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Touchstone 1.2: Write a Research Question, Thesis, and Outline
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Write My Essay For MeTouchstones are projects that illustrate your comprehension of the course material, help you refine skills, and demonstrate application of knowledge. You can work on a Touchstone anytime, but you can’t submit it until you have completed the unit’s Challenges. Once you’ve submitted a Touchstone, it will be graded and counted toward your final course score.
Touchstone 1.2: Write a Research Question, Thesis, and Outline
ASSIGNMENT: Following the Topic Selection Guidelines below, choose an argumentative topic to research. This will be your topic throughout the entire course, so the activities required for this assignment will provide the foundation for your future Touchstones. The topic for an argumentative research paper must be a debatable topic, meaning that it involves conflicting viewpoints. Additionally, it cannot be a topic that is already decided or agreed upon by most of society. You will need to take a firm position on the topic and use evidence and logic to support the position. Touchstone 1.2 includes a research question, a working thesis, a detailed outline, and a reflection on this pre-writing process.
A. Topic Selection Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: You may choose any topic you wish as long as the topic has two clear sides and is not agreed upon by most of society. Your topic should be current, appropriate for an academic context and should have a focus suitable for a 6-8 page essay.
In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be UNIT 1 — TOUCHSTONE 1.2: Write a Research Question, SCORE sent
back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.Thesis, and Outline -/50
B. Research Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
1. Research Question and Working Thesis
Keep in mind: The research question and working thesis are the driving force behind your research and eventual argument.
❒ Your research question should be a single sentence, framed as a question.
❒ Your working thesis should be a single focused sentence, framed as a statement that takes a clear position on the research question.
❒ Include your research question followed by your working thesis.
2. Detailed Outline
Keep in mind: Your detailed outline provides a map of the argumentative research essay that you will write, including your key claims and the sources that support them. You may not have all your sources yet, and that is fine. The outline is a way to organize your essay and determine which areas (e.g. your sub-points) will require researched evidence as support.
❒ Headings: one for each paragraph with a brief label of the paragraph’s controlling idea(s).
❒ An introduction, at least five body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
❒ Introduction includes your working thesis.
❒ Body paragraphs should each have their own unique title and key points.
❒ At least one body paragraph is devoted to addressing counterarguments.
❒ Conclusion includes notes on your final thoughts.
❒ Subheadings: two to five for each paragraph, below each heading, indicating key points that support the controlling idea
❒ Sources: one to three for each paragraph, as relevant, indicating the support for the key points
❒ For each source, include the author’s name and the idea or information relevant to your argument (e.g. “Lappé on mono-cropping corn/soy and production”).
3. Reflection
❒ Have you displayed a clear understanding of the research activities? UNIT 1 — TOUCHSTONE 1.2: Write a Research Question, SCORE ❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses? Thesis, and Outline -/50 ❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
C. Reflection Questions
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
. Learning to conduct research is important because it is a skill you will use both in academia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowers you to find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole. What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you? (2-3 sentences)
. The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. It should clearly identify a debatable topic and take a position on one side of that topic. Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement. (3-4 sentences)
. A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of an argument. It allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas, as well as choose places to incorporate outside source materials. Review your detailed outline and summarize the argument you’ve presented. (3-4 sentences)
. You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions you might have as you go deeper into the research process? (2-3 sentences)
D. Rubric
Research Question
Pose a meaningful research question on a debatable topic.
Advanced
(100%)
Constructs a precise and focused research question relative to a current and debatable topic.
Proficient
(85%)
Constructs a focused research question relative to a debatable topic.
Acceptable (75%)
Constructs a research question relative to a
debatable topic; however it is somewhat too broad or too narrow for the assignment.
Needs
Improvement (50%)
Constructs a research question; however, the question is too broad or too narrow for the assignment and/or it is not debatable.
NonPerformance (0%)
Does not construct a research question, or constructs a research question that does not meet any of the rubric criteria.
UNIT 1 — TOUCHSTONE 1.2: Write a Research Question,Thesis, and OutlineAdvanced Proficient Acceptable (75%) Needs Non- -/50 SCORE
(100%) (85%) Improvement Performance (50%) (0%)
Working Thesis Includes a working thesis Includes a working Includes a working thesis Includes a working thesis; Does not include a working
Propose a focused that takes a well-articulated, clear, specific thesis that takes a clear,specific position on one that takes a clear positionon one side of an issue; however, it lacks specificityand does not take a clear thesis, or includes a thesisthat does not take a working thesis. position on one side of side of an issue. however it lacks specificity. position. position.
an issue.
Detailed Outline Outline is thoroughly Outline is well- Outline is primarily well- Outline is not fully developed Outline is not developed
Present a detailed developed and clearlylabeled with effective developed and labeledwith sufficient notes, developed and labeled withsufficient notes, such that and/or labeling and notes areoften unclear, such that the and/or labeling and notesare unclear or absent, such outline that includes notes, such that the such that the reader the reader can get an reader cannot easily get a that the reader is unable to coherent headings, reader can easily see can get a sense of how overall sense of how the sense of how the essay will see how the essay will subheadings, and how the essay will build the essay will build its essay will build its build its argument; several build its argument; most source placement its argument; all argument; all necessary argument; however, a few necessary elements of the necessary elements of the notes. necessary elements of elements of the outline necessary elements may be outline are unclear or outline are unclear or the outline are present. are present. unclear or missing. missing. missing.
Style Demonstrates thoughtful Demonstrates effective Demonstrates generally Frequently includes poor Consistently demonstrates
Establish a consistent, and effective wordchoices, avoids word choices, primarilyavoids redundancy and effective style choices, butmay include occasional word choices, redundancies,imprecise language, and/or poor word choices,redundancies, imprecise
informative tone and redundancy and imprecise language, redundancies, imprecise repetitive sentence language, and/or repetitive make thoughtful imprecise language, and and uses a variety of language, poor word structures. sentence structures. stylistic choices. uses a wide variety of sentence structures. choice, and/or repetitive
sentence structures. sentence structures.
Conventions There are only a few, if There are occasional There are some significant There are frequent significant There are consistent
Follow conventions for any, negligible errors ingrammar, punctuation, minor errors ingrammar, punctuation, errors in grammar,punctuation, spelling, errors in grammar,punctuation, spelling, significant errors ingrammar, punctuation,
standard written spelling, capitalization, spelling, capitalization, capitalization, and usage. capitalization, and usage. spelling, capitalization, and
English. and usage. and usage. usage.
Reflection Demonstrates thoughtful Demonstrates Primarily demonstrates Shows limited reflection; the No reflection responses are
Answer reflection reflection; consistentlyincludes insights, thoughtful reflection;includes multiple thoughtful reflection, butsome responses are lacking majority of responses arelacking in detail or insight, present.
questions thoroughly observations, and/or insights, observations, in detail or insight; primarily with some questions left and thoughtfully. examples in all and/or examples, follows response length unanswered or falling short responses, following or following response guidelines. of response length exceeding response length guidelines. guidelines. length guidelines.
E. RequirementsUNIT 1 — TOUCHSTONE 1.2: Write a Research Question, SCORE
Thesis, and Outline -/50
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
F. Additional Resources
The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment:
. Purdue Online Writing Lab’s APA Formatting and Style Guide
a. This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual pages with guidelines for specific citation types.
. Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style
a. This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA formatting. The “References,” “Punctuation,” and “Grammar and Writing Style” sections will be the most useful to your work in this course.
. APA Style: Quick Answers—References
a. This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of reference list formatting for various source types.
Touchstone 1.2: Write a Research Question, Thesis, and Outline
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