The culmination of this course is the Research Essay, which will demonstrate the skills you’ve developed over the semester. Once you have completed your preliminary research, had your topic approved, and familiarized yourself with the literature available on this topic, you now will make a central claim about what you’ve learned and back up that claim with relevant research that is logically presented. Your audience will be the instructor, fellow classmates, and a general audience who would benefit from your academic approach to the topic. Your goal is to persuade your reader to believe or consider the argument you make in the thesis statement. Instructions for the Research Essay For this assignment, you will write a research essay on the topic approved during your proposal process. If you find you want or need to stray from that approved topic, you must meet with the instructor during a 1-on-1 meeting to see if a change is possible. The research essay should take a stand on an issue relevant to your research topic; this means the thesis statement should make an argument, and the body of the paper should support that argument through logical organization, presentation of evidence, and counterargument. The following components are required for this essay: Source requirement This essay is required to cite at least eight reliable sources. At least five of these should be peer-reviewed and longer than ten pages. All sources should be published in the last ten years. Each body paragraph must have citations from a minimum of 2 different sources. Persuasive thesis statement; it is clear throughout the entire essay what argument is being made.  Topic sentences for main points also make an argument. Section headings before each main point. See the sample paper for examples of section heading formatting. Evidence backing up claims are logically explained in relation to the thesis and topic sentences. At least one body paragraph dedicated to counterargument in the paper (Do not simply add this paragraph at the end of the paper. Counterargument may be one paragraph within a main point or it may be one or more entire main points). See “Planting a Naysayer” reading and quiz on Brightspace for more info. At least one body paragraph addresses the use of identity politics in relation to your topic.  This paragraph should be integrated into the organization of your main points and not simply added at the end of the paper. Introductory paragraph and concluding paragraph appropriate to a research essay. See “Intros and conclusions” reading (BS) for more info. Appropriate use of MLA in terms of general paper formatting, in-text citations, and works cited page Note: Part of what you wrote for the Literature Review may be included in the Research Essay, but you will want to be very careful to edit it so that it actually strengthens the Research Essay. You should also be prepared to not include what you’ve written for the Literature Review in your Research Essay if it doesn’t strengthen your argument. If you include parts of your Literature Review in the Research Essay, you would expand one or more of the main points of the Literature Review paper into one or more main points of the Research Essay. It’s fine to copy and paste material from the Literature Review into the Research Essay to get started, but again, edit your work to make sure it actually works given the new requirements of the Research Essay. *It is not necessary to use what you wrote for the Literature Review in the Research Essay. It is just an option if it serves to strengthen your Research Essay. Grading Rubric for Final Draft 20% Essay reflects thorough research on the approved research topic related to the course theme. Source requirements are met. Source use and explanation demonstrates clear understanding of the texts and topics discussed. 20% Essay demonstrates expertise and critical thinking about the approved research topic. 20% Essay makes a clear and consistent argument about an approved research topic related to the course theme. Organization is clear, logical, and supports the essay’s thesis statement. Other paragraph requirements are met: (introduction, conclusion, and at least one body paragraph dedicated to counterargument). 20% In-text citations and the works cited page are correctly formatted following MLA guidelines. Paper format (margins, header, etc.) follow MLA standards. 20% Essay is written in Standard Revised English with no major spelling, grammar, punctuation, or stylistic errors. Paragraphs are concise and well-developed. Instructions for All Writing Assignments Format Notes Use Times New Roman size 12 font, 1-inch margins, and double space the paper. See Purdue OWS’s MLA format guide for more help. See also these videos for help with MLA format: Word on PC, Google Docs, and Word on Mac. Do not include a title page.  In-text citations should be in MLA form, which requires you to add a parenthetical at the end of any sentence or clause that has been quoted or paraphrased. The parenthetical should list the last name of the author (if not already stated in the signal phrase) and the page number the quote or paraphrase came from (if the source has page numbers). For more help with MLA in-text citations, see this video or this page from Purdue OWL. Examples of in-text citations using MLA parenthetical citations: Despite the importance of political organizing around sexuality, it is clear “sexual orientation cannot exist without gender identity” (Jones 22). Livingstone considers gendered desires a natural phenomenon (14), but Leung considers it learned behavior (342). For more help with MLA, see Purdue OWL’s MLA Guide. Submission Notes When complete, save your paper as a PDF file (NOT Google Docs, Pages, Word, or anything else). Log into our Brightspace course, click on “Content” in the top menu, click the current unit in the menu on the left, and submit the document to the appropriate assignment. All papers submitted to Brightspace are electronically checked for plagiarism. Any instance of plagiarism will result in reduced points, no credit, and/or college disciplinary measures.