Identify a problem of personal importance to you (get inspired by Ross Gay’s essay “Some Thoughts on Mercy”!)Develop a research question about that problem (for example, Ross Gay’s question might have been, “Why do I feel like I’m being profiled, or like I’ve already done something wrong, when I haven’t?”)Explore potential answers to that question by collecting research through:Direct observation through recorded experience (given the expectation of social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19, this part of the assignment is no longer encouraged)At least one Interview with someone who might have insight into the problem (please conduct these via FaceTime, phone, or email, rather than in person–see above)At least two CRAAP-tested sources that offer historical context, at least two that share data, and at least two that give expert analysis and opinionBased on your research, recommend a possible solution to the problem (in “Some Thoughts on Mercy,” it’s a bit abstract–but still meaningful. It’s in the paragraph that begins “But what if we acknowledged those fears, regardless of how awful or shameful they are?”)Finally, use at least two ethical frameworks from Ethics for Dummies and one social justice theory–either Bobbie Harro’s Cycle of Socialization, Claude Steele’s identity contingencies and stereotype threat, or Jarrod Schwartz’s Dynamics of Oppression–to analyze both the problem and your solution.I recommend that you write your paper in sections so that it is not overwhelming; each weekly discussion during this unit will correspond to a 2-3 page section. (That is not to say that you should write 2-3 page discussion posts! Just that your discussions will guide you as you draft the Research Essay).When you put all your sections together, make sure you:Have a clear research question (or thesis statement) in your introductionBegin each paragraph with a clear topic sentence that introduces the material to followSmoothly integrate your seven sources–don’t quote-bomb. Introduce your source, make it clear why you are using it, and analyze the information you learned from it.
