research paper for university on prison education programs

LIB.111​ ​-​ ​Wells

Fall​ ​2017

WA​ ​#3:​ ​Argument​ ​Synthesis   WHAT​ ​IS​ ​A​ ​SYNTHESIS?  A​ ​synthesis​ ​is​ ​a​ ​written​ ​discussion​ ​that​ ​draws​ ​on​ ​two​ ​or​ ​more​ ​sources.​ ​Your​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​write​ ​a​ ​synthesis depends​ ​on​ ​your​ ​ability​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​or​ ​infer​ ​connections​ ​among​ ​sources. PURPOSE  The​ ​purpose​ ​of​ ​an​ ​argument​ ​synthesis​ ​is​ ​to​ ​​present​ ​your​ ​perspective​—​supported​ ​by​ ​relevant​ ​facts​ ​and concepts​ ​that​ ​are​ ​drawn​ ​from​ ​external​ ​sources​ ​and​ ​presented​ ​logically.​ ​​You​ ​come​ ​to​ ​this​ ​perspective through​ ​the​ ​research​ ​process​.​ ​The​ ​​thesis​ ​​of​ ​an​ ​argument​ ​synthesis​ ​is​ ​the​ ​statement​ ​of​ ​that​ ​perspective.​ ​It makes​ ​a​ ​proposition​ ​with​ ​which​ ​reasonable​ ​people​ ​could​ ​disagree​ ​or​ ​complicate​ ​with​ ​alternative perspectives.​ ​The​ ​essay​ ​should​ ​not​ ​simply​ ​report​ ​on​ ​or​ ​restate​ ​what​ ​others​ ​have​ ​said​ ​on​ ​the​ ​subject;​ ​the essay​ ​you​ ​write​ ​should​ ​​position​ ​yourself​ ​in​ ​relation​ ​to​ ​what​ ​others​ ​have​ ​said​.​ ​A​ ​critical​ ​component​ ​of this​ ​assignment​ ​is​ ​to​ ​demonstrate​ ​your​ ​own​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​the​ ​subject​ ​and​ ​to​ ​add​ ​your​ ​voice​ ​to​ ​the conversation. INQUIRY  Each​ ​student​ ​is​ ​responsible​ ​for​ ​determining​ ​a​ ​question​ ​(inquiry)​ ​to​ ​guide​ ​the​ ​research​ ​process.​ ​The​ ​goal​ ​of a​ ​research​ ​project​ ​is​ ​not​ ​to​ ​set​ ​out​ ​to​ ​defend​ ​a​ ​fixed​ ​position​ ​(something​ ​you​ ​already​ ​believe​ ​or​ ​know​ ​to​ ​be true)​ ​but​ ​to​ ​explore​ ​the​ ​arguments,​ ​perspectives,​ ​stories,​ ​reports,​ ​facts,​ ​debates,​ ​and​ ​data​ ​in​ ​order​ ​to​ ​​learn new​ ​information​,​ ​which​ ​will​ ​lead​ ​to​ ​your​ ​position.​ ​The​ ​inquiry​ ​should​ ​be​ ​​specific​​ ​and​ ​​grounded​. SKILLS  The​ ​skills​ ​developed​ ​in​ ​this​ ​course​ ​are​ ​essential​ ​to​ ​writing​ ​the​ ​argument​ ​synthesis.​ ​Some​ ​are​ ​below.

Summary​:​ ​Before​ ​you​ ​can​ ​establish​ ​how​ ​two​ ​or​ ​more​ ​sources​ ​are​ ​connected,​ ​you​ ​have​ ​to understand​ ​what​ ​they​ ​say.​ ​In​ ​your​ ​essay,​ ​you​ ​will​ ​need​ ​to​ ​give​ ​context​ ​to​ ​your​ ​readers​ ​by providing​ ​​brief​​ ​summaries​ ​and​ ​paraphrases​ ​of​ ​your​ ​sources​ ​and​ ​their​ ​key​ ​points. Coming​ ​to​ ​Terms:​ ​​Not​ ​only​ ​must​ ​you​ ​understand​ ​​what​ ​​a​ ​text​ ​is​ ​saying,​ ​but​ ​​why​ ​​it’s​ ​saying​ ​it (purpose/aim)​ ​and​ ​​how​ ​​(methods/materials).​ ​A​ ​close​ ​assessment​ ​of​ ​the​ ​text​ ​via​ ​this​ ​approach​ ​will also​ ​reveal​ ​its​ ​uses​ ​and​ ​limits,​ ​off​ ​of​ ​which​ ​you​ ​can​ ​build​ ​your​ ​own​ ​perspective.​ ​Work​ ​with keywords​ ​and​ ​passages​ ​in​ ​your​ ​own​ ​essay,​ ​as​ ​those​ ​are​ ​the​ ​points​ ​of​ ​interest​ ​or​ ​tension. Critique:​ ​​Evaluating​ ​the​ ​credibility​ ​and​ ​rhetorical​ ​choices​ ​of​ ​a​ ​source​ ​is​ ​important​ ​to​ ​determine whether​ ​or​ ​not​ ​it​ ​will​ ​be​ ​useful​ ​to​ ​include​ ​in​ ​your​ ​research​ ​project. Conversation:​ ​​You​ ​must​ ​move​ ​beyond​ ​each​ ​source​ ​individually​ ​to​ ​determine​ ​​relationships among​ ​them.​ ​How​ ​are​ ​the​ ​sources​ ​​in​ ​conversation​ ​​with​ ​one​ ​another?​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​Text​ ​A provides​ ​an​ ​overview​ ​of​ ​the​ ​issue,​ ​while​ ​Text​ ​B​ ​focuses​ ​on​ ​a​ ​solution​ ​to​ ​that​ ​problem.​ ​Text​ ​C offers​ ​a​ ​counterargument​ ​to​ ​Text​ ​A.​ ​So​ ​how​ ​does​ ​C​ ​connect​ ​to​ ​B?​ ​Look​ ​for​ ​keywords​ ​and​ ​ideas to​ ​explore​ ​these​ ​connections.​ ​Consider​ ​your​ ​argument​ ​synthesis​ ​as​ ​Text​ ​D​ ​in​ ​this​ ​scenario.​ ​How do​ ​you​ ​position​ ​yourself​ ​to​ ​these​ ​sources?

LIB.111​ ​-​ ​Wells

Fall​ ​2017

REQUIREMENTS 

❏ 7-10​ ​pages ❏ Minimum​ ​of​ ​​5​ ​​credible​ ​sources;​ ​​2​ ​​are​ ​required​ ​to​ ​be​ ​scholarly,​ ​peer-reviewed​ ​texts ❏ Times​ ​New​ ​Roman,​ ​size​ ​12 ❏ Double-spaced ❏ 1”​ ​margins​ ​on​ ​all​ ​sides ❏ Numbered​ ​pages​ ​(top​ ​right​ ​header,​ ​with​ ​last​ ​name) ❏ Heading:​ ​your​ ​name,​ ​instructor​ ​name,​ ​course​ ​name,​ ​due​ ​date ❏ Title​ ​(​not​ ​​WA​ ​#3) ❏ MLA​ ​in-text​ ​citations​ ​and​ ​separate​ ​Works​ ​Cited​ ​page

EVALUATION  Final​ ​draft​ ​of​ ​WA​ ​#3:​ ​Argument​ ​Synthesis​ ​will​ ​be​ ​graded​ ​out​ ​of​ ​​100​ ​pts.​ ​​for​​ ​25%​ ​​of​ ​total​ ​course​ ​grade. The​ ​syllabus​ ​contains​ ​a​ ​standard​ ​“Grading​ ​Criteria​ ​for​ ​Argument​ ​Synthesis”​ ​for​ ​all​ ​LIB.111​ ​sections. Please​ ​use​ ​this​ ​as​ ​a​ ​reference. Rough​ ​drafts​ ​and​ ​peer​ ​reviews​ ​will​ ​be​ ​graded​ ​separately​ ​toward​ ​your​ ​Participation​ ​grade​ ​in​ ​the​ ​course. TIMELINE​ ​OF​ ​​MAJOR​​ ​ASSIGNMENTS  Deadlines​ ​are​ ​subject​ ​to​ ​change​ ​with​ ​advanced​ ​notice. TUE​ ​10/17 Research​ ​Proposal​ ​due THU​ ​10/19 Library​ ​Workshop:​ ​Information​ ​Literacy​ ​(mandatory,​ ​10%​ ​of​ ​course​ ​grade) TUE​ ​10/24 Rough​ ​draft​ ​of​ ​WA​ ​#2:​ ​Critique​ ​due​ ​for​ ​peer​ ​review TUE​ ​10/31 Final​ ​draft​ ​of​ ​WA​ ​#2:​ ​Critique​ ​due​ ​(20%​ ​of​ ​course​ ​grade) THU​ ​11/09 Annotated​ ​Bibliography​ ​due TUE​ ​11/21 First​ ​draft​ ​of​ ​WA​ ​#3:​ ​Argument​ ​Synthesis​ ​due​ ​for​ ​peer​ ​review THU​ ​11/23 NO​ ​CLASSES​ ​-​ ​THANKSGIVING​ ​BREAK TUE​ ​11/28 Second​ ​draft​ ​of​ ​WA​ ​#3:​ ​Argument​ ​Synthesis​ ​due​ ​for​ ​peer​ ​review TUE​ ​12/05 Presentations THU​ ​12/07 Presentations

Final​ ​draft​ ​of​ ​WA​ ​#3:​ ​Argument​ ​Synthesis​ ​due​ ​to​ ​TurnItIn.com