The research project will begin with an idea generation exercise. Your research project will be based on a topic of your own choosing. This adds the challenge of narrowing down a topic to research that will be interesting enough to sustain for the remainder of the semester, and worthy of intense study.

**Please note: you may not reuse a topic or essay that you wrote for another class.**

Research papers will be 3-4 pages long, and will be persuasive. This means that you must have a single, argumentative thesis statement that focuses your paper. You will want to consider this when choosing a research topic: “all about” papers that focus on many different aspects of a topic will not meet the requirements for this project.

Because everyone is choosing his or her own topic, the sources that are used for these research papers will vary widely. Some topics may require academic, peer reviewed journal articles, while others may be approached by finding popular, less formal sources. Part of the difficulty in this assignment, therefore, is to find sources that are reliable and appropriate for your purposes. Each paper must use a minimum of 2 sources.

“Evaluating Web Sources and Identifying the Audience” Please respond to the following:

• Identify three (3) Websites that you plan to use for your research on a paper to convince. When evaluating, think of yourself as an investigative reporter who is checking the claims of a politician who used the sources in his or her proposed bill. Identify the Website and its URL.  Evaluate each Website regarding the following:

1. Targeted audience

2. Updating of information

3. Use of professional peer reviews

4. Information’s accuracy, relevance, and thoroughness

Assignment 2: Research Proposal – Thesis, Major Points, and Plan Due Week 3 and worth 120 points

Select a topic on which your persuasive writing paper will be focused.

Write a one to two (1-2) page research proposal in which you:

1. Identify the topic you selected and explain two (2) reasons for using it.

2. Include a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first paragraph.

3. Describe three (3) major characteristics of your audience (official position, decision-making power, current view on topic, other important characteristic).

4. Describe the paper’s scope and outline the major sections.

5. Identify and explain the questions to be answered.

6. Explain your research plan, including the methods of researching and organizing research.

Document at least three (3) primary sources and three (3) secondary sources. Use credible, academic sources available through Strayer University’s Resource Center. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting guidelines:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.

• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length.