Reasearch paper and slides

BA 205 - Term Research Assignment

Understanding the research process is critical in communication. This assignment will allow you to show your

research ability, topic and research understanding, and persuasive aptitude. You may complete this assignment on

your own or with one other student from the class. If you wish to work with another student, it is up to you to pair

up as your instructor will not determine with whom you work.

There are two parts to this assignment: the research process itself and the written understanding of the research.

This assignment is designed to help you understand how to find research that is specific to your topic and is

persuasive (along with informative) in content.

Part 1 – Topic Identification / Audience Analysis

This part is about identifying a topic and considering the audience; it consists of two steps.

First Step: Choose a topic from the list below. If you don’t see a topic which interests you, you are welcome to

suggest an alternative topic to your instructor for approval. Your goal is to persuade your audience to do one of

the following.

 to implement an unlimited vacation policy

 to implement an employee volunteer program

 to devote XX hours per month on charitable work with XX agency

 to offer an education-reimbursement program

 to install a green roof on their building

 to become a certified B Corp

 to begin a social media program using XX social media tools

 to drive enrollment in a retirement plan

 to join a specific union

 to increase vaccination against a specific disease in a specific population

 to conserve water (or other energy type)

 to generate private investment in a particular business sector

 to implement an employee sabbatical program

 to implement all-user restrooms in their facility

 to implement a paid-parental leave policy

 to boycott (or support) a specific product or products that support a particular agenda

 to implement a telecommuting policy

 to encourage participation in an employee giving campaign

Second Step: Identify the following three items.

1. Who is your audience? Who are you persuading in your assignment? (This must be a business, government agency, or non-profit entity.) Identify the actual decision makers from your audience, by

name and title. This cannot be a fictitious audience, it must be existing and researchable.

2. Who are you representing? To be able to persuade you have to be representing a known entity (business, government agency, or non-profit entity).

3. What specifically are you persuading them to do? What do you want the audience to do when you have successfully presented your argument? What is the audience’s next step if and when they are persuaded?

Once you have completed these two steps, you are prepared to complete written Assignment 2; additional

assignment details are on D2L.

Part 2 – Research

This part is about finding and understanding the research on your chosen topic.

Gather Research

Now that you know your topic, audience, and persuasive goal you need to find research that can be used to back

up your claim and persuade your audience. You must find at least 6 articles (not books) that can be used to back

up your persuasive argument. Of these 6 articles at least 3 MUST be from peer-reviewed academic journals.

To verify these articles are from peer-reviewed journals, please verify using Ulrichs International Periodicals

Directory. Ulrichs’ can be found online through the PSU Library. Go to www.pdx.edu, click on “Library”, click

on “Databases & Articles”, and then click on “U” in the alphabet presented to get to Ulrichs’. To verify the

journal is peer-reviewed, type the name of the journal in the search bar and hit enter. When the journal comes up,

if there is a striped referee shirt to the left of the journal listing, then the journal is peer-reviewed. If there is no

striped referee shirt, then the journal is NOT peer-reviewed.

Part 3 – Written Understanding / Persuasive Discussion

Annotated Bibliography

Once you have found the 6 articles (with at least 3 peer-reviewed) your job is to read all the articles and

understand the content well enough to write an annotated bibliography. Information on how to write and produce

an annotated bibliography will be given in a separate document and discussed in class. This annotated

bibliography will be 2-3 pages in length and will be typed single space, using 11 point Times New Roman font.

A copy or “picture” of the journal showing that it is peer-reviewed (as shown in Ulrich’s) is required to be pasted

under each annotated bibliography that is from a peer-reviewed journal. This can be done by using the “CTRL”

“PrtScn” command on your computer (hold Ctrl down and tap PrtScn) and then copying that picture into Paint (or

another similar software). Then cut the picture so only the one journal is shown on the page. Insert that picture

into your Word document at the end of the annotated bibliography from that journal.

An example of what this will look like in your paper is below.

Persuasive Memo

This is the final part of the assignment. You have a strong understanding of the persuasive goal, you have found

research to help persuade your audience, and now it is time to prove you have the necessary information and

persuasive research to successfully persuade your audience. Instead of writing a formal report to your audience

you will write a 1-2 page memo to your instructor outlining the following.

 HOW do you plan to use the research to persuade your audience?

 WHY will you be successful in your persuasion?

 WHAT parts will you use from each article to prove your points?

The goal of this memo is to outline your research, ideas and motives to show you can successfully persuade your

audience. Please make sure to write a strong memo outlining the necessary information needed to persuade your

audience. You can refer to the annotated bibliography in the memo as well.

You will turn the assignment in with the memo first and the annotated bibliography second.

 Early assignments are gladly accepted.