instructions:Research ProjectThe goal of a research project is to understand a complex problem in greater depth and
with greater clarity. By “complex problem,” I mean a question that you can’t answer with facts
alone. That means “How many cups of coffee does Tim Hortons serve in a year?” or “What
languages have more native speakers than English?” aren’t research questions, even though they
may be challenging to answer.1 Most research questions take the form of “How…” or “Why…”?
The answer to your research question will usually become the main argument of your
paper. You are expected to argue using facts (historical, scientific, economic, etc.) as well as
conflicts of interpretation—in other words, from other people’s arguments about what those
facts mean. This is the main difference between a university-level research paper and the
“reports” you may have written in high school.
You are writing for an audience of experts—professors, lawyers, scientists, and so on. In
spite of all their knowledge, these people don’t know the answer to your question, either. Or
maybe they can’t agree on the correct answer. Do not use your research project to confirm
something you already know (exercise is good, discrimination is wrong, etc.).
Step 1: Research question(s), due in class on Tuesday, March 1. See “Prompts,” below.
Step 2: Annotated bibliography (10%):
This is where you piece together the important facts, as well as those conflicts of
interpretation (sometimes called a “tradition of inquiry”). Your annotated bibliography must
include at least 5 items. Of those five items, one should be an academic article from the
textbook; at least one should be an article from a scholarly, peer-reviewed journal that you
found using a TRU library database; and at least one should be a scholarly book.
You need to include specific information about each source. Follow the guidelines on
Moodle. Due before midnight on Tuesday, March 15.
Step 2: Research paper (15%):
Your paper should be 1000-1500 words (4-6 pages) and follow MLA format. Early
submission date (for the option to revise and resubmit): Sunday, April 3. Official deadline:
Sunday, April 10.
Step 3: PechaKucha presentation (5%):
A PechaKucha is a slideshow with exactly 12 slides, timed to play for 20 seconds each while
you present your research. That means your presentation will be exactly 4 minutes long. Unlike
your research paper, which is written for an audience of experts, your PechaKucha presentation
should be designed for an audience of your peers. Think of it as a summary of your own work,
one that’s serious and entertaining at the same time.
Due during the last three days of class: March 31, April 5 and April 7.
1 Two billion, and Chinese and Hindi­Urdu, in case you were curious.
ENGL 1100-07
Research Prompts
Choose a prompt that interests you, read the article(s) associated with it, and then write your
own “How…” or “Why…” question to guide your research paper. The topic of your paper should
be narrower than my prompt.
1. Why is humanitarian aid so complicated and often ineffective? How can we avoid
repeating the mistakes of the past?
Start by reading Andrew Pinto, “Denaturalizing ‘Natural’ Disasters: Haiti’s Earthquake and the
Humanitarian Impulse” (264-70). If you choose this topic, concentrate on a specific disaster or
emergency situation from the last 20 years.
2. How do people decide which animals are killable and which ones deserve special
protection? What do these decisions reveal about the values of a particular culture?
Start by reading either of the following: Herzog, “The Impact of Pets on Human Health and
Psychological Well-being” (180-86); Fox and Ward, “Health, Ethics, and Environment: A
Qualitative Study of Vegetarian Motivations” (187-98). If you choose this topic, concentrate on
one particular animal or culture, and remember that I am not looking for a pro-or-anti
argument.
3. What is school for? What does it actually accomplish? What ideas have been proposed to
improve the education system, and how did they work out in practice?
Concentrate on one of the following age groups: early childhood (ages 3-7), elementary/junior
high (8-13), high school (14-17), or university/college (18+). Start by reading any of the
following: Sternberg, “Slip-Sliding Away, Down the Ethical Slope”* (240-41); Edmundson,
“Narcissus Regards a Book”* (286-89); Helding, “Creativity in Crisis” (293-302). *If you use
Sternberg or Edmundson, you will need to include at least two peer-reviewed journal articles in
your annotated bibliography.
4. There is growing evidence that we, as individuals, are not as rational as we think. How
should a particular aspect of culture (for example: criminal law, advertising, expectations
around sex and marriage) be improved in response to these new discoveries? What new
problems could that change create?
Start by reading any of the following: Mooney, “We Can’t Handle the Truth: The Science of Why
People Don’t Believe Science” (319-26); Wegner, “How to Think, Say, or Do Precisely the Worst
Thing for Any Occasion” (341-48); Vazire and Carlson, “Others Sometimes Know Us Better Than
We Know Ourselves” (350-56).
5. Every social group makes distinctions between high and low (cool and uncool; art and
trash) when it comes to fashion, reading material, music, and so on. These categories are
constantly changing. Examine one set of high/low distinctions within a particular culture
or subculture. What purpose does it serve? Which, if any, status distinctions are worth
preserving in a culture that prides itself on being inclusive?
Start by reading any of the following: Rublack, “The Birth of Power Dressing” (277-85);
Edmundson, “Narcissus Regards a Book”* (286-89); Gray, “Coming Up Next: Promos in the
Future of Television and Television Studies” (304-09). *If you use the article by Edmundson,
you will need to include at least two peer-reviewed journal articles in your annotated
bibliography.
6. If you have a research question of your own, and you can connect it to one of the academic
articles in B AR in a meaningful way, you must get my explicit approval by Friday,
November 6 to go forward. Academic articles are indicated on the inside cover of the
textbook with an [A]. “Doubling up” with a paper from another class is cheating.