Instructions for Research Paper Projects
The purpose of this assignment is quite simple: I would like you to update me on how your research is going. I see this as a formal way for you to communicate to me how things are going with your project and to request specific kinds of feedback or help. Write this report in the form of a letter, as if I were a professor at a distant school that you had never met. Include an imaginary address for me. Be creative.
In this progress report/letter there are 5 question areas to which I am specifically requesting answers and information:
- TOPIC: do you feel that you know precisely what topic or issue you are working on, or do we need to discuss how to conceptualize the project some more?;
- SOURCES: are you finding adequate and useful sources of information and related literature? Make sure you attach an updated bibliography to your letter;
- ACTIONS: can you tell me what specific research activities you have already carried out and what things are still left to do?;
- TROUBLE: are there any problems that you are having that I might be able to assist you with?;
5) THESIS: if I asked you to tell me what you thought the thesis of your paper might be, what would you say? (Yes, I’m asking.) Please provide a one sentence thesis, being fully cognizant that it does NOT have to be the thesis you develop in your paper. Make one up if you like…
Please organize your assignment by using the above numbers in your letter so that you respond to each of the 5 question areas. If there happen to be other issues you want to address, please feel free to discuss them.
Finally, please attach your most current working bibliography to the back of your progress report/letter. Your letter should be about 2-3 pages (max. – exclusive of bibliography). Be concise.
Note the following repeated instructions. This assignment must be typed or printed out, with 1″ margins on all sides. Please number all pages; make a cover page and put your general topic title in all capitals at the mid-upper center of it and include your name, date, course title, professor, university (in that order) centered at the bottom of it. This time I WILL take off points if you do not follow these directions carefully.
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