For this assignment, write a research
essay in which you make a strong argument about an issue related to our course
inquiry. This research essay is an opportunity for you to contribute to the
academic and/or public conversations that surround your topic within our
broader field of inquiry. You should focus on a specific issue and position
yourself within a specific debate, either a debate we have examined this
semester or a related debate that you have discovered in your research. Your
argument should be tailored to a specific audience, accounting for their
previous knowledge, biases, and expectations.
The research essay should be organized
with a clear introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction should
introduce the reader to the conversation that you are entering and explain the
stakes of your project. It should also provide context, explain the methodology
you used in your research, and articulate a strong thesis statement. The body
of your essay should summarize and synthesize the sources that you have
identified in your research. You should make explicit connections between your
sources and position yourself in relation to them. The body of a research essay
often begins with a brief literature review and then moves to the analysis of
specific evidence. The conclusion should weave together the threads of your
argument, acknowledge the limitations of your project, and suggest avenues for
further research.
Your research essay should be 10-pages
long and use standard MLA-style to cite your sources and format your document:
typed, double-spaced, one-inch margins, 12-point Times font, etc. You should
also include an MLA-style Works Cited page that lists all of the sources cited
in your essay.

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