You have been working all semester to find your interests, identify an issue, and immerse yourself in the conversation about that issue. It’s now time to decide on the specific question you want to answer with your research project and present your answer to an audience of your choosing in a format of your choosing. The requirements for this assignment are fairly straightforward:
Make an arguable claim for a specific audience drawing on the sources you have found, read, and evaluated carefully this semester.
No part of this project should be composed with generative AI–my goal is to help you learn how to make decisions about writing, and that means you need to decide on your own.
Format
Will you state your claim directly in an introductory paragraph or will you convey it in some other way? Will you produce a paper in Microsoft Word, a blog post on our course website, a script for a video essay or podcast episode, or something else? What is the best way for you to present the results of your research to your audience?
Examples from Previous Classes
You can check out these projects for inspiration: https://unewhavendh.org/academic-inquiry-and-writing-f25-02h/category/research-project/
Sources
I am not going to stipulate the kind of sources you need to use, nor am I going to require a particular number of sources. Your question will guide the sort of sources you need and I think you’ll know when you need more sources because there will be things you need to better understand (I will help if you’re not sure). My only requirement is that you adopt a specific documentation system (possibilities include MLA, APA, Chicago, and AP style) and use it consistently for your project.
Process
Now that we have concluded process posts (focused more on your experiences finding and reading sources), deadlines are designed to help you draft and revise your argument, step by step. Check our course summary for the specific deadlines.
Complete Research Notes, Draft Introduction, and Roadmap
Just after this deadline, we will meet individually so I can offer guidance on your project. During this meeting, I will ask to see your research notes (remember, you can adjust how this is organized to suit your preferences!). I will also want to see a draft introduction and roadmap for your project.
Full Draft of Research Project
A full draft will contain a clear claim and citations. You will likely revise your claim and improve how you cite your sources before submitting your final project. To receive credit for a full draft, you must make a good faith effort to present your claim and cite your sources by the deadline (if you need an extension, please reach out by e-mail!).
Final Research Project
Just after this deadline, we will meet individually and I will read your project aloud, offering feedback (I can record our conversation if you would like).
