Focus the essay around a genuine question.
Suspend judgment during the research process. Let curiosity lead.
Understand how to use source information purposefully in the essay. Analyze information from
multiple diverse sources for its relevance to the research question. Fully utilize both library
research and an additional research modality (interview, observation, or experience) to engage
your question(s).
Engage in dialectical thinking while taking notes and drafting; avoid simple reporting of
information you’ve found. (Note the distinctions between this assignment for a “research essay”
and the “research reports” you may have been assigned in high school.)
Utilize a narrative writing style that registers your presence, including first person point of view
(“I”).
Consider a structure based in a narrative of your thinking as it evolves.
Include a review of what has already been said by others about the research question.
Use careful citations that signal which ideas and information belong to the writer and which
belong to other sources. MLA is standard for this type of essay, but talk to me if you have a
compelling reason to use APA.
Draw a conclusion – a proposed answer to the question based on the evidence you’ve
encountered, even if that answer is an unorthodox one.
Keep your audience – your fellow members of our WR 323 class – at the forefront of your mind.
Consider them at every stage of revision. Write a compelling essay that your classmates will be
interested in and excited to read.
cite 3 sources mla
