Analytical Research

Essay 3

Analytical Research Essay

1st Draft Due: Friday, November 19

Final Draft Due: Wednesday, December 8

Length Requirement: 5-7 pages

Audience: Consider your subject matter, then decide who would be the best or most likely

audience for such a topic. Imagine that your audience includes experts in the topic you are

discussing. Your tone and voice should be appropriate for someone addressing experts in the

field. For instance, if you chose to discuss how the concerns of farmers weigh into the decisions

of politicians, you might consider your audience to be farmers as a whole and others in the

agricultural industry. On the other hand, you might want to consider politicians or the electorate

as your audience. Determining your audience depends on who you think needs to hear your

report. It is possible that once you get into the revision process, your perception of the

appropriate audience may change. And ideally, your overall thesis should evolve as you gather

evidence and revise your essay.

Your Assignment: The goal of this assignment is to choose a topic of personal interest, then

utilize the library database and other credible sources to provide a comprehensive, objective

analysis of the research material. You will start your research very broad, and then become more

specific as you locate sources. Determine your thesis statement based on the exercises and

research done prior to this assignment. Your thesis should present an original viewpoint on your

subject matter. This is not an argumentative or persuasive essay. You will utilize and interpret

sources to support your analysis of the topic. Choose sources that provide supporting facts,

definitions, or anecdotes. You should not use sources to make your point for you. Present your

viewpoint without personal bias or emotional language, but instead with logical reasoning. Your

essay must utilize at least 3 academic/scholarly sources. Other sources may be included, but

they will not count toward the 3 sources required by the assignment, and they must be credible.

You must utilize at least 3 quotations in your essay. Block quotes are highly discouraged.

Format: MLA or APA format, Times New Roman, 12-point font, one-inch margins, double

spaced. Number your pages and include a header at the top left corner of the page with your

name, my name, the class name, and the date. Provide a Works Cited page for any and all

sources referenced (not included in page count). Keep in mind that there are proper ways of

citing your own primary research in both MLA and APA formats. And as always, please give

your paper an appropriate title. Be creative!

Objectives:

This assignment is designed to address the following Learning Outcomes:

The ability to write in a range of genres, using appropriate rhetorical conventions.

Competency in reading, quoting and citing sources, as well as competency in balancing the

writer’s voice with secondary sources.

The ability to employ flexible strategies for generating and revising your writing.

Engage in multiple methods of inquiry.

The ability to assess a piece of writing, identifying arguments and recognizing strategies for

improvement, both in the works of others and your own work.

Produce texts that: have a clear purpose; respond to the needs of intended audiences; assume

an appropriate stance; adopt an appropriate voice, tone, style, and level of formality; use

appropriate conventions of format and structure.

Work with others to improve your own and others’ texts; balance the advantages of relying

on others with taking responsibility for your own work.

Employ appropriate conventions for structure, paragraphing, mechanics, and format;

acknowledge the work of others when appropriate; use a standard documentation format as

needed; control syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling.

Locate, evaluate, and use primary and secondary research material, while employing

appropriate textual conventions for incorporating ideas from sources (e.g., introducing and

incorporating quotations; quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing).

Use strategies—such as analysis, interpretation, synthesis, response, critique, and

design/redesign—to compose texts that integrate your ideas with those from appropriate

sources.

Assessment:

Your paper will be evaluated on the following four criteria:

1. Content/Purpose – The content of your essay should be appropriate to the subject matter. Be sure that all information provided is pertinent to the point you are trying to make.

Extraneous information may confuse your message and cause you to lose your audience.

Please state your purpose in a direct thesis statement in your introductory paragraph. It

should be clear the point you are trying to make, and that it is significant.

2. Coherence – Read and re-read your work to make sure you are getting your points across. Have a friend read it as well to ensure they can understand it. Use appropriate transitions

between paragraphs. Your readers must be able to follow your progression of thought, so

be sure to make it clear why you are moving from one point to the next. It’s okay to

remind your reader of what has come before, so long as you are not insulting their

intelligence. Ask yourself why you shift from one piece of information to the next and if

that reasoning is clear in your writing.

3. Language/Mechanics – Use your spelling/grammar check. Minor errors will be excused but noted. Errors that confuse your message will lose you points. Incorporate feedback

from your peers and utilize the school’s Writing Commons and Academic Success Center

for further help.

4. Format – See formatting instructions above.

Rubric:

This is a qualitative rubric, meaning no specific points are assigned to the listed levels of

achievement. The rubric demonstrates how essays will be evaluated, providing a descriptive

scale, from left to right, of essays that would receive a lower grade to essays that would receive a

higher grade. It is based on the above explanations of assessment.

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3 Level 4

Content/Purpose The focus of the essay is broad and fails to make a clear analytical thesis statement. Essay is guided primarily by subjective interpretation, and does not employ clear logical reasoning. No quotations are included, or if they are, they are dropped in without clear reason.

The focus of the essay is a bit broad, failing to home in on a specific aspect of the subject. The author provides a viewpoint on the subject, but not necessarily an analytical thesis. Author maintains an objective viewpoint for some of the essay, but allows subjective interpretation to guide some portions of their reasoning. Reasoning used to justify the thesis is not explained clearly. Quotations are not integrated correctly, and are used primarily to provide basic facts rather than presenting unique explanations or wording.

The essay maintains focus on relevant material for most of the essay, though may occasionally include extraneous information or broad view of the subject matter. Essay contains a clear thesis, even if not stated explicitly. Author maintains an objective tone for most of the essay, though occasionally may include some subjective language or viewpoints. Author uses reason and logic to analyze sources, though some explanations may lack detail. Quotations are usually integrated correctly, and are relevant to the author’s points, though may occasionally include information that could easily be

The essay maintains focus on only that material which is relevant to the thesis and does not include extraneous information. Includes a specific area of focus, rather than speaking about a broad subject matter. An explicit thesis statement is included in the introduction. Author maintains an objective tone, free from bias, and uses reason and logic to analyze sources. Includes the 3 required academic sources, and any subsequent, non- academic sources are considered credible. Quotations are integrated correctly, and provide unique viewpoints that could not otherwise be paraphrased or summarized.

restated by the author.

Coherence There is significant difficulty understanding the author's points and overall message. The thesis statement is vague or not present, and cannot be easily inferred by the content of the essay. Sentence structure and word choice lead to frequent confusion. No clear reason for, or transitions between, paragraphs. There is no clear sense of structure to the essay. Relevance of source material is doubtful. The author fails to convey the authority of their sources, and does not clearly connect the source material to their ideas.

There is some difficulty understanding the author's points, but the overall message of the essay is clear. The thesis may contain vague language, but can be understood through context. There may be confusion due to sentence structure and word choice. Transitions between paragraphs are often abrupt and it is not always clear why the author is moving from one subject to the next. The author does not always make clear connections between their thoughts and referenced source material, and sources may not be introduced correctly. It is difficult at times to follow the author’s line of reasoning as the essay progresses.

The author's points may sometimes lack immediate connection, but can be inferred without great examination. There may be occasional confusion due to sentence structure. The essay contains a clear thesis statement, though may include some vague language. Transitions between paragraphs are logical, but may sometimes be abrupt. The shift from one aspect of the topic to another is sometimes sudden, and may not always explore key details to their fullest effect. The author makes a clear connection between their ideas and referenced source material, though source may not always be introduced to the fullest effect. The essay follows a logical

The author's points are easy to follow and proceed using logic and reason. The essay contains a definitive thesis statement. There are appropriate transitions between paragraphs. The presence of source material in the essay is clearly justified by the author’s explanations and is relevant to the overall thesis. All content pertains to a logical progression of the author’s reasoning for their thesis statement.

progression of thought from the author’s thesis.

Formatting Author does not show signs of following a style guide. Incorrect font and size used. Margins and spacing do not meet the one-inch or double spaced requirements. No header included. Does not cite sources. Does not include a Works Cited or References page. Title is missing or simply says "Essay 3." Page count is below the 5-7 page requirement.

Author clearly attempts to follow some style guide, though specific style guide may be unclear. Incorrect font and size used. One-inch margins, double spaced. Header included with at least your name and the date. Includes a Works Cited or References page for any and all sources referenced (not included in page count), that at least attempts to follow proper MLA or APA format. Title is generic or does not attempt to appropriately address the subject matter. Page count is below the 5-7 page requirement.

Clear attempt to follow MLA or APA format, though there may be some minor errors. Times New Roman, 12-point font, one-inch margins, double spaced. Header included with at least your name and the date. Includes a Works Cited or References page for any and all sources referenced (not included in page count), that at least attempts to follow proper MLA or APA format. Includes an appropriate title. Meets the 5- 7 page requirement.

MLA or APA format, Times New Roman, 12- point font, one- inch margins, double spaced. Numbered pages. Header included at the top left corner of the page with your name, instructor's name, the class name, and the date. Includes a Works Cited or References page for any and all sources referenced (not included in page count). Includes an appropriate and original title. Meets the 5-7 page requirement.