COMM171: Documented Research Essay Assignment

COMM171: Documented Research Essay Assignment (20%) Due week 12

This Documented Research Essay Assignment is designed to refine and assess your writing, research and documentation skills.

Assignment Learning Outcomes:

– Apply research techniques and critical understanding of readings

– Review and apply documentation skills (APA format)

– Compose, revise and edit composition

– Apply essay and sentence structure to your own work

Assignment:

Choose any one reading from the table below to write a critique essay.

Title	Author	Link
“…Finding a nationality that fits”	Vincent, Isabel	https://search-proquest-com.ezcentennial.ocls.ca/docview/385550496?pq-origsite=summon
Taking a break from Digital Overload	Leah Elchler	https://go-gale-com.ezcentennial.ocls.ca/ps/i.do?p=CPI&u=ko_acd_cec&id=GALE%7CA307945007&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon
Facebook in a Crowd	Niedzviecki, Hal.	https://search-proquest-com.ezcentennial.ocls.ca/docview/215461935/DB198C2B24A04D3FPQ/1?accountid=39331
Jan Wong wants to see Canadians de-hyphenate themselves	Wong, Jan	https://search-proquest-com.ezcentennial.ocls.ca/docview/384426299?pq-origsite=summon

Research-driven Critique

Task:

Critique a source (reading) by writing a 1000-1200 word research essay. Categories that you may look at for your critique include significance, relevance, accuracy, credibility and/or authoritativeness. When you critique a source, you are evaluating how far you feel you can trust or recommend the source’s main argument or writing strategies (Rhetorical analysis). Even if you disagree with the issue, you may find the author has made a strong case with strong support. Alternatively, you may agree with the issue but feel the argument has been constructed weakly.

Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is to strengthen your summary/response writing skills by critiquing a reading assigned by your instructor. In addition, researching various sources (democratic, newspaper-of-record, and academic) will contribute to providing a close analysis

of the text using textual evidence closely. You will also learn ways to integrate and document sources using APA format.

Learning Objectives

Conduct web-based research
Understand the uses and limits of different types of sources
Assess and analyze a variety of sources
Connect sources through intertextual conversation
Integrate and document research sources
Develop a thesis
Sequence ideas and develop strong paragraphs
Draft, revise, peer-review as part of a cyclical, design-centered writing process

Research Sources:

Use one other research source in addition to the main reading you are analyzing. You will use this research to develop and support your critique of the main source.

Readers’ Purpose:

Your readers are interested in learning about the main source you’ve chosen to analyze, but, in most cases, they do not know that source. They want to learn what you have to say about the way the various sources in your essay connect to one another. Above all, your readers want to discover your critique of the main source.

Research guidelines:

Conduct preliminary research to contextualize and familiarize yourself to topic
Find a specific focus to gather relevant information
Support an effective paper by gathering credible, accurate research
Construct a strong argument on the subject.
Use a quote, summary or paraphrase to support your argument ; acknowledge the author
Cite each source accurately in APA to prevent plagiarism
Integrate all quotations and references into body of essay.
Include: One short direct quotation with proper context; One long direct quotation with proper content; One quotation from a secondary source with proper context . Use two paraphrases.
1000-1200 words in length
Include a works cited page (refer to Essay Essentials for APA guidelines)
Plagiarized essays (unacknowledged material used as your own) will receive a mark of zero. There will be no opportunity to rewrite.

Essay Guidelines:

Complete essay outline.
Write a five paragraph essay in APA format (double space; 12 point font; Times Roman)
Your introduction should include at least 3 introductory strategies and a 3 point thesis statement. It should be approximately 5-6 sentences in length.
Each body paragraph should include a clear topic sentences, transitions and clear examples based on your own ideas and with reference to the readings. Each paragraph should be approximately 10-15 sentences.
The concluding paragraph should re-state the thesis and leave the reader with a memorable statement.
You must submit your essay electronically into the COMM171 e-Centennial course dropbox, and submit a hard copy on the due date.

Essay Checklist:

Assess your draft essay according to the essay checklist
Revise draft outline and essay according to the guidelines for Part 2 of the documented essay assignment

Format:

Your documented research essay MUST be word-processed and include the following:

Title Page: Prepare a title page with appropriate information in APA format
This essay must have a stated thesis, fully developed paragraphs and use APA documentation correctly; you must integrate all quotations and references into the body of your essay remembering to include:

1. One short direct quotation with proper context

2. One long direct quotation with proper context

3. One quotation from a secondary source with proper context

References: The sources used in writing your documented essay must be correctly listed on the last page of your essay; your References list must includethe following:

1. The essay chosen from Essay Essentials
2. The sources for the researched background material

In week 9, you are required to complete an outline for your essay and submit it electronically in e-centennial Dropbox. Use the outline template given below:

Outline for Essay

Introduction

Hook/Attention getter

Thesis statement

First main point: Firstly, …

A. Supporting point 1

1. Details: Minor ideas