Investigating writing

ssignment: For this essay, you will collect primary data in order to research an aspect or kind of writing and how it relates to a specific community or group of people or type of person. You’ll choose a topic and collect data (e.g., interviews, observations, surveys, polls, etc.), analyze that data to look for patterns or simple frequency counts, make an argument based on your findings, and explain what your research suggests about a specific kind of written communication as well as a specific group/community of writers. You may use additional interviews with your previous interviewee or some other form of primary research (e.g., surveys, polls, textual analysis, etc.), as well as at least four secondary sources (that’s at least five sources total), in order to develop a complete, authentic research paper. This research is empirical because you must include your own primary research—research that you conduct to produce your own data. That means that you’ll be collecting data to generate knowledge based on your own research rather than compiling information based on others’ research to write a report. We’ll discuss how to submit your topic to the Institutional Review Board (IRB) to be sure that your project is following all University research guidelines.
Once you have collected and analyzed your primary and secondary sources, you will compose a 6-8 page document (at least 2500 words of content, excluding cover page, graphs, charts, References, appendices, etc.) that answers a specific research question related to writing. Your paper will be organized using IMRAD (more on that in the Unit) and should be properly formatted according to APA guidelines, including in-text citations and a References page, respectively.
Your essay should:
❑ Define a problem or ask a specific question about a kind of writing among a group of people.
❑ Include a clear thesis or point. (After conducting your research, what did you find?)
❑ Collect appropriate primary data (i.e., your own information that doesn’t exist yet).
❑ Find appropriate secondary sources.
❑ Evaluate primary and secondary information.
❑ Use appropriate rhetorical, linguistic, cultural, genre, disciplinary, and academic conventions.
❑ Include an introduction, body, and conclusion to structure the essay. (Follow the IMRAD format)
❑ Cite at least four secondary sources (academic essays, scholarly sources, etc.) reinforcing or complicating your thesis.
❑ Include at least one type of primary source that is your own research on which your thesis is based.
❑ Be comprised of at least 6-8 pages (2500 words of content), not counting your Cover Page, References page, and any transcripts, survey questions, or other documents you used to collect your primary data.
❑ Demonstrate your ability to use grammar, punctuation, and formatting suitable for college.
Format:
❑ Include a header (i.e., page number in the upper right corner of every page in the correct font type/size).
❑ Include a cover page and references page (according to APA formatting & citation guidelines)
❑ Follow the IMRAD format
❑ Use a standard font like Times New Roman in 12pt size.
❑ Double-space your essay and set line spacing at 0pt.
❑ Cite your sources in the text and on the References page.
Note:
❑ Make sure the document is accessible, whether typed in Google Docs, Microsoft Word, or uploaded as a PDF – all of which is fine.
– Avoid using other word-processing systems like Apple Pages or notepad-like apps, Canvas is typically not compatible with these.

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