Debate on digital connectedness
Find a Topic:
The topic is up to you, but it must be an arguable and “debatable” position. You should arrive at an “inquiry question” similar to the ones circled in the list below: For the question of value, you cannot write another public “review” essay, but you can argue the worth/efficacy/legitimacy of something to a more academic audience. If you want to answer a “Policy Question” in a “problem-solution” type of an essay you can, but you should read Chapter 6 first. If you have difficulty finding a topic, try using the CQ Researcher database, which is accessible via Pipeline in the HPU Libraries> Databases. Another resource I like is the “Room for Debate” blog of the NYTimes.com. Here they have an archive of “hot” topics related to current events with essays presenting various positions. You should use the E3 Topic Discussion to “spitball” ideas, but email me directly if you still need additional ideas. II. Research and Refine the Topic.With the help of the Library Tutorials and a special guest Research Librarian, you should use the eResearch Task to begin finding scholarly source materials and refining your topic and inquiry.
You should also use more general resources to build your general “working” knowledge on the subject in general. You might use standard Internet searches, even Wikipedia for info-gathering “background knowledge”, but note that these types of sites are not what you want to include in your bibliography. You should compile a “working bibliography” for your Research Proposal, which is due by Monday of Week 6.
III. Process Suggestion:
As usual, begin with a sketch or “SFD.” (My review of student process journals has indicated that those who used this method are producing superior work in LESS time than classmates who are trying to “get it right the first time.”) Do not wait until the last minute to begin writing;
that is where disaster lies. Aim to have produced the SFD by early Week 6, so that you can “craft it after you draft it.” As always, a “working draft” looks like a final paper, properly formatted (including page numbers) and using formal college-level English—but you will revise it again,
and perhaps again and again. Also, keep in mind this is not for a “Public” audience. Your tone and word choice should be directed towards a more academic audience.
Content Advice: Remember the three basic ways you can use your sources—to provide
background evidence, to provide support for your own argument, and to provide a viewpoint that
you can argue against. (Often, this is the most fun—to find someone you disagree with and take
them to task. Just be sure you do so without resorting to logical fallacies!) Review the textbook
chapters on using evidence effectively and appealing to your more academic audience (relying
more on logos and ethos).
Answer preview:
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