6 pages in length. It should be written persuasively, and your ideas should be organized by addressing the research questions you posed as part of your proposal. It should incorporate all six of your sources, and these sources should be used equally throughout the essay through direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. All research should be cited in the essay in APA format, and the References page should be in proper APA formatting as well.

Week 7: Final Submission to ePortfolio

• Due by the end of Week 7 at 11:59 pm, ET.

This is the final submission of your Portfolio Project. Incorporate instructor feedback, make any additional corrections, and submit to your ePortfolio.

Upload your Portfolio Project to the Program Outcome in your ePortfolio listed below. Use the following naming convention: ENGL250 — Portfolio Project:

• Information Literacy and Communication – Utilize appropriate current technology and resources to locate and evaluate information needed to accomplish a goal, and then communicate findings in visual, written and/or oral formats.

For directions on how to upload your project to your ePortfolio, please see Student Resources in Blackboard on the navigation pane.