Unit 2: Analytical Research Genre (Essay 2)

Specifically, for this unit we will study explanation journalism, the narrative essay, and white papers and
scholarly peer reviewed journals. We will examine and analyze the patterns that are universal across these
research writing genres and those that are genre specific. We also will explore and analyze how writers
mix genres in their effort to find the best way to communicate the information to their readers. Finally, we
will examine how to apply our studies to the academic research writing you.

Assignment: You will write a research-driven essay on an issue of your choice.

Genre element: You are to select either one specific research genre we studied, or you may mix genres,
and develop an analytical/explanation essay. In your composing memo, you will detail the genre and
genre conventions you focused on and followed in writing your essay. Your essay will be graded, in part,
on how well you demonstrate these conventions.

Issue: You may continue to examine in more depth the issue you’ve written about in essay 1 or you may
choose a new issue. Remember, an issue is the subject/topic AND the controversy/debate. So, death
penalty is the topic/subject and one issue a writer might examine would be: Should the death penalty be
halted because of the racial bias. Another issue option: Should capital punishment be eliminated given the
numerous innocent victims whose convictions have been overturned?

Note above how specific the death penalty issue is framed. If you elect to revisit your Essay 1 issue, you
will want to narrow the scope. One of the goals in essay 1 was to help you identify a narrowed issue as
you examined the broader issue.

Additional Essay Requirements—both for the working draft and final draft:
 Minimum of 2,000 words and maximum of 3,000 words, not counting a works cited/reference
page.
 Minimum of eight credible sources: at least 5 scholarly journals or articles written by
scholars and found in the university’s database. These sources should be used effectively in
the paper—following Joseph Harris’s suggestions for using sources in academic papers.
 The remaining three sources must meet the requirements of a credible source.
 Provide a reference/works cited page that conforms to specific discipline (MLA, APA, Chicago,
etc.)
 Clearly adhere to the genre you’ve chosen or, if mixing genres, demonstrate this effectively
 Examine in-depth a narrowed issue, instead of taking broad strokes at a general issue.
 Demonstrate strong writing conventions for introductions, well-developed paragraphs, and
conclusions, as well as grammar and punctuation.

Working Draft and Final Draft Submissions:

Working Draft [15 points]: You will develop a full essay for the Working Draft project [introduction
through conclusion] of at least 2,000 words
Final Draft: In weeks 8 + 9 we will focus on revision of Essay 2. While your essays will not be returned
to you until the end of week 8, there will be exercises /activities you will implement in the drafts you
completed during that time. Once you have your essays back with my comments, you will then complete
these additional suggested revisions.

You MUST show all your revisions in this draft and submit this draft as part of the FINAL DRAFT
package. I will not accept the final essay without the marked up working draft.