Right now the idea of writing an independent research paper might sound daunting, but don’t worry! This course breaks down the steps toward that paper into manageable bite-sized pieces
Starting Your Research
Over the next 7 weeks, you will be working toward completing a final paper. Right now the idea of writing an independent research paper might sound daunting, but don’t worry! This course breaks down the steps toward that paper into manageable bite-sized pieces (called “milestones”) each week. Along the way, you will learn the crucial skills of effective searching in the Excelsior College Library; source evaluation, analysis, and attribution; outlining; paraphrasing; and evidence-based argumentative writing.
Begin by reading about all of the Final Project Milestones.
Make sure to read pages 1.9 through 1.13 of the webtext before beginning this assignment.
Next, choose one of the topics from this list (this list also appears in Chapter 1 of your webtext). Each of these topics relates to our course theme of the future of our society as well as to one of Excelsior’s General Education Career Competencies. You will learn more about these competencies in the coming weeks and learn how to articulate your newly acquired skills in these areas to employers through your e-portfolio, where you will submit your completed final project at the end of the term.
This week, your job is to select a topic and do some preliminary thinking about it. Click on the link for your topic choice and read the linked “research starter” article.
While you may have some initial gut reactions or preformed opinions about this topic, consider other ways of thinking about it, even ideas you may think you disagree with at first. When you begin a scholarly research project like this it is crucial to start with an open mind. Trying to remain objective and skeptical allows you to let the sources guide your argument instead of the other way around. If you start with a pre-set opinion, your biases may influence your source selection so that you only choose sources that confirm your point of view.
Note: The topic you choose for this research project should be used ONLY in this class. If you are taking other classes that also require a research paper or presentation, the topic(s) you choose for them should be different from the one you select here. See Excelsior’s Academic Integrity Policy (Links to an external site.) for more information.
Submission Instructions
Now that you have read about your topic a bit and considered multiple perspectives related to it, you are ready to put together your Module 1 assignment.
The following components should appear together in one document in your submission. Use the Milestone 1 Template to assemble your finished product:
1. The topic you selected (it must be one of the choices from the provided list)
2. At least three questions you have about this topic and how it might impact the future of our society. You do not need to have answers to these questions yet, just pose the questions for now. Aim for “why” questions rather than “what”. These are the questions that will drive your research in the next few weeks and help you to find the most useful sources.
3. A short paragraph (approx. 150 words) reflecting on this process. Consider the following as you reflect: Why did you choose this topic? Do you think you have any biases toward a certain perspective on it? How will you try to minimize your own biases as you conduct research? Did you find it difficult to come up with facts and questions about your topic or to think about how this topic relates to the future?
Put all three components into the Milestone 1 Template and submit the finished document to the dropbox by Sunday night of Module 1. Scroll to the top of the page to locate the submission button.
You will receive feedback from your instructor during the first half of Module 2. Make sure to read and utilize that feedback as you work on the next milestone in Module 2.
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