1000 words Research essay

PURPOSE

To learn how to articulate and refine a question, follow ethical principles, situate scholarly inquiry within a broader context, and to apply appropriate scholarly conventions.

AUDIENCE

An established and powerful professional in your intended discipline.

GENRE

Proposal via letter

DOCUMENTATION

MLA. Make sure you use the most recent version.

Persuasive Letter:

The genre of this project is a proposal, but this proposal will take the form of an actual letter you would (or could) send to an actual person. Thus, you are encouraged to formulate this letter in a personal and engaging manner (much like a personal letter), but also replete with the type of verifiable, objective data you might find in a business proposal - all in the hope of gaining and retaining your intended reader’s attention and consideration.

Esteemed Figure:

You must choose a successful, esteemed, and powerful person in your intended field or discipline who is researchable - meaning that you are able to accrue enough information about this person such that you can tailor your proposal/letter to best address their specific concerns, beliefs, and position. This person must also be in a position of power such that they could take action on your proposal. In researching for your Discipline Awareness Project, you likely encountered a few professionals worthy of consideration and you are encouraged to utilize one of these people if you so choose.

Clear and Engaging Argument:

You are tasked with balancing the need to engage with your specific reader along with the objective, documented evidence you need to sway or persuade your reader to take action on your issue. A "clear, cogent argument" will engage with the research and writing of other experts in a way that clearly delineates the "they say/I say" dichotomy, supporting all claims, utilizing logos, pathos, and ethos, while also presenting an organizational pattern marked by precise signal words which clearly showcases sentences that "both set up what is to come and is clearly informed by what has already been said."

Arguable Issue:

An arguable issue is one which has two sides, and indeed two groups of people actively engaged in arguing for or against one aspect of it. It also requires proof of professional interest - in researching your Discipline Awareness Project, you likely (hopefully) elucidated a topic of research which you then proved was of interest to your designated professional organization/association and part of the current discourse via inclusion in periodicals related to your discipline. This standard of proof - showcasing your field's genuine interest in the topic - is precisely akin to the metric of "professional interest" for this paper.

Step One: Research the Audience (Report) 1000 words - Due: 4/13

This initial step in the research and pre-writing process allows for students to engage in defining their audience. Students will need to designate a discipline-leading professional who holds a powerful position within the associations and journals which hold sway in the discourse community. Areas and topics of interest, expertise, and professional experience of the leading professional should all be defined clearly with sources and cited in MLA format. Students may present multiple candidates for this assignment, but are encouraged to focus on one individual – explaining clearly why this specific professional is positioned to take action within their discipline. Outside of the realm of the strictly professional, students might also consider biographical, educational, and demographic information as well so as to inform the conception of their intended audience.

Questions you might consider: Who do you intend to write your letter/proposal to? Why is this person the appropriate audience for your proposal? What positions have they held or do they hold within their discipline? What awards or recognition have they received? What prestigious journals or periodicals have they published in? How would you define the power or sway they wield within the discipline? How would you define their issues of professional interest? What personal information might be of relevance or use in trying to persuade this person (geography, politics, religion, membership or advocacy of certain issues or causes, philanthropy, education, sports or leisure activities, personal background).