Assignment Description

For this assignment, you will write a 1500-2000 word descriptive summary of research on a social, political, economic, or cultural issue that interests you. The goals for this assignment are to explore the scholarly knowledge that already exists for your topic, and to compare, contrast, and connect the ideas found in your research. Prior to beginning your essay, you will compose a research question about your topic that will serve as the cornerstone of your literature review. Once you have developed a question–and that question has been approved by your instructor–you’ll conduct research that will help you answer it. You are asked to incorporate at least 5 scholarly sources in your literature review. The final draft of your essay should include the following parts:

Sample Essays

• “How Individual Upbringing Affects Young Adult Romantic Relationships” by Chardell Park (Fall 2019)
• “Transracial Adoption: Controversies and Effects” by Ramandeep Kaur (Fall 2019)
• “Act Like A Man, Act Like A Woman” by Folake Famuyiwa (Fall 2019)

Throughout the writing process, you will engage in a series of short writing assignments designed to help you hone your research and writing skills while examining scholarly texts.

• RESEARCH TOPIC REFLECTION
  • Identify a specific research question to guide your inquiry. Then, write a short reflection (250-500 words) on what inspired your desire for further inquiry on this topic, including how you came up with the question, why it might be important, and how you plan to explore the question in your research.

• REPORT ON RESEARCH IN PROGRES
  • Write a short reflection (250-500 words) on your research progress. Questions to consider:
    • What credible sources have you found so far? How do they effectively answer your research question?
    • Were there any sources you found while conducting your research that you decided to exclude? Why?
    • Are there any sources you are still unsure about using? What about the source makes you uncertain?
    • What’s missing in your research? What information are you still seeking from other sources?

• ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
  • An annotated bibliography is a list of citations for various sources on a topic. The annotated bibliography looks like a Works Cited page but includes an annotation after each source cited. An annotation is a short summary and/or critical evaluation of a source.
  • Your annotated bibliography (500 -750 words) should consist of at least 3 scholarly sources that you have deemed relevant to your topic and/or proposed research question.  For each source you will need to:
    • Cite the text in proper APA format
    • Write a brief annotation (approx. 150+ words) that summarizes the source in your own words and explains the source’s relevance and importance to your topic.   
  • Annotated Bibliography Rubric (Spring 2020)

• REFLECTION
  • Along with your final draft, you will submit a short reflection (250-500 words) in which you address several questions about your experience writing this essay, including (but not limited to):
    • How did you think about and refine your research question?
    • Did you have trouble finding some information and if so, how did you overcome this challenge?
    • Were there any sources you found while conducting the research that you discarded? If so, why?
    • What problems did you encounter in analyzing your text and how did you solve them?

Format

1000-1250 words; Size 12 font, Times New Roman, standard margins, double-spaced. Cite all sources in proper APA format. You must include a Works Cited page with your essay. *Note: Works Cited page does not count toward the word count.

Submission

You will submit both print and digital copies of this essay. Hard copies are due at the beginning of class on the designated assignment due date. Digital copies should be uploaded online via Blackboard before class.

Timeline

Evaluation Rubric

Content — 30%

• Does your essay thoughtfully compare, contrast and make connections between the sources cited?
• Does your essay effectively summarize the major ideas of sources cited and relate that knowledge back to your research question?
• Does your essay demonstrate an insightful synthesis of the source information, including analysis of gaps in and/or limitations of the research?

Development — 25%

• Does your essay cite at least 5 scholarly sources specifically related to your research question?
• Does your essay clearly draw thematic connections between sources?

Organization – 20%

• Does your essay have a coherent structure? Are your ideas united and logically organized in a way that leads to a thought-provoking conclusion?
• Are your paragraphs focused on distinct units of thought, controlled by specific and detailed topic sentences?
• Do you implement appropriate, clear, and smooth transitions?

Research Question — 10%

• Do you clearly state your research question and significance of the issue addressed?

Style — 10%

• Are the sentences well-worded and well-constructed? Should some sentences be combined for clarity? Should others be broken into two or more sentences, so ideas receive proper emphasis?
• Do you use quotations and APA citations effectively?

Grammar & Mechanics — 5%

• Have you proofread and edited your piece for grammatical and punctuation errors?

Grade Weights

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