Research Project Assignment

This multi-part research project is worth 40% of your total grade for the course. Specifics for each project component are outlined below. In I will schedule some optional group work hours and additional office hours to make sure everyone has enough support for this assignment.

Components of Assignment                         Due Dates

Research Topic Proposal (5%)  10.25.21

Process Presentation (5%)                               11.8.21

Annotated Bibliography (10%)                       11.17.21

Research Paper (20%)                                        11.24.21

Research Topic Proposal

Step 1: Choose a research topic that is relevant to the course content and interesting to you. You should think of your ‘topic’ in terms of a central question that will drive your research and writing process.

Your topic should be related to something we have already discussed in class, or it may be something that you’re interested in that relates to course themes.

Example: If you are interested in censorship and social media

Insufficient Research Topics	What is the impact of social media censorship?	Too broad, un-focused, has no defined parameters or subtopics
Solid Research Topic	How does Instagram censorship disproportionately impact BIPOC activists?	Specifically defined topic, the question has good clear parameters and key words that can be used to start the research process

Step 2: Write a proposal presenting your paper topic. Your proposal must include:

• your research question
• a brief description of the topic at the center of your question and why it interests you
• 3-5 keywords you’d use to start searching
• a list of 3-5 kinds of specific sources you might use in the first stages of your research (ex: newspaper articles about social media censorship, interviews with black activists who have experienced censorship). 

Research Proposal 

Your proposal can be structured in bullet points or as a paragraph–either way, plan on about ~100 words. Your proposal should be typed and submitted via Blackboard in the “Assignments” area by midnight on the due date. 

Process Presentation 

The purpose of a process presentation is to help you analyze, develop, and articulate your own research / writing strategies in hopes that it will help you refine these strategies. You will be required to give one 2-3 minute presentation on your research and writing process. You can just talk or share visuals.  Presentations are scheduled on 11.8.21 and 11.10.21–everyone should be ready to present on the 8th. Address the following questions in your presentation:

1. What is your Research Question and why did you choose it?
2. What are some assumptions / personal biases you have about the subject(s) you are researching?
3. What kinds of sources are you using? What disciplines are you focusing on? Why did you decide to use these disciplines / kinds of sources?
4. Discuss one source you have found so far and how it relates to your Research Question.  How do you plan to use this source in your essay?
5. What has been the hardest part of this assignment so far? Why?

 Annotated Bibliography 

The purpose of an annotated bibliography is to organize and analyze the sources you found with the goal of refining your topic and connecting some dots before you write your paper

Step 1: Select (at least) 5 different sources of relevant information on your topic, including a mix of government, news, internet, and scholarly sources. You must use at least 1 scholarly source for this project.

Step 2: Place your research question (the question only, not the entire proposal) at the top of the document.

Step 3: Create a citation for each source, formatted using MLA or APA Style (I don’t care which one–just be consistent).

Step 4: Underneath each citation, write an annotation of 100 words for the source.

In your annotation, briefly summarize the main idea of each source and provide a brief analysis of how the source relates to your research question.

Annotated Bibliography Format:

Write in a formal academic style; no first person (“I”) statements. Do not use quotations from your sources–paraphrase things in your own words. Do not plagiarize (to avoid accidental plagiarism, don’t copy and paste…instead, take notes in another document while you read). Your annotated bibliography should be typed and submitted via Blackboard in the “Assignments” area by midnight on the due date. 

Research Paper 

Your final research paper is the culminating critical exploration of your research question. 

In your paper you will:

• Introduce your research question
• Summarize and synthesize your sources
• Consider different perspectives / ethical dimensions of your question
• Analyze your sources in light of your research question
• Present your conclusions or findings (you don’t necessarily need to “answer” your questions–just explore it)

Requirements:

• Research papers must be 5-7 pages long, not including your works cited page (which is required) or illustrations (which are optional).
• In your paper you must use a minimum of 5 different sources, including at least 1 scholarly source
  • Your paper should have a title page that includes the title of your paper, your name, our course number (LIB 1201) and the due date.
  • Your paper must be typed and submitted via Blackboard in the “Assignments” area by midnight on the due date.
  • References must conform to APA or MLA style guidelines (again I don’t care which, as long as you use the same style throughout).
  • If you plagiarize your paper, you will not receive any credit for this assignment or have an opportunity to resubmit. Just don’t do it. 

Research Paper Evaluation Rubric

Evaluation Criteria	Exceptional	Satisfactory	Underdeveloped
Research question (thesis)	Research question is complex, specific, and contextualized within an information / media landscape. Ethical dimensions of question are introduced.	Research question is specific but could be further refined and needs more contextualization. Ethical dimensions of questions are oversimplified.	Research question is underdeveloped or lacks context. Ethical dimensions of questions are not adequately acknowledged.
Evidence	Sources are relevant and represent different viewpoints on and ethical dimensions of central research questions. Students evaluate and integrate sources in ways that acknowledge bias and expertise.	Sources are relevant but may not be adequately analyzed or integrated. Ethical dimensions / perspectives or sources need more explication.	Sources are insufficiently connected to research questions and not adequately integrated, analyzed, or contextualized.
Synthesis	Students effectively explore cross-relationships among ethical issues and demonstrate an understanding of how sources are related to each other and connect to original ideas.	Students don’t always effectively make connections between sources and to their original ideas. Ethical intersections need further exploration.	Connections between sources are superficial and not adequately explored in relation to original ideas. Ethical intersections are not acknowledged or overly simplified.
Analysis	Students recognize their own positionality in relation to questions and issues explored. Students clearly make connections between central questions, evidence, and surrounding ethical and media contexts.	Students don’t fully acknowledge their own positions on questions and issues. Connections are established between questions, evidence, and contexts but could be further explored.	Students don’t express awareness of their own position in relation to questions and issues. Intersections between questions, evidence, and contexts are unclear or superficially examined.
Formatting and Citations	Paper is clearly organized. Students clearly document and attribute source material in citations and textual references.	Paper is sufficiently organized. Students attribute source material but citations may be incomplete and textual references may lack clarity.	Paper is poorly organized. Source materials and ideas are not clearly attributed or documented.