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Unit III

Lesson 4: From Topic to a Realized Project

Introduction

When you chose a topic in Unit II, you probably had an interest in the topic. You wanted to know more about it, and you were using this research paper as a way to explore that interest. Some of you might have had some knowledge about your topic, but you wanted to learn more or to share your knowledge with others. In the previous lessons of this unit, we have discussed different types of reasoning and how you can use logic to bring you to a conclusion about your topic. As you may have realized, these “conclusions” then become your claims, which, in turn, are fashioned into a thesis statement. In Unit II, you conducted some research by gathering a few sources about your topic and turning those into an annotated bibliography. In this unit, you will write a research proposal (RP). More explanation about the RP will come in the next lesson, so in this section, we will discuss the parts of the proposal. Each of these parts must be present in your RP in order for it to meet the requirements of the assignment. There are three sections to the proposal. Within each of these sections, you must follow the length requirements.

·  Section 1: What is the topic? (100-150 words minimum)

·  Section 2: What is the controversy? (300-400 words minimum)

·  Section 3: Your tentative thesis statement (1-2 sentences)

Establishing the Controversy

Now, let’s take a closer look at Sections 1 and 2 to better understand the expectations of each one:

Section 1: What is the topic? (100 words minimum): In this section, you want to describe the topic you chose. You may want to include some general background information about the topic. You want to be general in this section, including information about the overall topic.

Kimberly wants to write about recycling plastic water bottles because she has a hunch that recycling might be just as bad for the environment as not recycling because of the net environmental impact of the recycling process.

EXAMPLE (Kimberly’s Section 1 paragraph): For decades, people have expressed concern about the environment and how human activity may impact it in a negative way. Conservation efforts have included global concerns about production waste, water pollution, and endangered species. Because the scope of human activity has an array of negative effects, many people feel somewhat powerless to bring about any kind of real change. As a result, ecologists and activists have attempted to educate the public about ways that every individual might make small changes that will begin to alleviate long-term effects. One of these methods is household recycling. Recently, however, some people have begun to question the efficiency of recycling as a means for alleviating landfill waste.

Section 2: What is the controversy? (300 words minimum): In this second section, you want to establish the pro and con sides of the controversy. Some controversies are not as simple as having a pro or a con side, but every controversy, by definition, must have at least two sides that can be discussed. You may want to dedicate a paragraph to each of these sides.

For example, if we consider Kimberly’s topic from the example above—recycling—we can imagine what the paragraphs describing the controversy might look like.

One key concept to keep in mind is that a goal of the proposal is to narrow down your topic as much as possible. In the example above, the writer did not describe the specific topic of her project because the paragraphs that discuss the controversy will do that.

EXAMPLE (Kimberly’s Section 2 Ideas): The writer will want to narrow the scope of the project in the first sentence:

An ongoing concern is that of plastic water bottles, which arguably make up the greatest amount of an individual’s daily trash. While many people do not disagree that recycling these water bottles is a good idea, there is little to incentivize people to recycle. Further, some people even question whether recycling bottles is better for the environment or not because the sheer amount of recycling demands the use of energy resources, and production of recycled bottles still causes production wastes.

Using information from the research she collected, Kimberly has been able to establish what she thinks are fairly distinguishable sides to the controversy. While some of the materials that she has collected seem to disagree with each other, even when they are on the same side, she groups them into a pro side and a con side.

·  Pro: Kimberly communicates the beliefs and arguments of the side that is in favor of recycling. She includes the arguments of experts and uses APA citations to give credit to each of them. She is also explanatory; she takes the time to include an interpretation of each expert’s arguments because she wants to explain what the experts have said as it relates to each source. She wants to be sure that she is including enough information that the pro side’s position is clear, even if the individual arguments of the experts differ slightly.

·  Con: Kimberly details the general concerns of those who question whether or not recycling is actually as good for the environment as we may think. She surveys a few sources that question the current system of recycling in the U.S.—from the methods of collection to refunds for recyclables. She includes arguments from experts who see the value in recycling but are concerned about the overall environmental impacts of the recycling process.

Ways to Respond: Finding Your Tentative Thesis Statement

Section 3: Your tentative thesis statement (1-2 sentences): A thesis statement should be crafted based upon the evidence. In other words, thesis statements are crafted after research and reading have been done, not the other way around. If you are not sure what you want your thesis to be, then often you can find a great deal of inspiration based on your readings because it is only after having a firm understanding of a topic that we are able to state something about it with confidence. At the same time, for this assignment, you will formulate a working thesis, which is a thesis that is your best assertion before and during the research process. Such a thesis statement can act as a guide as you approach the research process and can drive your outlining and planning. However, because it is a working thesis, you can feel free to revise it any time you begin to see the areas where it may need to be revised, reworked, or amended—even completely redrafted.

We do not always think about a thesis statement as a kind of response, but that is exactly what it is. A thesis is not a reaction, however. What is the difference between a response and a reaction? A reaction is an initial action, one that you might have when you first encounter a topic. A response, on the other hand, is something that is informed by a better understanding of the topic and by reasoning through some of the primary issues of a topic. This is why your thesis statement will be a response to the controversy.

For an argumentative paper, like the one that you will be writing, there are three ways to respond: (1) agree, (2) disagree, and (3) agree and disagree simultaneously. You will choose one of these responses. When you write your research proposal, you will include only one (1) thesis statement. Let’s discuss each one with examples using Kimberly’s project.

(1) Agree: When you agree, you agree with the pro side of the controversy. Further, when you agree, then you agree completely, not partially. It is essential to remember, however, that even when you agree, you must always agree with reasons, meaning that you add to what is being said. You cannot simply agree; it is never enough to just agree. If you completely agree, then you are not constructing an argument of your own making. One way to approach this predicament is to formulate your argument and use the support of others to buttress your ideas.

EXAMPLE (Agree): In this example, Kimberly agrees with the pro side of the controversy.

The environmental costs of recycling plastic water bottles pale in comparison to the negative impacts of not recycling them because of the overwhelming addition of such trash in landfills, the potential for the plastic to be deposited in an ocean, and potential setbacks to other forms of recycling.

Let’s break down what Kimberly did in her thesis statement that agrees with the pro side of the controversy:

[a] The environmental costs of recycling plastic water bottles pale in comparison to the negative impacts of not recycling them [b] because [c] of the overwhelming addition of such trash in landfills, the potential for the plastic to be deposited in an ocean, and potential setbacks to other forms of recycling.

a.  Assertion of agreement: “The environmental costs of recycling plastic water bottles pale in comparison to the negative impacts of not recycling them…”

b.  Announcement of reasons: “…because…”

c.  Statement of reasons: “…of the overwhelming addition of such trash in landfills, the potential for the plastic to be deposited in an ocean, and potential setbacks to other forms of recycling.”

As you can see from this example, there are parts to the thesis statement, and each one plays a vital part in completing the statement and making it strong and argumentative.

(2) Disagree: There are really two ways to think about this response: (1) you disagree with the pro side of the controversy or (2) you agree with the con side of the controversy. Regardless, the result is the same: You are on the opposite side as those who agree, and you disagree completely. If you choose to write a thesis of disagreement, then you disagree with reasons, meaning that you must add to what others have said. Similar to those who choose to agree, you must do more than just disagree. Let’s look at an example of what Kimberly’s thesis statement might look like if she were to decide to argue from the side of disagreement.

EXAMPLE (Disagree): Kimberly decides that she agrees with the con side of the controversy.

The environmental impacts caused by plastic bottle recycling outweigh the benefits of recycling versus first-time production, thereby causing more harm than good to the environment through the use of electric power, by-products, and water usage.

Let’s take a closer look at Kimberly’s thesis statement that agrees with the con side of the argument:

[a] The environmental impacts caused by plastic bottle recycling outweigh the benefits of recycling versus first-time production, thereby causing more harm than good to the environment [b] through the use of [c] electric power, by-products, and water usage.

a.  Assertion of disagreement: “The environmental impacts caused by plastic bottle recycling outweigh the benefits of recycling versus first-time production, thereby causing more harm than good to the environment…”

b.  Announcement of reasons: “…through the use of…”

c.  Statement of reasons: “…electric power, by-products, and water usage.”

(3) Agree and disagree: As you may have already realized, it is sometimes difficult to tell if you agree with the pro or con side of a controversy. In fact, most people find that they partially agree and partially disagree with each side; this stance means that you agree and disagree simultaneously. Unlike choosing to agree or disagree, a position of both agreeing and disagreeing allows you to choose elements from both sides in order to create your own argument. However, like the other two possible responses, you must have reasons, but unlike the other two responses, the reasons are often listed in a second sentence. Again, let’s use Kimberly’s project for our example:

EXAMPLE (Agree and disagree simultaneously): Kimberly decides that she does not fall on either side of the argument, but sees some value in each side of the controversy.

Despite the fact that recycling plastic water bottles causes negative impacts to the environment during the process of recycling, the end result is still less than the environmental costs of first-time production and not recycling at all, so recycling plastic water bottles is a necessity, while engineers discover more efficient methods for recycling plastics.

This thesis statement of agreement and disagreement is different than the previous two, so let’s break down the thesis statement as we did the others:

[a] Despite the fact that recycling plastic water bottles causes negative impacts to the environment during the process of recycling, [b] the end result is still less than the environmental costs of first-time production and not recycling at all; [c] therefore, [d] recycling plastic water bottles is a necessity, while engineers discover more efficient methods for recycling plastics.

a.  Acknowledgement of the con side of the controversy: “Despite the fact that recycling plastic water bottles causes negative impacts to the environment during the process of recycling,…”

b.  Acknowledgement of the pro side of the controversy: “…the end result is still less than the environmental costs of first-time production and not recycling at all;…”

c.  Announcement of the writer’s argument: “…therefore,…”

d.  Assertion of the writer’s argument: “…recycling plastic water bottles is a necessity, while engineers discover more efficient methods for recycling plastics.”

It should be noted that the heart of the thesis statement in the agree and disagree simultaneously category comes after the semicolon (;). So, conceivably, the thesis above could be two sentences because the argument is “recycling plastic water bottles is a necessity, while engineers discover more efficient methods for recycling plastics.”