Inform and Explain: English 106

Inform and Explain: English 106

This assignment asks you to answer the question from the methods paper. Task: in 4-6 pages, you will inform readers about the selected issue and gather research to explain: What is the problem/intervention, What is the best method/intervention? What reasons do you have to support this?. Students are required to use a minimum of 3credible, peer reviewed sources and adhere to APA format and documentation. Students are recommended but not required to identify a topic that falls within their field of study. What should be included: • An introduction that states the problem and contains a clear and concise thesis statement that seeks to answer a research question. Note: The research question does not need to be stated in the paper, but should drive the paper. • Body paragraphs that account for what you see as the primary reasons for the problem. Evidence used to support your assertions. • A conclusion that points out the urgency of the issue. Getting Started 1. Identify a specific topic and conduct preliminary research to identify a specific problem. 2. Develop a research question to guide in-depth research. 3. Compile a minimum of 3 scholarly articles. Note: It would be helpful to find articles that can be used in specific sections of the paper. 4. Synthesize your research. 5. Outline your paper and develop a working thesis.

Topic Research Question-Research-Thesis Topic: Identify a topic that falls within your major. (If you are unsure, see me or a professor in your field). Example: Social Media and Depression: This is only a topic because the two words are much too broad to write 4-6 pages. A research question will help narrow this down. Research Question: A research question is what you want to know about a topic. Example: Does extended use social media use lead to depression in first-year college students? From this research question comes the keywords (underlined) that I will start with in my database search. We might find that "extended use" is too vague, so we might drop this keyword or rephrase. Research: We will cover this section in class. Thesis: After you have completed your research and reviewed your research articles, you should be able to reach a conclusion/answer to your question. This answer will become your thesis.

Body Paragraphs Your task is to inform (the facts) your readers about the problem and provide them with the reasons why this problem has happened (explain). When answering the research question, you should have reasons to support the position. These reasons will become your body paragraphs. Example: The extended use of social media leads to depression in first-year college students because: A, B, C, D...