English 1110 (Winter 2020) – Research Essay Assignment and Proposal Proposal Length: 225-300 words Value: 5% Final version of Research Essay Length: 1000-1200 Value: 20% Research Essay (due 9 April): For this assignment, you will write a well-developed argumentative research essay (1000-1200 words) that supports your thesis/stance, and refutes any counter-arguments. Your topic must be chosen from the following list: • Should Canada’s Universities offer free tuition? • Should Newfoundland and Labrador be investing in wind energy rather than hydro electricity? • Should the Federal Government provide a guaranteed income to citizens? • Should Canada’s military focus on peacekeeping or on engaging in war? • A topic of your choosing (must be approved by the instructor) As this is a research essay, students are expected to draw from at least 4 appropriate and relevant sources. Essays must contain a Works Cited list that adheres to MLA standards and conventions. The assignment itself will be graded using the following rubric: • Organization (20pts): this metric reflects how well the essay is structured, but also encompasses length and formatting. For an essay to get an 80% or higher in organization (16/20 or more), it needs to have a clearly articulated thesis statement, and be well-structured, appropriately spatialized (no long blocks of text or too many choppy paragraphs), correctly formatted (MLA), and not too long or too short. • Mechanics (15pts): Mechanics refers to the quality of the writing in terms of grammar and punctuation. For an essay to get an 80% or higher in mechanics (12/15 or more), there must be minimal/no obvious mistakes at the sentence and word levels. This most notably includes spelling, word choice, comma issues (too many, too few, inappropriately placed – this falls under punctuation, but it’s so common that it deserves special mention), awkward phrasing, run-on sentences, improper punctuation (colons, semicolons, apostrophes, etc). • Evidence and Analysis (15pts): Evidence and Analysis (Ev/An) refers to the sophistication of the examples and reasoning provided to make the case and prove the thesis. For an Essay to receive an 80% or higher in Ev/An (12/15), it must use effective and relevant examples to support its points, and must demonstrate sound logic in its analyses. Proposal (due 19 March): The research essay proposal is a short summary (225-300 words) of your intended research topic for the final paper. It should be written in complete, grammatically correct sentences and give an overview of both what you are going to argue (your thesis statement), and how you are going to prove it (by outlining your main arguments and counterarguments, and overall paper structure). A working bibliography (called a “Works Cited” list, in MLA style) containing at least 4 sources must also be included. The proposal will be graded on: • Content: proposal gives an overview of both what you are going to argue (your thesis statement), and how you are going to prove it (by outlining your main arguments and counter-arguments, and overall paper structure) (2 marks) • Mechanics: proposal is written in complete, grammatically correct sentences (1 mark) • Works Cited (WC): proposal includes a properly-formatted Works Cited list with at least 4 items (2 marks)